Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The iPhone 13 is a terrific earpiece , but it does n’t add many must - have upgrades over the iPhone 12 .
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The iPhone 13 is a great phone with a great screen and a great camera—it’s just not that much greater than the iPhone 12.
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[ September 2024 : The iPhone 13 is no longer sold by Apple . See our circle - up of theBest iPhones compared , which includes all the current models . ]
If not for the arrangement of the cameras , the iPhone 13 would be intimately unsufferable to differentiate from theiPhone 12 . There are other subtle divergence — it ’s a hair thicker , the intensity and side button are low , the pass is smaller , and the colors are a bit more low-keyed — but the primary differentiator is the diagonal positioning of the rear camera lenses .
The iPhone 13 is a bully phone with a large CRT screen and a great camera — it ’s just not that much greater than the iPhone 12 .
The iPhone 13 is a great phone with a great screen and a great camera—it’s just not that much greater than the iPhone 12.
Michael Simon / IDG
Like everything about the iPhone 13 , that subtle alteration is more meaningful than it seems . You get the same wide-cut and radical - wide photographic camera system as on the iPhone 12 , but the diagonal placement is necessary to accommodate an modern tv camera arrangement . It ’s a classical Apple rise — seemingly superfluous on the exterior but hiding much large thing on the inside .
The iPhone 13 will earn its share of annual buyers , but it is n’t an all important upgrade for anyone using an iPhone 12 or perchance even aniPhone 11 . But that ’s not really who it ’s mean for . The iPhone 13 is the phone for the one thousand thousand of Apple exploiter who skipped the iPhone 12 and mayhap even the iPhone 11 and will be absolutely happy with their vertically adjust cameras for another 12 calendar month .
The buttons on the iPhone 13 (right) are slightly lower than they are on the iPhone 12.
A familiar face
On the surface , the iPhone 13 look nearly superposable to the iPhone 12 . The screen is the same—6.1 inches — and the dimensions are very close , with the exception of the heaviness ( 7.65 mm vs 7.4 mm ) which is difficult to make out even when comparing the phones side - by - side . The other physical differences are the said diagonal television camera raiment , and slightly humiliated book and side button .
The buttons on the iPhone 13 ( right ) are slightly lower than they are on the iPhone 12 .
At 6.14 ounces , the iPhone 13 is also a touch heavier than the iPhone 12 ( 5.78 ounce ) . There are a bit of reasons why — large barrage fire , larger cameras , thicker frame — but the fact is it ’s one of the heaviest phones this side of theiPhone 13 Pro , which is more than an ounce heavy .
The iPhone 13’s notch is noticeably smaller, but the extra space doesn’t add much.
You ’ll need to turn the exhibit on to see the biggest visual alteration : a minor notch for the front camera and sensors . Apple has reduced the sizing of the iPhone ’s most iconic characteristic by roughly 20 percent and it ’s definitely smaller . Also , the earpiece speaker has been shift to the top edge of the earphone making it a turn less distracting .
However , the smaller notch does n’t really impart anything other than a few extra pixels for the “ horns ” on either side of it . Instead of impart a novel status icon , Apple has merely centre the existing icons , which is somewhat more distracting since there ’s a bit of numb space around them now . I ’m bright that an iOS update will bring new icons or a toggle to show shelling percentage because it ’s a shame that Apple is n’t embracing the additional space .
away from the pass and a higher max brightness ( 800 nit vs 625 nits ) , the rest of the screen is fundamentally the same as the iPhone 12 , a 6.1 - inch 2532 x 1170 Retina display with True Tone , wide-eyed color , and Haptic Touch . The bezels around the presentation are the same as well , and they ’re starting to show their age . Apple call it an “ all - silver screen organic light-emitting diode display , ” but it has a much lower screen - to - body ratio than many of its Android compeer . TheiPhone 14is rumored to bring a new design , so hopefully , Apple has sparse bezels in the whole works .
Notably , the iPhone 13 has the same 60Hz display as premature iPhones , in contrast to the iPhone 13 Pro ’s new ProMotion variable - refresh 120Hz exhibit . It ’s a notable dispute when moving between the two modeling , but not one the late iPhone users will find . ProMotion is definitely better , but the standard old iPhone display is pretty good too .
Blow-away battery life
Like every other iPhone Apple has ever released , the iPhone 13 has Apple ’s latest A - series mainframe , the A15 Bionic . But unlike previous years , the iPhone 13 ’s C.P.U. is slimly less capable than the one in the iPhone 13 Pro .
That probably wo n’t be an issue for all but the most discerning of users . In benchmark , the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro are approximately 20 per centum apart in graphics psychometric test and basically identical in CPU performance . They ’re both still right smart quicker than the iPhone 12 and tremendously adequate to , but if you ’re a high - end gamer or a real baron substance abuser , the spare nontextual matter marrow might make an impact . For most users , the standard A15 will be a workhorse . Add with a starting storage of 128 GB ( twice the iPhone 12 ’s base computer storage ) and it ’s knockout to complain about any of the specification .
barrage liveliness is even more impressive . On composition , Apple says the iPhone 13 will get two more hours of TV playback and four more hours of streaming video , but those numbers do n’t really enjoin the whole taradiddle . In benchmarks , the iPhone 13 lasted almost eight and a half hours , which is a near deal longer than the iPhone 12 Pro and virtually as long as the iPhone 12 Pro Max . That ’s kind of mind - blowing and easy the biggest generational leap in stamp battery lifespan . The Pro example still last longer , but it ’s not a stretch to say it ’s the most of import upgrade in the iPhone 13 .
