Though the iPhone 13 is not the latest generation of Apple’s iPhones, the iPhone 13 series still holds its own from a technical perspective. From the iPhone 13 Pro to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, last year’s iPhone options are hardly older iPhones to be discarded.
Given that Apple phones are both high quality and expensive, there are many reasons why new buyers may be interested in the last generation’s iPhone 13.
iPhone 13 Overview
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max significantly improved over the previous generation, the base iPhone 14 is not much more advanced than the iPhone 13.
Pro models tend to feature the best iPhone specs; however, the base 13 still has all the bells and whistles that modern iPhones are known for, including Face ID, lightning port and USB-C chargers, MagSafe compatibility, integration with iOS 16, and IP68 water resistance.
It has a powerful chipset, a sleek design, and a great display and camera system.
Here is a rundown of the iPhone 13 and everything the base model offers.
What Does the iPhone 13 Cost?
A base iPhone 13 is $599 for a model with 128GB of storage.
The most expensive model has 512GB of storage and is priced at $899. Overall, the iPhone 13 sits in the middle to high range as far as modern smartphone prices go.
Since it is older than the iPhone 14, more sales are currently available for the iPhone 13. It comes out to a full $100 cheaper than the iPhone 14.
Who Is the iPhone 13 Best for?
The iPhone 13 is perhaps the benchmark for people who are casually interested in the smartphone scene but still want the best.
The iPhone 14, especially the 14 Pro Max, will have more features to play with, but the average person will likely find the base iPhone 13 premium enough, even for those with expensive tastes.
Apple has several features that encourage family units to all own iPhones. Find My iPhone, iMessage, and many apps work best if the group has access to an iPhone and shared iCloud storage.
As a result, families should look at the iPhone 13 as an option for one or more family members who could use an advanced smartphone for slightly less than the cost of the newest model.
Breaking Down the iPhone 13 in 2022
Price
The iPhone 13 costs between $599 and $899, depending on how much storage space you want.
Design and New Colors
You can get an iPhone 13 in green, pink, blue, midnight, starlight, or (PRODUCT)RED. The overall phone design is the same as the iPhone 12, but the cameras on the back have been rearranged.
It is made of premium glass and ceramic shield materials that make it sleek and durable, but otherwise, it sticks to the typical iPhone mold.
Display
The iPhone 13 has a 6.1” diagonal all-screen OLED display with a Super Retina XDR display. Its screen is made up of a 2532-by-1179-pixel resolution at 460 PPI, with rounded corners and a curved design.
The phone offers HDR display, True Tone, Wide color, Haptic Touch, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1200 nits max brightness (HDR), and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
Like the base 14, the iPhone 13 has a 60Hz refresh rate.
Camera
The Apple iPhone 13 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, including telephoto, wide, and ultra-wide camera lenses. The front camera is smaller-notch but still brilliant for FaceTime and selfies. The wide lens has a ƒ/1.6 aperture, while the ultra-wide lens has a ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view.
Zoom features include 2x optical zoom out and 5x digital zoom. Like other newer iPhones, the camera comes with various modes, including portrait mode with advanced depth control and six effects, panorama (up to 63 MP), and different lens ratio options.
An impressive feature of the iPhone 13’s camera is night mode. Other features you’ll find on the camera app include burst mode, photo geotagging, auto image stabilization, wide color capture, and Live Photos.
With an incredible main camera system, including stellar rear cameras and a decent selfie camera, the iPhone 13 allows you to explore new features and various photographic styles.
The video camera features on the iPhone 13 are similar to other newer iPhones with features such as 4k video recording with 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps. The video camera also films in 1080p HD and 780 HD recording.
The iPhone 13 has a Cinematic mode that allows video recordings with a shallow depth of field.
Another feature includes HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4k. The video camera has various modes, including night mode, low-light mode, time-lapse, and slo-mo — additionally, video functions with 2x optical zoom out and up to 3x digital zoom.
Battery Life and Charging
The iPhone 13 has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery and is wireless charging compatible. The phone can be charged via USB to a computer or power adapter, up to 50% in 30 minutes.
The battery life allows up to 75 hours of audio playback, 19 hours of video playback, and 15 hours of streamed video playback. As a newer iPhone model, you can charge with a lightning cable, MagSafe compatible case, or dock.
Performance
The A15 Bionic Chip allows the iPhone 13 to stay ahead of its Android competition. It has a six-core CPU, a four-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine.
Apple has the best industry performance and shows in the iPhone 13, which outpaces the competition handily.
On top of that, the iPhone 14 still runs on the A15 chip, making the processing power comparable. Like all other iPhones, from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 13 Mini, the standard iPhone 13 runs iOS 15.
What Are Some Pros of the iPhone 13?
- Cutting Edge Performance
- Great Battery Life
- Cinematic Camera
Cutting Edge Performance
The A15 Bionic Chip is a processor powerhouse that blows the competition out of the water. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset used by one of the most powerful Android phones, the Samsung S22 Ultra, doesn’t come close to the speed and power of the A15.
Great Battery Life
The iPhone 13 gives you many ways to charge your phone, all of which are fast and efficient. While it may not have the extreme battery life of a phone like the Moto G Power, no other phones are giving you this kind of battery with hardware and software this intensive.
Cinematic Camera
The cinematic mode is an incredible innovation in smartphone cameras. It allows you to create cinema-quality videos without messing with zoom and lighting.
The cinematic mode adapts to your surroundings and reads the subject of the video to create a video-crafting experience that no other smartphone can emulate.
What Are Some Cons of the iPhone 13?
- It’s a Pricey Option
It’s a Pricey Option
This phone is costly at $599 for the most affordable model. With the high storage option being $899, you need to be sure that these premium features are things you need. It is cheaper than an iPhone 14 but still more expensive than a budget smartphone.
Phones like the Google Pixel series have consistently provided premium smartphones for lower prices, stirring up intense competition for Apple.
Should You Buy the iPhone 13?
Yes. The iPhone 13 is one of the best-performing phones on the market, and it holds up despite being a generation behind Apple’s lineup.
While its price may be a tough hurdle for some people to jump, it is not the most expensive smartphone out there, and you will have a hard time finding quality like this for any cheaper.
That said, depending on your needs, you may want one of the more advanced phones. Using Navi, you can ensure you are always in the loop about the best phones and phone deals on the market. Navi uses industry knowledge to help you make decisions about your smartphone purchases.
Navi can analyze your needs to find the perfect fit for you. With so many smartphones out there, it is vital to have someone in your corner when navigating your options.
