Key Points
- The iPhone 13 Pro has a more advanced A15 Bionic chip, better camera features, and longer battery life than the iPhone 11 Pro.
- iPhone 11 Pro is about 50% cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro, making it a better option for budget-conscious buyers.
- iPhone 13 Pro offers a 120Hz display and 5G capability, while the iPhone 11 Pro has a 60Hz display and no 5G support.
- Both models have three 12MP rear cameras, but the iPhone 13 Pro has improved camera capabilities such as Cinema Mode, HDR, and macro photography.
The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro might have been two years apart in production, but it wouldn’t be easy for the uninitiated to tell them apart. While the two-year difference in launch dates means the iPhone 13 Pro has better features, the 11 Pro still delivers excellent performance and costs less.
This article highlights the key differences between the two odd-numbered iPhone Pro versions to help you decide on the one that meets your needs.
iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Side-By-Side Comparison
| Features | iPhone 11 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | A13 Bionic | A15 Bionic |
| OS | iOS 13 | iOS 15 |
| Screen refresh rates | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Screen size | 5.8” | 6.1” |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB |
iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: What’s the Difference?
Availability
Apple launched the iPhone 11 Pro in September 2019; the 13 Pro came out two years later. However, it discontinued both models from its sales lineup in 2022 to create room for more feature-packed iPhones.
Even though this means you can no longer find these two models at an Apple store, you can still find unlocked and refurbished versions at specific iPhone dealers. They remain among the best-unlocked phones in the market.
Regarding pricing, the 11 Pro is about 50% cheaper than the 13 Pro. On Amazon, for example, its price at the time of writing ranges between $300-$400, while that of iPhone 13 Pro is between $800 and $950.
Design
The iPhone 11 Pro is compact with curved edges and a thickness of 8.1mm. It is light, weighing only 6.3 ounces, though, at its prime, this was a little bit heavier than its rivals. That time has changed, and most phones are heavier. It is available in gold, space gray, silver, and midnight green colors.
iPhone 13 Pro is larger than the 11 Pro but is thinner at 7.65mm and has flat edges. It weighs 7.2 ounces. The additional weight is possibly due to its stainless steel frame. Compared with the 11 Pro model, the 13 Pro version has smaller bezels and provides more screen space. As for colors, it has kept the silver and gold colors of the 11 Pro, but replaced the midnight green with alpine green, and added Sierra blue and graphite shades.
Display
The iPhone 11 Pro has an OLED screen of 5.8 inches with a resolution of 1125 x 2436 pixels. It offers 800 nits of brightness and has a screen refresh rate of 60Hz.
The iPhone 13 Pro also has an OLED screen, but is slightly larger at 6.1 inches with a resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels. It manages 1000 nits of brightness and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which gives it great smoothness. Once you try it out, the 60Hz on the iPhone 11 Pro feels too uninspiring.
Performance
The iPhone 11 Pro was, at the time of its launch, the fastest phone in the world, thanks to its A13 Bionic chip and 4GB RAM. It had faster CPU and GPU performances and advanced machine-learning capabilities. It has since lost its flagship status, but the performance remains among the best in the unlocked phones category.
iPhone 13 Pro, on the other hand, runs on the more advanced A15 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and an advanced Neural engine for better machine learning capabilities. Pairing this with 6GB RAM gave it an excellent performance edge over the Android competition and, certainly, over the iPhone 11 Pro.
Camera
The 11 Pro comes with three 12MP rear cameras: main, telephoto, and ultra-wide-angle cameras. The focal apertures are f/1.8 and f/2.4 for the main and the ultra-wide-angle cameras, respectively. The telephoto camera has a 2x zoom. The front-facing camera can take selfies (slow-motion videos) at 120fps. The iPhone 11 Pro also comes with Night Mode for clear pictures in low-light conditions.
The 13 Pro comes with three 12MP rear cameras too, but they have better capability than those of the iPhone 11 Pro. The main camera has an f/1.5 focal aperture, while the ultra-wide-angle camera has a focal aperture f/1.8. The Telephoto camera is 3x zoom and a macro mode that allows taking pictures of items as close as 2 centimeters from the camera.
iPhone 13 Pro was the first to debut Cinema Mode, a feature that allowed pro-level video capturing. It could sense when an object enters the scene or leaves the frame, automatically shifting the focus. The cinema mode lets you record videos at 1080p resolutions at 30fps.
