Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

Read on as we explore the differences between the iPhone 13 and the two generations older iPhone 11.

The iPhone 13 is a gradual upgrade over the iPhone 12, but compared to the iPhone 11 it brings a world of a change. Not only you get the new iPhone design with flat sides, but you also get a completely different screen technology, faster processor, upgraded cameras, a boost in battery life and then some more. The iPhone 13 is also both lighter and prettier (in our subjective opinion, of course).

All of that is great, but the iPhone 13 happens to cost about $700 dollars, while the iPhone 11 currently retails for below $500, which is a considerable difference.

So let's dive in the differences...

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 11 differences in a nutshell:

  • iPhone 13 has flat-edge design with smaller borders and smaller notch
  • iPhone 13 has OLED screen vs LCD on iPhone 11
  • Only iPhone 13 has HDR support
  • Brighter screen on iPhone 13
  • Faster chip
  • 128GB vs 64GB base storage
  • Upgraded dual camera system on iPhone 13
  • Longer battery life on iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 has MagSafe, while iPhone 11 only has regular wireless charging

Also read:

  • iPhone 13 review
  • iPhone 13 Pro review
  • iPhone 13 mini review
  • iPhone 13 mini vs iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 11 Pro Max

Display and Design

6.1" OLED screen on iPhone 13 is a big upgrade, even if it doesn't have 120Hz ProMotion

Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

Thanks to smaller bezels and a new design, the iPhone 13 is more compact while still featuring the same 6.1" screen size as the iPhone 11. See, the iPhone 11 is extra wide because of the thicker borders around the screen, which add width and make it hard to grasp with one hand.

And here are the exact dimensions of the two phones:

  • iPhone 13 — 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g
  • iPhone 11 — 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, 194g

Notice how the 11 is wider, thicker, and actually weighs quite a bit more too. Despite that, many of us find the flat edges on the iPhone 13 actually make it harder to grip firmly, while the older design with rounded sides is more ergonomic.

Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 11 have a glossy back and use aluminum for the mid-frame. The colors are different though: you have a new pink option on the iPhone 13, in addition to the other 4 more standard color versions that are Midnight (black-ish), Starlight (silver-ish), Blue and Product RED.

While the two phones differ in their looks, they are about the same in terms of practicality with an IP68 water protection on both (iPhone 13 can be submerged up to 6 meters deep compared to 2 meters for the iPhone 11), so no need to worry about them getting wet in the rain.

While both phones have the same 6.1-inch screen size, the iPhone 13 uses an OLED display with deeper blacks and superior contrast compared to the older LCD type screen on the iPhone 11, where blacks appear washed out and colors don't look quite as lively, plus you get a ghosting effect while scrolling. In addition to that, the iPhone 13 also has a higher resolution at 1170p compared to just 828p on the iPhone 11, another visible difference.

Last but not least, the display on the newer iPhone also supports HDR, which really makes videos you record or Netflix movies come to life, while you don’t have that on the iPhone 11.

One modern feature that is missing on both, however, is a fast refresh rate. Unfortunately, the newer iPhone 13 still runs at 60Hz, just like the iPhone 11. Apple has reserved the super smooth 120Hz ProMotion screens for its iPhone Pro series that cost quite a bit more.

Cameras

Upgraded dual camera setup

The camera system looks different on the iPhone 13 with the lenses arranged diagonally rather than a straight line, but the cameras remain two, a wide and an ultra-wide one.

Here are the camera specs and the differences in hardware:

  • wide camera — 12MP on both, 26mm, f/1.6 aperture on 13 vs f/1.8 on 11
  • ultra-wide camera — 12MP, 0.5X on both, f/2.4 aperture on both

Despite the similarities, Apple is using a larger sensor for the main camera (the cameras are offset like that to accommodate for the larger sensor), and both cameras on the 13 are able to capture more light and do better in low light conditions. The iPhone 13 also gets sensor shift stabilization for the main camera, a more advanced solution compared to the lens-based OIS on the iPhone 11. In reality, though, there is hardly any difference and video stabilization is about the same, which is to say great.

We should also mention that the iPhone 11 was among the first to receive the Night Mode feature, but it only works with the main camera, while on the iPhone 13 it works with both cameras.

In terms of new camera features, the 13 brings Photographic Styles, which is basically photo filers on steroids. You can do local edits in real time and you can see the results right in the camera viewfinder. You can also create a favorite look, be it with more vibrant colors, or subdued tonalities... just select your personal style, and you can have the iPhone remember that personal preference and later use it across all your photos.

On the video side, you also get Cinematic Mode which can automatically rack focus for an artistic effect. This definitely looks a bit rough, especially if you record at the default settings, but we have found that if you set it at F/7, you can still get a pleasingly blurred background with very few artifacts.

Sound quality

While both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 11 lack a headphone jack, there is a notable difference in the way the two sound when you are using the built-in loudspeakers.

The iPhone 13 is boomy and surprises with an ample sound that you don't expect out of a phone speaker. The iPhone 11, on the other hand, is just decent, and doesn't quite have the same punch and clarity. If you like to listen to music straight out of your phone, or just watch a lot of videos or play games without headphones, the iPhone 13 is a noticeable upgrade in terms of sound quality.

