A five-year-old iPhone 13 Pro still gets iOS 27 on September 14, so the case for the iPhone 18 Pro rests on four things the update cannot give it: a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, a 48MP variable aperture camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom in place of three 12MP lenses, up to 36 hours of video playback against 22, and Apple Intelligence, which Apple’s iOS 27 page restricts to iPhone 15 Pro and later. The 18 Pro costs $1,199 for 256GB, $200 more than the $999 the 13 Pro launched at with 128GB.
The iPhone 13 Pro went on sale on September 24, 2021. Apple no longer sells it, and Apple’s trade-in page puts its estimated value at up to $255. It was the last Pro with a notch, and it still uses Lightning. Our iPhone 18 Pro announcement roundup has every new feature in one place.
Key facts: iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro
| Spec | iPhone 13 Pro (2021) | iPhone 18 Pro (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | A15 Bionic, 5-core GPU | A20 Pro, 2nm, 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine |
| Display | 6.1-inch OLED, 2532 x 1170, 460 ppi, ProMotion, notch | 6.3-inch OLED, 2622 x 1206, 460 ppi, ProMotion, Always-On, Dynamic Island |
| Rear cameras | 12MP f/1.5 Wide, 12MP f/1.8 Ultra Wide, 12MP f/2.8 3x Telephoto | 48MP variable aperture f/1.48 to f/4.0, 48MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide, 48MP f/2.8 4x Telephoto |
| Optical zoom range | 6x (3x in, 2x out) | 16x (8x optical-quality in, 2x out) |
| Video playback | Up to 22 hours | Up to 36 hours |
| Port | Lightning, USB 2 | USB-C, USB 3 up to 10 Gb/s |
| Apple Intelligence | No | Yes |
| Launch price | $999 (128GB) | $1,199 (256GB) |
iOS 27 yes, Apple Intelligence no: the A15 to A20 Pro gap
Apple’s iOS 27 page lists the iPhone 13 Pro as compatible, so a 13 Pro owner gets the free update on Monday, September 14, including the redesigned Health app and Safari’s Notify Me. What it does not get is Apple Intelligence, which Apple’s page limits to iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 or later.
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That rules out Siri AI, Image Playground, the Siri mode in Camera and the Clean Up and Extend tools in Photos. Our guide to which iOS 27 features reach older iPhones has the full split.
The 13 Pro’s A15 Bionic has a 5-core GPU. The A20 Pro has a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU and a dual 16-core Neural Engine on Apple’s first 2-nanometer process. Apple’s published gains compare it only to the A19 Pro: a GPU up to 40 percent faster, double the AI processing and 50 percent more memory bandwidth. Apple has not published an A15 to A20 Pro figure.
The 18 Pro also gains a vapor chamber Apple says has about three times the cooling performance of the prior design, the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, and the C2 modem. Our A20 Pro explainer covers the 2nm process.
Three 12MP cameras to three 48MP cameras
Every rear camera on the 13 Pro is 12MP; every rear camera on the 18 Pro is 48MP. The 13 Pro’s f/1.5 Wide lens gives way to a 48MP Fusion main camera at 24 mm with aperture stops at f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0 and manual aperture and shutter speed controls. Apple’s 13 Pro spec page does not list focal lengths in millimeters, so the main and Ultra Wide comparison stops at aperture and resolution.
The 13 Pro’s 12MP 3x telephoto at f/2.8 becomes a 48MP 4x tetraprism lens at 100 mm and f/2.8 with 3D sensor-shift stabilization, plus a 12MP 8x crop at 200 mm that Apple lists as optical quality. The Ultra Wide keeps its 120-degree field of view but moves from f/1.8 to f/2.2 and from 12MP to 48MP. The front camera goes from 12MP at f/2.2 to 18MP Center Stage at f/1.9.
Night mode is faster, Photographic Styles gain texture and grain controls, and video runs to 4K Dolby Vision at 120 fps. Our variable aperture explainer walks through what each stop does.
Battery, charging, port and size
Apple rates the 13 Pro at up to 22 hours of video playback and 20 hours streamed; the 18 Pro is rated at 36 hours of video playback, 33 hours streamed and 24 hours of typical use. Charging moves from 50 percent in around 30 minutes on a 20W adapter to 50 percent in around 15 minutes on a 60W USB-C adapter, and wireless from 15W MagSafe to 25W MagSafe and Qi2.
The 13 Pro is Lightning at USB 2; the 18 Pro is USB-C at USB 3 speeds of up to 10 Gb/s, and in the US, Canada, Japan and nine other countries it is eSIM-only, with no SIM tray.
The 13 Pro is 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm and 204 g in stainless steel; the 18 Pro is 150.0 x 71.9 x 8.75 mm and 211 g in an aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield back, and its screen grows from 6.1 to 6.3 inches.
Price then, price now
| Storage | iPhone 13 Pro (launch, 2021) | iPhone 18 Pro (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $999 | Not offered |
| 256GB | Not quoted at launch | $1,199 |
| 512GB | Not quoted at launch | $1,399 |
| 1TB | Not quoted at launch | $1,799 |
| 2TB | Not offered | $2,399 |
With Apple’s top trade-in estimate of $255, the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro comes to $944 before tax. Storage now runs to 2TB, a tier the 13 Pro never had. Our Pro price history shows how the $1,199 starting price compares with every Pro since the 15 Pro.
What Apple has not said
- No direct A15 Bionic to A20 Pro performance comparison; Apple’s figures are relative to the A19 Pro.
- No millimeter focal lengths for the 13 Pro’s cameras on Apple’s spec page, so no exact lens-to-lens match for the main and Ultra Wide.
- No per-condition trade-in value for the 13 Pro beyond the up-to $255 estimate.
- No statement on how long the 13 Pro will keep receiving iOS updates after iOS 27.
Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT and the phone arrives Friday, September 18 from $1,199. A 13 Pro owner can install iOS 27 on September 14 and decide afterwards.
