Every September for the last 14 years, Apple has released a new iPhone–all of which have been met with mass approval from buyers. However, is the iPhone 13 really worth buying over the iPhone 12? 

On September 13, 2021, Apple Inc. released its newest phone, the much-anticipated iPhone 13. Before the debut, several sources leaked information about the changes Apple would be making and the things that would be staying the same. In this, the price skyrocketed, while most of the technology stayed relatively similar to iPhones in the past years. iPhone 12, which was released in 2020, is the first of Apple’s lineup that is equipped with 5G internet. These two phones are relatively similar, which leads one to believe that it may not be worth buying an entirely new phone that is $100 more expensive. 

Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 are extremely advanced phones, but there are a few subtle differences that set them apart from each other. In terms of physical appearance, the dual-camera system of the iPhone 13 now has a diagonal display, while the iPhone 12 has the vertical display. Also, one of the biggest dislikes of past iPhones was the large notch size on the top of the screen. Now, the notch is 20% smaller than it was before. Technically, Apple has increased the battery life of the iPhone 13 by 2 hours, meaning that the overall battery life is 1 hour greater than the iPhone 12. Due to complaints after the iPhone 12 release, Apple has upgraded the baseline storage of the iPhone 13 to 128GB. As per usual, Apple also upgraded the bionic chip, making iPhone 13 the fastest phone ever. Besides the battery life change and slightly faster speeds, I don’t think that any of these changes would impact your daily life. 

I don’t believe that it is worth paying $799 for a phone that is almost the same as the older, cheaper phones. While I know that one of the most attractive features of a phone is how new it is, you can still get a very good phone for $100 less. In your daily life, I don’t think it will matter if the voice recording is particularly advanced or if the phone has a super retina display. An iPhone 13 review by Slash Gear says, “Improved, sure, but only those utterly addicted to life on the (expensive) bleeding edge should upgrade from last year’s models.” Another review says, “The iPhone 13 isn’t a revolution, and after 14 years of iPhones, it couldn’t possibly be.” I agree with these two quotes because, yes, the iPhone 13 is new and fancy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. 

In conclusion, while there are some differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, I do not believe that it is worth paying extra money for differences so minor. Buying an older phone that is just as competent would be a much better option (such as the iPhone 11 or 12), and you just might be happier with the result.