iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14 Pro

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro are both relatively late-model iPhones with a lot of the modern engineering that people love about Apple’s lineup. Each of them can be a good choice for upgrading an older iPhone to something that has more of the new features and the design that Apple has subsequently engineered into these devices.

When you’re looking for guidance on two contrasting Apple iPhone models, it helps to have all the information at your disposal. This guide will help you see the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro, as well as the similarities. With that information, you can make your choice on a pre-owned refurbished iPhone in great condition, and save yourself a lot of money.

When you buy from Gazelle, you’re buying from a company with a commitment to customer service and best practices for ecology. Our system for recycling and reusing pre-owned iPhones keeps potentially harmful materials out of the landfill, and cuts down on electronic waste or e-waste, which is a major issue in today’s society.

But we also commit ourselves to offering you transparent descriptions of your pre-owned phones and the best prices around, to get you your dream phone shipped directly to you for the best value.

With that said, let’s look at some of the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Camera Systems

One important difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro is their camera systems. The iPhone 13 has a 12 megapixel rear camera with wide and ultra wide lens, but the iPhone 14 Pro has a 12 MP ultra wide, a 48 MP wide and a 12 MP telephoto lens.

Keep in mind that the telephoto lens on the 14 Pro makes this phone bulkier, and the lens sticks out more from the body of the phone. So if this is a dealbreaker, you may be best served to go with the iPhone 13 or a similar model.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro both have the 12 MP camera on front, but along with the telephoto lens, the iPhone 14 Pro also provides for features like Apple’s photonic engine (which we’ll discuss later), night mode and proRAW composition. That new quad pixel sensor built into the iPhone 14 is a major coup for Apple and something to be aware of.

The proRAW feature allows photographers to combine more image metadata with certain kinds of advanced processing. It’s state-of-the-art image technology that’s not built into the iPhone 13, so you may want to consider this when choosing between these two models and how you take pictures (for example, in portrait mode.)

On the other hand, both of these phones have Apple’s cinematic mode applied to video shooting. If you’re not familiar with this feature, it represents some of the new engineering for locking and focus on different subjects in video.

The cinematic mode allows for the camera to focus in on one subject, then shift and focus in on another during recording. In general, it’s part of that advance in image processing and computer vision that’s making the iPhone a more capable high-end video recorder and editor, which you can see in video playback.

However, another thing that the iPhone 14 Pro has, as a relatively new iPhone, is a lidar system that can create perspective maps useful in photography and augmented reality. That’s something else to consider when you’re comparing these two phones – it may end up being a lot more valuable in time, as AR/VR evolves.

One more important feature on the iPhone 14 Pro is called the photonic engine. It’s a software capability for improving pictures in low-light conditions. It uses image processing to optimize what your camera captures and complements other photo features being implemented on the main sensor, ultra wide sensor and true depth sensors of the phone. This feature is so popular that there was actually a lot of controversy around not shipping it with the 13 series, or not immediately delivering it to that series when it was put into the 14. So that’s another thing to know about when you’re trying to compare iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro models.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Display Systems

First of all, both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro are the same size in terms of display. Both have the 6.1 inch super retina XDR display. Both of them have the HDR feature where three distinct shots are put together in one photo to improve exposure and composition.

They also both have Apple’s haptic touch technology, and although many of us take this sort of ‘hotkey’ model for granted, it wasn’t always there. In 2015, Apple unveiled its 3D touch system, where the user controls vary according to how hard someone hits a button. Just a few years later, the haptic touch system replaced the 3D touch – presumably forever.

The haptic touch system works when the phone recognizes a user pressing down on a button for a certain length of time, specifically, a little over a second. The ability to distinguish between short press and long press has been built into all sorts of Apple features, and now it’s something that people have come to expect in newer iPhone models. The haptic touch is useful for all kinds of controls, from top level menu choices like uninstalling apps, or moving from one application to another. So both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro have this feature, as it’s become a fundamental part of Apple’s interface. After all, it’s something that, as mentioned, a lot of users count on.

Some of the things that the iPhone 14 Pro has exclusively include the dynamic island that’s basically a change in how Apple delivers notifications and alerts, through a pill-shaped area toward the top of the screen. Users can get all sorts of helpful updates from the dynamic island, and there are some long press operations providing shortcuts as well.

With the dynamic island feature, users get all kinds of notifications right up front on the top of the screen. They’ll get notifications on airdrop transfers and connections, as well as low battery notices, and they’ll see when the silent mode is turned on or off. They’ll get updates about vehicle connection systems and Apple watch connections as well as confirmation of shortcut actions and alerts related to the Sim card. It can also be helpful for navigation and other tasks and utilities.

