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Apple iPhone 13 Pro Review - Bombastic smartphone with minor weaknesses

13 is the charm! The iPhone goes into the next round with a 120-Hz panel, a bigger battery and an improved camera system. In our review, the iPhone 13 Pro has earned not only superlatives but also a few points of criticism.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro share a lot of similarities. However, upon lifting the iPhone 13 Pro the additional heft and the increased size of the camera lenses are immediately noticeable. 

The iPhone 13 Pro comes with the Apple A15 Bionic, a bigger battery and a brighter OLED display with adaptive refresh rate functionality. Moreover, the iPhone 13 Pro supports refresh rates of up to 120 Hz. The 128 GB entry-level model still costs 1149 Euros (~$1332). The 1 TB top-end model has an MSRP of 1729 Euros (~$2005).

Read this review to learn about the innovations and compromises that prospective buyers of the iPhone 13 Pro should be aware of. 

Apple iPhone 13 Pro (iPhone Series)
Processor
Apple A15 Bionic 6 x 2 - 3.2 GHz
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
, LPDDR4x
Display
6.10 inch 19.48:9, 2532 x 1170 pixel 457 PPI, capacitive Touchscreen, Super Retina XDR Display with ProMotion, OLED, DolbyVision, True Tone, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
256 GB NVMe, 256 GB 
, 240.8 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: Lightning, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Digital Compass, Magnetometer, Barometer, Three-Axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Face ID
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66), 5G-Sub6 (Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79), Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.65 x 146.7 x 71.5 ( = 0.3 x 5.78 x 2.81 in)
Battery
11.97 Wh, 3095 mAh Lithium-Ion, 3.87 V
Charging
wireless charging
Operating System
Apple iOS 15
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix (f/1.5, OIS) + 12 MPix (Ultra Wide/Macro, f/1.8, 120°) + 12 MPix (3x optical Zoom, f/2.8) + LiDAR-Scanner; 4k-HDR-Video with Dolby Vision
Secondary Camera: 12 MPix (f/2.2)
Additional features
Speakers: Dual, Keyboard: Onscreen, Lightning-to-USB Cable, Sticker, Quick Start Guide, 12 Months Warranty, GNSS: GPS, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou; Wireless Charging up to 15 W, MagSafe; Body-SAR: 0.98 W/kg, Head-SAR: 0.99 W/kg; IP68; UWB, fanless, waterproof
Weight
203 g ( = 7.16 oz / 0.45 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1269 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Likely Competitors

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
90.8 %
10/2021
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
A15, A15 GPU 5-Core
203 g256 GB NVMe6.10"2532x1170
89.8 %
11/2020
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14, A14 Bionic GPU
189 g256 GB NVMe6.10"2532x1170
88.7 %
10/2021
Apple iPhone 13
A15, A15 GPU 4-Core
173 g128 GB NVMe6.10"2532x1170
90.4 %
02/2021
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14
227 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.80"3200x1440
89.2 %
06/2021
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
234 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.81"3200x1440
88.9 %
03/2021
Oppo Find X3 Pro
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
193 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"3216x1440
87.2 %
07/2021
Sony Xperia 1 III
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
186 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.50"3840x1644

Case - Smaller notch for the iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro - Colour Schemes
iPhone 13 Pro - Colour Schemes

The mid-frame of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro is made of stainless steel and the back is made of frosted glass. The front of the device is protected with Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass, which is supposed to be stronger than the glass featured in any other smartphone. However, we cannot confirm this claim, especially given the fact that our iPhone 13 Pro’s screen had a few micro-scratches just after a few days of careful use. One of the most notable things about the iPhone 13 Pro is its weight. Weighing in at 203 grams, the 13 Pro feels a bit hefty in the hand.

The build quality is simply superb. There are no chinks or jagged edges, and the SIM card slot feels completely flush with the frame. The iPhone 13 Pro does not bend at all. Moreover, the device is IP68-certified, meaning that it is dust- and water-proof.

The notch has shrunk (horizontally). Now, it has an area of just 2.16 cm². The width of the notch was reduced by 0.78 cm. However, Its height increased by 0.4 cm. There is a very significant camera bump on the back, which now has a height of 3.75 mm. The 12 Pro’s camera bump stuck out only 1.75 mm from the back.

The iPhone 13 Pro comes in the following colour schemes: Sierra Blue (which is the colour of our review device), Silver, Gold and Graphite.  

