iPhone 13 Pro vs 12 Pro: Which should you buy?

While Apple's best iPhone is the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and even the iPhone 14 range has surpassed the iPhone 13 Pro, both the latter and the iPhone 12 Pro are still excellent iPhones for people who don't want Apple's latest and greatest but still want some of the glamour of a "Pro" iPhone in 2023. But what are the main benefits of each and the main differences? Here's our rundown. 

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Breaking things down

Most of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro differences come down to the camera system. The more recent model also offers a ProMotion display and a 1TB storage option. There's also a next-generation processor inside and a significant jump in battery life between charges.

The iPhone 12 series overall offered MagSafe and a Ceramic Shield front for the first time and 5G compatibility. The iPhone 12 Pro series pushed things even further with a LiDAR Scanner, surgical-grade stainless steel, and a Pro 12MP camera system.

All those things about the iPhone 12 Pro series carried over to the iPhone 13 Pro. In most cases, the parts and technology are the same. However, things differ once we turn to the processor and camera system.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro: The main advances

The iPhone 13 Pro, like the overall iPhone 13 series, offers the A15 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, a 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. All this translates into up to 50% faster graphics performance over the 12 Pro and the ability to perform up to 15.8 trillion operations per second.

The improved camera system is where the iPhone 13 Pro really shined compared to the iPhone 12 Pro series. Both generations include a Pro 12MP camera system (Telephoto, Wide, and Ultra Wide). However, from here, the differences become more clear. The aperture on these cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro is much improved over the old model. Additionally, zoom nearly across the board is oh-so-much-better, as you can see in the chart above.

And then there's the Cinematic mode exclusive to all four of the iPhone 13 series devices. Heavily promoted by Apple, the tool adds depth to video-taking, more in line with what the professionals have been doing for many years with much more expensive equipment.

Cinematic mode is joined by ProRes video recording, which offers high color fidelity and low compression, letting you record, edit, and deliver broadcast-ready content on the go. And then there's ProMotion, which offers a display refresh from 10 to 120 times per second with and all kinds of frame rates in between. As Apple explains, "you've never felt anything like it."

Finally, battery life is radically improved, with the iPhone 13 Pro promising 22 hours between charges, which is five more than the iPhone 12 Pro. All this means, the iPhone 13 Pro is sure to soon make our list of the best iPhones on the market.

Like the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro is available in Silver, Graphite, and Gold. New to the 13 Pro is Sierra Blue, which replaces the Pacific Blue found on the iPhone 12 Pro. It's a much lighter blue and one you should see in person.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Which should you buy?

For most folks, the obvious choice is the iPhone 13 Pro since it's the newer of the Pro models. With it, you'll get to experience all of the latest bells and whistles, including Cinematic mode, more battery life, an improved camera system, and much more.

The only reason you should consider purchasing an iPhone 12 Pro at this point is price. If you happen to find a huge discount on the recently retired model, you'll need to decide whether the new features on the iPhone 13 Pro are worth the extra price. If you don't plan on shooting many videos, feel 17 hours between battery charges is still great, have no need for 1TB of storage, and aren't in love with Sierra Blue as a color choice, you might be better off picking the older model.