Should you upgrade to the iPhone 13 from the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, or iPhone 12? Should you save money and get the iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 instead, because they’re being sold alongside the newest models?

If you don’t mind having the Touch ID Home Button instead of Face ID, the iPhone SE is available in Apple’s lineup.

Design

• iPhone 13 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm, 141g
• iPhone 13: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g
• iPhone 12 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm, 135g
• iPhone 12: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 164g
• iPhone 11: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g
• iPhone XR: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g

The designs of the Apple iPhone 13 small, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 12 are all extremely similar. They all have flat, not rounded, aluminum frames, a notch at the top of their displays, and glossy glass backs with a twin rear camera system in the upper left corner.

The notch on the iPhone 13 models is, however, slightly smaller than on the iPhone 12 models, and the tiny variants are, of course, physically smaller than the ordinary models. The iPhone 13 models also have a bigger shell and a diagonally positioned dual back camera, whereas the iPhone 12 models have a vertically arranged dual rear camera.

The Apple iPhone 11 and iPhone XR have a design that is similar to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models in that they both have a variety of colors, an aluminum frame, and a glass back. Both of their displays have a notch at the top – the same size as the iPhone 12 models and hence larger than the iPhone 13 – but their edges are rounder than the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 mini are the tiniest and lightest of the devices in this comparison, and they are both gorgeous and compact. In terms of size and weight, the iPhone 11 and XR are identical, and both are somewhat larger and heavier than the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.

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The iPhone XR, on the other hand, is IP67 water-resistant, allowing it to be submerged up to one metre for 30 minutes, whereas the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 mini are all IP68 rated, though the 13 and 12 models can only be submerged up to two meters for 30 minutes.

The iPhone 13 models, iPhone 12 models, and iPhone 11 models all have a dual rear camera, with a matte glass camera housing that contrasts with the rest of the glossy body. The iPhone XR, on the other hand, only features a single back camera.

The iPhone 13 models, iPhone 12 models, iPhone 11 and iPhone XR all have different color options.

Display

• iPhone 13 mini/12 mini: 5.4-inch, OLED, 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
• iPhone 13/12: 6.1-inch, OLED, 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
• iPhone 11: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1792 x 828 pixel resolution, no HDR, 625nits
• iPhone XR: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1792 x 828 pixel resolution, no HDR, 625nits

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models both have OLED screens with HDR and a maximum brightness of 1200nits, while the iPhone 13 models’ peak brightness is increased to 800nits from 625nits on the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 small and iPhone 12 mini have a 5.4-inch display with a pixel density of 476ppi and a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 have a 6.1-inch display with a pixel density of 460ppi and a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR both sport a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display with a resolution of 1792 x 828 pixels and a pixel density of 326ppi, making the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models noticeably clearer and more vivid.

All of the devices in this comparison contain True Tone technology, as well as a wide color range and Haptic Touch rather than 3D Touch.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR don’t support HDR and aren’t as bright as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models. The 11 and XR, on the other hand, both have excellent displays with plenty of brightness.

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Cameras

• iPhone 13/12 models: Dual rear camera (12MP wide angle and ultra wide angle), 12MP TrueDepth front camera
• iPhone 11: Dual rear camera (12MP wide angle and ultra wide angle), 12MP TrueDepth front camera
• iPhone XR: Single rear camera (12MP), 7MP TrueDepth front camera

The dual rear camera of the Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models is made up of a 12-megapixel wide angle sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and an ultra-wide angle sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The iPhone 13 models, on the other hand, feature bigger pixels that allow for more light. Based on our testing, the results for both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models are fantastic in good light, and they are also good in low light, with Night Mode having to activate less frequently than the iPhone 11 due to the slightly bigger aperture.

In comparison to the iPhone 13 and 12, the iPhone 11 sports a dual camera on the back, with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor with an aperture of f/2.4 and a wide-angle sensor with a slightly narrower aperture of f/1.8. It produces excellent results as well, however, as previously said, it favors Night Mode in low-light situations.

Optical image stabilization, a stronger True Tone flash, Portrait Lighting with six effects, next-generation Smart HDR for photographs, and Night Mode, all of which are also available on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models. However, Night Mode is also available on the front camera of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models.

HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30fps is also available on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models, which is supported on both the rear and front cameras and activates automatically. Neither the iPhone 11 nor the iPhone XR have this feature. Photographic Styles, Cinematic video mode, and sensor shift optical image stabilisation are among the added features in the iPhone 13 models.

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In contrast, the iPhone XR sports a single 12-megapixel back camera with an f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization, and up to 5x digital zoom. It also only has three Portrait Lighting effects and first-generation Smart HDR for photographs.

On the front, the iPhone XR sports a 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera system with an aperture of f/2.2, which allows for Face ID among other things. It can record 1080p video at 30 or 60 frames per second.

In the meantime, the iPhone 13 models, iPhone 12 models, and iPhone 11 include a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front with an aperture of f/2.2, next-generation Smart HDR for images, and 4K video recording at 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps.

Hardware

• iPhone 13 mini/iPhone 13: A15 chip, 128/256/512GB, Dual SIM
• iPhone 12 mini/iPhone 12: A14 chip, 64/128/256GB, Dual SIM
• iPhone 11: A13 chip, 64/256/512GB storage, Dual SIM
• iPhone XR: A12 chip, 64/256/512GB storage, Dual SIM

Hardware is one of the most significant distinctions between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models, as well as the previous iPhone 11 and iPhone XR models. The iPhone 13 features a hardware upgrade, going from the A14 chip found in the iPhone 12, the A13 chip in the iPhone 11, and the A12 chip in the iPhone XR to the A15 chip. This results in a more fluid overall performance, especially when it comes to gaming and other more demanding tasks.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 have storage capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, respectively, and no microSD card slot is available. The storage options for the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 start at 128GB and go up to 512GB. Apple no longer sells the iPhone XR, but you might be able to find it elsewhere.

All devices accept dual SIM with a nano-SIM and an eSIM, and they all charge by Lightning, with the exception of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models, which use MagSafe. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models, on the other hand, do not include a wall plug, and the MagSafe charger must be purchased separately. Apple Pay is available on all models.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models support 5G, whereas the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR only support 4G.

Conclusion

The CPU, streamlined design thanks to the smaller notch, and camera improvements are the most notable differences between the Apple iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 13 features a performance bump, camera upgrades, and a modest design modification when compared to the iPhone 12. Upgrades from the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR are the same, though the differences are even more noticeable.

If you’re upgrading from an earlier iPhone or the iPhone XR, the iPhone 12 is a terrific smartphone, as is the iPhone 11 – and both are really good value right now – so you’ll probably be happy with either if the iPhone 13 is out of your price range.

If you can stretch to the iPhone 13 mini, you won’t be disappointed, as it maintains its status as a pocket powerhouse, while the iPhone 13 delivers everything the iPhone 13 mini does in a larger format.