So if that’s something you want, you’re best served to go with the iPhone 14 Pro.

Also, in terms of iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14 Pro, the latter also has always on display technology. What that means is that some of the important information on the phone is still visible when the phone is locked.

Contrast this to the earlier phones where you have to put in the PIN and unlock the device to see any of the data that you’re looking for. It’s important to point out that users could take advantage of lock screen widgets to provide some of the same functionality, but the always on feature makes it easier to access what you want this way. So those who don’t want to finagle around with their PIN number all time can choose the iPhone 14 Pro and get that always on feature.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Processing Power

Here’s another big difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro – the iPhone 13 has Apple’s A15 bionic chip that was put into phones of this model year. It features 15 billion transistors at a size of several nanometers. The iPhone 14 Pro has the A16 chip, the successor in design that has 16 billion transistors at a slightly smaller size. It’s associated with better performance in terms of clock rate and other metrics – and supports an improved kind of GPU handling.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Sim Card Design

Here’s one big difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro that you might not expect until you buy one of these pre-owned smart phones.

Apple started doing away with the physical Sim card on the 14 series. So while the iPhone 13 has a physical Sim card, the 14 Pro does not.

Some buyers might be frustrated by that lack of a physical Sim card tray, the same way that a lot of people were unpleasantly surprised by Apple’s decommissioning of the audio jack for headphones in earlier models.

It’s interesting to note that while the eSim-only design of the iPhone 14 extends to other more modern iPhones, it’s only for phones inside the United States. European models still carry Sim cards.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Emergency SOS by Satellite

This is another big feature that you should know about if you’re trying to decide between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Apple actually started introducing Emergency SOS by Satellite in the model year during which the 14 was produced.

So the 14 Pro is going to have this feature built in, but the 13 is not.

Some buyers will definitely want to choose the iPhone 14 Pro with the Emergency SOS by Satellite because of its value in emergency situations. This feature will allow automatic emergency calling in a collision and may end up saving lives. It also allows the phone to contact emergency services even when it’s off grid and that includes texting – this is accomplished by using actual satellite connections instead of the usual terrestrial tower system. It requires iOS 16.1 in the U.S.

Meanwhile, crash detection can alert the right people if you are unresponsive.

Both of these services can be game changers in an emergency situation, which is why it was big news when Apple unveiled this announcement to the public. This is particularly useful for people who might go off-roading or get into remote areas on a regular basis. Just as people gravitate toward cars with fancy new safety systems like lane departure and collision warning, if you are very safety-minded, the iPhone 14 might be the better choice.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro: Battery Life

One thing that might surprise buyers about the iPhone 14 Pro is that it doesn’t have the same jump in battery life that you would expect from some other model year comparisons.

The reviews on this are mixed, and some argue that the iPhone 14 Pro actually loses battery life against the 13 (but does it have ‘worse battery life’? That depends). There is a consensus that the reason is because of a lot of the new features on the 14 Pro, but if battery life is one of your main criteria, it may affect your decision to opt for the iPhone 13 or go with the more modern version of the device. Keep in mind that the use of 5G network connectivity, which is available on both phones, might tend to drain the battery faster. To alleviate some of this impact, Apple came out with something called smart mode that can help. (In terms of connectivity, it’s also helpful to know that neither of these phones have implemented USB C models.

FAQ

Is the iPhone 13 worth buying?

The iPhone 13 is still an iPhone with some life left in it. That being said, it’s not one of the newer models in terms of what’s out there right now. One important thing to note is that the iPhone 13 is the last model not to come with emergency SOS via satellite services, which can be infinitely valuable if you’re in a crash or off the grid in an emergency situation.

Is my iPhone 13 water resistant?

This phone and others like it has a water resistance rating showing that it can withstand water for a certain amount of time. However, it’s not advisable to get your iPhone wet.

Is the iPhone 14 Pro better than the iPhone 13?

In many ways, the iPhone 14 Pro outperforms the iPhone 13. It has more camera features, better telephoto, the dynamic island and many other new features that the iPhone 13 lacks. However, both of these phones have the compelling design that Apple is known for in the market, and importantly, in thinking about the iPhone 13 vs 14 Pro, both of the phones are compatible with 5G connectivity.

Is the Apple iPhone 13 obsolete?

The iPhone 13 is not obsolete – it’s still supported by Apple, and people are still using these phones. However, there are other more modern iPhones to buy on the pre-owned market. We recommend checking out Gazelle for a large inventory of used smartphone models.