Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Here are the major differences between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12

Latest and greatest

iPhone 13

From $799 at Apple

Pros

  • A15 Bionic chip
  • 2.5 hours more battery life
  • Base 128GB, up to 512GB storage
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
  • Cinematic mode and Photographic Styles

Cons

  • More expensive

The iPhone 13 is faster with the A15 Bionic Chip and has more storage and battery life than its predecessor. The camera has also been improved with Sensor-shift OIS, Cinematic mode, and Photographic Styles.

Still powerful

iPhone 12

From $699 at Apple

Pros

  • Less expensive
  • Still fast with A14
  • Camera system is still decent for most
  • Available in six colors

Cons

  • Last year's model
  • Less storage
  • No Sensor-shift OIS

The iPhone 12 may be an outdated model, but it's still a good phone for a lot of people who don't need the latest and greatest. Plus, it has more colors and is now less expensive.

While the iPhone 13 is the latest offering from Apple and the best iPhone yet, the iPhone 12 is still a good phone for a lot of people. After all, not everyone absolutely needs every shiny new toy. However, the iPhone 13 definitely has a lot of solid upgrades that make it a better choice if you don't mind a little extra dough.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Breaking it down

While the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 look similar on the surface, a lot of the minute differences come from the new camera system. Of course, there are other things too, like the new A15 Bionic chip over last year's A14, as well as better battery life.

iPhone 13 iPhone 12
Design Ceramic Shield front + Aerospace-grade aluminum Ceramic Shield front + Aerospace-grade aluminum
Colors Starlight, Midnight, Pink, Blue, PRODUCT(RED) Purple, Blue, Green, PRODUCT(RED), White, Black
Processor A15 Bionic chip
6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
A14 Bionic chip
6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Display 6.1‑inch OLED Super Retina XDR display 6.1‑inch OLED Super Retina XDR display
Camera Dual lens 12-megapixel wide and 12MP ultra wide rear, 12MP TrueDepth front Dual lens 12-megapixel wide and 12MP ultra wide rear, 12MP TrueDepth front
Camera Aperture Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture
Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture
Camera Zoom 2x optical zoom out
Digital zoom up to 5x
2x optical zoom range
2x optical zoom out
Digital zoom up to 5x
2x optical zoom range
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512 GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Battery Up to 19 hours video playback Up to 17 hours video playback
IP rating IP68 IP68
Cinematic mode Yes No
Photographic Styles Yes No
Size and weight 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches, 174g 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inches, 164g
MagSafe Yes Yes

When the iPhone 12 originally came out last year, it surprised many people. We ended up with a new flat edge design that harkens back to the iPhone 5 days, MagSafe accessory compatibility, and 5G support.

For the most part, these things have carried over to the iPhone 13 as well, but things start to differ mostly when it comes to the camera. After all, the Sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) that debuted exclusively with the iPhone 12 Pro Max has now made its way into the entire iPhone 13 lineup, among other things.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Big advances

Since the iPhone 12 is last year's model, it's using the older A14 Bionic chip. With iPhone 13, we now have the faster A15 Bionic, with a new 6-Core CPU that packs in two high performance cores and four efficiency cores. The end result is an iPhone that is 50% faster than the competition, including its own predecessor. It even has a 4-core GPU that gives you 30% faster graphical power. In short, the iPhone 13 is the fastest iPhone yet.

The other big difference lays within the camera system. While the iPhone 13 still retains a dual camera like the iPhone 12, the configuration is now diagonal instead of vertical. The iPhone 13 also has Sensor-shift OIS (instead of the regular optical image stabilization), which originally debuted with the iPhone 12 Pro Max only. This means that the camera sensor is stabilized rather than the lens, which provides better image stability and improved photo quality. The iPhone 13 is also capable of Smart HDR 4 instead of Smart HDR 3, so your photos come out brighter and more vibrant, skin tones look more realistic, and just a higher quality overall.

On top of that, the iPhone 13 includes Apple's new Cinematic mode for video, which lets you record people, pets, and objects with a depth-of-field effect like in Portrait mode. But Cinematic mode keeps the subject in focus automatically at all times, even if they're moving, and you can adjust the focus point and bokeh even after capture. Cinematic mode works with Dolby Vision HDR, and you can record 4K up to 60FPS.

There is also the new Photographic Styles feature, which allows you to selectively apply adjustments to certain areas while preserving colors elsewhere, like skin tones. These styles get saved based on your preferences, and may be applied to all future photos.

On top of all that, the iPhone 13 has a slightly larger battery, so you get about 2.5 hours more than the iPhone 12. It also starts at 128GB of storage, going up to 512GB, while the iPhone 12 base begins at a measly 64GB and only goes up to 256GB.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12: Which should you buy?

For most people, it's pretty clear that the iPhone 13 is the better choice at this point. After all, you are getting the latest and greatest from Apple, from the A15 Bionic chip to the improved dual camera system, longer battery life, and even increased storage. And if you often use your iPhone for photography, the Cinematic mode and Photographic Styles are a great tool to have in the arsenal. Plus, it now comes in pink!

However, if you like to save some money and get discounts, and don't particularly need the new bells and whistles, the iPhone 12 is still a great phone. It will last at least several years, runs iOS 15 perfectly, and it's no chump when it comes to mobile photography. Plus, if you prefer the purple or mint green colors, then you can only get that with the iPhone 12.

The best for most

iPhone 13

The new standard

From $799 at Apple

The iPhone 13 packs in the new A15 chip, bigger battery, improved camera system, and more storage.

Still good

iPhone 12

Now for less

From $699 at Apple

If you don't need all the new bells and whistles, the iPhone 12 is still great. Plus, it comes in colors you can no longer get.


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