iPhone XNUMX Pro vs iPhone XNUMX Pro: Has Apple Finally Created a Pro Worthy of the Name?

iPhone thirteen Pro vs iPhone twelve Pro: Has Apple finally created a Pro worthy of the name?
Apple's iPhone 2 line of smartphones is official, and the iPhone XNUMX Pro cements itself as another very stylish and solid flagship phone. But how does it compare to the XNUMX iPhone XNUMX Pro? We now have all the key specs, so we can give you an idea of ​​how the two phones stack up before our in-depth hands-on. Should you upgrade to the iPhone XNUMX Pro in XNUMX? Let's take a closer look at what's on offer.

Price and availability of the iPhone thirteen Pro vs iPhone twelve Pro

iPhone 128 Pro will be released on September 256, 512. That's a little earlier in the year than the iPhone 219 Pro, which landed on October 1, 569. Apple's cost pretty much matches that of the iPhone 128 Pro. The base 256GB model of the iPhone 219 Pro will run you $512 / $XNUMX / AU$XNUMX, at While the XNUMXGB model will cost €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU €XNUMX, and the XNUMXGB model will cost €XNUMX / €XNUMX with two hundred and forty-nine / AU € two,XNUMX. For the first time, there's also a new XNUMXTB model with the iPhone XNUMX Pro. It'll cost $XNUMX / $XNUMX / AU$XNUMX. The iPhone XNUMX Pro started at €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU$XNUMX for the XNUMXGB model at launch. The XNUMXGB model cost €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU €XNUMX, while €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU €XNUMX. ,XNUMX got the most premium XNUMXGB model. As you can see, UK shoppers are taking advantage of Apple's recent currency change, which means they're getting a bit more for their money.

IPhone 13 Pro in four different colors

The iPhone thirteen Pro is free in a different color selection (Image credit: Apple)

Integrated

The iPhone 146,7 Pro looks very similar to the iPhone 71,5 Pro, but it would have surprised us if it were not. Apple has made significant design changes to its iPhone with last year's models, so another big change isn't in the offing yet. While you get the exact same angular design, parallel glass surfaces, and surgical-grade stainless steel rim, there are subtle differences. The new phone is somewhat larger and heavier than its predecessor, reflecting its larger battery. While the iPhone 7,4 Pro measures 189 x 13 x 146,7mm and weighs 71,5g, the iPhone 7,65 Pro measures 204 x 15 x XNUMXmm and weighs XNUMXg. The new phone is a fraction thicker and XNUMXg heavier.

An iPhone 12 Pro with the screen on and the grass behind

The iPhone 12 Pro has a larger notch (Image credit: TechRadar) You also get a slightly different range of color options with this year's iPhone: Graphite, Gold, Silver and Sierra Blue. The iPhone 12 Pro was based on silver, graphite, gold and Pacific Blue. As with the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro covers its front face with a ceramic protector, which is four times stronger than most other glass display materials. Perhaps the most significant design change this time around is the display notch, which is 20% smaller on the iPhone 13 Pro than its counterpart on the iPhone 12 Pro.

Monitor

At first glance, these two screens appear identical. Both are 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the same 1170 x 2532 resolutions. Both can reach a maximum brightness of 1200 nits for HDR content. However, there are some differences. One is that the iPhone 13 Pro's screen gets brighter in outdoor lighting, rated at 1,000 nits. The iPhone 12 Pro can only handle 800 nits. The main difference, however, is that the iPhone 13 Pro deserves its Pro name in a way that the iPhone 12 Pro really should have 12 months ago. The new phone finally adds a 120Hz refresh rate to the equation.

An iPhone 13 Pro with the screen turned on, on a white background.

The iPhone 13 Pro has a higher refresh rate (Image credit: Apple) This is a very late feature, as Apple introduced its super-smooth ProMotion standard with the 2017 iPad Pro. This essentially means content can scroll two times more easily than on the iPhone's 60Hz equivalent. 12 Pro. Apple has used LTPO (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display technology here, so it can tailor the iPhone 13 Pro's display refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the task at hand. This LTPO technology has been around in Android phones for quite some time, but the interesting point here is that iOS itself has been programmed to track the speed of your touch inputs and adjust the screen refresh rate accordingly. The result is that it should scale smoothly without you noticing, thus saving battery life.

