iPhone 12 vs iPhone 13 in 2026: Is It Worth Spending More?

Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 remain incredibly popular choices for budget conscious buyers looking for premium Apple tech. If you are browsing our store and trying to decide which model to add to your cart, here is a quick, honest breakdown of the practical differences to help you choose.

The Visuals and Screen At first glance, both models share a sleek, flat edged aluminum design and a beautiful 6.1 inch OLED display. However, the iPhone 13 features a slightly smaller notch at the top of the screen, giving you a tiny bit more display real estate. The iPhone 13 screen is also slightly brighter outdoors in direct Australian sunlight.

Performance and Storage The iPhone 12 runs on the highly capable A14 Bionic chip, which handles daily multitasking, social media, and streaming with absolute ease. The iPhone 13 steps up to the A15 Bionic chip. While both feel lightning fast in everyday use, the A15 chip is more power efficient, meaning it squeezes even more runtime out of the battery. Furthermore, the iPhone 13 supports eSIM capabilities alongside a physical SIM card, whereas standard Australian variants of the iPhone 12 rely on a single physical Nano SIM.

Camera Capabilities While both feature an excellent dual 12MP camera setup, the iPhone 13 introduces Sensor Shift optical image stabilisation, which physically moves the sensor to keep your shots steady, resulting in sharper low light photos. The 13 also includes Cinematic Mode for video, which automatically shifts focus between subjects for a movie like feel.

Our Verdict If your priority is keeping costs as low as possible while still owning a powerful, modern smartphone that handles daily life effortlessly, the iPhone 12 is an unbeatable bargain.

However, if you take a lot of evening photos, want the added flexibility of eSIM technology, or want a chip that will stay supported by iOS updates for a bit longer, investing the extra money into an iPhone 13 is well worth it.