Which iPhone to choose: 11, 12 or 13? | Shopping guide

In addition to iPhone 13launched at the end of last year, an Apple Still makes and sells iPhones 11 And the 12that hit stores in 2019 and 2020.

a g 1 I tested the three models, It explains the differences and explains the pros and cons of each iPhone.

a iPhone 11 is a choice Best value for money For anyone looking for a mobile phone ImplementationAnd the. The version with 64 GB of storage costs about 3800 R$ in major online stores.

Its design, with a glass and aluminum finish and rounded edges, looks a bit far from the newer models.

The iPhone 12 and 13 have a slightly different design, have straighter corners, and are finished in glass and ceramic — in a manufacturing process called Ceramic Shield by an Applewhich promises greater resistance against impacts.

However, the screen is of the same size, with 6.1 inches, in the three mobile phones.

Panel type is another difference: iPhone 11 has a panel type . screen LCD screen And models 12 and 13 screen OLEDbrighter, with higher contrast and better color reproduction.

iPhone 11 features a dual camera, with a wide-angle main lens and one with a wider aperture angle — allowing you to fit more information into a photo.

The an Apple The term “computational imaging” was based on the iPhone, which uses the camera sensor and the A13 Bionic processor to generate images with more detail. The pictures are very good, with great brightness, sharpness and colors with different types of luminosity, even at night.

It is worth highlighting the portrait mode on both cameras, which is getting better as the iPhone generation progresses. This mode leaves the background blurry and the subject in focus in the foreground, with various lighting adjustment options.

The iPhone 11 battery lasts a whole day, and it always needs to be recharged between 10 and 11 hours after it’s been unplugged. This does not mean that after approximately 11 hours of being unplugged, the smartphone will be completely discharged.. But it does give a general idea of ​​how long a battery can last.

performance tests and graphic evaluation (See how it is at the end of the report), being the oldest model, the iPhone 11 was the slowest of the bunch.

But being slower isn’t a problem. A13 Bionic processor runs well on iOS 15, which is the latest operating system from an Apple.

The iPhone 11 should receive updates until 2025, if the manufacturer follows the standard of six years of updates for older models.

On the communication side, the iPhone 11 can only access 4G networksFound all over Brazil. But this can be a problem for those who want to wait 5G networks launchedplanned this year in major capitals.

🛒 Where to buy the product:

a iPhone 12 It brought a good development among generations of mobile phones an Apple. It is the first iPhone he owns 5G connection. In online stores, iPhone 12 with 64GB storage was sold for R$4800 in mid-March.

The screen is still 6.1 inches, but the design has more “straightened” edges, somewhat reminiscent of the old iPhone 4 in a more modern look.

The ceramic cover on the front also makes the phone more stable. In addition, of the three iPhones, the 12 is the lightest: it weighs 164 grams, compared to 194 grams for the iPhone 11 and 173 grams for the iPhone 13.

The camera brings a slight change from the iPhone 11: the two lenses (wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle) have improved in the sensor, resulting in better results at night and very sharp during the day.

Battery life is similar to the iPhone 11, and it lasts a full day. The operating system is iOS 15, which should have updates until 2026, according to the brand’s older mobile style.

🛒 Where to buy the product:

a iPhone 13 you have one of The best smartphone cameras available today. And being “Model of the Year”, it is also the most expensive. It was priced at R$5,700 in online stores in early March, with 128GB of storage.

The dual camera has a main lens and a wide angle lens. Images captured with a 12MP main sensor have color reproduction as its main highlight.

It seems that when taking pictures during the day and at night, the colors on the screen are the same as they appear in front of you, without exaggeration and too sharp.

The 12MP ultra-wide lens magnifies the scene and generates high-quality images. And the 12MP selfies follow the impressive quality of the rear cameras.

iPhone 13 also brings an interesting video feature called Cinema. Allows switching auto focus when shooting multiple people at the same time, as if it were a movie camera.

in performance tests, iPhone 13 was the fastestbefore the other two iPhones – which was more expected. It also ranked first in graphics tests.

The battery, like other iPhones, lasts about 11 hours. It runs iOS 15, with OS updates estimated until 2027.

🛒 Where to buy the product:

Best camera: iPhone 13, with two lenses on the back, which do their job very well and bring results very close to what the human eye is accustomed to seeing. It’s the best choice for selfies too.

Highlight the cost and advantages: iPhone 11 so 5G network Not a priority, it remains an economical option with great durability.

if it was 5G network necessary in the near future, The best choice is iPhone 12which also has a better screen and camera.

What about the MINI versions? The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 both have mini versions (See iPhone 13 mini test)5.4 inch screen. It’s the same hardware and operating system, with a smaller battery capacity.

without charger The an Apple Sells iPhones without a charger in the box—suggests buying a 20W USB-C fast charger. The official model costs about R$200.

It should be noted that iPhones do not have a headphone jack. You must use one with a Lightning connector or coil Bluetooth phone.

How did you do the tests?

For performance tests, two apps were used: 3D Mark, from UL Laboratories, and GeekBench 5, from Primate Labs.

It simulates everyday smartphone tasks such as image processing, text editing, battery life, and web browsing, among others.

These tests run on different platforms – such as Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac OS – and allow you to compare performance among themselves, and create a benchmark for that comparison.

Battery tests were performed with daily use of the device.

This report has been produced with complete editorial independence by our team of dedicated journalists and collaborators. If a reader chooses to purchase a product from the links provided, Globo may earn revenue through business partnerships. We make it clear that Globo has no control over or responsibility for the final purchase experience, even if it is from available links. Questions or complaints regarding the purchased product and/or the purchase, payment and delivery process should be directed directly to the responsible retailer.

View all shopping guide videos