iPhone 13 vs 15: Time to upgrade?
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iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are Apple’s latest non-pro smartphones that come with a number of new features. But are they worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 13? Follow along for an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 15 for everything that’s changed plus a buyer’s guide.
We’ll focus solely on iPhone 13 vs 15/Plus below, for a look at how the 13 Pro compares to the 15 Pro, and 15 vs 15 Pro, check out our dedicated guides:
iPhone 13 vs 15
Screen sizes and design
The screen sizes between the iPhone 13 and 15 remain the same at 6.1 inches. However, the 15 Plus offers a 6.7-inch option that wasn’t available with the iPhone 13 lineup without stepping up to the 13 Pro Max.
New with the iPhone 15 displays is the Dynamic Island and an outdoor brightness of up to 2000 nits.
Here’s the full look at the display specs for iPhone 13 vs iPhone 15:
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Size | 6.1-inches | 6.1-inches | 6.7-inches |
| Resolution | 2532 x 1170 pixels | 2556 x 1179 pixels | 2796 x 1290 pixels |
| PPI | 460 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Super Retina XDR OLED | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dynamic Island | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion – adaptive refresh up to 120Hz | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Always-On display | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Typical brightness | 800 nits max | 1000 nits max | 1000 nits max |
| HDR brightness | 1200 nits max | 1600 nits max | 1600 nits max |
| Outdoor brightness | – | 2000 nits max | 2000 nits max |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Haptic Touch | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wide color (P3) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The bezels on the iPhone 15 are also slimmer than the 13, which is what allows the very slight increase in pixels.
Size, weight, design
Overall, the physical design of the iPhone 15 remains very similar to the 13, but Apple has given the 15 more rounded edges for a more comfortable feel.
And as mentioned above, you’ve now got the larger iPhone 15 Plus option.
For size, weight, and materials, here’s iPhone 13 vs 15:
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Height | 5.78 inches (146.7 mm) | 5.81 inches (147.6 mm) | 6.33-inches (160.9 mm) |
| Width | 2.82 inches (71.5 mm) | 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) | 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) |
| Thickness | 0.30 inches (7.65 mm) | 0.31 inches (7.80 mm) |
0.31 inches (7.80 mm) |
| Weight | 6.14 ounces (174 grams) | 6.02 ounces (171 grams) |
7.09 ounces (201 grams) |
| Durability | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes |
| Ceramic Shield front | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Back material | Glass | Glass | Glass |
| Edges | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Of course, the new iPhones also come in new colors, we’ll get into that in detail below. Here are some options to protect the iPhone 15:
Performance – A16 vs A15 Bionic
Here’s a breakdown of the iPhone 13 vs iPhone 15 chip specs:
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| SoC | A15 Bionic | A16 Bionic | A16 Bionic |
| CPU | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency |
| GPU | 4-core | 5-core | 5-core |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB | 6GB |
Both the A15 and A16 Bionic are powerful enough for almost everyone. But GeekBench offers a look at the performance difference between the A15 and A16 Bionic.
- 16% faster single-core score
- 21% faster multi-core score
- 29% faster GPU
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Single-core score | 2188 | 2546 | 2559 |
| Multi-core score | 5181 | 6309 | 6371 |
| Metal (GPU) score | 17390 | 22456 | 22504 |
Battery life
When it comes to battery life, the iPhone 15 has one hour longer battery for video playback than the 13 and 5 hours longer for audio playback.
The iPhone 15 Plus offers 7 hours longer video use and 25 hours more audio than iPhone 13.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Video playback | 19 hours | 20 hours | 26 hours |
| Audio playback | 75 hours | 80 hours | 100 hours |
For how that compares to iPhone 14 and more, check out our full post on iPhone 15 battery life:
iPhone 13 vs 15 cameras
Rear cameras
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come with a 48MP main rear camera, next-gen portrait with Focus and Depth Control, Smart HDR 5, and more.
The iPhone 15/Plus main camera also has more powerful sensors and supports shooting both 24 and 48MP “super-high-resolution photos.”
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Main lens | 12MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture |
| Main lens sensor | 1.9 µm pixel | 2 µm pixel | 2 µm pixel |
| Ultra Wide lens | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture |
| Telephoto lens | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
| Optical zoom | 0.5x, 1x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x |
| Flash | True Tone flash with Slow Sync | True Tone flash | True Tone flash |
| Photonic Engine | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deep Fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR 4 | ✅ | – | – |
| Smart HDR 5 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Next-gen portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Portrait Lighting with six effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Night mode portraits | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Photographic Styles | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple ProRAW | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Video recording
The main new feature for video recording with the iPhone 15/Plus compared to iPhone 13 is Action mode.
