iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Here are the biggest differences

Even with phones released a year apart, this iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12 comparison demonstrates how difficult phone purchasing decisions can be.

The iPhone 13 is the more recent model, with a superior chipset, cameras, battery life, and some new software features. The iPhone 12 has the benefit of being significantly less expensive, and Apple has decided to keep it as a mid-range model (together with the iPhone 12 small) for the time being. Are the additional features worth the extra cash? That is entirely up to you, although we can assist you.

We’ve tested and used every iPhone, so take our word for it when we claim the iPhone 13 outperforms the iPhone 12 in practically every way. The primary differences between the latest iPhones and older iPhones are longer battery life and better displays. Despite a few issues with the iPhone 13, these are excellent phones. Here’s how the iPhone 13 improves on the iPhone 12‘s foundation in the larger picture.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Specs

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Value and launch date

One thing hasn’t changed with the debut of the iPhone 13: the beginning pricing for Apple’s phones. When the iPhone 13 models were released in 2020, they were priced the same as their iPhone 12 counterparts: The iPhone 13 small costs $699, the iPhone 13 costs $799, the iPhone 13 Pro costs 999 dollars, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max costs $1,099 dollars.

You receive more storage for your money with the iPhone 13 and 13 mini than you did with the similar iPhone 12 models. Instead of the 64GB of storage that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini had, the two iPhone 13 models now have 128GB. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, on the other hand, now offer new 1TB storage options.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, as previously said, remain part of Apple’s iPhone portfolio at decreased rates. The iPhone 12 is $699, the same as the iPhone 13 small, while the iPhone 12 mini is $599.
Are you looking for a way to save money on your next iPhone purchase? We’re looking for the best iPhone 13 offers as well as the best iPhone 12 discounts to locate the best Apple phones at the lowest prices. While carriers and merchants may provide discounts, Apple offers a discount on its phones when you trade in an old device. When you trade in an iPhone 8 or later and buy an iPhone 13 from Apple, you can save anywhere from $100 to $700. Buyers of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will receive the same discount.

Apple’s supply of iPhone 13s has been limited since the launch of the new phones, so you might have some difficulty getting your hands on one. To assess the status of Apple’s phone supply, look at our iPhone 13 wait times.

iPhone 13 Professional vs. iPhone 12 Professional specs

Design and display of iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12

Except for one highly noticeable distinction, there isn’t much of a design difference between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12. That’s the iPhone 13‘s notch, which is smaller on all four new models (20 percent smaller, in fact, according to Apple). Aside from that, the phones have the same design, with flat corners and Ceramic Shield displays for increased durability.

The new variants are slightly heavier, owing to the larger batteries included with the iPhone 13, and there are new color possibilities. On the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, a pink model joins the black (Midnight), white (Starlight), blue, and Product [RED] colors. Sierra Blue is a new color choice for the iPhone 13 Pro series, joining graphite, gold, and silver.

Although the AMOLED panels used in the iPhone 13 family are the same size as their predecessors, Apple has made the most improvements to the displays since the iPhone 12. Instead, Apple promises brighter displays, which will be 28% brighter than the iPhone 12‘s. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini have a brightness of 800 nits, while the iPhone 13 Pro versions have a brightness of 1,000 nits.

The iPhone 13 has a brightness of 795 nits, while the iPhone 13 mini has a brightness of 788 nits. That’s more than the iPhone 12 (569 nights) and iPhone 12 tiny combined (505 nits). Also brilliant are the iPhone 13 Pro (1,024 nits) and iPhone 13 Pro Max (1,038 nits).

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, which are the first Apple phones with ProMotion screens, are the focus of the larger display story. That implies they can vary their refresh rate dynamically between 10Hz and 120Hz to match the activity onscreen. The iPhone 12 Pro versions, like the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, were stuck at 60Hz.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Cameras

Even though the number of lenses on each phone is the same, the cameras proved to be a significant point of differentiation between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12. The camera experience on the iPhone 13 is radically different thanks to what Apple has done with the camera hardware.

The 12MP main camera on both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini is the largest sensor ever used in a dual-camera iPhone. For crisper pictures, it should let in 47 percent more light than the iPhone 12 camera. The sensor shift optical image stabilization technology, which Apple added to the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year, is available on these two iPhone 13 models, and the ultrawide lens offers better detail in darker regions of your photographs.

