iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: which model to choose in 2022?

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro: which model to choose in 2022?

Another review of the iPhone 13 (Pro)? For God's sake no, in the following lines I only want to share my own, purely subjective experiences with you and finally answer the question: iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro? Which Apple cell phone is the better upgrade in 2022 for me and maybe also for one or the other interested party?

For a few weeks, an iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 accompanied me in everyday life. My goal was not an imposed test report, but a personal report on my experiences. So if you miss topics, you shouldn't be surprised. They probably didn't play a big role for me then, I'm not much into gimmicks - sorry.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 13: Which model to choose?

It was already clear to me in advance, after my iPhone 7 was falling apart more and more into its individual parts day after day after a last violent fall, I will probably treat myself to a new Apple cell phone at the end of my test weeks. However, two model variants of the iPhone 13 are eliminated from the outset. That would be:

iPhone 13 mini: Too small and too bad for my eyes. Actually, I was always a fan of small mobile phones, but as already documented before, the small screen (5.4 inches) caused me problems in connection with the easy onset of presbyopia and my short-sightedness (glasses). iPhone 13 Pro Max: Actually ideal in terms of screen size, but unfortunately not in terms of weight and dimensions. Somehow it should still fit in the trouser pocket.

In short: the 6.1-inch screen of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro seems to me to be the best compromise. In the basic configuration, the two separate 250 euros and otherwise? What experiences have I been able to gather?

Apple's iPhone 14: the pluses and minuses of the Pro version

The iPhone 13 Pro starts with me. Of course, if you get both models from Apple for the test period, you first go for the expensive Pro model. I noticed positively:

The camera, with minor drawbacks: Without a doubt, it is Apple's best camera in an iPhone to date. The telephoto lens, which is only available in the Pro, is a real plus, as you will see in the sample photos below. Especially in interaction with the AI ​​(artificial intelligence), the iPhone gets a lot out of it, more than the optics would allow. But there are also noteworthy hints on my part.

The macro function actually focuses razor- sharp from 2 centimeters, but the scenery should then be reasonably well lit. In the twilight, mud tends to come out - light is a must! Apropos: When it gets dark, the iPhone can get a surprising amount out of it in normal operation, but despite the camera's optical image stabilization, further external stabilization (tripod, gimbal) doesn't hurt. Because even if the camera impresses, it still can't do magic and undermine the laws of nature.

I say this very consciously. Because quite a few inexperienced users might otherwise expect too much from Apple. In the end, it's still the photographer who takes the pictures, even if he's being helped more and more. A final word on Cinema Mode , Apple's take on the portrait feature for video recording. Looks good at first glance, but for me personally it's just a nice toy and not a must-have. I'm not doing any post-processing or cutting films at the moment anyway - nice to have, nothing more.

A completely different caliber is the battery life. I didn't measure with the stopwatch now, but before that I had to "refuel" every day. The iPhone 13 Pro, on the other hand, sometimes does without a power supply for two to three days – with moderate use. This is progress that you don't see directly, but you can feel it all the more - wonderful.

On the other hand, you can clearly see the OLED screen. This is a revelation for anyone who, like me, was used to the "LCD sparkles" of the iPhone 7. But how much do you perceive the maximum refresh rate of up to 120 Hz? Since I'm not necessarily the big player on the iPhone, the feature is useful for the time being in "scrolling orgies" in Safari. In this case, you actually only notice it when you compare it with the iPhone 13, which has to be content with 60 Hz.

Worlds are not in between, because the screen of the little sister model is bright and clear, the slight motion blur can only be recognized if you deal with it like I do and become aware of it. Android phones will probably benefit more from the 120 Hz display, while the iPhone is more of a nice touch. A gimmick that can also save electricity, because if necessary and possible, images are updated more slowly - so energy is not wasted unnecessarily.

I was also impressed by the sheer speed of the iPhone 13 Pro , which you can feel in a direct comparison with my old iPhone 7, even with simple things like building a website - there are actually several years in between.

