Year after year, Apple doesn't make life easy for iPhone users! In 2021, the situation is no different, with some features that make the iPhone 13 Pro stand out from the traditional model. Check out the table with an overview of what changes from one model to another:
| Basic? | Or Pro? | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Figure |  |  |
| Screen | 6.1-inch OLED with 1,170 x 2,532 pixels (460 ppi) at 60 hertz | 6.1-inch OLED with 1,170 x 2,532 pixels (460 ppi) 120 hertz |
| SoC | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) Apple GPU with 4 cores | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) Apple GPU with 5 cores |
| Memory (RAM / Storage) | 4GB RAM 128GB, 256GB or 512GB | 6 GB RAM 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
| Micro SD | No | |
| Main camera | 12MP | f/1.6 | 26mm | 1.7µm | Dual Pixel AF, Sensor Shift OIS | 12 MP | f/1.5 | 26 mm | 1.9 µm | Dual Pixel AF, Sensor Shift OIS |
| Ultra wide angle | 12 MP | f/2.4 | 120° | 13mm focal length | |
| Telephoto lens | n/d | 12MP | f/2.8 | 77mm | 3x optical zoom | OIS |
| 3D | n/d | To lead |
| Video | Max 4K at 60 fps | HDR | Dolby Vision HDR | Cinematic Mode | Max 4K @ 60fps | HDR 10-bit | Dolby Vision HDR | ProRES | Cinematic Mode |
| Selfies | 12 MP at 23mm | |
| Audio | Stereo speakers | |
| UWB | Yes | |
| Battery | Up to 19 hours of video playback | Up to 22 hours of video playback |
| Wired charging | Max 20 watts | |
| Wireless charging | Max 15 watts | |
| Prices | From R$ 7,599 | From R$ 9,499 |
| Assessment | ||
| Check out offers* | ||
To give you an even better idea of the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, we’ve highlighted their main features below. Unfortunately, we don’t have the devices in our editorial HQ yet. For this reason, we’ll be adding our hands-on impressions to this comparison of the phones in the coming weeks. But for now, let’s focus on the technical data!
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: models and costs
Those who follow the Apple ecosystem are already familiar with this, but let's go over the basic information about Apple's 2021 collection. The new line is divided into two options: the standard model and the Pro model. The iPhone 13 is available in the mini version with the same camera and processor, but a 5.4-inch screen.
The iPhone 13 Pro, meanwhile, is available in a larger version with all the same upgrades. The iPhone 13 Pro Max's display measures an impressive 6.7 inches, and with its massive dimensions, the phone weighs 240 grams. Unfortunately, the base iPhone 13 won't be released in a “Max” version, and an “iPhone 13 Pro mini” is nothing more than a distant dream.
Apple's suggested retail prices
| Model | iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 13 mini | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 GB | R$ 7,599 | R$ 9,499 | R$ 6,599 | R$ 10,499 |
| 256 GB | R$ 8,599 | R$ 10,499 | R$ 7,599 | R$ 11,499 |
| 512 GB | R$ 10,599 | R$ 12,499 | R$ 9,599 | R$ 13,499 |
| 1TB | n/d | R$ 14,499 | n/d | R$ 15,499 |
Considering that the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 share the technical specifications, as is the case between the Pro Max and the Pro, in principle you can also use this comparison as a guide if you are interested in these models.
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: display finally with ProMotion technology
Let's start with the display, which is 6.1 inches in both cases. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro offer the same screen size, and the resolution and panel technology are also the same. The displays on both models have a high resolution of 1,170 x 2,532 pixels, and colors and contrast are particularly good thanks to Apple's “Super Retina XDR” technology.
Strictly speaking, the term describes OLED panels in which each pixel emits its own light. As a result, both devices have a very high maximum brightness of 1,200 nits, although this brightness is only reached at certain points. However, with a typical brightness of 800 nits, the screen of the standard model is slightly dimmer than that of the Pro model.
Apple has finally caught up with Android in terms of refresh rate / © Apple
However, the iPhone 13’s frame rate is the first point of differentiation. Apple brought its ProMotion technology to a smartphone for the first time with the iPhone 13 Pro. The recently released iOS 15 operating system refreshes at up to 120 hertz on the Pro models’ displays. Thanks to LTPO technology, the refresh rate is adaptive and varies between 10 hertz and 120 hertz, depending on the content on the screen. Another good news: the notch has become slightly smaller on both models!