Performance: Apple A15 vs A13

Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

Apple's custom made silicon has led the market in terms of performance over the past few years, and this lead only continues with the new Apple A15 Bionic processor in the iPhone 13. You get improvements on all fronts: CPU, GPU, AI and even the camera ISP.

Below, you will find benchmark results that compare the iPhone 13 with its A15 against the iPhone 11 with its A13 processor:

We can see that Apple has only made very slight improvements to the performance, but compared to the 2-year old iPhone 11, it's a noticeable difference.

What was a bit unexpected, but great is that the iPhone 13 now starts at 128GB of storage on board, double the storage on the iPhone 11. You also have 256GB and 512GB iPhone 13 versions.

One area where the iPhone 13 brings a notable improvement over the iPhone 11 is connectivity. First, because the iPhone 13 supports 5G while the iPhone 11 does not, and second because of the sheer amount of bands and bandwidth supports. We still don't think 5G should influence your decision on buying either one as even with 4G LTE on the iPhone 11 we are still solid download and upload speeds, but it is becoming more and more a factor.

Battery and Charging

iPhone 13 fixes one of the iPhone 12's biggest flaws

Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

The iPhone 13 has a slightly larger, 3227mAh battery cell compared to 3110mAh battery on the iPhone 11. That's a modest improvement of about 4%, in case you were wondering.

Our independent battery tests confirm that the iPhone 13 is indeed hitting longer battery life numbers than the iPhone 11, and quite noticeably so.

PhoneArena Battery Test Results:

In real life, both phones last us about a day of full use, but the iPhone 13 can be pushed with more gaming and video recording and still last that long, while the iPhone 11 would last a bit less. The important thing is that you get those battery improvements all across the board, in all three of our different tests.

Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

On the charger front, Apple "innovated" in the past couple of years by not including a charger or headphones. If you want to benefit from fast charging speeds you would need to spend an additional $20 bucks for a fast charger.

As for charging speeds, the iPhone 13 max charging rate is set at 20W compared to 18W on the iPhone 11, so no big difference. Both phones also support wireless charging and any Qi charger will work, but the newer iPhone 13 has MagSafe with magnets inside, so it snaps neatly to compatible chargers to get optimal speeds. Also, in terms of wireless charging speeds, you get up to 15W on the iPhone 13, and only up to 7.5W on the iPhone 11.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 11: Specs Comparison

Iphone 13 vs iphone 12 vs iphone 11

And here is a detailed specs comparison between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 11.


iPhone 13iPhone 11
Size and Weight 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, 194g
Display 6.1" OLED, 60Hz, HDR support
1170 x 2532 pixels
6.1" LCD, 60Hz
828 x 1792 pixels
Processor Apple A15 Bionic Apple A13 Bionic
RAM 4GB 4GB
Storage 128/256/512GB, non expandable 64/128/256GB, non expandable
Cameras 12MP wide camera, f/1.6 aperture
12MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4 aperture
12MP wide camera, f/1.8 aperture
12MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.4
Battery size 3227 mAh 3,110mAh
Charging speeds 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless 18W wired, 7.5W MagSafe wireless
Prices after iPhone 14 launch, starting price is $700 after iPhone 14 launch, iPhone 11 is discontinued at Apple.com


Which one should you go for? At the end of the day, the iPhone 13 beats the iPhone 11, but is the difference worth it? The iPhone 13 costs $700 dollars after the iPhone 14 launch, while you can get an iPhone 11 for way below $500 these days, and that's a solid difference. If you really care about display quality, HDR and the slightly longer battery life, the answer is yes, but we were still quite impressed with the iPhone 11 and how it delivers very similar camera quality and solid performance, and it’s a safe bet if you want a budget iPhone.

What are your thoughts about the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 11, and do you think the differences justify the higher price?

Which is best iPhone 11 or 12 or 13?

The iPhone 13 will have the best camera features, followed by the iPhone 12 and then, at last, the iPhone 11. You can play games and do almost everything on the iPhone 11 series devices than you can in the iPhone 12 series. The iPhone 13 series is the only device that features the 'Cinematic Mode' of Apple.

What is the difference between iPhone 11 and 12 and 13?

Processor, battery and 5G on the iPhone 11 vs. The battery life and performance of your future iPhone matters a lot. The iPhone 11 has the A13 chip, the iPhone 12 the A14 and the iPhone 13 the A15. Three years between them in which we find, above all, a significant leap in energy efficiency.

Is iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 better?

In our testing, the iPhone 12 lasted about one to two hours less than the iPhone 11, giving the older model an advantage for those who need longer battery life. Not only is the battery bigger, but it also seems that overall efficiency seems to be better, thanks to the lower-resolution LCD display.

Is iPhone 13 worth it vs 12?

We've tested and used every iPhone, so trust us when we say that the iPhone 13 improves upon the iPhone 12 in almost every significant way. But the biggest improvements you'll spot with the iPhone 13 comes in the form of longer battery life and better displays.