iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 - comparison, is it worth overpaying?

If you put the devices on the table with the back panel up, and even cover the block of their cameras with a napkin, it is difficult to find any differences. Alas, lately Apple rarely changes the design of its iPhones. You are waiting for the usual monoblock, the body of which is made of metal and covered with protective glass on all sides. To damage such a smartphone is something you need to try. I am glad that both models are not afraid even of diving under water for a sufficiently long distance - often people caught the iPhone from all sorts of rivers in working order even after a couple of days!

The only noticeable difference in the models we are considering is in the camera unit. And not even in the number of lenses, but in their location! Because of this, it is difficult to give preference to any particular device.

About the display, we will not talk in detail. The fact is that both models use exactly the same OLED screen manufactured by Samsung. Neither the resolution, nor the diagonal, nor other parameters differ.

It is unlikely that you will argue with the fact that the iPhone can and should be scolded.In this case, a rare buyer will be delighted when he finds out that the display of his smartphone is ready to update the picture no more than 60 times per second. Especially if before that he had experience using a smartphone with a higher parameter.

The most important difference between the iPhone 13 and the previous model lies in the hardware under the body. It uses a significantly more powerful Apple A15 processor. With it, the device wins over 810 thousand points in AnTuTu Benchmark, while in the standings of the device released a year earlier - “only” 560 thousand points. But you need to understand that often "steam goes off the whistle." There are not many games on iOS that are ready to squeeze the maximum out of such a chipset. As for applications, the Apple A14 is enough for them. But it is impossible not to admit that you can choose the iPhone 13 at least for the sake of a good start for the future. But in this case, you need to fork out for a version with more memory.

Again, Apple likes to skimp on the little things. The Cupertino-based company is still offering a 64GB variant of its iPhone 12, while other flagship makers have already switched to twice that. This changed only with the release of the thirteenth model - it provides a minimum of 128 GB of internal storage. The maximum you can find on sale is a 512-gigabyte version, but it will cost wild money.

And again about the sad. For obvious reasons, Apple does not want to implement a fingerprint scanner on its screen.You have to use FaceID, which doesn't always work, especially if you're wearing a medical mask. And this technology also forces the Cupertino company to leave a cutout in the form of a bang in the display. By the way, it has become a little smaller in the new model, but this does not play a special role.

Everyone knows that devices from the company from Cupertino have only Lightning at their disposal. We will not argue with the fact that this is a very convenient connector. However, I would like to see here and 3.5 mm audio output. Alas, Apple decided to abandon it a few years ago. Thus, the manufacturer is pushing the owners of any iPhone to buy a wireless headset. Fortunately, the cost of such an accessory is gradually falling, so you should not worry too much.

As for wireless modules, both smartphones have almost complete order with them. For example, devices support the energy-efficient and stable Bluetooth 5.0 standard. The only pity is that Apple has traditionally not become generous with support for the aptX digital codec. Also, both devices are the best choice for a person who recently bought a top-end router, because they are able to work in a high-speed Wi-Fi 802.11ax network. Even under the case there was a place for two NFC chips. The former mainly serves for contactless payment, while the latter speeds up synchronization with original accessories.

As you already understood, both smartphones are equipped with exactly the same set of interfaces. Therefore, it is impossible to give preference to one of them.

You will not notice much difference if you compare cameras. As mentioned above, the lenses are now positioned slightly differently in relation to each other. But under them in the iPhone 13 are the same 12-megapixel matrices. Even the aperture has not changed. At the main camera, by the way, it is opened up to f / 1.6, which indicates the possibility of shooting even in low light conditions.

In fact, the result is still different. But this was achieved not so much due to the modules themselves, but due to the changed processing algorithms. Also, the magicians from Apple have conjured over the optical stabilization system, making it a little better. But we still would not recommend abandoning the iPhone 12 just for the reasons described above.

Note the front camera. In both cases, it is equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor and f/2.2 aperture. Like the rear modules, it is capable of recording 4K video at 60 fps.

Not everyone knows about this, but Apple constantly saves on penny design elements. In particular, she installs low-capacity batteries in her devices, unless we are talking about the most expensive smartphones from the Pro Max series. As a result, the buyer is saved only by fast charging.But you can achieve it, no matter how ridiculous it may be, only by purchasing the appropriate network adapter - it will not be found in the kit.

Think about it: the capacity of the built-in battery in the iPhone 12 is 2815 mAh. The flagships of competitors offer almost twice as much parameter! Apple even had to ditch the Always-On Screen feature to conserve battery life. However, the situation with the model released a year later is no better. The capacity of its battery is increased, but only up to 3240 mAh.

The maximum devices supported are 20-watt network adapters. This is not much better than budget smartphones like the Galaxy A12, which we compared just a few days ago. To charge exactly half, "apple" devices take about half an hour. A full charge takes over an hour.

It must be admitted that there is a plus in a low-capacity battery. Both iPhones are among the lightest smartphones on the market. And, frankly, not everyone likes heavyweights.

In fact, many owners of these models are completely delighted. Especially those of them who did not save on the amount of memory. FaceID works even in complete darkness - no wonder, because it is not the front camera that is responsible for its work, but a special module. There are no problems with people and with communication. Most of all, these smartphones are liked by those who already have one or another Apple technology. Like it or not, but they fit almost perfectly into the "apple" ecosystem.

If we consider the reviews for complaints, then the owners of both models are upset by the absence of even a low-power network adapter in the kit. And the Lightning connector does not suit everyone, because it is practically not used in other types of equipment. Another often complain about the fact that two physical SIM-cards cannot be inserted into smartphones. Yes, in the future, the practice of registering E-Sim will be common in our country, but many buyers live for today.

Alas, the reviews do not make it clear which of the models can be called the best. As you already understood, this is due to the fact that in many ways the device released in 2021 is almost the same as the iPhone 12. And the difference in processor power is hardly noticeable to the naked eye.

It's time to talk about the saddest thing. For iPhones they ask for a tangible amount. So much so that many of our readers will have to save money for more than one month. In no case do we recommend taking out a loan. Giving extra money to the bank because of some smartphone is, in our opinion, stupid.

The difference in the cost of devices from different years is about 10 thousand rubles. At least if we consider options with the same amount of permanent memory. And do not forget that in addition to this, you will need the cost of a charger. At least if you want the fast charging feature.

We get a very strange conclusion. The novelty is not worth the money that is asked for it.Usually it is exactly the opposite: the successor surpasses the last year's model in all respects. In the case of the iPhone 13, there really is nothing to catch on. Yes, the device received a more powerful processor. But only people involved in video editing and running modern games with heavy graphics will appreciate this. Another novelty received a slightly more capacious battery. But the key word is "slightly". He added on the strength of a couple of hours of battery life, which does not play a big role.

We recommend that you never overpay. Now it’s better to take the iPhone 12. The comparison shows that it is practically in no way inferior to the model that came out a year later. And this device promises to remain relevant for quite a long time, because lately Apple has been introducing innovations into its products extremely slowly.