Key Takeaways
- The iPhone 16 offers significant upgrades over the iPhone 13, including a brighter display, a more powerful processor, a 48MP primary camera, and faster MagSafe charging.
- The iPhone 13 shares a similar (but dimmer) 6.1-inch screen but with a larger notch, but features an older A15 Bionic processor, and an inferior 12MP primary camera.
- Later this year, Apple Intelligence will be available as part of an iOS 18 upgrade for the iPhone 16, but iPhone 13 owners will miss out.
Apple’s iPhone 13 is one of the most popular non-Pro iPhone models out there. While the phone held its ground until 2024, the iPhone 16 puts forward several compelling reasons to upgrade. Here’s a detailed comparison of the two to help you decide whether an upgrade is worth it.
The iPhone 16 Design Has Improved Considerably
In terms of design, there are plenty of similarities between the iPhone 16 and the three-year-old iPhone 13. Both phones have comparable dimensions and weight (with the iPhone 16 being just 4g lighter), which results in a similar form factor.
Apple has used an aluminum casing on non-Pro iPhones for ages, and these models are no different. Another commonality among the devices is the IP68 dust and water resistance rating, which, like a metal casing, has become the industry standard for most flagships.
But there are some big differences that set both phones apart. The Dynamic Island on the front and the vertically arranged camera array on the back of the iPhone 16 are arguably the two most noticeable changes.
Adding to the list are the iPhone 16’s colors, which include black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine. On the other hand, the iPhone 13 came out in starlight, midnight, blue, pink, green, and (Product) RED.
On top of that, the latest iPhone has two new buttons on its side frames. These include the Action Button we first saw on the iPhone 15 Pro and a brand-new Camera Control button explicitly built for the Camera app. If you look at the bottom of the phone, you’ll notice another big change: the iPhone 16 has a USB-C port, not a Lightning port.
iPhone 16 Has a Brighter Screen
Even though both iPhones feature a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, there’s a stark difference between how bright they are. While the iPhone 13 can only achieve 1200 nits of peak brightness, the iPhone 16, like the Pro models, can do 2000 nits. This makes the screen appear more vibrant, even under direct sunlight.
That’s not to say that the iPhone 13’s screen isn’t visible; it’s just that performance in bright sunlight is a lot better on the iPhone 16.
We’ve already talked about the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16, which unlocks new ways of interacting with notifications while cleverly hiding the sensors for Face ID. The iPhone 13, on the other hand, still has that chunky notch at the top, which, to be honest, doesn’t scream 2024 (or 2025, for that matter).
The A18 Chipset Supports Apple Intelligence
With the iPhone 16, Apple debuted the new A18 chipset, which, for all means and purposes, is leaps and bounds ahead of the A15 Bionic chip on the iPhone 13. The new six-core CPU is up to 50% faster, while the five-core GPU is up to 70% faster. This unlocks a new realm of performance on the iPhone 16.
Apple’s iPhone 16 features hardware-accelerated ray tracing, letting you enjoy your favorite AAA video game with better performance and lightting. Last but not least, the A18 chip has a better thermal design that delivers up to 30% higher sustained performance while gaming. There’s no question that the A18 chip is three generations ahead, and that should also show in day-to-day usage.
Do Better Cameras Matter to You?
Adding to the list of upgrades is a 48MP primary sensor on the iPhone 16, which has four-times the resolution of the 12MP sensor on the iPhone 13. Given the higher resolution, the camera can also capture pictures at 2x zoom with lossless quality.
The 12MP ultrawide camera on the newer model has a larger aperture, allowing the sensor to capture more light. This improves the low-light performance, which is one of the weak points of the iPhone 13’s ultrawide camera. The ultrawide camera is also equipped with autofocus, which unlocks macro photography on the iPhone 16.
That’s not all, as the iPhone 16 can record cinematic videos in 4K resolution at 30 fps, has Action Mode for stabilizing intense movements, and records macro videos. For those who like the QuickTake feature, its video resolution has been improved to 4K at 60 fps instead of 1080p at 30 fps on the iPhone 13. The iPhone 16 can also capture spatial photos/videos and features a wind noise reduction algorithm.
Leaving the front camera, which is still the same 12MP sensor, the iPhone 16 offers several camera-related upgrades.
iPhone 16 is More Power Efficient, With Faster Charging
The iPhone 16 is rated to provide up to three more hours of video playback than the iPhone 13. However, you should also factor in the current battery health of your iPhone 13, especially if you purchased the smartphone in 2021. I bought the vanilla iPhone 13 in 2022, and after two years of heavy usage, its battery health is currently at 80%. For people like me, the regular iPhone 16 delivers a significant improvement.
The iPhone 16 supports 25W MagSafe charging with a 30w adapter, but both models can make use of 15W Qi2 wireless charging thanks to an iOS update in 2023. The wired charging speeds on both models remain the same.
iPhone 13 Won’t Get Apple Intelligence
I have been using the iOS 18 public beta on my iPhone 13 for a while, and it works well. Apart from a couple of app crashes here and there, I couldn’t detect any major bugs with the operating system.
Apple Intelligence aside, the iPhone 13 will still get all of the new iOS 18 features, including home screen customizations, a new Passwords app, a Game Mode, and improvements to the keyboard, among others.
The iPhone 16, on the other hand, will get all the fancy GenAI features when Apple Intelligence rolls out later this year. These include text/image generation, contextually aware Siri with screen awareness, email and notification summarization, and Visual Intelligence. The iPhone 13 should get another three years of support from Apple in the form of iOS updates.
The iPhone 16 Launches at the Same Price
The vanilla iPhone 16 is available for $799 for the 128GB storage variant. You can pre-order a unit today and get it on or after September 20.
Even though the iPhone 13 launched at $799 for the 128G storage variant, it is available for $549 at Best Buy.
Comparing both phones side by side, it is clear that the iPhone 16 offers some significant upgrades over the iPhone 13. Even though the new phone doesn’t ship with 256GB base storage or a 120Hz ProMotion display, it still makes up for a comprehensive upgrade.
However, if the updates don’t matter, and all one wants is a value-for-money smartphone that ticks all boxes, the iPhone 13 still makes up for a great purchase in 2024. If you’re considering going Pro, check out our comparison between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro to get a better idea of the additional features you get with the Pro.
Apple iPhone 16
Apple’s newest iPhone featuring a camera button, programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.