The camera modifications on the iPhone 13 Pro versions are much more significant. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max include a larger primary sensor for improved low-light shots, and the ultrawide angle lens has a wider f/1.8 aperture. (On the iPhone 12 Pro versions, it was f/2.4.) Even in low-light situations, this will result in brighter, sharper photographs. In addition, the 77mm telephoto lens on the iPhone 13 Pro models now has a 3x optical zoom, up from 2.5x on the iPhone 12 Pro.

Night Mode is available on all three iPhone 13 Pro cameras, and sensor shift stabilization is available on the iPhone 13 Pro rather than just the Pro Max model.

We haven’t conducted a formal camera comparison between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models. However, in certain photo comparisons, the iPhone 13 performs somewhat better than its predecessor in low-light shooting. The leaves appear pinker in this iPhone 13 photo of hydrangeas, and there are brighter foliage encircling the petals.

Another feature worth mentioning is Cinematic mode, which is available on all four iPhone 13 models. When you’re capturing video, this mode automatically adjusts focus, shifting between foreground and background objects as needed. On the iPhone 12, you won’t find a feature like this.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Efficiency and 5G

The A15 Bionic CPU is used in all iPhone 13 models, which is an update from the A14 Bionic chip used in all iPhone 12 models. Given that the A14 was the fastest system-on-chip we’ve ever tested, the new iPhones should deliver impressive performance.

After testing the iPhone 13 models, we discovered that the new chipset is faster than the A14 found in the iPhone 12, yet there isn’t a significant difference between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 Pro, for example, achieved single- and multicore scores of 1,733 and 4,718, respectively, in Geekbench 5. Both of these figures were better than the iPhone 12 Pro‘s 1,585 and 3,669 results.

Those are, however, artificial benchmarks. The gap was narrower in real-world testing. We convert a video with Adobe Premiere Rush and time the results. The iPhone 13 models were a fraction of a second faster than the iPhone 12 models in this test.

One difference between the iPhone 13 Pro and the standard iPhone 13 is that the Pro models have a 5-core GPU, whilst the regular iPhone 13 has a 4-core graphics processor. You’d assume that, compared to last year’s iPhones, the Pro models would be gaming powerhouses. Indeed, the iPhone 13 Pro scored 70 frames per second on 3DMark’s Wildelife Unlimited test, compared to 51 for the iPhone 12 Pro.

Although the iPhone 12 has some of the finest 5G compatibility, Apple claims that the upcoming phones will be able to support even more 5G bands. Apple claims that 5G support for iPhone 13 models would double by the end of the year, with more than 200 carriers in 60 countries and regions.

iOS 15 comes pre-installed on the iPhone 13. Although the iPhone 12 devices came out with iOS 14, they’re all eligible for the iOS 15 update. (You can read our iOS 15 review to see what we think of the new features.)

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Battery life and charging

We don’t know how big the iPhone 13 batteries are in comparison to their iPhone 12 counterparts because Apple doesn’t reveal battery sizes when it unveils new phones. We do know, though, that they are larger and last far longer on a charge.

That’s excellent news. The other iPhone 12 models, with the exception of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, all performed poorly in our battery test, in which we had phones surf the web over cellular until they ran out of juice.

The iPhone 13 small and iPhone 13 Pro, according to Apple, should last up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max will gain 2.5 hours of battery life. That is supported by our research.

As you can see, each iPhone 13 model outlasted its iPhone 12 counterparts in our battery test, with gains ranging from little for the iPhone 13 small to significant for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Both iPhone 13 Pro models have earned a spot on our list of the best phone battery life, which honors phones that last more than 11 hours in our tests.

The iPhone 12’s charging speeds remain the same: 15W MagSafe wireless charging and 20W wired charging. The iPhone 13 models, like the iPhone 12, will come without a charger.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Conclusion

You’d think phones would become better with each generation, but the contrasts between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12 are striking. Better storage options, a quicker processor, and camera enhancements would be enough to justify the investment. With better battery life and — in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro versions — fast-refreshing displays, this is a significant improvement over last year’s model.

The iPhone 12 models, as amazing as they were, are no match for what the iPhone 13 has to offer. And if you’re in the market for an iPhone right now, this is fantastic news.

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