Camera

Like the iPhone 12 Pro before it, the iPhone 13 Pro packs a trio of 12MP cameras. This time around, the iPhone 13 Pro has a new, larger wide sensor and a wider f/1.5 aperture (compared to the iPhone 12 Pro f/2.2) for a 1.8x improvement in low-light shooting. The iPhone 12 Pro's ultra-wide sensor has been expanded to an f/92 aperture, which is much larger than the iPhone 12 Pro's f/13 equivalent. Overall, this sensor enjoys a 2% improvement in conditions. low-light compared to the ultra-wide iPhone XNUMX Pro. This isn't the only way the iPhone XNUMX Pro's ultra-wide camera is an improvement. It also has the ability to capture super close-up macro photos from as close as XNUMXcm from your subject.

An iPhone 12 Pro from behind, placed in its box

The iPhone 12 Pro has a triple-lens camera (Image credit: TechRadar) Elsewhere, the 12MP telephoto lens goes from 2x optical zoom on the iPhone 12 Pro to 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 13 Pro. You can also take photos in night mode using the telephoto sensor this time. Apple is always coming to the table with new photography tips, and in the iPhone 13 Pro, including a new feature that lets you choose between different photo styles, change tones and warmth without things like skin and the sky looking unnatural. Smart HDR 4, on the other hand, can make settings for multiple people in a scene. On the video side, the new Cinematic mode will automatically select the focal point for movie theater-like productions, even tracking a subject's gaze and anticipating when a subject is about to appear. It also allows you to change depth effects after shooting. Later in the year, a feature called ProRes Video is coming, allowing you to record, edit and stream broadcast-ready content at 4K/30fps, or 1080p if you opt for a 128GB model. It seems like a healthy blow to what is still one of the best smartphone cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro market.

The camera module of the iPhone 13 Pro on a blue background

The iPhone 13 Pro has a similar but improved camera (Image credit: Apple)

Specifications and performance

Apple's A-series chips are still at the top of the smartphone performance tree, and we can't see that changing with the iPhone 15 Pro's A13 Bionic. This offers a 6-core processor that's a 50% faster than the leading competition on the Android side. When it comes to the GPU, the A15 in the iPhone 13 Pro is even meatier than the A15 Bionic found in the iPhone 13, with a 5-core GPU (instead of 4-core) demonstrating a 50% gain in performance. compared to its closest rival. . . Apple hasn't provided many direct comparisons to its immediate past, but we do know that the new neural engine in the A15 Bionic chip is capable of 8 trillion operations per second, which is more than 11 trillion operations on the iPhone 14 Pro AXNUMX. Bionic. second easily.

An iPhone 13 Pro interacting with

The iPhone 13 Pro has more storage and a faster chipset (Image credit: Apple) You get most of the same storage options as before, which equates to 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. However, for the first time, Apple has also launched a powerful 1TB storage option. Apple also estimates that the iPhone 13 Pro supports more 5G bands than the iPhone 12 Pro. Will most people care? It is very doubtful.

Drums

We were a bit concerned last year when the iPhone 12 Pro launched with a 2.815mAh battery, which was a step down from its predecessor. Fortunately, Apple claims that the iPhone 13 Pro has a larger battery. We don't know how much bigger, Apple doesn't usually share those numbers, but there are rumors that it could be 3.095 mAh. With the inclusion of a 120Hz display, the iPhone 13 Pro could possibly need that extra juice. But we still expect it to be able to match or even surpass the endurance of the iPhone 12 Pro. Apple claims that the iPhone 13 Pro gains 1,5 hours of battery life per charge compared to the iPhone 12 Pro. This is potentially a huge increase. Last year we found that we could comfortably get through the day and get through six hours of screen time with the iPhone 12 Pro. Then, we could see the endurance champ in the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple doesn't seem to have improved charging capacity at all of the iPhone 13 Pro. We're still looking at 20W wired, 15W wireless, and absolutely no built-in charging bricks. Just like the iPhone 12 Pro, in other words.

An iPhone 12 Pro from behind, placed in its box

The iPhone 12 Pro is ultimately quite similar to the iPhone 13 Pro (Image credit: TheComparison)

Wear

Unsurprisingly, this is a year of "evolution, not revolution" for Apple's iPhone family. This means that in the iPhone 13 Pro you get a very similar package to the iPhone 120 Pro, but with a healthy speed boost, potentially improved cameras, longer battery life, and a noticeably smoother display. That 11Hz refresh rate really makes the headlines here, but it also seems like a feature the iPhone 12 Pro should have had a year ago. We'll have to do some field work to know for sure, but the iPhone XNUMX Pro seems like a safe upgrade for anyone coming from an iPhone XNUMX Pro or earlier. iPhone XNUMX Pro users may want to wait another year, or at least until our iPhone XNUMX Pro review is complete.