Deciding which iPhone to buy used to be a relatively simple decision. You would simply pick the color and the amount of internal storage you wanted. But over time, Apple started adding more color options and more models. In other words, choosing which iPhone 13 to buy isn’t quite as simple anymore.
You have the small iPhone 13 mini, the large iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, which both sit in the middle in terms of size. Having four options is great, but it likely leaves you wondering – which iPhone 13 should I buy? And, what should I do if I’m actually just searching for a cheap iPhone 13?
Apple iPhone 13 family overview
Apple announced the iPhone 13 lineup in September 2021, with four different models, ranging from regular to “Pro” in terms of features, and from “mini” to “Max” in terms of size. The complete lineup includes the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. All four models were available for purchase on September 24, 2021.
Some decisions within the iPhone 13 lineup are more obvious. For example, if you want the smallest iPhone, you should go with the mini, or if you want the biggest iPhone, you go with the Pro Max. But where the decision gets a little murkier is trying to decide between the regular iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. Continue reading to see how the iPhone 13 compares to the iPhone 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro
At first glance, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro have a lot in common. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro share the same measurements, and each has a 6.1” Super Retina XDR OLED display, a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and are powered by the Apple A15 Bionic chip. But that is where the similarities end, and also where the “Pro” aspect comes into play.
While each has a 6.1” display, the iPhone 13 Pro display has support for ProMotion technology, with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smoother motion. The iPhone 13 Pro also has 6GB of RAM, which leads to better multitasking performance when you have a lot of apps open, and an option to get 1TB of internal storage space.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology (2532 x 1170) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Pro 12MP wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) |
| Battery | 3,227 mAh Up to 19 hours of video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback | 3,095 mAh Up to 22 hours of video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 6.14 ounces | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 7.19 ounces |
| Colors | Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED) | Sierra Blue, Silver, Gold, Graphite |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $999 |
One potential deciding factor between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro may be the color options. For example, if you feel as if you must have the Sierra Blue – you’re going to need to go with the iPhone 13 Pro. The other deciding factors come down to battery life and the rear-facing camera.
Both of these models charge with a Lightning cable or with Qi wireless or MagSafe. Both are also fast-charge capable, with a 50% charge in 30 minutes using the 20W Apple power adapter. But the iPhone 13 Pro has longer battery life, getting up to an additional 3 hours for video playback time, and up to an additional 5 hours for streamed video playback time.
The iPhone 13 Pro has the “Pro” 12MP camera array, which includes a wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens. The regular iPhone 13 doesn’t have the telephoto lens. Digging in a little further also reveals some added camera features on the iPhone 13 Pro, such as support for Apple’s ProRAW format, Night Mode portraits, and ProRes video recording at up to 4K at 30 frames per second.
Read more: iPhone 13 Pro Buyer’s Guide
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro Max
The main deciding factor between buying an iPhone 13 or an iPhone 13 Pro Max is likely going to be the size. Simply put, if you want the biggest iPhone 13 – the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the model to pick. And, while bigger doesn’t always mean better, the iPhone 13 Pro Max does have some features that make it better. For example, not only is the iPhone 13 Pro Max display 0.6” larger (6.1” to 6.7”), it also has support for ProMotion technology.
ProMotion technology may not be a must-have feature for everyone, but if you’re buying an iPhone 13 Pro Max because you want the biggest display size – there is a good chance you will be looking at the display quite a bit, and that being the case, the (up to) 120Hz adaptive refresh rate will make your viewing experience that much better with smoother motion when playing games and scrolling through lists and web pages.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 6.7″ Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology (2778 x 1284) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Pro 12MP wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) |
| Battery | 3,227 mAh Up to 19 hours of video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback | 4,352 mAh Up to 28 hours of video playback, and up to 95 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 6.14 ounces | 6.33″ (H) x 3.07″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 8.46 ounces |
| Colors | Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED) | Sierra Blue, Silver, Gold, Graphite |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $1,099 |
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max are each powered by the Apple A15 Bionic chip, and they share several other features. They each have a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and options for 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of internal storage space. The iPhone 13 Pro Max takes the internal storage a step beyond with a 1TB option. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also has a better rear-facing camera array and much better battery life.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a LiDAR sensor for Night mode portraits and faster autofocus in low light settings. The Pro Max also has a triple “Pro” 12MP camera setup with a wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens. The regular iPhone 13 doesn’t feature the LiDAR Scanner or the telephoto lens. Some of the other camera-related perks found on the iPhone 13 Pro Max include support for Apple ProRAW and ProRes video recording.
Shifting over to battery life, we see what can only be labeled as a dramatic difference. The iPhone 13 battery offers up to 19 hours of video playback, up to 15 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback time. The iPhone 13 Pro Max offers an additional 9 hours of video playback, an additional 10 hours of streamed video playback, and an additional 20 hours of audio playback time above what is offered on the regular iPhone 13.
Read more: iPhone 13 Pro Max Buyer’s Guide
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 mini
If you’re simply shopping by size, and want the smallest model in the iPhone 13 lineup – the iPhone 13 mini is the one to pick. The iPhone 13 mini measures 0.6” smaller in height, 0.29” smaller in width, and is 1.17 ounces lighter than the iPhone 13. Of course, the smaller overall size means a smaller display.
The iPhone 13 mini display measures in at 5.4”, which means it is 0.7” smaller than the 6.1” display on the iPhone 13. But, while the display on the mini is smaller, they are both Super Retina XDR screens based on OLED screen tech, and both support HDR and True Tone.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) | Apple A15 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 5.4″ Super Retina XDR display (2340 x 1080) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) |
| Battery | 3,227 mAh Up to 19 hours of video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback | 2,406 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback, and up to 55 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 6.14 ounces | 5.18″ (H) x 2.53″ (W) x 0.30″ (D) 4.97 ounces |
| Colors | Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED) | Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED) |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $699 |
Overall though, aside from the size – the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have quite a bit in common. They are both powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip, and each has 4GB of RAM, options for up to 512GB of storage, a 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera, a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide rear-facing camera, and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
Shifting away from the similarities, we find ourselves thinking about another key difference – the battery life. The iPhone 13 mini has a smaller battery, and as a result, the battery life estimates are lower as compared to the iPhone 13. Apple rates the iPhone 13 mini battery as being able to offer up to 17 hours of video playback time, up to 13 hours of streamed video playback time, and up to 55 hours of audio playback time. In comparison, this is 2 hours less for video playback, 2 hours less for streamed video playback, and 20 hours less for audio playback than what is offered on the iPhone 13.
That said, the iPhone 13 mini is also less expensive than the iPhone 13. And, when factoring in the smaller and more pocketable form factor with the lower price – the iPhone 13 mini could be a real winner.
Read more: iPhone 13 mini Buyer’s Guide
This is how you can get a cheap iPhone 13
Now that you know which iPhone 13 you want to buy – we’ll shift our focus to the next goal, which is finding a cheap iPhone 13. It is actually quite simple, the best way to get an affordable iPhone 13 is by buying one that is gently used.
You can see the potential savings right here in this post. Each table of specs includes the Apple retail price, and the Swappa widgets show the starting price for gently used models. Your savings will vary based on several factors, such as the condition of the device and the amount of internal storage, but there is a real possibility that you can save hundreds of dollars.
You start browsing Swappa, the safest marketplace for gently used tech, by tapping the green button below.