Size Comparison

165.1 mm / 6.5 inch 75.6 mm / 2.98 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 227 g0.5 lbs165 mm / 6.5 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 186 g0.4101 lbs164.3 mm / 6.47 inch 74.6 mm / 2.94 inch 8.38 mm / 0.3299 inch 234 g0.516 lbs163.6 mm / 6.44 inch 74 mm / 2.91 inch 8.26 mm / 0.3252 inch 193 g0.4255 lbs146.7 mm / 5.78 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 173 g0.3814 lbs146.7 mm / 5.78 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.65 mm / 0.3012 inch 203 g0.4475 lbs146.7 mm / 5.78 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.4 mm / 0.2913 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - Not all iPhone models support ProRes

As expected, the iPhone 13 Pro still features a Lighting port, which is not known for fast data transfer speeds. However, it has been around for years, which is why the presence of this port ensures a high level of compatibility with various accessories.

The iPhone 13 Pro also features Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, MagSafe, and UWB. An array of magnets (MagSafe) on the back allows users to connect a wide variety of accessories to the iPhone.

The internal memory of the iPhone 13 Pro is not expandable, and there is still no headphone jack. There are 4 storage options:

  • 128 GB - 1149 Euros (~$1332)
    256 GB - 1269 Euros (~$1472)
  • 512 GB - 1499 Euros (~$1738)
  • 1024 GB - 1729 Euros (~$2005)

Buyers should beware that the 128 GB version is not suited for recording ProRes video, because of the very high bitrate that the ProRes footage has. 

Top
Top
Left side: SIM card slot, volume-down button, volume-up button, mute switch
Left side: SIM card slot, volume-down button, volume-up button, mute switch
Right side: Power button
Right side: Power button
Bottom: Speaker, Lightning port, microphone
Bottom: Speaker, Lightning port, microphone

Software - iPhone 13 Pro runs iOS 15

During our review, our iPhone 13 Pro was updated to iOS 15.0.2. The update brought new Focus features and expanded home screen customisation.

Apple has also improved the weather and navigation apps. Moreover, iPhones can now unlock cars and doors with the help of digital keys, which can be stored in the Wallet application. Individuals with hearing loss can now make adjustments to audio profiles to improve their ability to hear. For the full list of changes, go to: www.apple.com/ios/ios-15/features/.

Communication and GNSS - No new features for the iPhone 13 Pro

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro supports Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band: 2.4 and 5 GHz). With our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX 12, the iPhone was able to achieve stable data transfer rates. However, the data transfer rates should have been twice as high, given the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro features a MIMO antenna array. Paradoxically, the iPhone 13 Pro is slower than the vanilla iPhone 13. What is more, this year’s iPhones do not come with Wi-Fi 6E, which offers tri-band support for the first time.

The iPhone 13 Pro supports all the latest mobile communication standards. However, the ultra-fast mmWave 5G is not supported in Germany at the moment. The new iPhone supports two more 2 LTE bands and one more 5G band, which makes it even more usable globally. Apple does not specify the maximum data transfer rates over 5G networks. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 5G modem in the iPhone 13 Pro can theoretically achieve download speeds of up to 7.5 Gb/s and upload speeds of up to 3 Gb/s.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1281 (635min - 1400max) MBit/s +84%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1190 (1121min - 1230max) MBit/s +70%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
803 (437min - 889max) MBit/s +15%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
633 (523min - 703max) MBit/s -9%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14 Bionic GPU, A14, 256 GB NVMe
736 (667min - 787max) MBit/s +5%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
A15 GPU 5-Core, A15, 256 GB NVMe
698 (632min - 775max) MBit/s
Sony Xperia 1 III
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
676 (632min - 694max) MBit/s -3%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
922 (904min - 928max) MBit/s +40%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
169 (156min - 180max) MBit/s -74%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
839 (806min - 865max) MBit/s +27%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
779 (363min - 824max) MBit/s +18%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
697 (500min - 767max) MBit/s +6%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
A15 GPU 5-Core, A15, 256 GB NVMe
660 (599min - 698max) MBit/s
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14 Bionic GPU, A14, 256 GB NVMe
527 (457min - 562max) MBit/s -20%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -43%
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810855Tooltip
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic, Apple A15 GPU 5-Core; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø660 (599-698)
Apple iPhone 13 Apple A15 Bionic, Apple A15 GPU 4-Core; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø715 (672-723)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic, Apple A15 GPU 5-Core; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø698 (632-775)
Apple iPhone 13 Apple A15 Bionic, Apple A15 GPU 4-Core; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø833 (794-859)

Apple does not specify whether the GNSS module in the iPhone 13 Pro is dual- and tri-band. For geolocation, our review device relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS and Galileo. The iPhone 13 Pro had no trouble picking up our location.

