With small but noticable upgrades since its previous model, the iPhone 13 Pro might actually be the best Pro iPhone for tech lovers on a limited budget.
The iPhone 13 Pro is very similar in a lot of ways to the phones that came before and after it, making it a great middle-of-the-road device if you can’t choose between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro. It doesn’t have the level of affordability of the 12 Pro, but also doesn’t have the quality of camera technology found in the 14 Pro.
So is the iPhone 13 Pro right for you?
✅ Pros
Affordable Pro iPhone
The iPhone 13 Pro has enough similarities with the iPhone 14 Pro to make it a worthwhile buy, especially when considering its reduced pricetag when buying a refurbished one.
Updates until 2027
Assuming the same 6-year update cycle given to previous iPhones, the iPhone 13 Pro will receive security updates until 2027
Decent battery life
The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a noticable upgrade over the battery found in the iPhone 12 Pro
❌ Cons
Only 12MP lenses
If you’re keen on getting the most up-to-date camera technology, the iPhone 13 Pro isn’t for you.
Same chip as the iPhone 13
Unlike recent Pro iPhones, the iPhone 13 Pro’s chip isn’t an upgrade over the base iPhone model.
Poor gaming performance
Mobile games continue to get more processor-intensive year by year. If playing games with great graphics is your thing, you’ll want something designed with gaming in mind, such as the iPhone 15.
iPhone 13 Pro: First Look
Unique features
The iPhone 13 Pro comes with a few upgrades over the 12, from larger camera sensors to a more robust build. The headline upgrades come to the display (which now supports an absurdly fast 120Hz refresh rate) and the camera system, including the addition of ProRes video recording for professional video creators.
That doesn’t make it the best budget option, and serious video creators should consider the advanced features now available on the iPhone 15 Pro, but it might strike a good balance for you.
Design and Build
This is definitely a modern-feeling smartphone – with a big screen and a relatively thin build. Apple’s signature rounded corners cut away from the display just a little, and I find that can be a little more noticable on the larger iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The familiar ‘Ceramic Shield’ glass screen of the iPhone 13 Pro is a little tougher than previous models, but it’s still glass – and not only that, it’s glass that stretches even closer to the edge of the device than ever before. Despite this, it still fares better in drop tests than the iPhone 12 Pro.
How affordable is the iPhone 13 Pro?
Affordability is perhaps the biggest sticking point for this phone, Compared to the more affordable iPhone 12 Pro, and the more advanced iPhone 14 Pro, the 13 Pro sits in the middle with not much to make it stand out.
Where the phone really shines is in comparison to the iPhone 13. It may only have minor upgrades compared to its little sibling, but it lands at a similar price point in 2024 when you consider refurbished devices.
As always, I recommend going for the 128GB version unless you have pro gaming or video-recording needs, and to make use of affordable iCloud storage if you need extra space.
| Model | Price | Our Price* |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 Pro | £949 (128 GB) | from £439 (Good Condition) |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | £1049 (128 GB) | from £479 (Good Condition) |
| Did you know? |
|---|
| Unlike many Android phones, iPhones don’t come with expandable storage – which means there is no option to add storage with a microSD card. |
Read More: Is 128GB enough?
Is 128GB enough storage for you?
For most users in 2024, we think 128GB is absolutely enough.
Once you take away the storage space you need to cover the bare minimum functions, you’re left with a comfortable 100GB. That’s enough for up to 30 hours of Full HD video, up to 22,000 photos, or 5 huge mobile games (we’re looking at you, Genshin Impact).
If you have a love for taking 4K videos with your iPhone, then you’ll only squeeze a few hours of footage onto your phone before needing to delete something, but serious camera lovers should consider a higher-spec iPhone anyway. Also, Apple offers affordable cloud storage options with iCloud+!
Processing Power: The A15 Bionic Chip
3.23 GHz
(max. CPU Speed)
6GB RAM
(aka Memory)
The iPhone 13 Pro uses the A15 Bionic chip, the same as 2022’s iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, as well as the basic iPhone 13 and 13 Mini This chip features limited AI processing, and has an impressive top speed, but what does that all do for you in practice?
