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Introduction
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 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:
- Body: 146.7x71.5x7.7mm, 204g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
- Display: 6.10" Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak), 1170x2532px resolution, 19.48:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi; Wide color gamut, True-tone.
- Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm): Hexa-core (2x3.22 GHz Avalanche + 4xX.X GHz Blizzard); Apple GPU (5-core graphics).
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM; NVMe.
- OS/Software: iOS 15.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚, PDAF; Depth: TOF 3D LiDAR scanner.
- Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm, 1/3.6"; Depth: SL 3D.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode, stereo sound rec; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS.
- Battery: 3095mAh; Fast charging 23W, 50% in 30 min (advertised), USB Power Delivery 2.0, MagSafe wireless charging 15W, Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 7.5W.
- Misc: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer; NFC; Siri natural language commands and dictation, Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.
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.
Design, build quality, handling
You no longer have to compromise pocketability to get the best hardware Apple is putting in a smartphone - the iPhone 13 Pro shares it all with the Pro Max. That holds true of the internals this year for a change, and we appreciate it. On the outside, much like last year, the 13 Pro is essentially a shrunken down 13 Pro Max.
Same phone, different size - iPhone 13 Pro (left) next to iPhone 13 Pro Max
That means you're getting the design touch of the year that everyone is talking about, the 20% smaller notch on the front. We would certainly like to see that gone, but Apple's answer is 'not this year'.
What's gotten bigger in 2021 is the camera island on the back. The improved imaging hardware is probably partly responsible, but we can see the design, marketing, and accounting departments pitching in to augment it further - the 13s must be recognizable as new, and reusing old cases is bad for the bottom line.
It's not a huge change, of course - it's still a triangle of cameras with some auxiliary bits nearby. That's the scope of the changes in the iPhone's looks this year - different enough to pass for a new model, but not a full redesign that everyone can easily spot.
Then again, the enlargement of the camera cluster is more noticeable on this smaller model than it is on the Max. After all, it's the first time the assembly extends beyond the vertical central axis of the back - it's big.
The 13 Pro also gets a larger battery than the outgoing model, but it's a marginal 10% increase. That has meant a similarly negligible change in thickness from 7.4 to 7.7mm - we'd say you wouldn't be able to feel that in your hands.
The new phone weighs over 200g now, and while the move from 189g to 204g may go unnoticed, switching to the 13 Pro from any phone of roughly the same size and proportions will certainly surprise you - it's way heavier than you'd expect.
There's the matter that a compact but heavy phone implies high quality and evokes associations of a premium product. But in absolute terms, it's just plain heavy. So if you're after a light phone, the 13 Pro isn't that - compact, maybe, but not light.
The list of small changes continues with the new Sierra Blue colorway that replaces the Pacific Blue of last year. We have the Pro Max in blue but opted for the good old Graphite on the Pro. The other two colorways are Silver and Gold - all four are shared between the two sizes.
Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro Max (left) next to Graphite iPhone 13 Pro
There are no generational changes in the materials being used or the finish. The display is protected by what Apple calls Ceramic Shield, a Corning-made toughened glass that's supposedly the best in the business.
The rear glass panel has a matte finish that's possibly the most slippery one we've touched, the glossy Apple logo providing a lone island of grip. Conversely, the logo proudly shows fingerprints, while the rest of the back is almost immune to them.
Glossy iPhone 13 (left) next to matte iPhone 13 Pro
Another fingerprint magnet, the polished stainless steel frame all around the phone, is easy to wipe but practically impossible to actually keep clean. The Silver colorway is arguably the worst in this respect - no one likes looking at a dirty mirror. The matte aluminum frames of the non-Pros are undoubtedly superior in this respect.
We like the matte frame of iPhone 13 (left) more than the glossy one of the 13 Pro
Along with that flat frame, you'll find the usual things in the usual places. The side key is the one thing that's on the right of the phone, while the left is home to the two separate volume buttons, the mute switch and the SIM tray. The still-surviving Lightning port is on the bottom, joined by the primary speaker and microphone as well as the classic pair of screws with five-pointed star heads - do these count as a design accent or a structural element?