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Pro model with more graphics power and more memory
Fortunately, one thing is the same across the new 2021 iPhone models: Apple's new A15 chip powers the entire iPhone 13 lineup. However, the iPhone 13 Pro offers a more powerful graphics unit. Apple's GPU in the Pro models has five cores instead of four. We'll tell you how this affects the results in practice once we have the models in our office.
By the way, you can recognize the iPhone 13 by the diagonal camera arrangement / © Apple
Additionally, you can configure the iPhone 13 Pro with more storage space than ever before. The models have an exclusive 1 terabyte option, or 1,024 gigabytes. The iPhone 13 (and mini), in turn, reach a maximum of 512 GB of internal memory. Last but not least, the iPhone 13 Pro offers even more RAM for the system and apps: 6 gigabytes, while the iPhone 13 has 4 GB.
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: What are the camera upgrades on the Pro model?
The camera module on the back reserves other differences between the base model and the Pro. While a 12-megapixel camera with an f / 2.2 aperture and a focal length of 23 millimeters is used for selfies in the reduced notch of both models, you will find an additional telephoto camera on the back of the iPhone 13 Pro. This is already a tradition in the Pro models, but in 2021 Apple has improved it even further.
The telephoto camera on the iPhone 13 Pro now offers three times the magnification and therefore has a focal length of 77 millimeters. The telephoto lens is also optically stabilized and has a resolution of 12 megapixels. In addition to the telephoto camera, you will find a main camera with 12 megapixels on the back of both smartphones, which also differs in some details.
Apple has installed the most powerful iPhone camera yet in the iPhone 13 Pro / © Apple
The iPhone 13's main camera features a larger sensor, meaning each individual pixel is slightly larger while maintaining the same resolution. It also has a larger aperture, which lets in more light at f/1.5. In less technical terms, the iPhone 13 Pro will likely offer a better night mode. In the dark, the phone should also find faster and more reliable autofocus thanks to the additional LiDAR sensor. The display of augmented reality (AR) content is also more accurate thanks to the component.
Despite these differences, we should take another look at the camera features of the new models. Because the iPhone 13 Pro line stands out with some new features that could make the extra price worth the investment.
More camera features on the Pro model
Technically, the iPhone 13 Pro camera is superior to the standard model in terms of color depth. Apple covers a color space with a depth of 10-bit in the most advanced model. HDR recordings reach up to 1.07 billion colors.
Do the math, 10-bit color depth defines up to 1,024 levels for each of the three RGB colors; multiplying 1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024 gives you the number of possible variations in 10-bit. In the case of 8-bit depth, there are 256 levels, which gives about 16.7 million colors for the multiplication of 256 x 256 x 256. But enough of this nerd talk.
Regardless of the color depth, all four models allow you to use the impressive Cinema Mode from Apple, which you can check out in the video above. The feature adds a digital blur effect — technically known as “bokeh” — to video footage from both the front and rear cameras. With the tap of a finger or the magic of your iPhone, the focus smoothly shifts from the foreground to the background.
Videographers can also use the iPhone 13 Pro to record in ProRes format. The codec saves recorded videos in a compressed but comparatively lossless format. Not only do the resulting videos have higher quality, they also make it easier to edit videos on Apple devices in post-production.
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Battery and Charging
As always, Apple is keeping the battery life of the new iPhones under wraps. The company claims that the iPhone 13 Pro can handle 22 hours of video playback, while the standard model can handle 19 hours. This means that the Pro model offers 1.5 hours more battery life than its predecessor, while the standard model has improved by 2.5 hours.
There are no differences between the two phones in terms of wired or wireless charging. And with that point we come to the conclusion!
Conclusion: The iPhone 13 Pro justifies the higher price better than ever
If we were to compare this iPhone comparison with last year's comparison, we would have a clear winner! In my opinion, the iPhone 13 Pro with its 120 hertz display offers significantly more added value over the iPhone 13 than the iPhone 12 Pro does over the iPhone 12. Even before my suspicions are confirmed in the coming weeks, I would say with caution: it is more worthwhile than ever to pay more for the Pro model.
In addition to the ProMotion display, there are also some camera features that can only be found on the latest iPhone Pro. With its support for the ProRes format, Apple is even further ahead of Android in terms of video capabilities. And the improvement in battery life — if confirmed in practice — is always good news.
If you are interested in the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, you will soon find another comparison on NextPit. Additionally, there is information about purchasing options and other highlights of Apple's new phones on the pages for each device.