And what bothered me about the iPhone 13 Pro? Actually almost nothing ... at least nothing that has to do directly with the model itself, rather with the peculiarities of Apple cell phones, as we have known them since the iPhone X. So I had to get used to the notch first, not because of the display notch itself, but because of the lack of information in the menu bar. For example, I have to use the control center or a widget to see the percentage of the battery level, and I can no longer tell whether an alarm is active because the alarm clock symbol is missing.

And yes, I miss Touch ID. In times when masks are part of everyday life and undermine face recognition, a fallback technology like the fingerprint sensor would be a good thing. Unfortunately, Apple sees this a little differently with the iPhone 13.

All models of the iPhone 13 in our overview:

iPhone 13: how does the standard model fare?

So far and so well, the iPhone 13 Pro does well in everyday life. But what do I do with the normal iPhone 13 now? I also used the cheaper sister model, after all I want to compare the siblings directly.

The form factor is almost identical to the Pro, apart from the fact that the case surfaces of the 13 are glossy and the side edges are matt, with the Pro model it is exactly the other way around. But I notice something immediately: the iPhone 13 is much lighter, while the iPhone 13 Pro looks more massive. A look at the data sheet confirms my assumption: 173 grams vs. 203 grams. The 30 gram difference sounds like little, but it feels like more.

I have to do without macro function and telephoto lens. But I really miss it in normal everyday life when I'm not testing smartphones, rather less. Tip: At least the macro function can be imitated with tricks - see, for example, the "Halide" app. Apart from that, the camera is identical and takes photos that are almost as good as "2. Class" doesn't feel like this.

The Pro has a small advantage in terms of battery consumption, but this is not particularly clear in practice. Both smartphones are great in this respect and can hold their own against the competition.

My personal conclusion: Logic wins

Back to the original question: iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro? For me personally, the decision is now clear: I choose the standard version. Why? The lower price and the lighter case speak for the device. In return, I can do without the telephoto lens and the macro function. It's the sensible choice. In concrete terms, it's like this: What I like about the iPhone 13 Pro, I also find on the iPhone 13. The rest is an accessory and is not decisive for me when I buy it.

Not that we misunderstand each other. The iPhone 13 Pro has its place. But ultimately, very few buyers really "need" it. I would like to agree with the assessment of my dear colleague Stefan Bubeck from 2019. When he tested the iPhone 11 Pro, he summed it up: "You don't need it. I do not need it. Nobody needs it. But we all know: "Need" and "Want" are two different things - you have to differentiate a little bit, do n't you?" hence the iPhone 13.

Based on personal experience, I actually bought the iPhone 13. In the version with 256 GB memory, color variant "Polarstern" - optically very classic and yet with a certain pinch of extravagance. The aluminum frame doesn't just look silver, with a touch of bronze it almost becomes a little "golden" in the end. This brings back memories of my iPhone 5, which accompanied me for many years before the iPhone 7. Its DNA is unmistakably anchored in the iPhone 13.

Note: For the field report, Apple provided me with an iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 for the corresponding period.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is VoLTE and how can you activate it on your Xiaomi

Image
In recent years, phone calls have evolved to achieve great sound quality. So much so that today we can find technologies such as VoLTE allowing us to make voice calls in high definition on our Xiaomi. Beyond the classic GSM networks, movistar, vodafone and other operators have integrated this technology, which in turn derives from the advantages of Internet access. Thanks to 4G or LTE networks, VoLTE allows us to make not only high-definition calls, but also to improve consumption and add other services . What is VoLTE and what are its advantages after activating it on a Xiaomi In detail, VoLTE is a technology capable of transmitting voice communications over the Internet . For this, whether we have a Redmi Note 8 Pro, a Xiaomi Mi A2 or any other smartphone from the firm, our voice will be encoded from analog to digital allowing its transmission in the form of packets through the network. With this, as we have already said, after activating VoLTE we will achieve higher sou
Read more