The short answer is, it does a lot for you! The iPhone 13 Pro definitely earns its title as a ‘Pro’ iPhone, and will very capably do those processor-intensive tasks like 4K video recording and mobile gaming. It even boasts an upgraded 6GB of RAM, compared to the 4GB found on the basic iPhone 13.
Finally, the iPhone 13 Pro was launched with iOS 15. Assuming you get 6 years of software updates (as Apple have previously stuck to), it will keep running smoothly and securely until 2027.
Battery and Charging
The iPhone 13 Pro’s 3095mAh battery is advertised to last through “up to” 20 hours of streaming video (when new). That’s based on Apple’s own internal tests, and your own performance may vary when you take into account things like screen brightness and wireless networks. That battery life is far more impressive than the 15 hours you get out of the iPhone 13.
The 13 Pro is also capable of fast charging (with any official Apple charger), wireless charging (using the universal Qi standard), and Apple’s custom battery optimizations mean that your phone will last longer than other leading Android flagships (per miliamp-hour of battery capacity).
Read More: A note on Battery Health
Phone batteries can degrade as you use them, depending on a huge number of factors such as your charging habits and how you take care of your device. You can protect your phone battery by enabling the smart battery optimizations and optimized charging on your iPhone.
When you’re buying a refurbished phone, battery health can vary depending on the grade of the phone. At The Big Phone Store, our refurbished iPhones have a MINIMUM of 80% battery health – and if you’re not satisfied with that, we even offer battery replacements on all our refurbished iPhone models!
Camera
The iPhone 13 Pro boasts 3 rear-facing camera lenses: a primary “Wide” lens, a “Telephoto” lens, and a 120 degree “Ultrawide” lens. All three of these feature a 12MP sensor, and so does the TrueDepth selfie camera (used for FaceID)
The iPhone 13 Pro has the same 12-MP camera sensor found on the iPhone 14, however it lacks the Photonic Engine (AI image processing) features found on the newer models.
| iPhone 13 Pro Camera Specs |
|---|
| Main Lens (OIS, AF): 12MP, ƒ/1.5 |
| Wide Lens (120° FOV): 12MP, ƒ/1.8 |
| Telephoto Lens: ƒ/2.8 aperture |
| Selfie (TrueDepth): 12MP, ƒ/2.2 |
Display: ProMotion
The Super Retina XDR display found on the iPhone 13 Pro also features ProMotion – Apple’s new adaptive refresh rate feature. With this feature, your screen will increase in speed all the way up to an impressive 120Hz (that’s 120 frames per second to you and me).
Super Retina XDR displays have a pixel density of about 460ppi (pixels per inch) – which for a phone held at a normal distance from your face, is a higher resolution than the human eye.
Here’s how far you need to zoom in before you can see the individual pixels on the screen:
Sustainability
Sustainability Expert
Apple uses carbon offsetting to make their own operations 100% carbon-neutral, and have the ambitious goal of offsetting the total carbon footprint of all of their products by 2030.
The iPhone 13 Pro has a slightly larger carbon footprint than the iPhone 13, but if you’re buying refurbished, that isn’t something you need to worry about.
Of course, every brand-new phone manufactured has a harmful impact on the environment. By buying refurbished, you make sure there’s demand for one fewer phone in the world, cutting your environmental impact down close to zero.
– Steve
Summary: Should you buy the iPhone 13 Pro in 2024?
You should buy the iPhone 13 Pro if…
If you’re a keen mobile gamer looking for an affordable iPhone that still handles everything you can throw at it, the iPhone 13 Pro is for you.
You should avoid this phone if…
If you’re a casual user, a refurbished iPhone 13 offers most of the same features at a lower price, and the similarly-priced iPhone 14 offers some impressive upgrades over this model. If you’re a video creator, you should consider a more recent model such as the iPhone 15 Pro – and keep an eye out for a refurbished model to get the most for your money!
