Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 12 Pro and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $191 | $314 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 2,815 mAh | 3,095 mAh |
| Wired charging | 20W | 23W |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | 6.1 in |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 189 g | 204 g |
| Released | Oct 2020 | Sep 2021 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 12 Pro is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Apple iPhone 13 Pro is ahead on our rating, battery, wired charging.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone 13 Pro is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 12 Pro is the cheaper option.
Display
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 2532 x 1170 pixels, 460 ppi | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield front | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Features | HDR display, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, 800 nits max brightness (typical), 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.6 (as of Aug 2026) | iOS 15, upgradable to latest iOS |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Firestorm + 4x Icestorm) | Hexa-core (2x3.22 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), dual pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide) | — |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), LiDAR Scanner | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), Night mode, Macro photography, Photographic Styles, Apple ProRAW |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR with Dolby Vision, stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (1080p@30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Modules | — | Triple 12 MP |
| Wide | — | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS |
| Telephoto | — | 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom |
| Ultrawide | — | 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚, PDAF |
| Depth Sensor | — | TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor) | — |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Modules | — | Dual |
| Wide | — | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm, 1/3.6" |
| Depth Sensor | — | SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor) |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 2815 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3095 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min (advertised); USB Power Delivery 2.0; 15W MagSafe wireless charging; 7.5W Qi wireless charging | Fast charging 23W, 50% in 30 min (advertised), USB Power Delivery 2.0, MagSafe wireless charging 15W, Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 7.5W |
Body
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 189 g | 204 g (7.20 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back (Gorilla Glass), stainless steel frame |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes, with reader mode | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 13, 2020 | September 14, 2021 |
| Status | Discontinued on September 14, 2021 | Released September 24, 2021 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 12 Pro or Apple iPhone 13 Pro?
Apple iPhone 13 Pro — 2,815 mAh for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro versus 3,095 mAh for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 12 Pro or Apple iPhone 13 Pro?
Apple iPhone 12 Pro — 189 g for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro versus 204 g for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 12 Pro or Apple iPhone 13 Pro?
Apple iPhone 13 Pro — Oct 2020 for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro versus Sep 2021 for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro.
Is the Apple iPhone 12 Pro or the Apple iPhone 13 Pro rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 12 Pro 8/10 and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro 9/10.