The iPhone X was one of Apple’s more significant design evolutions. A design that remained in the following releases due to its uniqueness and beauty. Certainly, the iPhone X and the iPhone 13 have essential differences beyond the performance and quality of their camera. In this post, we want to share all the differences you will find between the iPhone X and the iPhone 13, so you can decide which one is the best for you.
Table of contents
Reasons to buy the iPhone X
- Aesthetically pleasing, iconic design.
- Very affordable due to its age and discontinued status.
- High-quality camera setup with wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
- Support for wireless charging.
- Offers a compact design with a 5.8-inch display.
- Dual stereo speakers for a better audio experience.
256GB storage
Space Gray
Reasons to buy the iPhone 13
- Larger 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with increased brightness.
- A15 Bionic chip with 16-core Neural Engine offering enhanced performance.
- Improved camera setup with wide-angle, ultra wide-angle lenses and higher-resolution front camera.
- Supports 5G connectivity.
- Larger base storage of 128GB.
- Long-lasting battery life with support for MagSafe charging.
- Squared-off design reminiscent of iPhone 4 and 5 models.
- Compatible with iOS 17
256GB storage
Blue
iPhone X vs. iPhone 13: Specs comparison table
We want to put on this table the purely technical data of the iPhone X vs. the iPhone 13. This way, you can have an approximate view of what we will show you in the rest of the article.
| Feature | iPhone X | iPhone 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm |
| Weight | 6.14 ounces 174 g | 6.14 ounces 174 g |
| Colors | Silver Space gray | Blue Pink Red (Product Red) Midnight White starlight |
| Display | 5.8″ Super Retina HD (OLED) | 6.1” Super Retina XDR (OLED) |
| Resolution | 2,436 x 1,125 at 458 pixels per inch | 2,532 x 1,170 at 460 pixels per inch |
| Brightness | 625 nits (typical) | 800 nits (typical) and up to 1,200 nits (HDR) |
| Processor | A11 Bionic with 2-core Neural Engine | A15 Bionic with 16-core Neural Engine |
| Internal memory | 64 GB 256 GB | 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB |
| Battery | 2.716 mAh | 3.227 mAh |
| Speakers | Dual stereo speakers | Dual stereo speakers |
| Front camera | 7 Mpx True Depth camera with f/2.2 aperture | 12 Mpx True Depth camera with f/2.2 aperture |
| Rear camera | Wide-angle: 12 Mpx with f/1.8 aperture Telephoto: 12 Mpx with f/2.4 aperture | Wide-angle: 12 Mpx with f/1.6 aperture Ultra wide-angle: 12 MP at f/2.4 aperture |
| Max OS compatibility | iOS 16 | iOS 17 |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe charging | No | Yes |
| Face ID | Yes | Yes |
| Touch ID | No | No |
| Price | Starting at | Starting at |
As you can see, both devices have significant differences regarding their display, battery, camera, and processor speed, among others. The iPhone 13’s redesign, while it is not huge, can surely make a difference when you hold it. Let’s see everything in detail, shall we?
iPhone X vs. iPhone 13: Review and differences
Display
The screen is one of the fundamental aspects of an iPhone and any device. It’s the element we are always in contact with. Therefore, manufacturers and users alike are very demanding regarding the quality of the smartphone’s screens.
The first thing worth mentioning about the iPhone 13 is that its screen is larger than the iPhone X’s. While the latter has a 5.8-inch screen, the former has a 6.1-inch screen. But not everything is about size. The evolution of the iPhone 13’s screen is also remarkable concerning brightness.
The screen of the iPhone X is a Super Retina HD, while that of the iPhone 13 is a Super Retina XDR, both with OLED technology. The maximum brightness reaches only 625 nits in the X model, while in the 13, it goes up to 800 nits or even 1200 nits with HDR content. Both feature True Tone technology and a wide color gamut. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the resolution has also improved, although slightly in this case.
Design
The design is the most noticeable change between one device and the other. As we mentioned before, the iPhone X was the model that undoubtedly introduced the most changes since the first iPhone. And this is not only regarding the design; it also implies a new way of using your device through different gestures. iPhone 13 inherited the renewed design that occurred with the iPhone 12 generation.
iPhone X and iPhone 13’s appearance may look similar, but the latter has more squared edges. This indeed reminds us of the old iPhone 4 and 5 models that made users fall in love the first time. Even if it seems like a minimal redesign—and it can be—it completely changes your feeling when holding the phone in your hand.
In addition, the notch is now 20% smaller. The functionality is identical; you can expect the same great TrueDepth camera system and Face ID. The notch, however smaller, may still be a distraction for some users who use white background apps in portrait orientation, such as Gmail. At the same time, the power button, the ringer switch, and the volume buttons are placed slightly lower compared to the iPhone X.
👉 Learn more: Why Is There No iPhone 9 and iPhone 10?