The significant feature of the iPhone 13 pro is the HDR video recording. It makes for more colorful videos. The iPhone also comes with an inbuilt stabilizer, which reduces the disturbance of camera sensors when the phone is moved.
Storage
The iPhone 11 Pro is available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options, while the Phone 13 Pro storage begins at 128GB through to up to 1TB. Like most iPhones, the storage for both iPhone 11 Pro and 13 Pro is not expandable — also, the greater the storage capacity, the higher the price.
Battery
Apple never provided details on the battery capacity for the 11 Pro, but teardowns found the phone to have a 3190mAh. While different tests found different battery lifespans, they averaged about 10 hours.
The phone came with an 18-Watt fast charger, but since it has been off the market for a while, you will need to depend on separately-sold Apple fast chargers or after-market options. The original fast-charger could deliver 55% charge in half an hour.
Conversely, iPhone 13 Pro has a larger battery than the iPhone 11 Pro, but teardowns showed that it has a lower capacity of 3125mAh. Nonetheless, due to the high efficiency of the phone’s system, its battery lasts 2-4 more hours than that of the iPhone 11 Pro.
Unlike the iPhone 11 Pro, it did not come with a charger, a trend that Apple began with the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 Pro can reach a maximum charging of 20W when wired and 15W when wirelessly charged using MagSafe. Additionally, while most iPhones have shifted to USB-C, this version still uses the Lightning connector.
Similarities
The two iPhones share several features in common, especially because one is an upgrade of the other. First, both have three 12MP cameras at the back and feature Night Mode. Secondly, both phones have a Face ID feature, even though the 13 Pro feature is more advanced.
In both models, the internal memory cannot be expanded unless through the help of skilled hackers. They also share software such as AirDrop for sharing files between iPhones and both have Qi charging capability.
iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Pros and Cons
| Apple iPhone 11: Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is cheaper, costing 50% less than the 13 Pro model | The glass on the front and back increases fragility |
| Supports later iOS upgrades | Does not have 5G capability |
| Face ID authentication is fast | |
| Quality rear cameras |
| Apple iPhone 13: Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Faster performance due to A15 bionic chip | Slightly pricey |
| It has better camera features such as Cinema Mode, HDR, and macro photography | Does not have Touch ID |
| Longer battery life | Fast charging maxes out at 20W |
| Uses 5G | 4K ProRes video recording functionality is limited to models with 256GB or more storage |
| It has more storage options and larger memory | |
| Has 120Hz display |
- A15 Bionic chip
- 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR display
- Cinematic mode in 1080p@30 fps
- Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K@60 fps
- 6X optical zoom range
- Up to 22 hours of video playback
- IP68 rating for water resistance at 6 meters deep for up to 30 minutes
iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: 4 Must-Know Facts
- Both models have since been discontinued and are only available as refurbished or used.
- iPhone 11 Pro does not have 5G capability, while iPhone 13 Pro does.
- The 11 Pro comes with iOS 13, while the 13 Pro version runs on iOS 15.
- The display of the iPhone 13 Pro can shift between 10Hz and 120Hz depending on the content being displayed and how fast you swipe across the screen.
iPhone 11 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Which One Wins?
In terms of features, the iPhone 13 Pro wins. It has more advanced performance, interesting camera features, and longer battery life. Also, since nearly every Android phone operates on 5G, buying an iPhone that does the same would be a great idea, which leaves out iPhone 11 Pro.
It also wins when storage options and memory are deal-breakers. While you can get 128GB and 256GB internal memory in both phones, the latter model allows 512GB and 1TB, which can come in handy when using the phone for photography and video recording.
However, if you are on a budget, the iPhone 11 Pro offers a better bargain than the 13 Pro. For the price of one iPhone 13 Pro, you can get two 11 Pro phones, making it a great purchase when you need to gift someone with their first iPhone.
Irrespective of the model you buy, the performance you get will depend on who you buy it from. It is best to purchase unlocked iPhones from trusted dealers.
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked (Renewed)
- 256GB
- Unlocked
- Renewed
- Space Gray
- U.S. version
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro, 128GB, Sierra Blue - Unlocked (Renewed)
- A15 Bionic chip
- 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR display
- Cinematic mode in 1080p@30 fps
- Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K@60 fps
- 6X optical zoom range
- Up to 22 hours of video playback
- IP68 rating for water resistance at 6 meters deep for up to 30 minutes
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