Apple iPhone 13

Really worth it?

Oct. 21, 2021

In September 2021, Apple launched the new iPhone 13 models. What do they add to the previous iPhone 12 models? Is it worth updating my phone to the latest model? We hope that the following article will be useful to understand the changes and improvements of the new generation of Apple iPhone.

Models

Apple continues to offer the same four models as in the previous generation:

iPhone 13 mini is the most compact model with a 5.4-inch screen
iPhone 13 offers the same as its little brother but in a larger size, with a 6.1-inch screen and a higher capacity battery
iPhone 13 Pro maintains the dimensions of the iPhone 13 but provides improvements in several aspects (screen, cameras and storage)
iPhone 13 Pro Max combines the improvements of the iPhone 13 Pro with an even larger size with a 6.7-inch screen

iPhone 13 models

Aspect

The truth is that if we compare the iPhone 13 with the iPhone 12 the differences in appearance are minimal:

On the front, the Notch (window at the top that usually houses the front camera and sensors) is slightly smaller
On the back, the lenses are slightly larger
On the back of the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 models, the photography elements are arranged differently, with the lenses diagonally rather than vertically

Comparison between iPhone 12 and iPhone 13

Dimensions

The iPhone 13 models have exactly the same dimensions as the iPhone 12 models, except for the thickness, where they are slightly thicker and therefore slightly heavier phones. But the difference is minimal, almost imperceptible. We understand that the reason for the increase in thickness is to be able to fit a larger capacity battery.

Screen

The iPhone 13 models have very similar screens to the iPhone 12 models. Same sizes and same resolutions. According to Apple, the screen brightness has improved, but the most relevant difference is the refresh rate of 120 Hz on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models.

iPhone 13 OLED screen

Cameras

The iPhone 12 Pro Max integrated a rear camera with important new features and improvements over the rest of the iPhone 12 models. These improvements consisted of a larger sensor size, and better image stabilization, so that the camera manages to capture sharper images even in difficult situations.

To everyone's delight, the same improvements of the iPhone 12 Pro Max have now been brought to all iPhone 13 models, and in fact it is the main improvement offered by the new generation of iPhone.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max cameras

The rest of the camera features are maintained, with two rear cameras on iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13, and four rear cameras on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. This time, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models share the same cameras, which improve the opening of the main lens compared to the lower models and add a telephoto lens of greater range than the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Storage

Apple has updated the storage capacities in the iPhone 13, going to have a minimum of 128 GB in all models, a maximum of 512 GB in the small models, and a maximum of 1 TB on large models.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max colors

Processor

As usual, the new generation of iPhone integrates a new model of the Apple chip called A15 Bionic. The new chip has no major changes, it is advertised as slightly faster than its A14 predecessor due to its higher processing frequency, but the improvement is likely to be negligible in practice.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models have an additional core in the GPU, probably to improve solvency by handling the 120 Hz screen refresh rate.

Battery

As we advance previously, the iPhone 13 has gained in thickness and weight with the aim of improving the capacity of the battery. According to data provided by Apple, the capacity of the new batteries has increased between 9% (iPhone 13 mini) and 18% (iPhone 13 Pro Max).

This is a notable improvement given that the new models are only 3.5% thicker, and the weight of the phone has only increased between 4% (iPhone 13 mini) and 8% (iPhone 13 Pro).

iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 colors

Connectivity

No news in terms of connectivity. The iPhone 13 maintains a Lightning connector, and supports NFC and 5G networks.

Price

The prices in Spain are as follows:

	iPhone 13 mini	iPhone 13	iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone 13 Pro Max
128 GB	809 €	909 €	1,159 €	1,259 €
256 GB	929 €	1,029 €	1,279 €	1,379 €
512 GB	1,159 €	1,259 €	1,509 €	1,609 €
1 TB	-	-	1,739 €	1,839 €

Conclusions

It goes without saying that the iPhone is one of the best mobile phones available on the market. In the 13 series it has further improved the camera and battery, keeping the look and the rest of the features of the previous generation.

Is it worth updating an iPhone 12 or even an iPhone 11? Probably not, unless you want the best possible camera today and an extra 1-2 hours of battery life. If you come from Android, perhaps the most sensible thing would be to take advantage of the expected drop in prices of the iPhone 12.

More information

Below you can consult other Movilable pages with technical and comparative information on these models:

Comparison between iPhone 13 models

Comparison between iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models

Comparison between iPhone 13 mini and other similar mobiles

Comparison between iPhone 13 and other similar mobiles

Comparison between iPhone 13 Pro and other similar mobiles

Comparison between iPhone 13 Pro Max and other similar mobiles