iPhone 13 - Apple's way of saying: "Buy an iPhone 12, or wait for iPhone 14"
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Don't forget to vote in the polls found at the end of the story: Which iPhone would you choose - iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14? Should Apple call the iPhone 13 "iPhone 12S"?
If we ignore the expected new ultra-wide-angle camera, which is supposed to be a massive upgrade over the iPhone 12 series (this one is kinda meh, anyway), there’s not much new to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini. Yes, we’ll have a smaller notch and bigger-ish batteries, but again - the latter is mostly going to affect the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini: Probably not the battery upgrade of your dreams
MagSafe and wireless charging are cool, but a big battery is... cooler!
Model | Battery capacity | Battery capacity increase compared to iPhone 12 series |
---|---|---|
iPhone 13 Mini | 2,406 mAh | 8% increase compared to iPhone 12 Mini |
iPhone 13 | 3,095 mAh | 10% increase compared to iPhone 12 |
iPhone 13 Pro | 3,095 mAh | 10% increase compared to iPhone 12 Pro |
iPhone 13 Pro Max | 4,352 mAh | 18% increase compared to iPhone 12 Pro max |
So, the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini models are getting a tiny battery bump, while just like with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is seeing the bigger gains. That’s especially bad for the iPhone 13 Mini since the iPhone 12 Mini is already barely able to make it through a full day of use.
Now, you’d think: “Sure, the 13 Pro Max is the bigger phone… of course, it’s going to have the biggest battery”. And to that, I’d say… Pixel 5A. Sure, the Pixel 5A won’t match the camera system on the iPhone 12 Pro Max or the premium stainless steel and glass build, but its screen is substantially smaller (6.34-inch vs 6.7-inch); and the device is much, much lighter (183g vs 228g).
Yet it has a 4,680AmAh battery! That’s 27% (!!!) bigger than the 3,687mAh battery on the iPhone 12 Pro Max and (still) bigger than the expected 4,352mAh battery on the iPhone 13 Pro Max...
The camera department is another area in which the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini aren’t expected to dominate. As mentioned in the beginning, we are expecting a new ultra-wide camera, which will be a big improvement compared to the mediocre ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 12.
Other than that, the rest of the camera improvements are expected to come thanks to Apple’s A15 processor, which might finally allow the iPhone 13 series to shoot Portrait Mode videos. Still, there’s a 50/50 chance this might happen.
Speaking of the A15 processor, this one is also expected to be a mild upgrade, going from 5nm on the iPhone 12 to… 5nm on the iPhone 13. That’s right - it doesn’t seem like we are getting a 3-4nm Apple chip this year. Therefore any power efficiency and performance gains will probably be negligible, and mostly thanks to overclocking and iOS 15.
Want a high-refresh-rate display on your iPhone 13; faster charging; reverse-wireless charging; a periscope zoom camera (or a zoom camera at all); a two-day battery; or 128GB base storage? Well, this is not going to be the iPhone for you.
But guess what… that’s OK! For those who might be using an older iPhone 6,7,8,X,XS, or even iPhone 11, once the iPhone 13 launches, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are going to get cheaper. You’d be able to buy an iPhone 12 directly from Apple for just $699. Of course, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max won’t be sold by Apple anymore, but you’ll find plenty of places that will offer them at a discount, especially around Black Friday.
So, yes - what I’m saying is, you’d most likely be much better off buying an iPhone 12 and save $100, or just spend the same $799 for an iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max (if you are lucky to find such a deal).
Now, you’d think: “Sure, the 13 Pro Max is the bigger phone… of course, it’s going to have the biggest battery”. And to that, I’d say… Pixel 5A. Sure, the Pixel 5A won’t match the camera system on the iPhone 12 Pro Max or the premium stainless steel and glass build, but its screen is substantially smaller (6.34-inch vs 6.7-inch); and the device is much, much lighter (183g vs 228g).
iPhone 13: Apple A14 Bionic and iPhone 12 camera in disguise?
The iPhone 13 is expected to have a slightly better camera, and slightly better performance than Apple's iPhone 12, and a less versatile camera system than the iPhone 12 Pro.
The camera department is another area in which the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini aren’t expected to dominate. As mentioned in the beginning, we are expecting a new ultra-wide camera, which will be a big improvement compared to the mediocre ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 12.