Power button on the right • Volume buttons and mute switch on the left • Lightning and stuff
The earpiece also serves as a loudspeaker in typical iPhone fashion. The rearranged TrueDepth camera bits have pushed it towards the edge, making the ensemble smaller in the horizontal direction but slightly taller. The bezels have the same thickness all around the display, which will please people who look into that kind of stuff and the black frame is neither too thick nor particularly thin.
The 13 Pro maintains the extended water resistance we saw on the 12 Pros - the IP68 certification requires the phone to survive 30 minutes 1.5 meters underwater; the iPhone should be good all the way down to 6 meters. You can't tell that by holding it, and you'd certainly better not test it, but it does sound reassuring.
A couple of iPhone 13 Pros
We did already state the obvious about the 13 Pro Max, we'll say it again about the 13 Pro as well - it's little but a facelift of an aging design. Smaller notch, bigger camera bump, a different hue - you can look for and list the changes, but that won't change the fact that a more thorough restyling is due. It does remain a beautiful, recognizable handset with a premium look and feel - there's no denying that either.
ProMotion for the iPhone 13 Pros
For the iPhone 13 Pros' displays, Apple finally adopted a high refresh rate, a feature that debuted on Android some 4 years ago and is now found across the price spectrum there. The 13 Pro's panel has a 120Hz maximum refresh rate and can vary it between 12 different values going all the way down to 10Hz depending on content and user interaction.
That's the ProMotion bit, one of few upgrades to the display, albeit a major one. It's otherwise still a 6.1-inch OLED with a 1170x2532px resolution in a 19.5:9 aspect and a pixel density of 460ppi. Carried over from last year, we're also seeing HDR10 and DolbyVision labels. All of that makes up Apple's Super Retina XDR branding - a high-resolution display with HDR capability.
The other new development this year is an increase in maximum brightness by 25% - Apple now promises 1000nits. They're not lying either - we measured 1063nits coming out of our white test swatch when the phone was exposed to high ambient light and was in Auto brightness mode. If you turn off the Auto, you'd be looking at an 856-nit maximum, another great result.
A change of behavior we observed on the 13 Pro (and the 13 Pro Max before it) is that there's a difference between the maximum brightness you can get manually and the one that the phone can reach on its own. That's fairly common practice on most phones, but iPhones up until now would let you crank it all the way up to max on your own. We reckon Apple simply doesn't want you to get all the 1000+ nits all the time - to avoid burn-in and excessive battery drain. Not that the 856nits are remotely insufficient.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 856 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 1063 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 852 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 1050 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 802 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 831 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 802 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 416 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 856 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 493 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 774 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 498 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 926 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 525 | ∞ | |
| 0.038 | 871 | 22921:1 | |
Verifying the adaptive behavior of the ProMotion display isn't trivial - it's not like we can go into developer options and enable the refresh rate counter. We can say that to our spoiled eyes, the iPhone 13 Pro is visibly smoother than non-ProMotion ones. Some people may not be able to pick up the difference, others don't see it until they've had it and it's been taken away from them, but the point is that a high refresh rate is nice to have as it generally boosts the user experience.
iPhone displays are able to cover the P3 color space, and they switch automatically when they encounter such content. However, it's not something we can test because our testing software can't trigger the auto switch.
When it comes to sRGB, on the other hand, the 13 Pro is simply spectacular in its accuracy. We measured an average dE2000 of 0.7 for our standard set of swatches, and that's essentially a difference between target and result that you cannot see with your eyes. More importantly, that's the case whether you're at 200nits or at 850nits - the consistency is remarkable. Even the auto-brightness boost couldn't spoil the color accuracy all that much - average dE2000 was 1.5.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro battery life
The iPhone 13 Pro has seen a slight battery capacity bump over the previous generation - precisely 10%. It's not quite the 18% increase that the Pro Max got, and with the vanilla 13 getting a 15% bigger battery, the 13 Pro ends up having a smaller capacity than the 13 - 3,095mAh vs. 3,240mAh.
It shows, sort of. The 13 Pro posted middling numbers for both voice calls and standby - both disciplines where iPhones have typically suffered, in our experience. The Pro Max did do unusually okay, but it has a significantly larger battery, and the smaller Pro can't simply throw more mAhs at these tasks. So the 13 Pro isn't as good as the 13 when it comes to the phone part of longevity, more or less proportionally to the difference in capacity between the two.
