❤ Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Table of Contents
The ‘biggest camera update ever’ on an iPhone doesn’t have to come in a big iPhone, at least not a Max-sized one – the iPhone 13 Pro will do. Unlike last year, when only the 12 Pro Max got the ultimate camera system, the differences between the two Pro sizes now are simply in quantity, not in quality.
The small Pro is packing the all-new main camera with a larger sensor that shifts around for image stabilization, the same unit that’s in the Max. It’s also got the now-longer 3x tele that the Max has. The iPhone 12 Pro was crippled in these two areas last year compared to the 12 Pro Max, and we’re happy Apple has put an end to that disparity. The new ultrawide with autofocus and close-up shooting capability is also a common feature of the two Pros.
It’s not just the cameras either – the 13 Pro gets the ProMotion display too.
Other upgrades shared across the lineup make it to the 13 Pro as well. At 10%, the increase in battery capacity isn’t huge, but the adaptive refresh will do its share to improve longevity. The A15 chipset is, as always, a bit more powerful than the previous one, and perhaps excessively so when compared to non-Apples. The 20% reduction in notch size also deserves mention – more for the comedic value of the statement than for the significance of the development.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro specs at a glance :
Versions: A2638 (International); A2483 (USA); A2636 (Canada, Japan); A2639 (China, Hong Kong); A2640 (Russia)
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | ||
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 – A2638, A2639, A2640 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 – A2483, A2636 | ||
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2638, A2639 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave – A2483 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2636 | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2021, September 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
| DISPLAY | Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass |
| PLATFORM | OS | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 16.4.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2×3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4×1.82 GHz Blizzard) | |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM | |
| NVMe |
| MAIN CAMERA | Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7″, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.5″, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.5″, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (1080p@30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″ SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Ion 3095 mAh, non-removable (12.11 Wh) |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W wireless (Qi) |
| MISC | Colors | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
|---|---|---|
| Models | A2638, A2483, A2636, A2639, A2640, iPhone14,2 | |
| SAR | 1.20 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | |
| Price | $ 820.00 / € 1,237.84 / £ 1,249.00 |
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 794348 (v9) GeekBench: 4687 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | |
| Battery life |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro unboxing
The Apple unboxing experience of 2020 returns in 2021, with a twist. There’s still color-coding – black box means Pro, white is vanilla, and there’s a likeness of the phone printed on the lid in the corresponding color to the unit inside. Perhaps you’ll appreciate the satisfying way in which the paper seal tears along its dotted line, the novelty brought about by an evolution in packaging that eliminated the plastic outer sleeve.
All that comes secondary to what’s inside the flat box, and there’s not a whole lot. Other than the iPhone 13 Pro, you get a USB-C to Lightning cable, a SIM pin and an Apple sticker, and that’s it – the rest is just documentation.
Competition
So, what if you’re looking for a high-end phone that is also compact? It turns out your options aren’t all that many, and the iPhone 13 Pro might just breeze through comparisons with ease, only pulled back by its steep price.
The Galaxy S21 easily wins on that front, saving you roughly $200/€350 (from reputable retailers, possibly more if you’re adventurous). The Samsung is also tangibly lighter, so if not just size but also weight is a top priority, the iPhone loses once more.
The 13 Pro is more of a status symbol than the somewhat nondescript S21, and the Galaxy’s plastic back isn’t screaming ‘premium’ either. While each will perform splendidly as a cameraphone, the different image processing approaches aren’t quantifiable and will polarize people. Such is the case with the OS divide as well. Ultimately, it takes a special kind of person to be faced with this dilemma in the first place, but the Galaxy does have objective pros in the numbers – the ones we started with.
Another compact top-tier handset that you can get for a bit less than the 13 Pro in Europe (though not as cheap as the Galaxy), the Xperia 5 III is slimmer and lighter than the iPhone, appealing to your quest for pocketability. The Sony also boasts legacy goodies like a headphone jack and a microSD slot – you know who you are, if those put a smile on your face. Even as we write this, we realize this bout is even more theoretical than the previous one, though.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G • Sony Xperia 5 III • Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max • Apple iPhone 13
Realistically, it’s probably one of the other iPhones you’ll be comparing the 13 Pro against, and things are pretty clear-cut there. The 13 Pro Max will get you longer battery life (longest ever on an iPhone) and a bigger display for a $100/€100 premium, which is a marginal difference when you’ve already conceded spending 13 Pro money. The iPhone 13 non-Pro, meanwhile, will save you a more meaningful $200/€250, for which you’ll have to part with both close-up photos and zoom capability, but you’ll shave 30g off your EDC.
iPhone 13 family shot: Mini • Pro Max • Pro • Vanilla
Verdict
With the newfound parity between the two Pro model sizes resulting in a shared camera system, the small Pro is suddenly in a position to be the iPhone of choice for more people than what the 12 was equipped to. While last year you had to go Max to get the ultimate cameras Apple offered, in 2021, it’s only decided by dimensions and, somewhat consequently, battery life.
13 Pro Max vs. 13 Pro
The iPhone 13 Pro may not last as long as the Max, but it’s still an upgrade over the 12 Pro, and it’s better in some ways than the main competitor across the OS divide. And when it comes to deciding between screen estate and pocketability, the latter wins in surprisingly many cases among ourselves.
With these being the only two points that set the 13 Pros apart, it also means they have common faults. Charging isn’t overly fast; even on this small battery, the excessively powerful chipset can be quick to throttle, and the 120Hz refresh rate is yet to gain universal third-party support. And for its reasonable size, the 13 Pro sure is hefty.
But most of those cons have their counterpoints. Despite the weight, the phone remains pocket-friendly and, well, thanks to the weight, it’s both sturdy and premium-feeling. The display is all kinds of great, and when HRR compatibility catches up, there’ll be nothing to complain about. iOS on the A15 is super smooth, and even if the SoC does throttle, it remains above the competition. The unsightly notch enables quick unlock and great portrait selfies and is home to half of the nice speaker setup.
It might sound like we’re making excuses for the iPhone 13 Pro‘s flaws, but it’s really doing a pretty decent job building its own defense. Unless the Max’s display and endurance make a difference to the way you use your phone, the 13 Pro is the iPhone to get this year.
Pros
- Outstanding design – sturdy and water-proof.
- One of few properly high-end phones that can pass for ‘compact’.
- Brightest OLED screen we’ve seen, super accurate, Dolby Vision, sort of 120Hz.
- Loud stereo speakers.
- Unmatched performance, 5G.
- Great all-round photo and video quality across all four cameras.
Cons
- Stale looks, the notch should have been gone by now.
- Compact as it may be, the ‘small’ 13 Pro weighs a lot.
- 120Hz refresh rate not widely available in third-party apps at launch.
- Battery life not up to the Max’s standard.
- The chipset is prone to heavy throttling under max load.
- The fast charging isn’t very fast and the charger is not bundled.
- iOS (with its limitations) remains a love it or leave it affair.
