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How the iPhone 13, Mini, Pro and Max compare to Android rivals — and vs. iPhone 12

How the iPhone 13, Mini, Pro and Max compare to Android rivals — and vs. iPhone 12

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Apple’s latest versus the best Androids (and last year’s iPhones)

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Image: Apple

Apple has announced its new iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, which feature better cameras, 120Hz screens, new processors (which Apple claims are the fastest in a phone, period), better battery life, and smaller notches compared to their predecessors. But should you upgrade from the iPhone 12, and is Apple beating the Android competition? Here’s how Apple stacks up to Samsung, OnePlus, Google, and its own previous devices on paper.

One thing to keep in mind before we dive in is that specs don’t tell the whole story. There’s the obvious difficult comparisons (how does an Apple A15 chip stack up against a Snapdragon 888, and how do you compare traditional phones to folding ones), as well as the small details that don’t fit cleanly on a spec sheet. For instance, one of Apple’s pro features is the ability to shoot 4K ProRes on its higher-end phones — except for the models with 128GB of storage, which will be limited to 1080p ProRes.

Missing from this comparison: Google’s upcoming flagships

There’s also an obvious competitor missing: Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google didn’t give us their full specifications in its partial announcement, which makes it hard to include them in a spec comparison.

But let’s put all those caveats aside, because maybe you’re looking for a phone right now. How do the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini stack up, spec-for-spec, against their Android competitors? Prices throughout this comparison, by the way, are for the unlocked iPhones, which are $30 more than the carrier versions.

iPhone 13 vs. Galaxy S21 vs. OnePlus 9 vs. Pixel 5A

SpecificationiPhone 13iPhone 13 MiniSamsung Galaxy S21OnePlus 9Google Pixel 5A
OSiOS 15iOS 15Android 11 (One UI)Oxygen OS (Based on Android 11)Android 11
Display6.1-inch OLED5.4-inch OLED6.2-inch AMOLED6.55-inch OLED6.34-inch OLED
Resolution2532 x 11702340 x 10802400 x 10802400 x 10802400 x 1080
Max. refresh rate60Hz60Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hz60Hz
Dimensions(mm)71.5 x 146.7 x 7.6564.2 x 131.5 x 7.6571.2 x 151.7 x 7.9NA / EU: 74.2 x 160 x 8.773.2 x 156.2 x 8.8
Weight174g141g171gNA / EU: 192g183 g
Battery CapacityTBATBA4,000mAh4,500mAh4680mAh
ProcessorA15A15US: Snapdragon 888Snapdragon 888Snapdragon 765G
RAMTBATBA8GB8GB, 12GB6GB
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB128GB
PortsLightning portLightning portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Rear camera12MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide12MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optic telephoto48MP (f/1.8, all-Pixel AF, 1.12μm) wide angle, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 2MP monochrome12.2MP (f/1.7, dual-pixel AF) wide angle, 16MP (f/2.2) ultrawide
Front camera12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)16MP(f/2.4)8MP(f/2.0)
BiometricsFace IDFace IDFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint
Water and dust protectionIP68IP68IP68NoIP67
Wireless charging?YesYesYesYesNo
5G supportmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzsub-6GHzsub-6GHz
Starting price$829$729$799$729$449

Anyways, let’s stop talking about saving a few bucks, and blow the budget a bit: how does the iPhone 13 Pro stack up against the Android flagships, in a battle of the $1,000 plus phones?

