Now that we know the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro exist, is it worth making that jump from the standard flagship to a Pro handset? This time around, Apple has opted for a budget and standard iPhone with similar specs, then two Pro models, one with a bigger screen and battery. Regardless of opinion, one thing is clear from the Apple Conference 2021 and iPhone 13 reveal, Apple is trying to become competitive and inclusive of budgets. What better way to aim for different demographics than offering more choice than ever before?
Click to find out the differences between iPhone 13 Mini vs iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro vs Pro Max and their new Color options. But the real question is, which handset comes out on top when looking at iPhone 13 vs 13 Pro? To kick things off, let’s take a look at what these iPhone 13 handsets have in common.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro - Features
- Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
- 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
- ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB storage)*
- Dual optical image stabilization for video (Telephoto and Wide)
- Sensor‑shift optical image stabilization for video (Wide)
- 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 6x optical zoom range
- Digital zoom
- QuickTake video
- Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
- Time-lapse video with stabilization
- Night mode Time‑lapse
- Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p)
- Continuous autofocus video
- Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
- Playback zoom
- Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
- Stereo recording
- 12MP camera
- ƒ/2.2 aperture
- Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
- Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
- Animoji and Memoji
- Night mode
- Deep Fusion
- Smart HDR 4
- Photographic Styles
- Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
- 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps
- Time‑lapse video with stabilization
- Night mode Time-lapse
- Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
- QuickTake video
- Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
- Lens correction
- Retina Flash
- Auto image stabilization
- Burst mode
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Video Recording
iPhone 13 will record at exactly the same quality and resolution alongside the same features:
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – True Depth Camera
Although the standard iPhone 13 is missing the Telephoto third camera lens, it features the exact same True Depth Camera Lens. It’s worth noting that the overall camera functionality, such as limited optical and digital zoom on iPhone 13 when compared to the iPhone 13 Pro:
- Built‑in rechargeable lithium‑ion battery
- MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
- Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
- Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
- Fast-charge capable:
Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (available separately) - HDR display
- True Tone
- Wide color (P3)
- Haptic Touch
- 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
- 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Audio Playback Battery Life:
We’re reaching here, but the Audio playback battery life for both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro is up to 75 hours on one charge. When it comes to video playback, there’s a four to five-hour gap. This makes sense, considering the battery used in iPhone 13 vs 13 Pro are the same specifications, excluding capacity of course:
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Storage Capacity
Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models. Although iPhone 13 Pro models also offer a 1TB storage option.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Displays
If we ignore the ProMotion (120Hz) technology in the 6.1 inch iPhone 13 Pro, the screens are the same:
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Other Common Features
Location, video calling, audio calling, audio/video playback, MagSafe, sensors, and sim card slots are all the same when considering iPhone 13 vs Pro. This isn’t much of a surprise considering a lot of these features are standard for a great number of handsets these days. Let’s take a look at the differences between iPhone 13 vs Pro to help make your mind up:
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro - Key Differences
Let’s establish that there’s $200 difference between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. Some people just assume the Pro model will be better in all areas given the price tag, but it isn’t. In fact, bar a couple of different features and exclusive color options, there’s not a drastic difference in performance or upgrades. Let’s take a look at the key differences to see if we can justify the extra $200 price point between iPhone 13 vs 13 Pro:
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Telephoto Lens
The iPhone 13 Pro houses a newly designed 77nm-equivalent Telephoto lens that now supports night mode. Although it has a smaller aperture when compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, it allows closer zooms on far-away shots without losing image quality.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Battery Life
Video playback is hitting around 22 hours, 20 hours for streaming for the iPhone 13 Pro. iPhone 13 hits 17 hours when playing locally stored video and 13 hours when streaming. For someone who needs better battery life and doesn’t want to use power banks when out and about, they may need to consider this difference.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – ProMotion Technology
iPhone 13 Pro features an adaptive refresh rate, which ranges from 10Hz to 120Hz when needed, which also conserves battery life. Refresh rates reduce motion blur and provide smoother experiences when watching video content and gaming. If that’s something that you care about, consider this as a plus.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – A15 Chip
The A15 chip in the iPhone 13 Pro features one extra core on the GPU side of things, which is going to seriously help gaming experiences and any other graphically heavy task. If you are not a gamer and just use your phone for day-to-day activities, this isn’t really a big deal.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro - Conclusion
There are valid points for choosing iPhone 13 Pro over the standard iPhone 13 model, but said reasons require a user to be interested in those features. Said features are also slight upgrades on the technology that is included in both models. If you’re really into handset photography and would like the option of high refresh rates, the extra $200 will be worth it. If not, save the money and buy a power bank if you really need to.