Today’s comparison is going to be something a lot of people will be interested in, because honestly, I personally want to help you save your money in every possible way. I don’t want you to waste your hard-earned money just to look cool.
So today, we are comparing iPhone 17 vs iPhone 13 Pro. You wanted to know the real difference between these phones in detail, so here we are.
Now look if you go to buy an iPhone 17 today, you’ll need to spend at least around $999. With discounts, you may get it for $900 to $950. On the other hand, if you look at the iPhone 13 Pro, a lot of things are still similar. In some areas, it even offers a better camera. And most importantly, it’s much cheaper. You can get it for around $350 to $400.
So the big question is:
Should you save money and buy a second-hand iPhone 13 Pro, or go for a brand-new iPhone 17?
You’ll get your answer.
Design Comparison
Let’s start with the design. The iPhone 13 Pro launched in 2021, so it’s been almost 4–5 years. When you compare it with the latest iPhone 17, honestly, the difference is not that big.
To be honest, I personally still like the 13 Pro’s design more. Sierra Blue color, one of the finest blue shades Apple has ever launched. It looks amazing. Plus, it has a stainless steel body, which doesn’t lose its shine easily. You can even get it polished again and it’ll shine like new. Even today, it still looks very premium. Anyone can tell from a distance that it’s a flagship iPhone.
The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has an aluminum body with frosted glass back. The back glass looks similar on both phones, and the Apple logo placement is also centered. The glass is not wrapped with any colored sheet, it’s infused directly into the glass, which only Apple does. Most Android brands still use colored films under the glass.
The 17 has a dual camera setup, while the 13 Pro has a triple camera. One downside of aluminum frames is that if they fall, the color can chip off easily. Stainless steel doesn’t lose color quickly, but it does show dents.
In size, both phones are almost similar. Surprisingly, the iPhone 17 is 8mm thick, while the 13 Pro is 7.7mm which feels a bit odd. The 13 Pro is much heavier at 204g, due to stainless steel. The iPhone 17 is only 177g, so it feels much lighter in the hand.
Button placement is mostly the same. The right side has the power button. On this US variant of the 13 Pro, what looks like a capture button is actually the mmWave antenna. On the iPhone 17, that same area has the new Capture Button.
On the left side, the 13 Pro has the alert slider, while the 17 has the customizable Action Button. The SIM tray and volume rockers are in the same position.
At the bottom, the 13 Pro still uses the Lightning port, which is now outdated and annoying because you need to carry an extra cable. The iPhone 17 has USB-C, so one cable works for everything.
In-hand feelings are subjective. Personally, I slightly lean towards the 13 Pro for a premium feel, but its sharp edges can dig into your hand. The iPhone 17 feels softer and lighter, so it’s more comfortable for long use.
Display Comparison
The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina OLED display with 120Hz ProMotion. This is huge because it’s the first normal (non-Pro) iPhone to get ProMotion. Earlier, Apple was stuck with 60Hz.
The iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED LTPO display, also with 120Hz ProMotion. So both are equally smooth.
However, the screen-to-body ratio is better on the iPhone 17 at 90.1%, while the 13 Pro sits around 86%, which means thicker bezels on the 13 Pro.
On top, the 13 Pro has the old notch, while the 17 has the Dynamic Island, which looks much more modern.
Brightness is a big difference:
- iPhone 17: Up to 3000 nits peak brightness
- iPhone 13 Pro: Up to 1200 nits peak brightness
Both support Dolby Vision and HDR10, but outdoor visibility is clearly better on the 17.
HBM (High Brightness Mode):
- 13 Pro: 1000 nits
- 17: 1600 nits
Apple has also added anti-reflective coating and Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17. The glass is extremely tough. I’m personally using my iPhone 17 Pro without a screen protector or cover and there are no scratches at all. Even JerryRigEverything confirmed how tough this glass is.
The 13 Pro has normal glass, which gets scratched easily so a screen protector is a must.
Speakers & Haptics
Both phones have stereo speakers. Since our 13 Pro is second-hand, we can’t fairly judge its speakers. But generally, the 17 sounds better.
Haptics are almost identical on both. Sometimes the 13 Pro even feels slightly stronger.
Performance
The iPhone 13 Pro runs on the A15 Bionic (5nm).
The iPhone 17 runs on the A19 (3nm).
Benchmark scores:
- 13 Pro: ~1.1 million
- 17: ~2 million
In daily usage, apps open at nearly the same speed. But gaming is where the difference shows. Heavy games the 13 Pro heat up quickly, while the 17 handles them much better.
For video editing, 4K rendering is faster on the 17 thanks to the better GPUeven though both have 5-core GPUs.
RAM:
- 13 Pro: 6GB RAM
- 17: 8GB RAM + Apple Intelligence support
Storage speed is also much faster on the 17 (81,000 vs 38,000). Heavy files, edits, uploads, and downloads feel quicker on the 17.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 17 has:
- 48MP main camera
- 40MP ultra-wide
- Lossless 2x zoom
The iPhone 13 Pro has:
- 12MP main
- 12MP ultra-wide
- 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom
Photos from both look very similar in normal viewing. Only when you zoom in do differences appear.
- 13 Pro gives warmer skin tones
- 17 gives cooler tones
- Dynamic range is slightly better on the 17
- Telephoto shots are better on the 13 Pro because of the dedicated lens
Portrait mode sometimes works better on the 13 Pro due to the dedicated depth sensor.
Video:
- Both shoot 4K 60fps
- Cinematic Mode:
- iPhone 17: 4K 30fps
- 13 Pro: 1080p 30fps
- iPhone 17: 4K 30fps
Connectivity & Software
The iPhone 17 has a new custom modem for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Differences aren’t huge right now, but long-term reliability may be better.
Both phones support 5G, and 5G works perfectly on both.
Both run iOS 26 with the same customization features. But the 13 Pro will likely only receive 2 more years of major updates, while the 17 will last much longer.
The 13 Pro also heats up even in normal use. During this shoot, it reached 32°C, while the 17 stayed around 27°C.
Battery & Charging
- iPhone 17: 3692mAh battery + 40W fast charging
- iPhone 13 Pro: ~3000mAh + slow charging
- The iPhone 17 clearly lasts longer and charges much faster.
Also remember:
The 13 Pro is only available refurbished, so battery health will usually be around 80–90%, which affects performance.
Final Verdict (iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 17)
If you are a hard-core user, gamer, editor, or performance lover, go straight for the iPhone 17.
But if you are a normal user of Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, camera use and want to save money, the iPhone 13 Pro is still a very smart choice in 2025.
Now tell me in the comments:
Which one would you choose iPhone 17 or iPhone 13 Pro?
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