Things take a turn for the positive in the screen-on tests, where the adaptive refresh rate helps overcome the 13 Pro capacity disadvantage and puts it ahead of the 13. With nearly 17 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing and more than 18 hours of video playback, the Pro is as good or better than the non-Pro, despite the handicap. It's still no Max, but it's plenty good enough.
In the end, the iPhone 13 Pro's Endurance rating works out to 85h - not great if you glance at that number alone. But battery life isn't terrible either if you look at the individual tests, specifically the screen-on ones - the more important ones, maybe? A comparison against rivals makes the iPhone easily stand out. Then again, it also stands out in a less appealing way if you value the first number the most.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating denotes how long the battery charge will last you if you use the device for an hour of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. More details can be found here.
Video test carried out in 60Hz refresh rate mode. Web browsing test done at the display's highest refresh rate whenever possible. Refer to the respective reviews for specifics. To adjust the endurance rating formula to match your own usage - check out our all-time battery test results chart.
Charging speed
You'll need to provide your own charging solution for the iPhone 13 Pro as the phone ships with no adapter. We've seen carriers bundle the Apple 20W USB PoweDelivery brick, and it's the most obvious choice to buy if you don't have another way to power your 13 Pro.
We tested using this one and got a pretty decent 60% result in half an hour, starting from flat. Getting to 100% took a total of 1:38h - slightly less than the Pro Max, but altogether in line with the rest of this year's iPhones.
30min charging test (from 0%)
Higher is better
- Oppo Find X3 Pro
100% - OnePlus 9 Pro
99% - Xiaomi Mi 11
83% - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
60% - Asus Zenfone 8
60% - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
59% - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (25W PD)
55% - Apple iPhone 13
54% - Sony Xperia 1 III
50% - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
42%
Time to full charge (from 0%)
Lower is better
- Oppo Find X3 Pro
0:28h - OnePlus 9 Pro
0:32h - Xiaomi Mi 11
0:50h - Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (25W PD)
1:13h - Asus Zenfone 8
1:28h - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
1:30h - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
1:38h - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
1:46h - Apple iPhone 13
1:46h - Sony Xperia 1 III
1:50h
The 13 Pro supports marginally higher wattage than what this 'default' adapter can provide - around 23W. It's a largely inconsequential difference, so it's hardly worth investing in a more powerful adapter specifically for charging this iPhone. But if you do happen to have a beefier unit, you'll potentially be able to gain a tiny bit of extra speed.
The iPhone 13 Pro also supports wireless charging at up to 15W if you're using the proprietary MagSafe puck or up to 7.5W with third-party peripherals.
Speaker test
The iPhone 13 Pro's speaker setup is the usual one you'd find on iPhones - the earpiece joins the dedicated bottom speaker to provide a stereo experience. When held in landscape, the phone respects the left-right orientation, and it will switch channels to match the way you're holding it. In portrait, on the other hand, the earpiece is in charge of the right channel.
That's somewhat of an oversimplification, however, because some of the lower-end frequencies for the opposite channel are always handled by the bottom speaker. Plus, even if you only feed one channel, the opposite speaker will still output some sound, albeit at a much lower volume than the 'correct' one.
Bottom speaker • Earpiece/Top speaker
The 13 Pro earned a 'Very Good' rating for loudness in our testing, in line with other iPhones of the same and the previous generation. Its output is similar to that of the iPhone 13 but not quite up to the Max' standard in the lower end of the frequency range. That doesn't mean, however, that the iPhone 13 Pro isn't superior to all of its potential direct rivals - it still is.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Apple iOS 15
All new iPhones come with Apple's iOS 15 out of the box. It's not a significant update over iOS 14, but it does introduce minor cosmetic changes like rounding off many UI elements shapes such as settings menus and icons, notifications, buttons. The new version improves heavily on FaceTime and Messages, Notification management, Safari browser (now with extensions), Wallet and Maps. It also makes Photos and Spotlight even more intelligent - the Photos app can now read and let you copy text in real-time.
The iOS interface is still based on homescreens populated with apps and stackable widgets. App Library holds all your apps, with automatic sorting and is the de facto app drawer. There are also the familiar Notification Center and Control Center.