So you can check the battery status of your Xiaomi smartphone and how many cycles you have performed

Image
Today, our smartphone has become one of the most important tools in our day to day. That is why the duration of its battery and the state of it is very important if we want to be able to use it with total peace of mind and in a continuous way. In view of this, MIUI includes a secret menu that allows us to verify the state or health of the battery of our Xiaomi smartphone and also check the cycles that we have performed . Let's not forget that each cycle represents a full battery charge from 0% to 100% Since lithium batteries degrade with the passage of time , use and recharges that we have made, knowing these two data will give us a vision of the general state of your state and with it knowing if it has worsened considerably with the passage of weather. How to check the battery status and cycles performed on our Xiaomi smartphone To access this hidden menu in MIUI and check the battery status of our Xiaomi smartphone we will only have to perform the following steps:
Read more

How to exit the FASTBOOT mode of your Xiaomi if you have entered accidentally

Image
Although, the fastboot mode of Xiaomi phones with MIUI allows us to solve bugs or change ROMs, it is also common to enter without wanting to. If this has been your case, you most likely want to get out of Xiaomi's fastboot without spoiling anything. In general, leaving this mode that includes all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO with MIUI is extremely simple. Even so, on certain occasions, exiting fastboot mode is more complex , either because Recovery starts or because our smartphone does not work correctly. In view of this, below we are going to explain how to exit the fastbook mode of your Xiaomi if you have entered without wanting to . In addition, if the conventional mode does not work, we will also give you other tips to exit this mode without causing any damage at the software level. How to exit Xiaomi fastboot If we have accidentally entered the Xiaomi fastboot , to exit this way we will only have to perform the following steps: Press and hold the power button for about 10
Read more

Does your Xiaomi charge slowly or intermittently? So you can fix it

Image
Does your Xiaomi charge very slowly or intermittently? This error is usually very common when our cable is in poor condition, we use a low-quality charger or even when the USB or USB Type-C port of your Xiaomi is dirty or obstructed. With a view to this, below we will explain the main steps or solutions to take if your Xiaomi charges slowly , if the charge is intermittent or if in the worst case, your mobile does not detect the USB that is connected to the socket electric. 1. Clean the USB port Although it may sound simple, in most cases slow charging problems are usually caused by a piece of paper or a speck of dust that obstructs the pins of the USB port . Taking into account the nature of this connector, it is normal that after repeated use dirt accumulates inside. A dirty USB C port is usually the main cause of slow or intermittent charging. To solve this charging problem and clean the USB C port of your Xiaomi, it is recommended to blow lightly inside the port itself.
Read more

Problems with Android Auto and your Xiaomi? So you can fix it

Image
Unfortunately Android Auto continues to present certain problems on some Xiaomi . Errors such as error 16 that prevent our smartphone from correctly linking to this Google vehicle system. Still, these bugs are largely solvable. And it is that, in most cases the impossibility of using Android Auto through our Xiaomi is given by the dual applications themselves. In view of this and taking as a source this interesting article from Mi Community , below we will explain how to solve two of the most common errors that we usually find when linking or connecting our Xiaomi to a car with Android Auto. Fix Android Auto error on Xiaomi devices One of the main errors of the type « An error has occurred » that we usually find when connecting Android Auto to our Xiaomi is related to Google Play Services . In itself, this error shows the message « It seems that Google Play Services does not work at the moment «, making it impossible to connect Android Auto to our Xiaomi. To solve it we j
Read more

If your Xiaomi disconnects only from the WiFi it may be because of that MIUI setting

