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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 15, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerApple iPhone 13 vs Apple iPhone 16
Choosing between Apple iPhone 13 and Apple iPhone 16 can be tricky. Both are excellent, but they serve different priorities. This guide highlights what matters for US shoppers.
Ratings: 4.8★ vs 4.8★
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Apple iPhone 13
★4.8
(818)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Typically 6+ years of OS updates from release (2021)
Processor:Apple A15 Bionic (5nm)
Graphics:Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
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Apple iPhone 16
★4.8
(219)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
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Comparison: Apple iPhone 13 vs Apple iPhone 16
Apple iPhone 13
★4.8(818)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | Apple iPhone 13 | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.8(818)Best Buy | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | iOS | iOS |
Software Support | Typically 6+ years of OS updates from release (2021) | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Apple A15 Bionic (5nm) | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 4GB LPDDR4X | 8 GB |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB NVMe | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.1" | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 pixels (460 ppi) | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 800 nits (Typical) / 1,200 nits (HDR Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 12MP Wide, f/1.6, 26mm, 1.7µm, Sensor-shift OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF | 48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP Ultrawide, f/2.4, 13mm, 120-degree FOV | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | No (Not supported) | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 2x Optical Zoom Out (0.5x to 1x) | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 5x | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 4K @ 60fps (Dolby Vision HDR supported); Cinematic mode (1080p @ 30fps) | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth, f/2.2, 23mm, SL 3D (Biometrics) | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 3,240mAh (approximate) | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | 20W+ Fast Charging (50% in 30 min) via Lightning | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | 15W MagSafe Wireless / 7.5W Qi Wireless | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6 GHz & mmWave), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, UWB | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | Lightning Connector (USB 2.0 speeds) | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 in (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 6.14 oz (174 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Face ID | Face ID |
Extras | MagSafe ecosystem support, Stereo speakers, Dual eSIM support | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Apple iPhone 13
Rating:★4.8(818)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Typically 6+ years of OS updates from release (2021)
Processor:Apple A15 Bionic (5nm)
Graphics:Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
RAM:4GB LPDDR4X
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB NVMe
Display Size:6.1"
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision
Resolution:2532 x 1170 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60Hz
Peak Brightness:800 nits (Typical) / 1,200 nits (HDR Peak)
Main Camera:12MP Wide, f/1.6, 26mm, 1.7µm, Sensor-shift OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultrawide, f/2.4, 13mm, 120-degree FOV
Telephoto Camera:No (Not supported)
Optical Zoom:2x Optical Zoom Out (0.5x to 1x)
Digital Zoom:Up to 5x
Video Recording:4K @ 60fps (Dolby Vision HDR supported); Cinematic mode (1080p @ 30fps)
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth, f/2.2, 23mm, SL 3D (Biometrics)
Battery:3,240mAh (approximate)
Wired Charging:20W+ Fast Charging (50% in 30 min) via Lightning
Wireless Charging:15W MagSafe Wireless / 7.5W Qi Wireless
Connectivity:5G (Sub-6 GHz & mmWave), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, UWB
USB:Lightning Connector (USB 2.0 speeds)
Durability:IP68 (Maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front
Dimensions:5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 in (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm)
Weight:6.14 oz (174 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:MagSafe ecosystem support, Stereo speakers, Dual eSIM support
✓ Pros:
- • Excellent build quality with Ceramic Shield and IP68 rating
- • Strong battery life for its size (beat many Android competitors at launch)
- • A15 Bionic chip remains highly capable for everyday tasks and gaming
- • High-quality video recording with Dolby Vision HDR
- • Compact and lightweight 6.1-inch form factor
✗ Cons:
- • Stuck on 60Hz refresh rate (Competitors offer 120Hz)
- • Uses proprietary Lightning port instead of universal USB-C
- • Charging speed is relatively slow (Max ~20-23W)
- • No telephoto lens for optical zoom
- • Cinematic Mode video is limited to 1080p (Pro models support 4K)
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Apple iPhone 16
Rating:★4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
- • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
- • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
- • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Which one is better?
Looking at user satisfaction (Apple iPhone 13: 4.8★ vs Apple iPhone 16: 4.8★), Apple iPhone 13 pulls ahead. The gap is small—choose based on the priorities below.
Who should buy each?
Apple iPhone 13 excels at: Excellent build quality with Ceramic Shield and IP68 rating, Strong battery life for its size (beat many Android competitors at launch)
Watch for: Stuck on 60Hz refresh rate (Competitors offer 120Hz)
Apple iPhone 16 excels at: A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
Watch for: Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
Conclusion
Apple iPhone 13 and Apple iPhone 16 are both solid choices. Match the strengths above to your budget and workflow to make the best call.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Apple iPhone 13 excels if you value excellent build quality with ceramic shield and ip68 rating. Apple iPhone 16 is better if you prioritize a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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