Apple's iOS 15 has improved notification profiles based on different automations, which are great for those who receive many notifications per day. There is also a new Summary option to get you up to speed after a silent period.
The navigation gestures stay the same as they were on the iPhone X. Swipe upwards from the bottom line to close an app, swipe and stop midway for task switcher, swipe from the side of the screen for back and forward. You can also swipe on the line left or right to switch to your recently used apps instantaneously.
Lockscreen • Homescreen • Widgets • App Library • Notifications • Control Center
One of the most important updates in iOS 15 is in FaceTime. The new app looks more and more like Zoom, and it now supports Grid view. It has a cleaner interface, optional background blur, spatial audio, and most importantly - it can make conference calls, and non-Apple users can join the fun, too, by using an invite link and Chrome or Edge web browser.
Apple users can enhance their microphone with Voice Isolation or Wide Spectrum and let others hear them much better.
FaceTime
The Safari web browser has seen quite the upgrade. First, the address bar is now at the bottom of the screen, easily accessible, and you can swipe on it left or right to switch tabs (in portrait mode) just like you fast scroll between apps via swipes on the infamous line. And second, Safari now supports extensions; you can download such from the App Store.
Safari
Siri is Apple's digital assistant used by 400+ million people monthly. Shortcuts is a robust environment for automating tasks which may seem daunting at first but are well worth exploring. Multimedia is handled by Apple's own apps - Photos for your images and video clips, TV for movies and Apple TV+, Music for MP3s and Apple Music, and Maps for navigation.
Siri • Shortcuts • Photos • TV • Music • Maps
There is Files for your local files, Books are here for your documents, PDFs, and eBooks. Stocks and News are onboard. There is Weather app, too. Apple also offers its office suite for free - Pages, Numbers and Keynote. iMovie and Clips are also onboard, so you can edit your videos - there is newly added support for Cinematic shorts captured on the new iPhone 13 mini camera.
Files • Books • Socks • Weather • Numbers
Performance and benchmarks
The latest Apple A15 Bionic chip powers all iPhone 13 models. It is the second 5nm Apple chip (second-gen 5nm TSMC process) and packs 15 billion transistors - that's 27% more than the A14 within the iPhone 12 phones. It keeps the hexa-core processor architecture with 2 big Avalanche cores maxing out at 3.23GHz and 4 small Blizzard cores.
There is an improved 5-core Apple GPU for the Pro models and 4-core Apple GPU for the non-Pros. The 13 Pros have 6GB of RAM, up from the 4GB of the non-Pros.
The 13 Pro posted virtually identical numbers to the 13 Pro Max pretty much across our entire benchmarking suite. As expected, its performance under CPU-intense loads is way superior to what you'd get out of any of the latest Androids. Meanwhile, it's not a huge improvement over last year's model, but there is a difference.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
4706 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
4687 - Apple iPhone 13
4645 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
4056 - OnePlus 9 Pro
3636 - Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro
3521 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
3518 - Sony Xperia 1 III
3515 - Xiaomi Mi 11
3489 - Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
3441 - Oppo Find X3 Pro
3316 - Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
3294 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
3244 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
3244 - Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
3239 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
3191
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
1741 - Apple iPhone 13
1727 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
1709 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
1611 - Sony Xperia 1 III
1130 - OnePlus 9 Pro
1126 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
1126 - Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro
1117 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
1109 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
1109 - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
1107 - Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
1095 - Xiaomi Mi 11
1085 - Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
988 - Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
979 - Oppo Find X3 Pro
926
Antutu once specifically mentioned cross-platform benchmark comparisons are best avoided, so we'll only compare the 13 Pro against members of its own family. There's a visible year over year improvement, and the A15 is easily the most powerful of the As.