The iPhone 13 Pro proved to be about as accurate as our professional navigator Garmin Edge 500 during our bike ride. 

GNSS bike ride: Riding around the lake
GNSS bike ride: Riding around the lake
GNSS bike ride: Turning about
GNSS bike ride: Turning about
GNSS bike ride: Test results
GNSS bike ride: Test results

Telephony & Call Quality

Phone app

The call quality of the iPhone 13 Pro is on a very good level, at least in quiet environments. Outside, the iPhone 13 Pro sometimes struggles to suppress the ambient noise. Apple’s noise reduction algorithm can make users sound quite nasal when they talking on the phone outdoors. The iPhone 13 Pro features support for VoLTE, WiFi Calling and dual-SIM functionality (thanks to eSIM support).

In loudspeaker mode, Apple’s smartphone has no trouble picking up voices, as long as you stay relatively close to it.

Cameras - An all-round upgrade of the triple camera system

Selfie taken with the iPhone 13 Pro
Selfie taken with the iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 Pro features the same front-facing sensor as the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro, which is why it produces very similarly looking photos. All in all, the images look natural, and the low-light performance is still relatively poor. Portrait shots turn out well as long as there is enough light. The selfie camera can record 4K video at 60 FPS in DolbyVision. Apple’s new film mode also works with the front-facing camera.

The rear camera system consists of three 12-MP image sensors. It has been upgraded this year. Now there are no differences between the Pro models. All three lenses are very powerful. The iPhone 13 Pro offers 3X optical zoom. The ultra-wide lens can now be used to take macro-shots and record macro videos. The iPhone 13 Pro produces significantly clearer images in low-light environments. Day-light photos appear colour-accurate, sharp and well-exposed. Unfortunately, the low-resolution image sensors cannot always provide the same level of clarity as very high-resolution sensors in other smartphones.

This year, Apple has introduced the Film mode, which is currently available only on the Pro models. The Film mode allows users to create a bokeh effect when shooting video. The Pro models should also get an update which will enable them to record video in the high-quality ProRes codec. However, to record 4K30 ProRes video users will need an iPhone 13 Pro with at least 256 GB of storage space. Models with 128 GB of internal memory are limited to 1080p at 30 FPS. Additionally, the iPhone 13 Pro can shoot PAL video at 25 FPS (but not 50 FPS). 

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Wide-angleWide-angle5X zoomUltra wide-angleLow-light photography

Under controlled lighting conditions, the cameras of the iPhone 13 Pro produce very detailed and colour-accurate images. However, the preproduction of greens and skin tones could definitely be improved. 

ColorChecker
10.3 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
9.8 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
11 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
8 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
6.2 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
3 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
2.5 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Apple iPhone 13 Pro: 7.4 ∆E min: 2.51 - max: 13.11 ∆E
ColorChecker
28.9 ∆E
50.2 ∆E
37.9 ∆E
34.1 ∆E
43.3 ∆E
58.3 ∆E
48.6 ∆E
32.9 ∆E
38.6 ∆E
29 ∆E
58.9 ∆E
59.6 ∆E
28.3 ∆E
44.9 ∆E
33.7 ∆E
67.9 ∆E
40.9 ∆E
40.4 ∆E
68.8 ∆E
65.8 ∆E
49 ∆E
35.9 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
ColorChecker Apple iPhone 13 Pro: 43.07 ∆E min: 13.91 - max: 68.84 ∆E

Accessories and Warranty - New AppleCare+ products

Apple Care+
Care+
Apple Care+ with theft protection
erweitertes Care+

The contents of the iPhone 13 Pro’s box are identical to those of the predecessor model. The 13 Pro comes with an Apple sticker, information booklet, a SIM card removal tool and a USB-C to Lightning cable. Apple offers many accessories for the iPhone 13 Pro such as chargers and protective cases.

The iPhone 13 Pro comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty (and a two-year seller’s warranty in Europe). There are also various AppleCare+ products (warranty packages), which can be purchased to extend the length of the warranty. Apple also offers theft and accidental damage protection via its Apple Care+ programme.

Input Devices & Handling - Finally ProMotion for the iPhone

The touchscreen of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro has a very smooth surface and responds to inputs promptly and accurately. Thanks to a ProMotion display, the iPhone 13 Pro feels incredibly responsive. Apple’s default keyboard can be replaced with any keyboard in the App Store.

The iPhone 13 Pro can be unlocked via Face ID, which works quickly and reliably. Unlike the iPad Air, the iPhone 13 Pro does not have a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button. Being able to unlock the iPhone via Touch ID would have been nice, given the fact that Face ID does not always work with the mask on.

