iPhone 13 vs. iPhone XS: Is the iPhone 13 worth the upgrade?

Is your iPhone XS feeling a little flat? It is getting on in years, so its understandable that you might be ready to upgrade. And now, your wait may be over, with the iPhone 13 announcement.

If you're coming up to the end of a plan, or you're just hoping to wrap your fingers around Apple's latest tech then this guide will show you what separates the two handsets, and whether it is worth the upgrade. Alternatively if you've got an iPhone X or an iPhone 11, you can see our comparisons in those guides.

While iPhone changes can seem small year to year, after several upgrade cycles you're going to see some major improvements. It will come as no surprise that the iPhone 13 is a more advanced piece of tech, but see if it measures up to what you want below.

Here are how the iPhone XS and iPhone 13 compare:

• Specs
• Price
• Camera
• Connectivity
• Design
• Display
• Performance
• Battery

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Specs

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Price

If you're reading this then I'm assuming that you don't want to buy an iPhone XS, but more likely you're looking to upgrade. Good thing too, since the iPhone XS has been discontinued and is no longer available to buy brand new. You may be able to find a refurbished version but a brand-spanking-new one is out of the question.

Below are the outright prices for each of the iPhone 13 models. If you go through one of Australia's telcos you'll still pay the same price, but the cost will be split up into monthly repayments over either 12, 24 or 36-months. Your SIM-only plan will then be added on top of that to make your monthly phone bill.

• iPhone 13 mini (128GB): from $1,199
• iPhone 13 (128GB): from $1,349
• iPhone 13 Pro (128GB): from $1,699
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB): from $1,849

Here is every iPhone 13 plan available.

• iPhone 13 mini (128GB): from $1,199
• iPhone 13 (128GB): from $1,349
• iPhone 13 Pro (128GB): from $1,699
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB): from $1,849

Here is every iPhone 13 plan available.

• iPhone 13 mini (128GB): from $1,199
• iPhone 13 (128GB): from $1,349
• iPhone 13 Pro (128GB): from $1,699
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (128GB): from $1,849

Here is every iPhone 13 plan available.

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Camera

Since the iPhone XS, Apple has made some large improvements when it comes to cameras. Where the iPhone XS sports a wide, and a telephoto lens, the iPhone 13 is equipped with a 12MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide lens, both which have significant upgrades from last year's iPhone.

The iPhone 13 has night mode, optical image stabilisation, and a more advanced bokeh and depth control in portrait mode. Both lenses will also perform better in lowlight than it's predecessors. On the other hand, the iPhone XS doesn't have night mode at all. 

Apple has also introduced a brand new 'Cinematic Mode' on all iPhone 13 devices. The setting is said to track, and be able to predict when to shift that focus for example when your subject looks away. 

Comparatively speaking, the iPhone 13 camera set up is a huge step up from the iPhone XS. It should help you take better photos in all conditions, so if they look bad it is probably a problem that you're causing and not the phone.

iPhone XS vs iPhone 13: Connectivity

5G came to iPhones last year, and it makes sense the Apple has continued to roll out this technology even further.

Where the iPhone XS comes with just 3G and 4G connectivity, the iPhone 13 has access to Sub 6 5G frequencies. Although there were rumours, the Australian version of the iPhone 13 won't get access to mmWave.

Sub 6 was introduced in the iPhone 12 and is the most common 5G frequency used in Australia's budding networks. While mmWave is far from ubiquitous, Telstra has already begun rolling out the small cell technology in populace dense areas. In saying that, our devices not having the feature isn't going to make a practical difference.

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Design

All iPhones look somewhat alike, and the iPhone XS to iPhone 13 transformation isn't anything to write home about.

On the iPhone 12, Apple's reverted back to a squared-off design, sharpening the pillowy edges and opting for a more squared-off design.

The camera bump on the latest iPhone is larger and now the lenses sit at a diagonal, and the colours that you can pick from are now far more varied. Where the iPhone XS came in just silver, black and rose gold, you can now get a range of technicolour devices including blue, pink, and red.

It is also worth noting that the iPhone 13 has the same Ceramic Shield glass front that came out in the iPhone 12. Apple says this makes the iPhone 13 four times more drop-resistant than earlier non-Ceramic Shield phones. With this upgrade comes further water-resistance as well with the handset now rated to six metres for up to 30 minutes, as opposed to the two metres for 30 minutes on the iPhone XS.

You'll also be able to use MagSafe accessories with the iPhone 13.

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Display

Despite the handsets being pretty similar size-wise, the display is far larger on the iPhone 13. The iPhone xs had a 5.8-inch display while the iPhone 13 measures in at 6.1-inches.

The iPhone 13 display can also reach a higher brighter, and has better contrast, which should lead to a more natural viewing experience. 

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Performance

Equipped with the latest chipset, the iPhone 13 should naturally be much faster than the iPhone XS which is now three processors behind. There will be a noticeable improvement in speed and performance on the iPhone 13 compared to the iPhone XS, especially when using more demanding apps. 

Last year the A14 chip made the iPhone 12 50% faster than the iPhone 11, and before that the A13 improved performance yet again.

iPhone XS vs. iPhone 13: Battery

Apple has amped up its battery capacity for the iPhone 13, but it is likely that this will just help counteract the extra power needed for 5G.

In saying that, according to Apple's stats the iPhone 13 will run for longer and stronger than the iPhone XS. The iPhone XS battery is said to last for 14 hours of video playback while the iPhone 13 should hold out for 19 hours.

When we tested the iPhone XS in 2018 we could get through the day with a decent buffer, which is relatively standard for Apple products. 5G however is known to be quite the power-vampire, so hopefully the larger battery on the iPhone 13 will see the new device fare just as well.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

Read full bio