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
801691 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
794348 - Apple iPhone 13
775519 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
766065 - Apple iPhone 12
692020 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
617292
The iPhone 13 Pro puts out massive numbers in GFXBench, and such GPU-centric loads are where the extra core in the Pro's chip proves to be an advantage over the regular A13's lesser GPU. Again, same as on the 13 Pro Max, we're seeing the 13 Pro is capped at 60fps in the onscreen tests, preventing us from getting the real numbers.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro
181 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
178 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
161 - Apple iPhone 13
150 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
135 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
132 - Apple iPhone 12
132 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
132 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
120 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
104
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
60 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
60 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
60 - Apple iPhone 13
60 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
60 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
60 - Apple iPhone 12
60 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
60 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
60 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
55
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
121 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
119 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
108 - Apple iPhone 13
98 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
78 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
70 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
67 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
64 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
64 - Apple iPhone 12
58
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
60 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
60 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
60 - Apple iPhone 13
59 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
58 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
58 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
57 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
55 - Apple iPhone 12
53 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
44
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro
60 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
55 - Apple iPhone 13
55 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
47 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
47 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro
47 - Apple iPhone 12
45 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
42 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
33
GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
50 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro
50 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
40 - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
40 - Apple iPhone 13
34 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
32
3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro
9760 - Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
9751 - Apple iPad mini (2021)
9092 - Apple iPhone 13
8986 - Apple iPhone 12
7996 - Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
7537
We also got practically the same results for long-term performance out of the 13 Pro that we saw on the 13 Pro Max. That's 77% for CPU stability and 67% for the GPU - hardly breathtaking numbers, but it's good to know that the smaller and thus potentially less capable of heat dissipation handset is on the same level as its bigger brother.
APSI Bench Long-term load CPU test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test
Small Pro, same big camera update
There are no differences this year - the iPhone 13 Pro is treated to the same camera setup as the 13 Pro Max, meaning you no longer have to go big to get the best imaging hardware Apple is offering. And it's the 'biggest camera update ever on an iPhone' too, as Apple is keen to point out.
The list of upgrades starts with an improved main (or 'wide') camera on the back, which gets a larger sensor with big 1.9µm pixels. The 12MP sensor itself is stabilized (as was on the 12 Pro Max), and the optics inside the 26mm-equivalent lens with an f/1.5 aperture only need to move for focusing.
The telephoto has gained some extra reach - to a 77mm equivalent or 3x zoom, up from 2x on the 12 Pro and 2.5x on the 12 Pro Max. It has lost some lens power in the process, and the aperture now is f/2.8 instead of f/2.2. The lens is still stabilized, and the sensor is still 12MP.
The ultrawide doesn't need stabilization all that much, but what it did need, it got - autofocus, which also lets it take close-up shots. In addition to that, its lens is also brighter, boasting an f/1.8 aperture (up from f/2.4). As with all other sensors, this one is 12MP.
There's also a LiDAR scanner which assists the main and portrait cameras with detailed depth maps for portraits and faster autofocus in low-light conditions.
There are no upgrades on the front, and the selfie camera remains at 12MP with a 23mm focal length and an f/2.2 aperture lens. There's no autofocus here, unfortunately. The structured light 3D scanner for FaceID also helps out for Portrait mode.
Camera app and features
The camera interface is mostly unchanged since iOS 13 and the iPhone 11. You swipe left and right between modes and have a couple of settings you can uncover with an upward swipe - flash, night mode, live photo, photo aspect, exposure compensation, and filters. In video mode, you can change the resolution and frame rate from the viewfinder.
It's from this interface that you can access the new feature called Photographic Styles. You get Standard, Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool, and these apply tonal and color corrections, which you can fine-tune with the two available sliders.
Another new 'feature' is the ability to take close-up shots. Enabled by the ultrawide's camera newfound autofocusing capability, it's an option you only get on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, but not on the non-Pros.
That comes with a potentially infuriating side effect that the phone will quietly switch from the main to the ultrawide when you go below the main camera's minimum focus distance threshold while maintaining the main camera's field of view - upscaling and all that. Apple has allegedly promised they will add the option to turn off this behavior with an update later this fall, and it can't come soon enough.
Camera UI
Daylight image quality
All the camera updates on this year's Pros haven't brought about drastic changes in image quality and overall 'feel' - these are very iPhone photos we're looking at. That means they're not overly exciting in terms of color - natural is the operative word here, though some may use more expressive terms. They're not overtly HDR-y either - iPhones aren't afraid of clipping some of the highlights or underdeveloping the deepest shadows if it's needed to get that characteristic contrasty look.