The apple logo on the back can still be used to perform certain actions by double or triple tapping it. This functionality is especially useful in combination with the one-handed mode, which can be launched very fast this way. However, this function must be enabled in the settings. 

120-Hz Display with Adaptive Refresh Rate and DC Dimming

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro features a 6.1-inch (15.49 cm, 91.41 cm²) OLED display with an FHD Plus resolution. The brightness has been increased significantly, now reaching up to 1050 cd/m² with the ambient light sensor enabled - this is quite a lot. In the APL50 test, the peak brightness remains basically unchanged (APL50: 1062 cd/m²). With the ambient light sensor disabled, the brightness peaks at 855 cd/m². Apple specifies the peak HDR brightness of 1200 cd/m².

The iPhone 13 Pro and the bigger Max model are the first two iPhones to feature ProMotion screens with adaptive refresh rates which can range from 10 to 120 Hz.

Unfortunately, the OLED panel suffers from PWM flickering (flickering frequency at 10% brightness and below: 240 Hz; at above 10% brightness: 446.4-510.2 Hz). However, Apple has integrated a DC dimming mode into the iPhone 13 Pro. All in all, the iPhone’s screen does quite a bit to ameliorate the OLED flickering. 

1057
cd/m²
1067
cd/m²
1063
cd/m²
1052
cd/m²
1050
cd/m²
1060
cd/m²
1057
cd/m²
1062
cd/m²
1056
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Super Retina XDR Display with ProMotion tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3
Maximum: 1067 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1058.2 cd/m² Minimum: 2.01 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 1050 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.2
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10
Apple iPhone 13
OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3200x1440, 6.80
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.81
Oppo Find X3 Pro
AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.70
Sony Xperia 1 III
OLED, 3840x1644, 6.50
Screen
-22%
6%
-34%
-27%
-4%
-165%
Brightness middle
1050
822
-22%
831
-21%
910
-13%
891
-15%
759
-28%
537
-49%
Brightness
1058
820
-22%
830
-22%
913
-14%
888
-16%
776
-27%
539
-49%
Brightness Distribution
98
99
1%
98
0%
98
0%
99
1%
94
-4%
95
-3%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1
1.2
-20%
0.77
23%
2
-100%
1.9
-90%
0.8
20%
4.78
-378%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.4
3.5
-46%
1.52
37%
3.1
-29%
3.7
-54%
1.8
25%
7.83
-226%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.5
1.8
-20%
1.2
20%
2.2
-47%
1.3
13%
1.6
-7%
5.8
-287%
Gamma
2.2 100%
2.18 101%
2.209 100%
2.06 107%
2.3 96%
2.23 99%
2.363 93%
CCT
6504 100%
6337 103%
6501 100%
6512 100%
6527 100%
6512 100%
7982 81%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 510 Hz ≤ 100 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 510 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 510 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The iPhone 13 Pro has a very colour-accurate screen (with True Tone disabled). Only the white balance is a tiny bit off.

With True Tone enabled, in dark environments the screen produces less blue light to protect users’ eyes. However, this results in an incorrect white balance. 

Grayscale (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Grayscale (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Colour accuracy (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Colour accuracy (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Colour space coverage (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Colour space coverage (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Saturation (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)
Saturation (True Tone off, colour space: sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1.2 ms rise
↘ 1.2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
7.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 3.6 ms rise
↘ 3.6 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

Outdoors, the iPhone 13 Pro impresses. The screen is legible even in extremely bright environments, thanks in part to a very effective anti-reflexive coating.

The viewing angles of the OLED panel are superb. Howbeit, at very acute angles the brightness drops slightly and the colours appear a little cooler.

Viewing angles of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Viewing angles of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Performance - Apple A15 provides a small boost

AnTuTu: Memory test
AnTuTu: Memory test

This year the Pro models feature the version of the A15 Bionic with a five-core GPU. Our review model comes with 6 GB of RAM (LPDDR4x).

In the benchmarks, the A15 offered 9% more single-core performance and 16% more multi-core performance when compared to the A14. In the physics section of the old 3DMark sequences, the A14 Bionic is actually faster than the A15 Bionic, probably because the latter throttled. The additional GPU core does not improve performance in the productivity benchmarks,

The iPhone 13 Pro comes with very fast internal storage, which is why it is able to achieve very good data transfer rates. 