Camera
The iPhone cameras have been the best of the best throughout the years, and the iPhone 13 does not break with tradition. About the rear camera, The iPhone X has a wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture and a telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture. On the other hand, the iPhone 13 keeps the wide-angle lens, improving the aperture to an f/1.6 and changing the telephoto lens to an ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.4 aperture.
You can also find significant differences between the two devices on the front. First, the iPhone X has a TrueDepth camera with an f/2.2 aperture and 7 Mpx, similar to the iPhone XS. The iPhone 13 also offers a TrueDepth camera with the same aperture but raises the number of megapixels to 12.
The improvement in photography and video lies in the lenses of the devices and the chips. The iPhone X has the A11 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 13 enjoys the A15 Bionic, an evolution that, without any doubt, makes the difference. With the iPhone 13, you can enjoy features like Night mode, Deep Fusion, and the Apple ProRAW functionality—the latter only found in Pro and Max versions.
Storage
The base storage for the iPhone X is 64B, while the iPhone 13 comes with 128GB. Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone X have versions with 256GB of storage. However, only the iPhone 13 has a top-end variant with 512GB—and the Pro and Pro Max variants have up to 1TB of storage.
As for the RAM, the most significant advantage the iPhone 13 does have is its 4GB, while the iPhone X shipped with 3GB. The additional gig of RAM means the iPhone 13 is much better at multitasking than the iPhone X.
Performance
The A15 Bionic chip of the iPhone 13 performs much better than the A11 Bionic chip of the iPhone X. The new processor is ahead of the A11 chip, which only has a two-core neural engine, while the A15 has a 16-core neural engine.
Apple has always been able to perfectly optimize the performance of its iPhones and devices in general, which is one of its strengths as a company. However, the differences between the two won’t be that noticeable for users who make more or less regular use of them.
👉 Related article: 15 Best Classic and Old iPhone Games You Can Still Play
Lastly, one of the biggest differences between the iPhone X vs. the iPhone 13 is the maximum OS compatibility. The iPhone 13 is compatible with the latest iOS 17, while the X will only be compatible with iOS 16.
Battery life and charging
Ah, the battery. That is the neverending worry of a smartphone user and, obviously, of an iPhone. The battery life of an iPhone has been called into question multiple times. Now, Apple has been trying to improve the autonomy of its new devices. This means a considerable improvement for the iPhone 13, even considering the size of 6.1 inches.
If we look at the official data, we see how video playback on the iPhone X can reach up to 13 hours, while on the iPhone 13, it increases to 19 hours. The same goes for video playback, which in the X model reaches up to 60 hours, while in the 13, it increases to 75 hours. These numbers are quite considerable, and if you want the best in terms of battery, iPhone 13 Pro Max is the king of the hill.
About charging, iPhone X has a Lightning port and the possibility of using wireless charging features that the iPhone 13 also has. The newest model adds another alternative: charging the device with MagSafe technology and its compatible accessories. In any case, both models enjoy fast charging and can charge up to 50% of the battery in just 30 minutes using a 20W or higher power adapter.
👉 Related article: 7 Best MagSafe Accessories for Your iPhone
Connectivity
All iPhone 13 models include 5G connectivity, while the iPhone X doesn’t. It might not have been something to consider shortly after the iPhone 13 release since the 5G network is not fully developed yet, especially in some countries. Still, it is more important now and will be even more in the future.
It is also worth mentioning that the iPhone 13 is equipped with the Apple-designed U1 chip that has Ultra Wideband availability. It supports AirTags tracking, which allows you to track personal items with an iPhone or other Apple devices.
In any case, if you know that 5G connectivity is not primordial for you right now or in the coming years, you can pay attention to the other upgrades mentioned in this article that could satisfy you better.
The verdict
The iPhone X. vs. the iPhone 13 battle has a clear winner, which is not surprising. The iPhone 13 is a better phone than the iPhone X in every possible way. Its performance is exceptional, it has a better and more robust screen, the camera’s improvements are outstanding, the battery life has increased significantly, it’s compatible with iOS 17, and it supports 5G connectivity.
However, if you want a beautiful phone with a good camera, and good performance for basic and some advanced tasks, the iPhone X is still a good choice—and quite cheap! Moreover, the release of the new iPhone 14 has driven the prices of the iPhone X and the iPhone 13 even lower.
The iPhone X is discontinued from the official store, but you can still buy a refurbished model here on RefurbMe. We list great deals from refurbishers like decluttr, Back Market, Gazelle, and ItsWorthMore. You can also buy a refurbished iPhone 13 or a new iPhone 13 on our platform.
A refurbished model has the exact same functionalities as a brand-new one and includes a warranty. In fact, Apple refurbishes its own iPhones with the same quality standards as factory-new models.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to check out the following articles comparing other related releases to consider more options:
👉 iPhone X vs. iPhone 12
👉 iPhone X vs. iPhone 11
👉 iPhone 11 vs. iPhone 13
👉 iPhone SE 3 vs. iPhone 13
Good luck!