Speaking of the A15 processor, this one is also expected to be a mild upgrade, going from 5nm on the iPhone 12 to… 5nm on the iPhone 13. That’s right - it doesn’t seem like we are getting a 3-4nm Apple chip this year. Therefore any power efficiency and performance gains will probably be negligible, and mostly thanks to overclocking and iOS 15.
Want a high-refresh-rate display on your iPhone 13; faster charging; reverse-wireless charging; a periscope zoom camera (or a zoom camera at all); a two-day battery; or 128GB base storage? Well, this is not going to be the iPhone for you.
But guess what… that’s OK! For those who might be using an older iPhone 6,7,8,X,XS, or even iPhone 11, once the iPhone 13 launches, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are going to get cheaper. You’d be able to buy an iPhone 12 directly from Apple for just $699. Of course, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max won’t be sold by Apple anymore, but you’ll find plenty of places that will offer them at a discount, especially around Black Friday.
iPhone 12 specs | iPhone 13 (Expected/rumored specs) | iPhone 12 Pro specs |
---|---|---|
Flat edges, aluminum frame, glass sandwich, glossy | Flat edges, aluminum frame, glass sandwich, glossy finish | Flat edges, stainless steel frame, glass sandwich, matt finish |
Wider notch with FaceID | Narrower notch with FaceID | Wider notch with FaceID |
5nm A14 Bionic | 5nm A15 Bionic | 5nm A14 Bionic |
60Hz OLED display | 60Hz OLED/LTPO display | 60Hz OLED display |
64GB base storage | 64GB base storage | 128GB base storage |
20W charging (charger not in the box) | Rumored 25W charging (charger not in the box) | 20W charging (charger not in the box) |
2,815 mAh battery | 3,095 mAh battery | 2,815 mAh battery |
2x telephoto/zoom camera | ||
LiDAR | ||
Sensor-shift stabilization with OIS & EIS | Sensor-shift stabilization with OIS & EIS | OIS & EIS |
iPhone 14: Apple to finally make the standard iPhone 14... "Pro"
It won't fold like on this image, but it might still be a much better upgrade...
However! If you want to be the ultimate iPhone upgrade procrastinator, you’d have to wait about a year for the iPhone 14 (not to be confused with the iPhone 14 Pro).
iPhone 12 | iPhone 13 | iPhone 14 |
---|---|---|
Flat edges, aluminum frame, glass sandwich, glossy | Flat edges, aluminum frame, glass sandwich, glossy | Flat edges, stainless steel frame, glass sandwich |
Wider notch with FaceID | Narrower notch with FaceID | Narrower notch with FaceID |
5nm A14 Bionic | 5nm A15 Bionic | 3/4nm A16 Bionic |
60Hz OLED display | 60Hz OLED/LTPO display | 120Hz OLED/LTPO display |
64GB base storage | 64GB base storage | 64/128GB base storage??? |
20W charging (charger not in the box) | Rumored 25W charging (charger not in the box) | Expected faster charging |
2,815 mAh battery | 3,095 mAh battery | Expected bigger battery |
Bigger main camera sensor (likely inherited from iPhone 13 Pro Max) | ||
Bigger ultra-wide camera sensor (likely inherited from iPhone 13 Pro Max) | ||
Tele/zoom camera (2/2.5x)?! |
So, as you can see - both the iPhone 12 series and iPhone 14 series seem like a better “bang for the buck", compared to the iPhone 13. At least if I was on a $799 budget, I know what I’d do - get an iPhone 12 Pro if I have an old iPhone that definitely needs upgrading; or just stick to my 2-3 year old one, and wait for the iPhone 14, or even iPhone 14 Pro, which is rumored to have a brand new camera system with 48MP primary camera, and a periscope zoom lens.
Let us know - what are you planning to do? Get an iPhone 13, or get a good deal on an iPhone 12? Perhaps I’ve convinced you to wait for the iPhone 14? Also, do you think the iPhone 13 should actually be called the iPhone 12S - would that name fit the incremental upgrade better?
Let us know - what are you planning to do? Get an iPhone 13, or get a good deal on an iPhone 12? Perhaps I’ve convinced you to wait for the iPhone 14? Also, do you think the iPhone 13 should actually be called the iPhone 12S - would that name fit the incremental upgrade better?
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