Apple iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 comparison: design, display, camera, price in India, and more

Apple’s bumper yearly affair got done and dusted on Tuesday. As tradition goes, we got a slew of new Apple products, including the new iPhone 13 series. Like last year, Apple has launched four variants that cater to different audiences at varied price points. The model we are focusing on in this piece is the new iPhone 13 and we are comparing it with last year’s iPhone 12 model.

We look at the minute changes Apple has given the new generation iPhone compared to its predecessor, the hardware upgrades, which includes the camera and prices as well. Here’s a closer look at how iPhone 13 compares with the iPhone 12.

Also read: India prices of iPhone 13 series, iPad mini, and 10.2-inch iPad revealed

iPhone 13 v iPhone 12: Design

Apple has launched multiple variants but it’s the regular model that gets most of the interest. Mostly because of its price tag, and features that are comparable to a large extent with the Pro variants, except for the extra cameras. The iPhone 13 gets slight design tweaks that make it marginally thicker (7.65mm) and heavier (173 grams), than the iPhone 12 (7.4mm thickness and 162 grams). We attribute most of that to the heavier battery accommodated by Apple on the iPhone 13 this year. At the back, you’ll notice the dual rear cameras on the iPhone 13 are placed diagonally. Last year the same camera unit was vertical at the back of the iPhone 12.

The other big change you might notice is the size of the notch on the screen, which is smaller on the iPhone 13. The speaker placement has also shifted with the smaller notch, adding to the overall aesthetics of the new iPhone. And finally, you have dust and water resistance applicable on both these models thanks to the IP68 rating in tow.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Display

When it comes to the display, the new iPhone 13 series gets special treatment. But most of that is limited to the Pro models. So, when it comes to the iPhone 13, you get the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screen like the one on the iPhone 12, but the new iPhone offers up to 800 nits brightness outdoors. The maximum level is set at 1200 nits for the new variant as well.

Put that into context with the iPhone 12, you have a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, putting out 625 nits peak brightness. Both the iPhones feature a ceramic shield on the front for extra protection for the screen. Generally, the display on iPhones produces true colours and give rich details, and expect the same with the iPhone 13 as well.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Hardware

Apple has introduced the A15 Bionic chipset for the iPhone 13 series this year. As is the case, you get improved CPU and GPU performance from the upgraded hardware. The iPhone 12 comes with the A14 Bionic chipset which is no slouch itself. Both are developed on the 5nm process. But as per the demands of an upgrade, you can expect Apple to throw in a few more punches with the iPhone 13. That’s not all, this year’s regular iPhone model gets 6GB RAM, while the iPhone 12 had 4GB only. So, that is likely to be another factor to bump up the overall performance.

iPhone 13 lineup starts with 128GB as the base option. It’s about time Apple added more storage options, and 2021 is the year when it’s happening. iPhone 13 has 128GB/256GB/512GB storage models. While last year you got iPhone 12 with 64GB/128GB/256GB storage.

As we already know, iPhone storage is not expandable, so you’re better off buying the model with additional storage in the tank. Finally, the iPhone 12 packs a 2815mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging (through adapter bought separately). We still don’t know the figures for the battery size on iPhone 13 but it’s sure to be bigger than what the iPhone 12 offers. However, the charging speeds remain the same, which is not ideal anymore, especially at premium prices.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Camera

Imaging chops on the regular iPhone models have been basic. They don’t get you excited as the ‘Pros’ do, but you can’t feel underwhelmed about them either. iPhone 13 has dual 12-megapixel sensors, which include wide and ultrawide cameras. The major difference this year is that Apple has replaced optical image stabilisation (OIS) with Sensor-shift stabilisation. We’re yet to test the camera on the iPhone 13 to determine its effect, but Apple must have found something valuable to tweak things. With the iPhone 12, you also had dual 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide sensors.

On the front, both these models get a 12-megapixel 23mm wide sensor with f/2.2. You also deploy the front camera for registering Face ID.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12: Price in India

With the launch of the iPhone 13 series in India, Apple seems to have slashed the price of the iPhone 12 in the country. Here are the latest iPhone 12 prices in India across all variants

• Apple iPhone 12 64GB – Rs 65,900
• Apple iPhone 12 128GB – Rs 70,900
• Apple iPhone 12 256GB – Rs 80,900

Here are the iPhone 13 prices in India:

• Apple iPhone 13 128GB – Rs 79,900
• Apple iPhone 13 256GB – Rs 89,900
• Apple iPhone 13 512GB – Rs 1,09,900

As you can see here, the starting price of the iPhone 13 has gone up this year. We reckon that making 128GB as the base model has added up to the price of the new iPhone in India. So, it’s highly possible that with the changes we talked about in this piece, people might be more than willing to buy the older iPhone 12 especially at the revised prices from this week onwards.