Detail is no different than any of the 12MP cameras on the market - it's plenty. There's hardly any noise to speak of, but not everyone will be a fan of the somewhat overprocessed rendition of intricate detail that outresolves the sensor.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x)
The newly introduced Photographic Styles feature allows you to alter that default iPhone look to your liking. Here's a comparison between the 5 available presets (effectively the default plus 4 more).
Photographic styles: Standard • Rich Warm • Vibrant • Warm • Cool
The 3x telephoto doesn't disappoint and gets you high-quality images. Sharpness and detail are excellent, noise is kept in check. There's wide dynamic range and good contrast in these shots, and the colors are in line with the conservative but likeable rendition of the main camera.
Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3x)
The ultrawide camera is generally up to the same high standard maintaining the global look in color rendition and dynamic range. It does leave a little to be desired at 1:1 magnification, where it's not quite as crisp as the other two, but it's easily good enough for an ultrawide.
Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)
The ultrawide's newly added autofocusing capability means you can now use it to emphasize perspective and show how subjects relate to their environment.
Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)
Macro
That AF on the ultrawide also lets you get right into your subject while still keeping things sharp, making for some striking close-up shots.
The extremely close focusing distance combined with the large aperture make for a razor-thin depth of field. With the added effect of field curvature, which means that the focal plane is curved like a bell, you'll likely not get everything you want in focus, but with good technique and practice, you should get some nice 'macro' photos.
Close-up samples
Low-light image quality
The iPhone 13 Pro's Auto Night mode on the main camera will deliver excellent low-light images, though not quite as Night mode-y as other makers' Night modes. There's no dramatic highlight restoration or shadow brightening, and it's instead a more contrasty look, closer to what your eyes are seeing, some say.
White balance and color saturation are really good, and we seemed to experience less of the orange cast we saw on the Pro Max with certain street lights.
Detail is very good unless you look for it in the extreme shadows or highlights, where Apple's tonal curve might leave you wanting.
Low-light samples, main camera (1x), Auto Night mode
Manually turning off Night mode will dial down the saturation slightly and will also make shadows a little darker still. These aren't a dramatic difference, however, and we'd keep Night mode enabled.
Low-light samples, main camera (1x), Night mode off
At the 3x zoom level, the iPhone 13 Pro will still revert to its primary camera if it deems the scene is too dark. There are also instances when a Night mode photo will be taken by one camera and the non-Night mode - by another, with Night mode generally being more likely to get you the tele.
Overall, the images are decent, but nothing remarkable. Night mode will get you better images with good detail and sharpness, particularly in reasonably well-lit scenes. In scenes where it wouldn't trigger, it pays off to enable it manually by pushing the slider to the Max position. In any case, a boost in exposure wouldn't hurt these.
Low-light samples, telephoto camera (3x), Night mode
Low-light samples, telephoto camera (3x), Night mode off
The ultrawide camera of the iPhone 13 Pro does a respectable job for what isn't all that impressive hardware in the context of low-light shooting. Photos taken in Night mode have good sharpness and detail as ultrawides go, and if you (like us) aren't a fan of the default exposure, you could try maxing that Night mode slider. The colors are accurate, dynamic range is okay.
Switch off Night mode and may lose a lot of the deeper shadows entirely, with saturation taking a hit as well. We'd definitely shoot in Night mode on the ultrawide and make an effort to push it manually for those instances when the phone wouldn't.
Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x), Night mode
Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x), Night mode off
Once you're done with the real-world samples, head over to our Photo compare tool to see how the Apple iPhone 13 Pro stacks up against the competition.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro against the Galaxy S21 5G and the Oppo Find X3 Pro in our Photo compare tool
Portrait mode
Portrait mode on the iPhone 13 Pro works with either the main or the telephoto camera. The pros of each are well known - the main camera will get you higher quality images in all situations, but especially in low light; the telephoto lets you stand further back from your subject and has a more 'portraity' perspective - and the cons are the opposites.
Outside of the occasional blurred shoulder, subject separation is typically very good on the main camera. We're getting pleasing skin tones with a bit of warmth courtesy of the phone. Detail is great, and dynamic range is excellent too, in virtually all conditions.
