By Holly, Mozillion Team
The latest iPhone 15 brings some updates over previous models, but how does it compare with the ever-popular iPhone 13?
Design & Build: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
Both models look pretty similar, with the dimensions of each nearly identical. Apple doesn’t make radical design overhauls to its iPhone range every year but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The 15 and the 13 are made from the same materials and both are available in black or pink. The iPhone 13 is also available in dark green, dark blue, red and white. The iPhone 15 also comes in yellow, green and blue pastel shades.
Display: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 carries the notch on the display, whilst the iPhone 15 makes the jump to Dynamic Island (more on that feature below).
With both, they exist to hide the front facing camera and sensors although Dynamic Island is, as the name suggests, a little more…erm…dynamic.
Outside of that, the rest of the screen is similar – pretty much the same size at 6.1 inches, and the same resolution. The 15’s display is slightly brighter at up to 2000 nits, which is useful when in bright sunlight.
Dynamic Island: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
iPhone 13 doesn’t support Dynamic Island but the new iPhone 15 does. Dynamic Island is the Apple-term for the new interactive notifications bar at the top of the screen that is used to hide the camera notch.
It acts like a mini personal assistant and adapts in real-time on your screen to display important alerts, notifications and activities. You can control everything from knowing when your dinner is going to arrive, where you are in your podcast, multiple conversations with friends and your Airpod connection, all in one place.
Whilst the iPhone 13 doesn’t support Dynamic Island, you can of course use the standard iPhone notifications and widgets that all apps support to keep you informed.
USB-C is now standard: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13:
Everyone knew this was going to happen but it’s now officially confirmed – the new iPhone 15 features a USB-C port to replace the Lightning port that has been used on iPhones for years, including the iPhone 13.
USB-C is the same connection port you find on most Android phones, MacBooks, iPads and more so it’s nice to see it standardised on the iPhone 15 too so we can all use the same cable.
The iPhone 13 still includes the trusty lightning port so you’ll need a lightning cable to charge that model. They usually come with one, and if you’re a long-term iPhone user, you’ve no doubt got a drawer full.
Processing power: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
The iPhone 15 features the A16 Bionic chip – this is the same chip that was found in last year’s iPhone 14 Pro. This is something Apple now does – the chip found in the standard iPhone is not as fast as the Pro model.
The iPhone 13 is powered by the A15. In reality, unless you’re using really demanding applications for video editing and gaming, you’re unlikely to notice a huge difference between the two in day-to-day use.
Camera: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 has a twin 12 megapixel camera setup on the rear.
Not to say the camera set up on the iPhone 13 isn’t great because it absolutely is but the iPhone 15 has a whopping 48MP (megapixel) main rear camera which allows for a 2X sensor crop. This means that images taken at 2X zoom come out as though they are shot by a dedicated telephoto camera, essentially making the iPhone 15 feel like it has not 2 but 3 cameras on its back.
There are also more true to life colours, an improved Night mode and Portrait mode has also seen a boost. Faces (including those of dogs and cats) are automatically recognised and you can now add the portrait effect to any photo after it has been taken.
In normal shooting conditions, you’re not going to see much of a difference between the iPhone 15 and the 13, but those that take their photography seriously will likely appreciate the higher resolution found on the iPhone 15, thanks to those extra megapixels.
The iPhone 15 also benefits from Action mode (which first appeared on the iPhone 14). This keeps your video footage looking steady, even if your hands are not.
Summary: iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13
They’re very similar, although one notably costs a fair bit less – especially if you buy it refurbished. The main upgrades you’ll be paying for on the iPhone 15 are the 48MP main camera, Dynamic Island, a faster chip and of course USB-C connectivity.
No doubt the iPhone 13 will continue to be a great option for many over the next few years, and for everyday use, if you want to stick to a budget, then the 13 may be the ideal choice.