iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro: Which is Best For You?

Richard Goodwin

08/07/22 •  5 min read

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Should you buy the iPhone 13 or the iPhone 13 Pro? Let’s see how these two phones compare and which is the best by looking at their specs, camera tech, and battery life…

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, just like last year, are Apple’s “entry-level” iPhones for 2021. This is a polite way of saying they’re cheaper and don’t carry quite as much fancy stuff as the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

For most people, the iPhone 13 will be all you need. It has a new and improved camera, a faster CPU than the iPhone 12, and, most importantly, dramatically improved battery life versus the iPhone 12.

The phones – the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 – look more or less identical. The iPhone 13 is slightly heavier than the iPhone 12, but this is for a very good reason – it runs a bigger battery. The camera module looks different too; the lenses are aligned differently on the 13.

Other than that, the iPhone 13 looks identical to the iPhone 12. But how does the iPhone 13 compare to the iPhone 13 Pro? Glad you asked: here’s a breakdown of all the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – What’s The Difference?

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iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro: Camera

This is the main area where the iPhone 13 is considerably different – and not quite as good – as the iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone 13 runs a dual 12MP camera system with an Ultra Wide and Wide lens, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro runs a triple-lens camera with a telephoto lens added.

With the iPhone 13 Pro, you also get Apple’s LiDAR sensor too which is a big addition to the Pro models (and one of the main reasons plenty of people decide to go Pro).

On top of this, the iPhone 13 Pro also allows you to take photos in Apple ProRAW which allows for higher-quality photos and the ability to shoot 4K video at 30 fps.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro: Battery Life

Looking at the two phones side by side, you’d assume they were fairly matched in the battery performance department. But once again the iPhone 13 Pro is the superior phone – it’ll last five hours longer when streaming videos, clocking in at 24 hours (the iPhone 13 only managed 19 hours).

The iPhone 13 – the phone I use – has very respectable battery life, however, and will see you through a full day of heavy usage (unless you’re using Maps for hours on end).

The reason the iPhone 13 Pro has a better battery life is that it is designed for shooting and editing videos and images on the go. Apple bulked out its battery performance in order to make the phone a replacement for digital cameras and DSLRs.

If you value overall photography performance and battery life in high regard, the iPhone 13 Pro is a vastly superior choice.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro: Storage

When it comes to storage, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro come with a few options: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Usually, this will be more than enough for most users. But Apple has added an extra tier for its iPhone 13 Pro models, 1TB.

If you want 1TB of storage on your iPhone, a huge amount but arguably essential if you plan on shooting hours of 4K video, then you’ll have to go with either the iPhone 13 Pro or the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Of course, 1TB of storage is VERY expensive. But for professional videographers, the extra cost will pay dividends in the long run.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro – Which is Best For Me?

If you’re looking or planning on shooting professional-looking videos with your phone, the iPhone 13 Pro is obviously the one to go for. It has the best camera of the two phones, it runs Apple’s LiDAR sensor, you get access to Apple’s ProRAW tech, and it has significantly improved battery life over the iPhone 13.

But the Pro model is designed, as the name suggests, for professional users. If you just want a good phone with a great camera and very good battery life, the significantly cheaper iPhone 13 is still a brilliant option.

Take me, for example: I’m a tech journalist but I’m not a mad photo/video guy. I don’t need all that extra stuff, so I opted for the iPhone 13 simply because it is A) a great phone overall, B) is cheaper than a Pro model, and C) has everything I need from a phone and more.

If you don’t mind spending the extra cash, the iPhone 13 Pro of obviously the one to go for; it is a better phone in nearly every regard. But if you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend the big bucks, Apple’s iPhone 13 will be more than enough for 99.9% of users.

Where To Buy iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Pro

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He has written for Den of Geek, Fortean Times, IT PRO, PC Pro, ALPHR, and many other technology sites. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.

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