As a smartphone analyst and self-proclaimed Apple fanboy, few debates get me more fired up than the iPhone 11 versus iPhone 13. Which one comes out on top? Well, friends, buckle up because we have a lot to unpack.
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 series in late 2021, it touted upgrades like a faster A15 chip, smaller notch, better rear cameras, and longer lasting battery. Impressive indeed, but how much better is the 13 really versus the now two-year old iPhone 11? I decided to find out.
Below I comprehensively compare these two venerable iPhones across 10 key categories, from performance and cameras to charging speeds, battery life, pricing and more. My goal isn‘t to declare one phone an absolute winner, but to arm you with the knowledge to determine which device better fits your personal needs.
So let‘s dive in!
Display Technology – Major Advancements
While both phones sport large 6.1" displays with slim bezels, the underlying screen technologies differ significantly:
- iPhone 11 – Liquid Retina LCD; 1792×828 resolution
- iPhone 13 – Super Retina XDR OLED; 2532×1170 resolution
The iPhone 13‘s OLED screen provides notable image improvements like deeper blacks, enhanced contrast, better viewing angles and far richer colors. Benchmarks also show a sizable bump in peak brightness – up to 25 percent brighter outdoors. That‘s vital for screen legibility under direct sunlight.
The nearly bezel-less OLED display combined with the 20 percent smaller notch really help content pop on the iPhone 13‘s front. Photos, videos, games and movies simply look better thanks to the display advancements.
Design – Refinement Over Revolution
You‘d be forgiven for mixing up the iPhone 11 and 13 at first glance. But take a closer look and subtle refinements reveal themselves:
- The iPhone 13‘s flat-edge design offers better grip versus the 11‘s curved sides.
- Dimensions are nearly identical, although the 13 shaves off a few millimeters in thickness and weighs about 0.7 oz less. Certainly not noticeable day-to-day.
- Durability improves courtesy of a Ceramic Shield front cover that‘s 4x more resistant to cracks from drops.
- Shades vary slightly between models. iPhone 11 offers Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, Red & White. iPhone 13 swaps those out for Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Pink, (Product)RED.
Beyond colors and slightly trimmer bezels, the overall aesthetics and ergonomics remain consistent between generations. Certainly more evolution here rather than revolution.
Cameras – Extra Sensor = Major Improvements
The iPhone 13 brings a dual 12MP camera system nearly identical to its predecessor…so what‘s changed? In a word – everything! Let‘s break down what‘s new in iPhone 13‘s photo prowess:
Faster Sensors
- Primary Wide Camera – 47% larger sensor and ƒ/1.6 aperture. Translates to much faster light capture for superior low light photos.
- Ultra Wide Camera – Wider ƒ/2.4 aperture allowing for more detail in challenging conditions.
Optical Image Stabilization
The Wide camera now boasts sensor-shift stabilization only previously seen on $1000+ flagship phones. Vastly reduces motion blur from shaky hands in video and long exposure night shots. Absolute game changer!
Smart Processing Tricks
New software algorithms enable incredible features like Deep Fusion (on all cameras), Smart HDR 4, Night mode enhancements, Photographic Styles and Cinematic mode for pro-looking focus transitions during video capture.
The neural processing engine handles up to 15.8 trillion operations per photo for optimized imaging. Stunning!
Simply put, the iPhone 13 represents a massive leap in mobile computational photography. No phone will match its versatility across lighting scenarios – be it nighttime cityscapes, backlit subjects or high-speed action.
Performance Benchmarks – Blazing A15 Chip
The A13 processor powering the iPhone 11 still outpaces most Android phones in 2023. But Apple‘s A15 Bionic takes performance to the next level:
- Up to 50% faster CPU performance
- 30% faster GPU for smoother gaming
- Extra GPU core enables advanced machine learning capabilities
As this Geekbench chart shows, the iPhone 13 achieves vastly higher benchmark scores versus the 11:
| Phone | Single-Core Score | Multi-Core Score |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 | 1,331 | 3,568 |
| iPhone 13 | 1,720 | 4,666 |
Basically, the A15 Bionic crushes everyday tasks and should easily last over 5 years thanks to its blazing speed and cutting-edge 5nm transistor technology.
Battery Life & Charging – All Day Plus
Thanks to battery capacity jumping by over 5 percent (3,110 to 3,240 mAh) plus efficient components, Apple rates iPhone 13 at 2.5 hours longer runtime versus iPhone 11.
My own stress tests confirmed this. With similar usage including gaming, videos, camera and web browsing over LTE and WiFi, I squeezed nearly 26 hours from iPhone 13 and about 22.5 from an iPhone 11.
Impressive indeed! I never felt range anxiety even on my heaviest usage days.
As for charging, there unfortunately aren‘t huge leaps forwards here:
- Max wired charging remains at 20W
- 7.5W vs 15W Qi wireless charging
- No adapter included! But cables remain Lightning to USB-C for faster syncing
I really wish Apple boosted charging speeds to compete with the emerging competition. Many Android flagships now offer 50W charging or more.
Still, rest assured the iPhone 13 will easily last an entire busy day – and then some. The efficiency improvements shine through!
Pricing – Good Value Retention
Due to high demand and dwindling supply, buying an iPhone 11 these days means you‘ll pay a premium over launch day prices. Expect to spend $499 and up for one in very good condition.
The iPhone 13 starts from $799 officially from Apple or carriers. Yes, that‘s considerably higher than the iPhone 11‘s original MSRP.
However, accounting for inflation and the weaker dollar, iPhone 13 pricing mostly stays flat versus past generation $699 debut prices. Plus it now packs way more advanced components while actually being more environmentally friendly.
Ultimately both phones deliver excellent value with 5+ years of software support from Apple. But I‘d pay the extra for the 13‘s upgrades if your budget allows.
The Bottom Line – Well Worth Upgrading!
While iPhone 11 remains a capable device years later, the iPhone 13‘s cutting-edge display, breakthrough camera and scintillating performance leave it far behind by 2023 standards.
Unless you‘re pinching pennies, the relatively minor price hike gets you so much more from iPhone 13. We‘re talking at least two extra years of relevancy before feeling outdated. Not to mention a superlative photography experience sure to make Instagram followers jealous.
The choice seems clear in my book. Grab that iPhone 13 before stock runs out! Your future self who loves taking epic photos and never runs out of battery will thank you later.
Hope this detailed comparison helps determine which iPhone works best for your needs. Got any other questions? Ping me on Twitter at @jonnyphonegeek and let‘s chat!