iPhone 13 Pro vs. Galaxy S21 Plus / Ultra / Z Flip 3 vs OnePlus 9 Pro

SpecificationiPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S21 PlusSamsung Galaxy S21 UltraSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 3OnePlus 9 Pro
OSiOS 15iOS 15Android 11 (One UI)Android 11 (One UI)Android 11 (One UI)Oxygen OS (Based on Android 11)
Display6.1-inch OLED6.7-inch OLED6.7-inch AMOLED6.8-inch AMOLED6.7-inch folding AMOLED6.7-inch OLED
Resolution2532 x 11702778 x 12842400 x 10803200 x 14402640 x 1080 (main screen)3216 x 1400
Max. refresh rateup to 120Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hz (main screen)up to 120Hz
Dimensions(mm)71.5 x 146.7 x 7.6578.1 x 160.8 x 7.6575.6 x 161.5 x 7.875.6 x 165.1 x 8.972.2 x 166.0 x 6.9 (unfolded)73.6 x 163.2 x 8.7
Weight204g240g202g229g183g197g
Battery CapacityTBATBA4,800mAh5,000mAh3,300mAh4,500mAh
ProcessorA15A15US: Snapdragon 888US: Snapdragon 888Snapdragon 888Snapdragon 888
RAMTBATBA8GB12GB / 16GB8GB8GB, 12GB
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB / 512GB128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB
PortsLightning PortLightning PortUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging port
Rear camera12MP (f/1.5 sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.8 OIS) 3x telephoto, 12MP (f/1.8) ultrawide12MP (f/1.5 sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.8 OIS) 3x telephoto, 12MP (f/1.8) ultrawide12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optic telephoto108MP (f/1.8, OIS, 0.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) 3X optical telephoto, 10MP (f/4.9, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) 10X optical telephoto12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide48MP (f/1.8, OIS, all-pixel AF, 1.12 μm) wide angle, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 8MP (f2.4, OIS) 3.3X telephoto, 2MP monochrome
Front camera12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)40MP (f/2.2, autofocus)10MP (f/2.4)16MP(f/2.4)
BiometricsFace ID Face ID Fingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognition
Water and dust protectionIP68IP68IP68IP68IPX8IP68
Wireless charging?YesYesYesYesYesYes
5G supportmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHz
Starting price$999$1,099$999$1,199$999$969

As with past years, we see that Apple isn’t necessarily playing a spec-game, especially when it comes to cameras. Some of its higher-end Android competitors boast megapixel counts that are four or even almost 10 times as high as Apple’s cameras. Whether that’ll give them an edge or not will have to be seen when we test Apple’s “dramatically more powerful” cameras. Both Apple and Google have traditionally prioritized larger pixels for low-light performance rather than raw resolution.

Finally, let’s take a look at how Apple did year-over-year when it comes to upgrading its specs. It’s worth noting that, while we’ve included the 12 Pro, you actually can’t buy that phone from Apple anymore, making the comparison more useful for upgraders than cross-shoppers.

iPhone 13 lineup vs iPhone 12 lineup

SpecificationiPhone 13iPhone 12iPhone 13 MiniiPhone 12 MiniiPhone 13 ProiPhone 12 Pro
OSiOS 15iOS 15 coming Sep. 20iOS 15iOS 15 coming Sep. 20iOS 15iOS 15 coming Sep. 20
Display6.1-inch OLED6.1 inch, OLED5.4-inch OLED5.4-inch OLED6.1-inch OLED6.1 inch, OLED
Resolution2532 x 11702532 x 11702340 x 10802340 x 10802532 x 11702532 x 1170
Max. refresh rate60Hz60Hz60Hz60Hzup to 120Hz60Hz
Dimensions(mm)71.5 x 146.7 x 7.6571.5 x 146.7 x 7.4 64.2 x 131.5 x 7.6564.2 x 131.5 x 7.471.5 x 146.7 x 7.6571.5 x 146.7 x 7.4
Weight174g164g141g135g204g189g
Battery CapacityTBA2,815mAhTBA2,227mAhTBA2,815mAh
ProcessorA15A14 BionicA15A14 BionicA15A14 Bionic
RAMTBA4GBTBA4GBTBA6GB
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB
PortsLightning portLightning portLightning portLightning portLightning PortLightning Port
Rear camera12MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide12MP (f/1.6) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide12MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide12MP (f/1.6) wide, 12MP (f/2.4)12MP (f/1.5 sensor-shift OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.8 OIS) 3x telephoto, 12MP (f/1.8) ultrawide12MP (f/1.6, OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.0) 2x telephoto
Front camera12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)
BiometricsFace IDFace IDFace IDFace IDFace ID Face ID
Water and dust protectionIP68IP68IP68IP68IP68IP68
Wireless charging?YesYesYesYesYesYes
5G supportmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHz
Starting price$829$729$729$629$999N/A, $999 at launch

One interesting point is that the phones haven’t changed when it comes to width, height, or screen size, but they have gotten a bit thicker, and a bit heavier. They are packing a fair amount of new tech though, so perhaps that’s understandable.

What the specs don't show, though, is how unfavorably the iPhone 12 is priced — at first glance the it seems like a reasonable buy at $100 cheaper, but at that price you’re only getting half the storage. If you get a 128GB iPhone 12, you’ll only be saving $50 compared to the 128GB iPhone 13, which has all the upgrades to the screens, cameras, battery life, and everything else Apple announced on Tuesday. Sure, it’s technically less expensive, but you’d be giving up a lot for very little savings.


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