iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 Pro: A Comprehensive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 13 offers a noticeable performance boost with the A15 Bionic chip and slightly better battery life. However, the iPhone 12 Pro retains its appeal with its premium stainless steel design and excellent camera system, especially for those seeking a more established, slightly more affordable option. The iPhone 13 is the overall winner for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 13 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro |
| 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 - A2341 |
| 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 - A2341 |
| 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 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2406 | |
| 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, stainless steel 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) | 189 g (6.67 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | 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, 800 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 | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| NVMe | 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 | - |
| 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) | - |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| 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, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), 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 | 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 | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | A2633, A2482, A2631, A2634, A2635, iphone14,5 | A2407, A2341, A2406, A2408, iPhone13,3 |
| Price | € 304.00 / $ 249.97 / £ 248.00 | $ 277.86 / C$ 419.75 / £ 250.00 / € 299.99 |
| 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) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 725.05 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 575.00 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 799.50 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 499.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 89h | Endurance rating 81h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) | -24.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 775519 (v9) GeekBench: 4645 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 596244 (v8) GeekBench: 4056 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 13
- Faster A15 Bionic Chip
- Improved Battery Life
- Sensor-Shift Stabilization for Video
- Slightly Brighter Display
- Design is similar to iPhone 12
- No significant camera hardware upgrades over 12 Pro
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
- Premium Stainless Steel Design
- Excellent Camera System
- More Affordable (potentially)
- Proven Reliability
- Slower A14 Bionic Chip
- Shorter Battery Life
- Older Technology
Display Comparison
Both phones feature stunning Super Retina XDR displays with excellent color accuracy and brightness. The iPhone 13 boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 802 nits compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, offering marginally better visibility in direct sunlight. Both have a nominal infinite contrast ratio. The iPhone 12 Pro's display is known for its excellent color reproduction and sharpness.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer exceptional camera systems. The iPhone 12 Pro has a triple-lens setup with a wider aperture on the main lens, offering slightly better low-light performance in some scenarios. The iPhone 13 introduces sensor-shift stabilization, improving video recording stability. Both capture excellent photos and videos, but the iPhone 13's computational photography enhancements are noticeable.
Performance
The iPhone 13's A15 Bionic chip provides a significant performance advantage over the iPhone 12 Pro's A14 Bionic. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming performance. While the iPhone 12 Pro is still very capable, the iPhone 13 offers a more future-proofed experience.
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 demonstrates a clear advantage in battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 89 hours compared to the iPhone 12 Pro's 81 hours. This means you can expect to get through a full day of heavy use with the iPhone 13 without needing to recharge.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the iPhone 13? Users prioritizing performance, slightly longer battery life, and a more modern chip. Who should buy the iPhone 12 Pro? Those seeking a premium design (stainless steel), a proven track record, and potentially a better deal on a slightly older model, especially if price is a significant factor.