Comparing iPhone 13 and 15: A Full Breakdown

In this review, we will compare iPhone 13 vs 15 in detail to understand whether it's worth upgrading your smartphone. If you purchased an iPhone two years ago, now is the perfect time to get a new gadget, and the iPhone 15 is the most obvious candidate.

Key difference

If compared to the iPhone 14, there may not be many updates in the 15th model, but the difference from the smartphone released two years ago is more significant. The iPhone 15 offers a more powerful and modern chip, a brighter screen with interactive Dynamic Island, an improved main camera, and a new USB-C port for charging.

Table of content:

Specifications

Design and Size comparison

Over the past two years, there haven't been any revolutionary changes in the design of smartphones—it's still the same iPhone with a glass back panel and an Aluminum chassis. However, differences are still noticeable, and the main one is the dynamic island instead of the notch, which sparked fierce debates for years. In the end, iPhone users had to either accept it or learn to love the notch, but now you can get rid of it once and for all.

The glass back panel has also undergone some changes. The new flagship features a frosted glass back, which collects fewer fingerprints and gives the smartphone's color a warmer and more subdued tone than the iPhone 13. This directly influenced the company's color options. The new model was presented in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black. However, all these shades are quite light and even semi-transparent. The 13th iPhone is available in green, pink, blue, black, beige, and red. And almost all colors here, except the very light ones, are dark and saturated.

Regarding the dimensions, the new iPhone 15 is a fraction of a millimeter larger but 3 grams lighter. The new model also has more contoured edges. Both smartphones are waterproof and dust according to the same IP68 standard.

The latest and significant difference between iPhone 13 vs iPhone 15 is the replacement of the Lightning port with the more modern and universal USB-C. The company tried to persistently keep its proprietary port but couldn't afford to lose the European market due to EU laws. However, users only benefit from this change— the new port is faster and more versatile.

Display comparison

Despite the same 6.1-inch display diagonal, the new model has received some improvements. For instance, the iPhone 15 has a higher screen resolution—2556×1179 pixels compared to 2532×1170 pixels in the iPhone 13. In both cases, it uses Retina OLED covered with the reliable Ceramic Shield.

Additionally, the new flagship features a brighter display. The standard brightness in the old flagship is 800 nits, whereas in the new one, it's 1000 nits. In HDR peak mode, these figures are 1200 compared to 1600, and in direct sunlight, the iPhone 15 screen reaches 2000 nits. If you're into skiing or snowboarding, you'll surely appreciate this upgrade.

One of the noticeable differences in the display is the top part of the screen. In the iPhone 13, there is the so-called "notch." This design choice was dictated by necessity, as this black space conceals sensors, a microphone, the front camera, and Face ID.

Last year, the Pro models replaced the notch with an interactive area. The Dynamic Island still conceals various sensors but now displays user background activity and allows for app control. For example, you can answer a call, turn off a timer, or use the voice recorder here. The Dynamic Island is a more functional and aesthetic solution.

However, not everything is without unpleasant surprises; after two years, the iPhone 15 still has a 60Hz refresh rate, just like the iPhone 13 model. In the more advanced versions like the iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro, the ProMotion technology is used, which can adaptively change the display refresh rate, depending on the displayed content, up to 120Hz.

Performance

In this section, there are more differences between the smartphones. First and foremost, they feature different processors. The iPhone 13 utilizes the A15 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 15 boasts the A16 Bionic. Despite the chip itself not receiving significant performance enhancements, an additional core has been added to the graphics processor of the iPhone 15, resulting in about a 25% increase in gaming power.

In terms of RAM, the new model, iPhone 15, takes the lead in the iPhone 15 vs 13 comparison. Not only does it have a larger capacity – 6 GB compared to 4 GB – but it also employs a more recent type of RAM. The LPDDR5 offers data transfer speeds 1.5 times faster than LPDDR4X.

Regarding storage, both models offer the same capacities – 128/256/512 GB. Additionally, the more premium models in the iPhone 13 Pro vs 15 Pro lineups also include a version with 1 TB of storage.

Camera comparison

If there's a reason to upgrade to the new iPhone 15, it's notably for the improved camera. The device features a more advanced 48 MP main sensor, capturing sharp, vibrant, and detailed images, surpassing the 12 MP sensor in the iPhone 13. Another enhancement is the 2x optical zoom, outperforming the digital zoom on the iPhone 13.

The software has also undergone improvements. For instance, the flagship model has refined Smart HDR and night mode. It introduces the Photonic Engine software processing feature, enhancing photos taken in low light conditions. This feature applies to both the rear and front cameras of the iPhone 15.

The ultra-wide sensor remains unchanged, with both smartphones featuring a 12 MP sensor. The resolution of the front camera also stays the same at 12 MP, but the iPhone 15 has an increased aperture (ƒ/1.9 vs. ƒ/2.2), allowing for clearer and more detailed selfies, even in low light conditions.

Speaker test

Both smartphones are equipped with stereo speakers supporting Dolby Atmos and spatial audio. Typically, they don't differ much in base models, resulting in comparable sound quality. However, in a test at maximum volume, the new smartphone surprisingly turned out to be 2% quieter than the flagship from two years ago. iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13 – 83.2 dB compared to 81.6 dB, respectively.

Battery life 

The new smartphone has a larger battery capacity of 3349 mAh compared to 3227 mAh in the iPhone 13. This has affected the device's autonomy, although not as significantly as many would have liked. Official tests of the smartphones showed the following results:

• Video playback — iPhone 15 takes the lead with 20 hours compared to 19 hours in the iPhone 13.
• Streaming video playback — 16 hours compared to 15 hours. Again, the advantage is in favor of the new flagship.
• Audio playback — 80 hours compared to 75 hours. iPhone 15 also has an advantage in this aspect.

In testing gadgets for web surfing and gaming, the new model also performed better than the iPhone 13.

However, when comparing iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 15, the advantage goes to the Pro version. Despite the battery capacity of, 3095 mAh in the 13 Pro, it provides up to 22 hours of video playback and up to 20 hours of online video playback.

Charging speed

Both smartphones support fast and wireless charging. The iPhone 15 fully charges in 1 hour and 50 minutes, while the iPhone 13 takes 1 hour and 46 minutes. Here, the performance is equal. In half an hour, the battery of both devices can be replenished by approximately half of its capacity.

As a plus for the new flagship, there is also the presence of reverse charging, allowing the smartphone to charge other devices.

Price & availability

The iPhone 15 was released on September 22, 2023. The prices for it are as follows:

• $799 for the base model with 128 GB of storage;
• $899 for the smartphone with 256 GB of internal memory;
• $1099 for the maximum configuration with 512 GB.

The iPhone 13 is still available, and its current prices are $599 / $699 / $899, depending on the storage capacity.

When comparing iPhone 13 Pro vs 15, at the initial sales stage, the Pro model also started at $799. However, last year, the company discontinued it, which is a common practice for Apple when introducing new premium smartphones.

Conclusions

Two years is an impressive period for technological advancements, even for conservatives like Apple. In the comparison of iPhone 13 vs 15, the new model excels in almost every aspect. 

The new iPhone boasts enhanced performance, a brighter display with a dynamic island, an improved camera, and battery life, as well as a new charging port. If you've been contemplating upgrading your gadget for a while, then the iPhone 15 is a great choice to replace the 13th model.