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
1749 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
1604 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
1106 Points -37%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
989 Points -43%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1123 Points -36%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1134 Points -35%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
1755 Points 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (1590 - 1755, n=9)
1723 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=219, last 2 years)
913 Points -48%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
4829 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
4160 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
3583 Points -26%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3462 Points -28%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3535 Points -27%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3629 Points -25%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
4820 Points 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (4559 - 4914, n=9)
4755 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=219, last 2 years)
2996 Points -38%
Metal Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
14115 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
9172 Points -35%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
10572 Points -25%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (10572 - 14115, n=8)
12625 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (12441 - 20198, n=5, last 2 years)
15299 Points +8%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
7773 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
9094 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
9245 Points +19%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
8768 Points +13%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
10642 Points +37%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  ()
7773 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=114, last 2 years)
9351 Points +20%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
31940 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
20511 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
13273 Points -58%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
13647 Points -57%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
15592 Points -51%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  ()
31940 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=113, last 2 years)
16352 Points -49%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
2130 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
3084 Points +45%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
4483 Points +110%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3895 Points +83%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5041 Points +137%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  ()
2130 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=113, last 2 years)
4426 Points +108%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
5956 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
6903 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
8345 Points +40%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
9540 Points +60%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
6110 Points +3%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
5713 Points -4%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (5713 - 6175, n=5)
5870 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=182, last 2 years)
6737 Points +13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
16221 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
10348 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
10794 Points -33%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
12394 Points -24%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
10037 Points -38%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
9878 Points -39%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (9878 - 16221, n=5)
13743 Points -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=181, last 2 years)
9723 Points -40%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
1852 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
3187 Points +72%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
4651 Points +151%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5283 Points +185%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
2579 Points +39%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
2307 Points +25%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (1852 - 2307, n=5)
2027 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=181, last 2 years)
4224 Points +128%
Wild Life Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
9386 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
6627 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
5756 Points -39%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5689 Points -39%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5657 Points -40%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5851 Points -38%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
8788 Points -6%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (8357 - 9680, n=6)
9139 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (395 - 9839, n=135, last 2 years)
2555 Points -73%
Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
11700 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
8672 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
5873 Points -50%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5734 Points -51%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5721 Points -51%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5850 Points -50%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
9979 Points -15%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (8909 - 11779, n=8)
10800 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (394 - 20068, n=203, last 2 years)
6280 Points -46%
Wild Life Extreme (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
3059 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
1871 Points -39%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1552 Points -49%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1497 Points -51%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
2470 Points -19%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (2243 - 3080, n=8)
2759 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 5226, n=207, last 2 years)
1689 Points -45%
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
2864 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
1758 Points -39%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1498 Points -48%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1423 Points -50%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
2313 Points -19%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (1877 - 2864, n=8)
2528 Points -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (110 - 5248, n=202, last 2 years)
1698 Points -41%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
104 fps +73%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
120 fps +100%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
60 fps 0%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
60.1 fps 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (59.8 - 60.1, n=8)
60 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=183, last 2 years)
84.6 fps +41%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
417 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
318 fps -24%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
154 fps -63%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
281 fps -33%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
230 fps -45%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
416.3 fps 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (358 - 447, n=8)
413 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=183, last 2 years)
247 fps -41%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
69 fps +15%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
98 fps +63%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
55 fps -8%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
60.2 fps 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (59.8 - 60.2, n=8)
60 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=185, last 2 years)
72.2 fps +20%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
229 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
180 fps -21%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
117 fps -49%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
177 fps -23%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
127 fps -45%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
217.4 fps -5%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (165.9 - 253, n=8)
221 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=185, last 2 years)
140.6 fps -39%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
53.3 fps -11%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
51 fps -15%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
62 fps +3%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
36 fps -40%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
60.1 fps 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (59.8 - 60.1, n=8)
60 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=185, last 2 years)
60.9 fps +2%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
151 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
109.9 fps -27%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
74 fps -51%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
121 fps -20%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
93 fps -38%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
138.6 fps -8%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (60 - 172.4, n=8)
139.6 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=185, last 2 years)
99 fps -34%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
51.8 fps -14%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
30 fps -50%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
35 fps -42%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
28 fps -53%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
58.5 fps -2%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (53.2 - 60, n=8)
57.8 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=185, last 2 years)
43.4 fps -28%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
95 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
75 fps -21%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
58 fps -39%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
71 fps -25%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
55 fps -42%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
96.6 fps +2%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (68.8 - 105.2, n=8)
92.9 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=185, last 2 years)
59.9 fps -37%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
58.6 fps -2%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
37 fps -38%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
44 fps -27%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
38 fps -37%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
53 fps -12%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (59.1 - 60.1, n=7)
59.8 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=226, last 2 years)
44 fps -27%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
119 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
84.1 fps -29%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
69 fps -42%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
85 fps -29%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
72 fps -39%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
66 fps -45%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
112.9 fps -5%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (95.9 - 122.2, n=8)
110.1 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=226, last 2 years)
64.3 fps -46%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
47.5 fps -21%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
26 fps -57%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
26 fps -57%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
25 fps -58%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
37 fps -38%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
54.9 fps -8%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (49.4 - 60, n=8)
55.6 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 119, n=226, last 2 years)
32.8 fps -45%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
39 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
31.2 fps -20%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
28 fps -28%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
30 fps -23%
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
28 fps -28%
Sony Xperia 1 III
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
27 fps -31%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
37.2 fps -5%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (34.6 - 41.2, n=8)
38.4 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=226, last 2 years)
25.6 fps -34%
Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
800608 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
749520 Points -6%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
801983 Points 0%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
813876 Points +2%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (722973 - 832548, n=8)
788523 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (102602 - 1650926, n=153, last 2 years)
738503 Points -8%
AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
105536 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
92916 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
241222 Points +129%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
262983 Points +149%
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
105623 Points 0%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (104532 - 107460, n=5)
105796 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1043 - 139804, n=50, last 2 years)
21146 Points -80%
Basemark GPU 1.2
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
98.8 (21.37min - 228.87max) fps
Average of class Smartphone
  (7.65 - 13860, n=54, last 2 years)
329 fps
OpenGL Medium Native (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
59.8 (16.66min - 145.51max) fps
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.3 - 9309, n=53, last 2 years)
239 fps
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
84.4 (17.95min - 272.19max) fps
Average of class Smartphone
  (7.51 - 15712, n=55, last 2 years)
406 fps
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 12288
52.1 (22.24min - 74.36max) fps
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 14706, n=54, last 2 years)
339 fps
1920x1080 Metal Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
219.6 (65.28min - 811.03max) fps
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
212.9 fps -3%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (203 - 220, n=3)
212 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (232 - 258, n=5, last 2 years)
248 fps +13%
Metal Medium Native (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 5-Core, 6144
164.7 (70.67min - 643.09max) fps
Apple iPhone 13
Apple A15 Bionic, A15 GPU 4-Core, 4096
155.4 fps -6%
Average Apple A15 Bionic
  (155.4 - 167.9, n=3)
162.7 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (157.8 - 192.5, n=6, last 2 years)
174.8 fps +6%

