iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 13: When is it time to upgrade?

If you've just seen the new iPhone 15 announcement you might be wondering if it's time to upgrade. We've broken down the key features to help you make a decision. 

Before we go any further, here's how the iPhone 13 and the new iPhone 15 compare in terms of specs (note we're just looking at the base models):

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Price

Price is an all-important factor when deciding whether or not it's time to upgrade. 

Here's how much each iPhone 13 model cost at launch:

• iPhone 13 (128GB): $1,349
• iPhone 13 (256GB): $1,519
• iPhone 13 (512GB): $1,869

The iPhone 15 is slightly more expensive with prices starting from $1,499. Take a look:

• iPhone 15 (128GB): $1,499
• iPhone 15 (256GB): $1,699
• iPhone 15 (512GB): $2,049

You're looking at paying between $150 to $180 more than you did for your iPhone 13 if you choose to upgrade. Of course, you can always trade-in your iPhone 13 toward the value of your iPhone 15. 

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Camera

There's been a significant jump in camera quality between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 models. While each still sports a 12MP front-facing camera the iPhone 15 features a 48MP and 12MP rear camera combo that far outmatches the dual 12MP lenses of the iPhone 13. With more powerful software optimisations as well you can expect the iPhone 15 to perform significantly better - especially in challenging conditions. Plus, for the first time on an iPhone, the 15 has 2x optical zoom. 

We'll have more to say once we've had some time to test the iPhone 15 camera properly.  

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Connectivity

The European Union got its way and the new iPhone 15 now sports a USB-C charging port. If you're a tech enthusiast you may be more excited as USB-C is more commonly used among a wide range of tech than Apple's proprietary Lightning connector that the iPhone 13 has. It will mean one less extra cable you need to carry around. 

Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 both support 5G connectivity. 

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Design

The iPhone 15 continues with with largely the overall style that was first introduced with the iPhone 12 although unlike the 13 it has slight contours instead of entirely flat sides. Camera arrangement, button placement and the like stay the same. The big standout in design differences between the 13 and 15 is that the iPhone 15 features the Dynamic Island that debuted to replace the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro models last year.  

There's no change in terms of water resistance and the like. Apple has reserved changes like the Action Button that replaces the ring/silent toggle and titanium build for the iPhone 15 Pro models. 

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Display

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 share the same sized 6.1-inch display but as mentioned the iPhone 15 has now adopted the design of the iPhone 14 Pro models and ditched the notch in favour of the Dynamic Island.

What is the Dynamic Island? It's a UI element that lets the phone display things that are going on in the background such as alerts, music, directions and more. It's one of the things that makes the iPhone 15 stand out from the iPhone 13. Additionally, the iPhone 15 display is much brighter, in fact twice as bright as the iPhone 14. 

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Performance

The iPhone 15 features the faster A16 processor we saw in the iPhone 14 Pro models last year whereas the iPhone 13 uses the A15 Bionic chip. 

While the iPhone 13 certainly holds its own, the iPhone 15 will naturally come ahead. 

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Battery

If we look at Apple's guidance we can see that the iPhone 13 was rated by Apple for up to 19 hours of video playback and the iPhone 14, 20 hours. Apple is quoting 20 hours of video playback for the iPhone 15 and said at the launch event that you should see all-day battery life. 

We'll have more to say once we've tested the batteries ourselves.

Should you upgrade to iPhone 15?

Apple has adopted a system that sees its new base model phones adopt features from last year's Pro versions. This means the iPhone 15 has had a significant glow-up when compared to the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 13 before it. 

If you've got the money then upgrading to the iPhone 15 is a no-brainer. The camera changes alone are a massive jump, especially if you're a fan of photography. If that or the Dynamic Island aren't enough to tempt you then it might be better to wait another year to see what Apple delivers next. 

The iPhone 13 will still be supported with new software and security updates for the next few years, so there's no rush.