The other new video features this year are reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| 4K recording | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
| 1080p recording | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps |
| Cinematic mode | ✅ – up to 1080p at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
| Action mode | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HDR/Dolby Vision recording | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps |
| ProRes recording | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Log video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Macro video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Spatial video recording | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Slo-mo recording | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps |
| Time-lapse with stabilization | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Night mode Time-lapse | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| QuickTake video | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video |
| Audio zoom | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stereo recording | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Selfie camera
Apple’s TrueDepth front camera on the iPhone 15 gets a mix of upgrades found on the main rear camera.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| TrueDepth front camera | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture |
| Retina Flash | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Photonic Engine | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deep Fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR 4 for photos | ✅ | – | – |
| Smart HDR 5 for photos | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Next-gen portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Portrait Lighting with six effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Animoji and Memoji | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Photographic Styles | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4K recording | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
| Cinematic mode | ✅ – up to 1080p at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
| HDR/Dolby Vision recording | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps |
| ProRes recording | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Slo-mo recording | ✅ – 1080p at 120 fps | ✅ – 1080p at 120 fps | ✅ – 1080p at 120 fps |
| QuickTake video | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cinematic video stabilization | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p |
iPhone 13 vs 15 I/O
The major change for iPhone 15 I/O is the switch from Lightning to USB-C.
Unfortunately, it’s only the 15 Pro and Pro Max that offer much faster transfer speeds with USB 3 support at up to 10Gbps. The 15 and 15 Plus have USB 2 speeds up to 480Mbps.
Two more differences between the iPhone 15 vs 13 include Bluetooth and UWB upgrades.
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
| Lightning | ✅ – with speeds up to 480Mbps | ❌ | ❌ |
| USB-C | ❌ | ✅ – USB 2 with speeds up to 480Mbps | ✅ – USB 2 with speeds up to 480Mbps |
| Face ID | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| WiFi | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Ultra wideband | ✅ – gen 1 | ✅ – gen 2 | ✅ – gen 2 |
| NFC with reader mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA |
| 5G | Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO | Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO | Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou |
| Audio playback | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos |
| Video playback | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG |
| SIM | Two active eSIMs or nano-SIM and eSIM | Dual eSIM in US – physical included for most other countries | Dual eSIM in US – physical included for most other countries |
| MagSafe | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Qi and Qi2 | Yes and uncertain | Yes and yes? | Yes and yes? |
Whether the new iPhone 15 devices will support Qi2, Apple is saying yes but it’s a bit confusing:
So it’s also unclear if iPhone 13 will support Qi2.
Safety
iPhone 15 has two more advanced safety features than iPhone 13 Pro:
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 15/Plus | |
| Emergency SOS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Crash Detection | ❌ | ✅ |
| Roadside Assistance via satellite | ❌ | ✅ |
iPhone 15 colors
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come in these five colors:
- Black
- Blue
- Green
- Yellow
- Pink
Storage and pricing
iPhone 15/Plus comes in these storage options:
- 128GB – $799 / $899
- 256GB – $899 / $999
- 512GB – $1,099 / $1,199
What’s in the box?
iPhone 15/Plus comes with the iPhone and a USB-C cable in the box.
If you need a power adapter, go with at least a 20W so you get fast charging for your iPhone. Good options include:
iPhone 13 vs 15: Buyer’s guide
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are fantastic smartphones, but whether upgrading from the 13 is worth it for you will depend on how you want to use your iPhone and what features you find important.
Reasons to consider upgrading to iPhone 15 or 15 Plus:
- More powerful and capable cameras
- Dynamic Island
- USB-C
- Faster chip and more powerful GPU for mobile gaming
- Crash Detection and Roadside assistance via satellite
What do you think? Are the upgrades enough to switch to iPhone 15? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for reading our guide on iPhone 13 vs 15!
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iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are Apple’s latest non-pro smartphones that come with a number of new features. But are they worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 13? Follow along for an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 15 for everything that’s changed plus a buyer’s guide. We’ll focus solely on iPhone…
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are Apple’s latest non-pro smartphones that come with a number of new features. But are they worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 13? Follow along for an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 15 for everything that’s changed plus a buyer’s guide. We’ll focus solely on iPhone…