The iPhone 13 Pro provides a great internet-browsing experience. In the browser benchmarks, the iPhone completely crushes the competition.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average Apple A15 Bionic (173.5 - 189.9, n=8)
182.1 Points 0%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
181.6 Points
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
180 Points -1%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
161.4 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years)
106.1 Points -42%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
94.3 Points -48%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
76.6 Points -58%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
413.7 Points
Average Apple A15 Bionic (383 - 414, n=6)
401 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
399.8 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
342.7 Points -17%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
160.9 Points -61%
Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89)
139.4 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
127.3 Points -69%
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years)
104.3 Points -75%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average Apple A15 Bionic (228 - 347, n=8)
266 runs/min +9%
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
244 runs/min 0%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
243 runs/min
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
196 runs/min -19%
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=157, last 2 years)
107.1 runs/min -56%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
98 runs/min -60%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
84.1 runs/min -65%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average Apple A15 Bionic (219 - 279, n=8)
254 Points +2%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
248 Points
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
219 Points -12%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
193 Points -22%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
141 Points -43%
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years)
133.1 Points -46%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
132 Points -47%
Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89)
129 Points -48%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
64222 Points
Average Apple A15 Bionic (57143 - 65969, n=8)
63305 Points -1%
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
62664 Points -2%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
58488 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=213, last 2 years)
33503 Points -48%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
33423 Points -48%
Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89)
27914 Points -57%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
27275 Points -58%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88)
1786 ms * -332%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91)
1782 ms * -331%
Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89)
1646 ms * -298%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years)
1595 ms * -286%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
460.4 ms * -11%
Average Apple A15 Bionic (414 - 507, n=8)
456 ms * -10%
Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15)
413.6 ms * -0%
Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15)
413.6 ms *

* ... smaller is better

Gaming - High refresh rate gaming is not a thing yet

Unfortunately, at the time of our review GameBench did not work with iOS 15, which is why we were unable to provide gaming benchmarks. We shall provide gaming benchmarks at a late date.

The iPhone 13 Pro has a very capable GPU which should be able to handle all modern titles. When gaming, the notch occasionally gets in the way by covering up heads-up displays.

Update 14.10.2021: Added gaming benchmarks.

PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Apple iPhone 13 Pro; Asphalt 9: Legends; 3.1.2: Ø58.6 (47-60)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro; PUBG Mobile; Smooth; 1.6.0: Ø59.4 (56-60)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro; PUBG Mobile; Balanced; 1.6.0: Ø59.4 (58-60)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro; PUBG Mobile; HD; 1.6.0: Ø59.4 (56-60)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro; PUBG Mobile; Ultra HD; 1.6.0: Ø41.2 (37-57)

Emissions - High internal temperatures bite into performance

Temperatures

GFXBench: T-Rex
T-Rex
GFXBench: Manhattan
Manhattan

When idle, the iPhone 13 Pro gets quite warm with the brightness maxed out. Under full load, the surface temperatures increase slightly. However, the iPhone 13 Pro does not get as hot as the cheaper iPhone 13.

We use GFXBenchmark to test system stability under load. Here, we run each sequence three times in a row. Both the battery status and frame rates are recorded. In the T-Rex (OpenGL ES 2.0) and Manhattan (Metal) benchmarks, the iPhone 13 Pro does very well. However, in 3DMark Wild Life, the performance drops. Still, even when throttling, the A15 in the iPhone 13 Pro performs about as well as the Exynos 2100 in the Galaxy S21 Ultra does at its best.

Max. Load
 34.7 °C
94 F
34.2 °C
94 F
34.2 °C
94 F
 
 35.1 °C
95 F
34.7 °C
94 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 33.5 °C
92 F
32.8 °C
91 F
32.8 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Average: 34 °C = 93 F
34.2 °C
94 F
34.7 °C
94 F
35 °C
95 F
33.2 °C
92 F
35.8 °C
96 F
35.6 °C
96 F
32.7 °C
91 F
35.6 °C
96 F
33.4 °C
92 F
Maximum: 35.8 °C = 96 F
Average: 34.5 °C = 94 F
Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

3DMark Wild Life Stress Test

0510152025303540455055Tooltip
Apple iPhone 13 Pro A15 GPU 5-Core, A15, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Stress Test Stability; 0.0.0.0: Ø49.7 (47.5-58.5)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø25.4 (22.3-34.4)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro A15 GPU 5-Core, A15, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test; 0.0.0.0: Ø13.7 (13.1-18.5)
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test; 1.0.5.1: Ø8.98 (7.01-11.7)

Speakers

Just like with the 12 Pro, the speakers of the iPhone 13 Pro are located in the earpiece and on the underside. The sound quality has improved somewhat, especially in the mid-range, which is why the iPhone 13 Pro sounds a bit clearer. At full volume, the iPhone 13 Pro does not produce a lot of bass, and the clarity is not superb.   

Users can connect wired headphones via the Lightning port. An appropriate adapter will have to be purchased separately, though. Wireless headphones can be connected to the iPhone 13 Pro via Bluetooth 5.0. However, no Hi-Res codecs are supported. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203734.52525.636.33129.1354023.431.65036.840.46328.436.28024.837.510022.437.712519.244.116016.955.420015.655.725013.855.531513.461.340013.361.450013.864.36301268.280012.770.3100012.272.212501374.7160013.777.4200013.279.2250013.479.731501380.2400013.379.2500013.679.5630013.380.7800013.879.81000013.780.2125001472.91600013.564.8SPL25.590.2N0.782median 13.5median 72.9Delta0.79.530.825.822.62619.223.721.424.132.83618.624.218.123.715.427.710.739.41756.114.954.313.25812.562.311.565.710.566.89.968.311.971.110.676.213.676.81471.212.972.511.773.512.978.913.180.113.377.113.873.21479.513.574.414.272.51763.425880.675median 13.2median 72.51.27hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseApple iPhone 13 ProSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (1.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 25% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 98% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 16% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - iPhone 13 Pro is extremely energy-efficient

Energy Consumption

The iPhone 13 Pro has a higher peak power draw than its predecessor. The brighter screen is probably responsible for this. At minimum brightness, the 13 Pro is more energy-efficient, likely due to Apple’s adaptive refresh rate technology. At a set display brightness, the iPhone 13 Pro proves to be an incredibly energy-efficient smartphone not only because it draws so little power but also because it outperforms the rest of the competition. 