Portrait mode samples, 1x
The telephoto camera isn't on the same level in terms of detail, even in broad daylight, and might make the occasional small mistake along the border between the subject's clothes and background. Still, it will get you a vastly superior perspective. Nothing but praise on dynamic range and colors again.
Portrait mode samples, 3x
Selfies
The selfie camera is similarly great for shooting people, as it is, after all, its main purpose. While in general photo mode, it will return slightly less saturated colors, skin tones remain likable. Exposure and dynamic range are once again superb, resolved detail is excellent, and the noise is unobtrusive.
The default field of view for selfies is a cropped in 7MP version when you're holding the phone in a vertical orientation, but you can enable the full view with a tap, and the phone will also auto switch to that if you're shooting horizontally.
Selfie samples
Portrait mode on the selfie camera is only available in that 7MP view and comes with a slight saturation boost and a bit of extra warmth. The subject separation is aided by the FaceID hardware making for some impressive results.
Selfie samples, Portrait mode
Video quality
The iPhone 13 Pro can record video at up to 4K60 with all of its four cameras. 4K24 is also available across the board if you're after a more cinematic motion look. All videos are digitally stabilized - Apple calls this cinematic video stabilization, and it can't be turned off. All modes, including the 4K60, feature expanded dynamic range thanks to the Smart HDR. The slow-mo options max out at 1080p at 240fps.
You can also capture HDR videos straight into the Dolby Vision format up to the same maximum 4K60 (the previous generation was limited to 30fps). You can edit these videos on the go on your phone, you can upload them on YouTube or any other popular platform, or even send them to your friends. The Dolby Vision information is saved outside of the video stream, so the video will look normal to any non-HDR player/screen and will be boosted on any Dolby Vision compatible player and display.
You also have a choice between H.265 HEVC and H.264 video encoders. The High-Efficiency mode uses H.265 and is mandatory for 4K60 and HDR footage, while the More Compatible mode (H.264) provides easier playback across different devices.
The iPhone 13s, like the previous iPhones, capture wide stereo audio for the videos at about 192kbps.
We're seeing typical iPhone video performance out of the 13 Pro, and that means some of the best video quality out of a smartphone, specifically in good light. We're getting excellent dynamic range and lively colors, no noise and very good detail.
4K60 on the main cam, as well as on all other cameras, is as good as 4K30 - there's no quality penalty to be paid for the extra smoothness if you prefer to shoot that way. The same goes for 4K24 - you won't be able to spot a difference between frame grabs from the three frame rates.
The telephoto's output maintains the same great quality as the main camera's.
The ultrawide won't disappoint you either. It shows the same global properties as the other two, so you can expect spot-on color matching as well as exposure and dynamic range. The detail is also very good, but it's not quite up to the other two's standard.
Low-light videos out of the main camera aren't the best we've seen, but they are still pretty okay. We're getting accurate exposure and good dynamic range, and accurate colors with no loss of saturation. It's the level of sharpness and detail that could be improved upon, though things aren't bad as is.
3x zoom footage in these light conditions comes from the main camera, so it's understandably quite soft.
The ultrawide is similarly not too keen on shooting in the dark, but it does do an okay job with our difficult balcony scene. Exposure and dynamic range are excellent, and detail is about adequate.
Stabilization is properly great, as usual. You can count on the ultrawide and the main camera to almost completely iron out the walking shake, and they'll also maintain steady footage if you're just pointing the phone in one direction. The telephoto, too, is very well stabilized.
We didn't shoot a dedicated Cinematic mode sample on the 13 Pro, but we do have the one from the 13 Pro Max to show you. The Pros do work better than the non-Pros in this situation, and it's likely the best implementation of what's essentially Portrait mode for video that we've seen on a phone. It's still far from perfect, and we can't imagine it actually being useful in its current state as soon as the initial novelty wears off.
Here's a glimpse of how the Apple iPhone 13 Pro compares to rivals in our Video compare tool. Head over there for the complete picture.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro against the Galaxy S21 5G and the Oppo Find X3 Pro in our Video compare tool
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.
iPhone 13 family shot: Mini • Pro Max • Pro • Vanilla
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.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G • Sony Xperia 5 III • Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max • Apple iPhone 13
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.
- iOS (with its limitations) remains a love it or leave it affair.
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