iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 13: Key Differences in Apple's Evolution Over Three Years

Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup has arrived, and if you’re looking to upgrade from the iPhone 13 or earlier, there are a lot of new hardware and features that could make it worth considering. The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max were unveiled at Apple’s Glowtime event on Monday, and even the base models have seen noticeable design changes from Apple’s earlier iPhones. The biggest changes to the $799 iPhone 16 include a dedicated Camera Control button, the Action button (which has trickled down from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro), and the Apple Intelligence platform. Apple Intelligence aims to take advantage of generative AI for summarizing text or creating new emoji, among other features.

If you’re hanging on to an iPhone 13 from 2021 and considering an upgrade, there are even more advances in the iPhone 16 that you should keep in mind. Here are some key differences, or you can scroll down to our specs charts below for a side-by-side comparison.

Camera

The iPhone 16 has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, compared to the dual 12-megapixel cameras on the iPhone 13. This should allow for better image quality as well as more advanced photography features on the iPhone 16.

Processor

The iPhone 16 is powered by the newer A18 chip, which in theory should make it much faster than the A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13. It also enables new AI features.

Apple Intelligence

The iPhone 16 supports Apple Intelligence, which includes a more context-aware Siri, built-in writing support and audio summaries, among other changes. The timeline and rollout of these AI features aren’t clear. But the iPhone 13, which is due to receive iOS 18, won’t be able to support them all due to hardware limitations such as its current chipset.

USB-C Connector

Apple switched to a USB-C port in its iPhone line, moving away from its Lightning port starting with last year’s iPhone 15. This change was largely driven by European Union regulations that prohibited Apple from selling iPhones in the bloc in 2025 unless it had USB-C. The iPhone 13 uses Apple’s proprietary connector, so you’ll likely need to replace your charging cable. Apple includes a USB-C cable in the box, so you’ll just need to make sure it works with your charger.

Dynamic Island

This pill-shaped cutout first graced 2022’s iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and is now a signature feature on the iPhone. In essence, it’s an area on top of the iPhone’s display, which serves as an interactive hub and shapeshifts depending on the apps you’re running. The Dynamic Island is not available on the iPhone 13.

Perhaps the biggest changes will be the quality of your photos with the newer iPhone 16, access to Apple Intelligence and other features that the iPhone 16’s newer processor can take better advantage of. If you keep the iPhone 13, you will get iOS 18 and several new features including RCS texting and new homescreen customization controls. Many of those features will also come to earlier iPhone models, with the iOS 18 update set to hit devices as far back as 2018’s iPhone XS and XR. Some of the more minor considerations include the Dynamic Island and the new hardware buttons such as the Action button, the Camera Control button and the USB-C port.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 13