iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: the 6 main differences

Are you ready for a new iPhone? Chances are that you are in doubt between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. In this article we compare the iPhones, so that you know what the differences between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 are.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: the differences in a row

A more powerful processor, new camera functions, longer battery life and more: the iPhone 13 is a nice upgrade over its predecessor. But it is also a bit more expensive, which may make the choice difficult. To help you out, in this iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 comparison, we pit the iPhones against each other. Are you reading along?

1. Design: like two drops

If you put the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 next to each other, you will see few differences. They both have a design with flat sides. The screen sizes are also the same: 6.1 inches. That also applies to the smaller variants: the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini both have a 5.4-inch screen.

Yet there is one difference that you can notice: the notch is smaller on the iPhone 13. This is the notch at the top of the screen, which includes the selfie camera. That’s a nice improvement for notch-haters and it ensures that you get more screen space. The iPhone 13 design is also slightly thicker, but this is not a noticeable difference.

• Dimensions iPhone 12: 146.7mm (height) x 71.5mm (width) x 7.4mm (thickness)
• Dimensions iPhone 13: 146.7mm (height) x 71.5mm (width) x 7.65mm (thickness)

2. Battery makes a difference

One major difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 is the battery. The iPhone 12 is a great device, but does not excel in battery life. With the iPhone 13 that has become a lot better, because the battery capacity has been considerably stretched. As a result, the battery lasts an average of 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12. Charging is equally fast with both iPhones and via the Lightning port. So no USB-C for the iPhone 13.

3. Camera: More New Features

The iPhones both have a camera system on the back with two lenses. The main camera has an aperture of ƒ/1.6, while the ultra-wide angle lens has an aperture of ƒ/2.4. However, the ultra-wide-angle lens of the iPhone 13 has become better, because it lets in 47 percent more light. As a result, the camera performs better in low light and photos are sharper and clearer.

There is also a lot in common. Both devices have a Night mode and Portrait mode. You can also film with both devices in 4K at 60 fps. The iPhone 13 does have slightly better image stabilization, so you get blurry photos less quickly when the iPhone moves. This feature has been taken over from last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The iPhone 13 has also received new camera functions. With Cinematic Mode you can record videos with a depth of field effect. A kind of Portrait mode, but then for video. With ‘Photographic Styles’ you provide your photos with smart filters, where an algorithm prevents skin tones from also coloring. Furthermore, the latest model supports Smart HDR 4. The software recognizes people in a scene and optimizes contrast, exposure and skin tones for each person.

4. Screen: almost identical

Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 have an OLED screen, which Apple calls the Super Retina XDR display. The screens are almost identical to each other. They both have a resolution of 2532 by 1170 pixels, with a pixel density of 460 ppi.

However, the maximum brightness of the iPhone 13 is slightly better. That is 800 nits; with the iPhone 12 it was 625. You notice this difference especially when there is a lot of light, for example if you are in full sun. Because the screen is always bright enough, you can easily read it.

The iPhone 13 still has a 60Hz screen, just like the iPhone 12. The more expensive iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max stand out because of the ProMotion display, which shows very smooth images due to a high 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, we do not see this feature on the normal iPhone 13.

5. Processor: both powerful

The latest processor of the iPhone is the A15 Bionic chip. It is the fastest smartphone chip on the market, but the difference with the A14 Bionic chip of the iPhone 13 is relatively small. They both have a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU. The integrated 16-core Neural Engine does perform calculations slightly faster, but the speed difference is barely noticeable. Furthermore, the A15 is slightly more efficient, which is beneficial for the battery life.

6. iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Price

There is a 100 euro difference between the starting price of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. But beware: the cheapest configuration of the iPhone 12 has a storage capacity of 64GB. With the iPhone 13, that is double: 128GB. As a result, you have much more space for your apps, photos, videos and other files by default.

If you compare the iPhones with the same storage capacity, the difference is only fifty euros. This can be a good motivation – despite the fact that the devices do not differ greatly from each other – to choose the latest iPhone. You can also count on a year longer iOS updates and that is a nice bonus.

• iPhone 12 64GB: 809 euros
• iPhone 12 128GB: 859 euros
• iPhone 12: 256GB: 979 euros
• iPhone 13 128GB: 909 euros
• iPhone 13: 256GB: 1029 euros
• iPhone 13 512GB: 1259 euros

buy iPhone 13

The iPhone 12 has been available for a long time; you can get the iPhone 13 from Friday 17 September to 2:00 p.m. order in the Netherlands. A week later (Friday September 24) the iPhones are officially in the shops. The first iPhone 13 models ordered will also be delivered from this day. Read more about the iPhone 13 pre-order dates and prices so you know what to expect.