Image
One of the most common problems in Xiaomi smartphones is usually related to the WiFi connection and its automatic disconnection . A quite annoying problem, which in most cases is usually caused by a bad MIUI configuration . If you have a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO and you notice that sometimes your smartphone disconnects only from the WiFi without having taken any action, do not miss this article where we tell you how to solve it in most cases. Disconnection of WiFi on your Xiaomi, how to solve it Although it is true that the problem may be caused by some other failure, in most cases the spontaneous disconnection of the WiFi connection is caused by a bad MIUI configuration, specifically, its automatic connection to the networks with better signal . By having this option activated on our smartphone, if the WiFi signal drops at any time, it will automatically disconnect to use the data connection . To deactivate it enough to do the following steps: Go to Settings> WiFi> Wi-Fi
Read more

How to change the font in MIUI and thus further customize your Xiaomi: so you can change the type, color and size of the letters of MIUI

Image
Among the multiple options that MIUI offers us we find the possibility of changing the source of our Xiaomi . This option will not only allow us to change the font , but also change the font color and size . For this it is necessary to make use of some Asian region, be it India, Hong Kong or any other. In addition, it should be noted that this adjustment that allows us to change the source is only available for MIUI 9 , MIUI 10 and MIUI 11 , so if we have a Xiaomi Mi A2 or Xiaomi Mi A3 we will not be able to do it. How to change the font in MIUI To change the font in MIUI we must perform the following steps: Go to Settings> Additional settings> Region Next we select India or Hong Kong as a region. Go to the Themes application, download the font that we like the most from the new lower option that will appear with hundreds of fonts and then apply it. After applying it, it will be necessary to restart our Xiaomi mobile. Once done , we will have installed the ne
Read more

What is the Safe Mode of your Xiaomi, what is it for and how can you activate it

Image
In addition to the typical options that we find in the MIUI settings, Xiaomi also adds a mode called " Safe Mode " or " Safe Mode " to its smartphones. We will talk about this below, explaining its usefulness and how to activate or deactivate it on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO. Safe Mode allows us to start a special boot, loading only the system itself and the applications that were installed on our Xiaomi when we bought it. That is, starting the Safe Mode or Safe Mode our smartphone will start loading only the essential applications . This mode is a temporary state of our smartphone and does not make any important modification on the device. In itself, Safe Mode does not delete our data , it just starts our Xiaomi, loading the basics and essentials for its operation. Safe Mode only starts essential MIUI applications. Thanks to this, the Safe Mode will help us to rule out failures in our Xiaomi derived from the installation of an application or the modific
Read more

Improve and amplify the volume of your Xiaomi and / or headphones with these simple adjustments

Image
With the evolution of technology and the arrival of content on demand, many of us spend much of the day with our headphones on, playing music or watching series and movies. That is why many of you have asked us how to increase the volume of the headphones in Xiaomi smartphones or even how to improve the sound quality in Xiaomi AirDots or Redmi AirDots S wireless headphones. How to improve the sound and increase the volume of the headphones in MIUI of Xiaomi If what we want is to increase or amplify the volume of our headphones on a Xiaomi smartphone with MIUI we must perform the following steps: Go to Settings app> Region We will change our region to Andorra, India or any other country outside the EU. With this adjustment we will be able to "skip" the European restrictions that limit the sound volume, obtaining greater amplification , both in headphones, and through the speaker itself. Headphones with cable and jack connector Xiaomi Mi Hybrid Pro HD. In add
Read more

How to activate the second space if your Xiaomi does not have this option

Image
MIUI's Second Space functionality allows us to have two smartphones in one. A way to divide our Xiaomi into two different accounts , either for personal and work use, to perform tests or simply, to prevent our son or little brother from accessing our applications and documents. Unfortunately, terminals like the Redmi Note 10 lack this functionality . The same happens with other terminals of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO of mid-range and entry. If we access the Settings, this functionality is not found among the various MIUI options . Even so, there is a little trick that allows us to access the Second Space functionality even if your Xiaomi does not have it . In this way we can create a second space without any type of restriction and in any Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO. Activate the second space on your Xiaomi If your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO does not have the Second space functionality when accessing Settings> Special functions , do not worry, below we will explain how to use it with
Read more