iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: A Comprehensive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 13 offers a noticeable upgrade over the iPhone 12, primarily in battery life and a slightly faster processor. While the iPhone 12 remains a capable device, the iPhone 13's enhancements make it the better overall choice, especially if battery longevity is a priority. The price difference is also a factor to consider.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 | Apple iPhone 12 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2633, A2634, A2635 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2172 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2633 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2172 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2634, A2635 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 14 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 24 | Available. Released 2020, October 23 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 174 g (6.14 oz) | 164 g (5.78 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| NVMe | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | - |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 3240 mAh (12.41 Wh) | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
| Models | A2633, A2482, A2631, A2634, A2635, iphone14,5 | A2403, A2172, A2402, A2404, iPhone13,2 |
| Price | € 304.00 / $ 249.97 / £ 248.00 | $ 190.00 / C$ 307.99 / £ 190.00 / € 219.00 / ₹ 54,900 |
| SAR | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 89h | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 775519 (v9) GeekBench: 4645 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 568674 (v8) GeekBench: 4067 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13
- Improved battery life
- Slightly faster performance (A15 Bionic)
- Cinematic mode for video
- Sensor-shift OIS
- Higher price
- Design largely unchanged from iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12
- More affordable
- Excellent performance (A14 Bionic)
- Premium design
- 5G connectivity
- Shorter battery life
- No Cinematic mode
- Older processor
Display Comparison
Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 feature excellent OLED displays with a nominal infinite contrast ratio. The iPhone 13 boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 802 nits (measured) compared to the iPhone 12, offering better visibility in direct sunlight. Both have a 6.1-inch size and a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels, making the visual experience very similar.
Camera Comparison
Both phones have dual 12MP camera systems. The iPhone 13 introduces Cinematic mode for video recording, allowing for shallow depth of field effects. The iPhone 13 also has sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which improves low-light performance and video stability. Image quality is excellent on both, but the iPhone 13 generally produces slightly more detailed and vibrant photos, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Performance
The iPhone 13's A15 Bionic chip provides a performance edge over the iPhone 12's A14 Bionic. While both are incredibly fast, the A15 offers a slight boost in CPU and GPU performance, resulting in smoother multitasking and slightly better gaming experiences. The A15 also features an additional GPU core. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease.
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 significantly improves upon the iPhone 12's battery life. The iPhone 13 achieves an endurance rating of 89 hours, compared to the iPhone 12's 84 hours. This translates to noticeably longer usage between charges, a key advantage for many users.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the iPhone 13? Users prioritizing longer battery life, slightly improved performance, and a Cinematic mode for video recording. Those upgrading from older iPhones (iPhone 11 or earlier) will see a significant improvement. Who should buy the iPhone 12? Budget-conscious buyers who still want a premium iPhone experience. It's a great option for those who don't need the absolute latest features and want to save some money.