The iPhone 13 Pro can be charged at up to 20 W with a wired PD charger. Wirelessly, it can be charged at 7.5 W with a Qi charger and at 15 W with a MagSafe charger. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.09 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.51 / 1.54 / 1.57 Watt
Load midlight 3.06 / 4.59 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
3095 mAh
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
2815 mAh
Apple iPhone 13
3240 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
5000 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
5000 mAh
Oppo Find X3 Pro
4500 mAh
Average Apple A15 Bionic
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
7%
-17%
-61%
-65%
-61%
-30%
-47%
Idle Minimum *
0.51
0.64
-25%
0.6
-18%
1.06
-108%
1.13
-122%
0.93
-82%
0.66 ?(0.51 - 1.1, n=8)
-29%
Idle Average *
1.54
1.22
21%
1
35%
1.19
23%
1.67
-8%
1.54
-0%
1.303 ?(0.8 - 2.2, n=8)
15%
Idle Maximum *
1.57
1.24
21%
1.3
17%
1.2
24%
1.69
-8%
1.69
-8%
1.748 ?(1 - 4.2, n=8)
-11%
Load Average *
3.06
3.04
1%
4.5
-47%
6.46
-111%
5.17
-69%
6.38
-108%
4.85 ?(2.65 - 6.7, n=8)
-58%
Load Maximum *
4.59
3.86
16%
7.8
-70%
10.76
-134%
9.9
-116%
9.58
-109%
7.77 ?(3.56 - 11.4, n=8)
-69%

* ... smaller is better

Power Draw: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)

01234567891011Tooltip
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic: Ø4.98 (0.783-10.2)
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G: Ø5.28 (1.358-11.1)

Power Draw: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)

012345678910Tooltip
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø7.84 (3.75-9.01)
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø10.7 (10.5-10.9)
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.664 (0.641-0.717)
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø1.377 (1.201-1.729)

Battery Life

The iPhone 13 Pro has a 3095-mAh battery, which looks small when compared to the competition. However, the iPhone 13 Pro comes with a larger battery than its predecessor and therefore provides longer battery runtimes. Apple’s smartphone is incredibly energy-efficient, which is why it does very well against the competition. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
43h 34min
WiFi Websurfing (Safari 15)
16h 33min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
24h 53min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 33min
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
3095 mAh
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
2815 mAh
Apple iPhone 13
3240 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
5000 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
5000 mAh
Oppo Find X3 Pro
4500 mAh
Sony Xperia 1 III
4500 mAh
Battery Runtime
-18%
-5%
-24%
-36%
-24%
-46%
Reader / Idle
2614
2091
-20%
2734
5%
1408
-46%
1108
-58%
H.264
1493
1117
-25%
1224
-18%
1310
-12%
1006
-33%
WiFi v1.3
993
781
-21%
1019
3%
702
-29%
650
-35%
757
-24%
534
-46%
Load
333
311
-7%
299
-10%
304
-9%
276
-17%

Pros

+ responsive system
+ outstanding 120-Hz OLED display
+ great battery life
+ good triple camera system
+ accurate geolocation
+ supports many LTE and 5G frequencies

Cons

- heavy
- no 5G-mmWave in Europe
- slow Wi-Fi 6
- limited NFC functionality
- poor noise reduction in phone calls

Verdict - A lot of premium stuff, a few small blemishes

Review of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Review of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 Pro does not offer a lot of design changes this year. Instead, Apple’s top-end smartphones finally get a 120-Hz screen. The iPhone 13 Pro’s display could very well be the best smartphone display on the market right now. The 120-Hz OLED panel offers a very high brightness, great colour accurately and DC dimming. However, we do have to note that Apple is a bit late to this particular party.

With a large battery, the iPhone 13 Pro is able to achieve record battery runtimes. Only fans of powerful zoom lenses will be able to find something that is better than the iPhone in the Android world. When it comes to videography, the iPhone is king.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro offers improvements in some areas but no new breakthrough features. 

The lack of support for mmWave 5G in Germany is quite annoying, given the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro is likely to last many, many years, in which time mmWave 5G is set to become very important. The speakers do not do well at full volume, and there is no support for Hi-Res Bluetooth codecs. Moreover, it is high time Apple upgraded the camera algorithms and improved noise reduction in phone calls. 

Strong Android-based competitors include the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and the Oppo Find X3 Pro

Download your licensed rating image as SVG / PNG

Price and Availability

The iPhone 13 Pro is currently available on Apple’s website

Apple iPhone 13 Pro - 08/30/2022 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
93%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
98%
Connectivity
61 / 70 → 87%
Weight
88%
Battery
92%
Display
94%
Games Performance
65 / 64 → 100%
Application Performance
95 / 86 → 100%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
80 / 90 → 89%
Camera
81%
Average
85%
91%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Apple iPhone 13 Pro Review - Bombastic smartphone with minor weaknesses
Daniel Schmidt, 2021-10-17 (Update: 2021-10-27)