(Pocket-lint) – Apple announced the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max at an event on 14 September 2021, succeeding the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max from 2020, though the iPhone 12 remains available.
How do the four latest models differ though? We’ve run up the specs for the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max to help you work out which is right for you.
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What’s the same on the iPhone 13 models?
- Similar square design
- OLED displays
- Front camera
- A15 chip
- iOS 15 software
- 5G
There are many similarities between the iPhone 13 models. They all feature a similar flat edge design – even though there is some variation between the models in terms of finishes and camera lenses on the rear.
The Pro models are more premium in appearance, but the standard models still have a great finish – opting for aerospace-grade aluminium frames over surgical-grade stainless steel. They all run on the same A15 chip with next generation 16-core Neural Engine though, they all run on iOS 15 software and they are all 5G compatible.
They also all have OLED display panels with True Tone and Haptic Touch – though their resolutions and some technologies differ – and they all come with the same front-facing camera, whilst also all being IP68 water and dust resistant. All models also offer a reduced notch compared to the iPhone 12 models.
All four models have Face ID, differentiating them from the iPhone SE model, which uses Touch ID.
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What’s different on the iPhone 13 models?
Whilst the four new iPhones have some similarities, there are of course a number of differences.
Physical size
- 13 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm, 141g
- 13: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g
- 13 Pro: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 204g
- 13 Pro Max: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm, 240g
The four new iPhones all vary in physical dimensions. The iPhone 13 mini is the smallest and lightest, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the largest and heaviest.
The standard iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro have identical measurements, but the Pro is a little heavier. They are middle of the range in terms of size. All four devices have the same thickness.
Display size
- 13 mini: 5.4-inches
- 13: 6.1-inches
- 13 Pro: 6.1-inches
- 13 Pro Max: 6.7-inches
The iPhone 13 mini has the smallest display at 5.4-inches, but it’s not too small at all we discovered last year when reviewing the iPhone 12 mini so don’t let that put you off. It features a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, 476ppi, which makes it the sharpest display of the four models.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro are both 6.1-inches with resolutions of 2532 x 1170 pixels, 460ppi, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the largest at 6.7-inches with a resolution of 2778 x 1284 pixels, 458ppi.
Display refresh rate
- iPhone 13 mini/13: 60Hz
- iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: 120Hz ProMotion
Whilst the iPhone 13 models all offer OLED screen panels, their refresh rates are different. The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 both have a standard 60Hz refresh rate.
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have ProMotion displays with adaptive refresh rates between 10Hz and 120Hz. You can read more about refresh rates and what they mean for your device in our separate feature.
Cameras
- iPhone 13 mini/iPhone 13: Dual rear camera
- iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: Triple rear camera, extra features
As you might expect, the rear camera setup is one of the main differentiating features between the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 and the Pro models.
The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 have a dual rear camera, comprised of a 12-megapixel main camera with f/1.6 aperture and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with an f/2.4 aperture.
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have a triple rear camera. Both have a 12-megapixel main camera with f/1.5 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with f/2.8 aperture. The telephoto lens offers 3x optical zoom.
All four models use sensor-shift stabilisation, which makes them slightly better camera for low light photography. They also all have Smart HDR 4 for photos, Portrait Mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Night Mode and Deep Fusion. There’s also a feature called Photographic Styles and Cinematic video.
The Pro models also have a LIDAR sensor for augmented reality and enhanced understanding of the scene in front of the camera though, and they come with a few extra features, including Night mode portraits and a macro mode. A feature called ProRES will also be coming to the Pro models later this year, which includes ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30fps.
All four models have a 12-megapixel front camera with the same features, including Night mode, Deep Fusion and Photographic Styles.
Battery capacity
- iPhone 13 mini: Up to 17 hours
- iPhone 13: Up to 19 hours
- iPhone 13 Pro: Up to 22 hours
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to 28 hours
The battery capacities on the iPhone 13 models also differ, with the iPhone 13 mini offering the smallest and the iPhone 13 Pro Max offering the largest, which is unsurprising due to their size.
Storage options
- 13 mini/13: 128/256/512GB
- 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: 128/256/512GB/1TB
The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options.
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options.
GPU
- iPhone 13 mini/13: 4-core
- iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: 5-core
While all four of the iPhone 13 models run on the A15 chip and next generation 16-core Neural Engine, the iPhone 13 Pro models offer a faster GPU with five cores over the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini’s four cores.
Colours
- 13 mini/13: Five colours
- 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: Four colours
The iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 13 come in five colour options: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Product (RED).
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max come in four colours: Silver, Graphite, Gold, Sierra Blue.
Prices
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As you would expect, the four iPhone 13 models all differ in price, with the Pro models sitting at the higher end and the iPhone 13 mini at the cheaper end.
The iPhone 13 mini starts at $699/£649.
The standard iPhone 13 starts at $799/£749.
The iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999/£949.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1099/£1049.
Conclusion
The only differences between the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 13 is physical size, display size and cost. Otherwise, the colours, storage options, camera and hardware is identical between the two models, as well as the design.
The iPhone 13 is the same size as the iPhone 13 Pro model, but the Pro model has a more advanced rear camera setup, as well as a more premium finish and different colour options. It also has different storage options, the additional LiDAR sensor, a faster GPU and it’s pricier.
The difference between the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is physical size, display size and cost.
The iPhone 13 model that’s right for you will depend on what size device you want and how much certain features mean to you. If you’re all about the camera, then the Pro models are seemingly the better choice. If you want camera and a big display, then the 13 Pro Max is the one for you, but if you’re just about the camera, then the 13 Pro will likely be great.
That said, we experienced great performance from the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 when we reviewed them despite them not offering everything the Pro models did in terms of camera setup, so we’d expect the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 to also be a great option for those who don’t have the higher budget.
Writing by Britta O’Boyle. Originally published on .