Battery life sentence was n’t exactly an payoff with the iPhone 12 , but with enough use , you probably needed to reach for a charger toward the end of the day . That ’s not even a pass opinion with the iPhone 13 . On one 24-hour interval of particularly heavy use , I spent important time using Apple Maps and Apple Music , took lot of picture , played some game , and did all of the other usual thing I do while leave the luminosity higher than usual ( it was a particularly sunny day ) , and I scarcely hit the loss when I was quick to go to bed . And when I leave to charge it , I still had enough juice to get through my morning before a quick armorial bearing .
It ’s safe to say stamp battery lifetime wo n’t be a headache with the iPhone 13 . Like the processor , Apple has delivered more than we really involve , and with the rare exception of traveling overnight without a charger , iPhone 13 users wo n’t require to pay much aid to the shelling icon any longer ( though I still wish well Apple would lend the share back ) .
you could charge the iPhone 13 with either the included USB - degree centigrade to Lightning cable television or wirelessly with MagSafe . You ’ll involve a USB - hundred charger so check out our recommendation for thebest iPhone chargerand also thebest MagSafe charger .
Incremental camera upgrades
Along with the bombardment , the tv camera is the biggest improvement over the iPhone 12 . Apple is using the same basic hardware — dual 12MP encompassing and extremist - extensive cameras with 2x optical zoom out — but the technical aspects have changed . The sensor in the broad camera is larger , the sensing element in the radical - wide television camera is quicker , and the organization now has sensor - teddy stabilisation rather than the previous lens - based stabilisation .
While you will take good motion picture with the iPhone 13 , however , they wo n’t be awfully noticeable when come from the iPhone 12 . That ’s not meant as a criticism‚the iPhone 12 took fantastic pic as well . If you ’re elevate from an iPhone 12 for the tv camera , I ’d recommend either getting an iPhone 13 Pro or waitress for the iPhone 14 .
But if you ’re coming from an older headphone , peculiarly an iPhone XR or sooner , the divergence will be significant . The iPhone 13 take fantastic picture in all kinds of brightness level , but it truly excels in blue - luminance billet . Apple stick in Night fashion on the iPhone 11 and it ’s gotten dependable with each Modern phone . The good advance this class — other than improved image processing — is the expectant 1.7 µm pixels on the full photographic camera , which captures 47 percent more sluttish , according to Apple .
That may be honest , but it ’s still very hard to see the difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 when it come to nighttime shot . When you compare the two photos side by side you see a bit more contingent and some more distinctness with the iPhone 13 , but for the most part , both phones will produce very standardized and very good photos in low light .
The same plump for picture taken in good light . Even without a telephoto lens of the eye , the iPhone 13 takes marvellous photos with just a tap . The new Photographic Styles feature is impressive for its subtlety and adherence to the vista , but not likely to be something the great unwashed expend all that often . The same go for Cinematic Mode telecasting , which is very cool and telling but only useful in very specific situations .
I ’ve been using both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max , and this is the first class I ’d advocate spending a little more on the Pro to get a better camera . No longer are the differences geared only toward ace mellow - end photogs . The master feature article I missed from the iPhone 13 Pro is macro manner . While there ’s already a software package solution from Halide that mimics it fairly well , it ’s not as smooth and automatic as it is on the iPhone 13 Pro , nor can you get virtually as close to your subject . And when you get up tight to take a exposure with the iPhone 13 ’s lineage photographic camera app , pictures are a blurry mess .
We outlined the advantages of theiPhone 13 Pro camera in our panoptic follow-up , and it brings an regalia of ironware and computer software enhancements that you wo n’t get on the iPhone 13 . The iPhone 13 has a cracking camera for sure , but it does n’t find like a generational leap like the Pro exemplar does .
Should you buy an iPhone 13?
The iPhone 13 is an easy earphone to recommend . Even with iPhone 12 looks , it does n’t feel like a stale purpose and it has marvellous battery life . At $ 799 ( $ 829 unlocked ) , it ’s the same cost as the iPhone 12 and you get a little more for your money in 2021 . There ’s no uncertainty that the iPhone 13 will be a fantastic upgrade for anyone using an iPhone 11 , XR , or XS . And getting 128 GB of memory board alternatively of 64 GB is nice , too .
The iPhone 13 ( top ) has a different camera layout and shade of blue than the iPhone 12 .
But if you already have an iPhone 12 and desire one of the New phones , the iPhone 13 Pro is a safe option . Yes , it ’s $ 200 more expensive , but you ’re getting a lot more for the surplus $ 200 : a effective video display ( burnished and with ProMotion ) , processor ( five GPU cores vs. four GPU nub ) , television camera system ( telephoto plus wide and ultrawide improvements ) , and long battery life .
It ’s not that you wo n’t be glad with the iPhone 13 , but you ’ll be happier with the iPhone 13 Pro .
line up outhow the iPhone 12 compares to the iPhone 13 mini – both of which start at the same terms of $ 599/£649 .
iPhone history
The iPhone 16 grasp and the iPhone SE 3 are the current - generation example available from Apple . In addition to a newiPhone SE 4 modelwe’re also expectingiPhone 17to launch in 2025 . Below you may find links below to our reviews of all iPhone model , include the latest generation . get word more about all thenew Apple products come this yearandwhen is the next Apple case . You might also need to curb out our advice onwhen is the best time to buy a new iPhone , ouriPhone buying guide , and ourcomparison of every iPhone that is useable to corrupt today .
The iPhone 13 (top) has a different camera layout and shade of blue than the iPhone 12.
