Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 series at its September launch event, and we now know the specifications, pricing, and availability of the next-gen iPhones. Today, we will be comparing the iPhone 13 Pro against the Pro models of last year’s iPhone 12 lineup. If you currently own an iPhone 12 Pro, we have also discussed if an upgrade to iPhone 13 Pro lineup is worth it or not. So without any further ado, read our iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro comparison on the basis of display, performance, cameras, and more.

Design and Display

If you couldn’t visually differentiate new iPhones due to the similar notch design so far, this year’s iPhone changes that. While the iPhone 13 Pro models do not feature punch hole camera cutouts that are rumored to arrive with iPhone 14, you get a smaller notch. According to Apple, the notch on iPhone 13 models is 20 percent smaller than their predecessors. You still get Ceramic Shield protection at the front and a surgical-grade stainless steel frame.

  • Design and DisplayiPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro: PerformanceCameraBatteryPriceiPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro: Specifications Comparison

Before we get to the display, it’s worth mentioning that the new iPhone 13 Pro models are slightly heavier than last year’s iPhone 12 Pro models. Compared to the 6.66 ounces (189 grams) weight of the iPhone 12 Pro and 8.03 ounces (228 grams) for the 12 Pro Max, the new iPhone 13 Pro weighs 7.19 ounces (204 grams) and 13 Pro Max weighs 8.46 ounces (240 grams). You are likely to notice the weight difference in the iPhone 13 Pro Max model.

As is the case with every new generation of iPhones, Apple has used an upgraded chipset on the iPhone 13 Pro lineup. The new A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max offers a hexa-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. That’s coupled with a 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. To put that in perspective, the iPhone 12 Pro series packs the A14 Bionic chip with a hexa-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, quad-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.

A15 Bionic features 15 billion transistors, as opposed to 11.8 billion on the A14 Bionic. A15 Bionic uses the 5nm fabrication process like the A14 Bionic, but will utilize TSMC’s improved N5P node. While Apple doesn’t directly compare A15 Bionic to A14 Bionic, the company says the chipset is up to 50 percent faster than the competition. And oh, both the iPhone 13 Pro and 12 Pro support 5G connectivity.

In terms of optics, iPhone 13 Pro uses a 12MP triple camera system with an f/1.5 wide-angle camera, an f/2.8 telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide lens with an f/1.8 aperture. That’s an improvement over the f/1.6 wide, f/2.8 telephoto, and f/2.4 ultra-wide sensors in the 12 Pro. Apple says the larger aperture will help the iPhone 13 Pro models shoot better images in low-light conditions.

The optical zoom range in the iPhone 13 Pro series is 6x — 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, and up to 15x digital zoom. To recall, iPhone 12 Pro offers a 4x optical zoom range (2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out) and up to 10x digital zoom. Last year’s 12 Pro Max is capable of 5x optical zoom range (2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out) and up to 12x digital zoom. You also get sensor-shift optical image stabilization across iPhone 13 Pro series, unlike the iPhone 12 Pro series where it was limited to the Pro Max model.

The support for ProRes codec, on the other hand, is coming to iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max in a future iOS 15 update. It supports up to 4K at 30 fps. However, do keep in mind that you will be limited to 1080p at 30fps in the base 128GB storage variant.

Apple promises up to 22 hours of video playback (up to 20 hours of streaming) and up to 75 hours of audio playback on the iPhone 13 Pro. That’s noticeably better than the promised 17 hours of video playback (up to 11 hours of streaming) and up to 65 hours of audio playback on the 12 Pro.

Having said all that, the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and Pro Max is available at a starting price of $1099. Check out the exact prices below:

As you can see here, the iPhone 13 Pro is priced similar to last year’s 12 Pro lineup. That’s because Apple has officially discontinued the 12 Pro series with the launch of the iPhone 13 Pro series. However, you will likely be able to purchase the 12 Pro series at a discounted price from authorized resellers until stocks last.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro: Specifications Comparison

Choose the Right iPhone 13 Pro Model For You!

It’s evident that this year’s iPhone 13 Pro series focuses on bringing incremental upgrades vs last year’s iPhone 12 Pro lineup rather than flashy new features. However, Apple playing it safe also means that there’s not a lot of reasons to upgrade to the newest iPhone. Sure, the ProMotion display is tempting, but iOS already offers a smooth experience with fluid animations, even on 60Hz displays.