Is the iPhone 13 or iPhone 15 better in 2026?

For most people the iPhone 13 is the smarter buy in 2026. It runs the same iOS 18, handles daily tasks with ease, and costs far less refurbished. Choose the iPhone 15 only if you want its 48MP camera, USB-C port, or Dynamic Island.

Should I upgrade from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 15?

Upgrade if you care about photography or want USB-C charging. The iPhone 15 adds a 48MP main camera, a brighter screen, and a faster A16 chip. If your iPhone 13 still feels fast and your photos look good, the upgrade is hard to justify.

Is it worth buying a refurbished iPhone 13 in 2026?

Yes. A refurbished iPhone 13 often starts under $200 on RefurbMe, runs iOS 18, and still receives software updates. It is one of the best value iPhones you can buy, especially from sellers like Back Market and Amazon Renewed.

What is the main difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15?

The biggest differences are the camera and the port. The iPhone 15 has a 48MP main camera versus the 13's 12MP, and it uses USB-C instead of Lightning. It also adds Dynamic Island and the faster A16 Bionic chip.

Does the iPhone 15 have a 120Hz screen?

No. The standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 13 both use a 60Hz OLED display. ProMotion with a 120Hz refresh rate is reserved for the Pro models, so the two phones scroll at the same rate.

Is the iPhone 15 battery much better than the iPhone 13?

Only slightly. The iPhone 15 has a marginally larger battery and a more efficient A16 chip, which adds roughly an hour of video playback. Both phones comfortably last a full day of normal use.

iPhone 13 vs. 15: What's Better for You?

The iPhone 13 is the better buy for most people in 2026: refurbished, it starts under $200 and still runs the latest iOS, while the iPhone 15 costs nearly twice as much for gains you may never notice. Pick the iPhone 15 only if you want its 48MP camera, USB-C, or Dynamic Island. Everyone else saves money and loses little with the 13.

Both phones now sell as refurbished, so the question is no longer which is newer. It is which features justify the price gap. This guide breaks down the specs, the real differences, and what each model costs today on RefurbMe, where prices come from sellers like Back Market, Amazon Renewed, and Apple.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Specs comparison table
Reasons to choose the iPhone 13
Reasons to choose the iPhone 15
iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: What are the differences?
Conclusion
FAQ

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: Specs comparison table

Both phones share a 6.1-inch OLED screen and Face ID. The iPhone 15 pulls ahead on the camera, the chip, and the port. Refurbished prices below are live from RefurbMe sellers, with Back Market, Amazon Renewed, and Apple among the listings.

Feature	iPhone 13	iPhone 15
Dimensions	5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight	6.14 oz 174 g	6.02 oz 171 g
Screen size	6.1 inches (Super Retina XDR, OLED)	6.1 inches (Super Retina XDR, OLED)
Resolution	2532 x 1170 pixels, 460 ppi	2556 x 1179 pixels, 460 ppi
Processor	A15 Bionic	A16 Bionic
RAM	4 GB	6 GB (LPDDR5)
Main camera	Dual 12 MP (Wide: f/1.6, Ultra-Wide: f/2.4)	48 MP (f/1.6, wide) + 12 MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.4)
Front camera	12 MP (f/2.2)	12 MP (f/1.9)
Battery life	Up to 19 hours (video playback)	Up to 20 hours (video playback)
Charging	MagSafe and Qi wireless, 20W fast charging	MagSafe and Qi wireless, 20W fast charging
Storage options	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
Max OS compatibility	iOS 18	iOS 18
Connectivity	5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Lightning	5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C
Water resistance	IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)	IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
Material	Aluminum frame, Ceramic Shield front, glass back	Aluminum frame, Ceramic Shield front, glass back
Additional features	Face ID, Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)	Face ID, Dual eSIM support, Dynamic Island
Price (new)	Starting at	Starting at
Price (refurbished)	Starting at	Starting at

Reasons to choose the iPhone 13

The cheapest way into a recent iPhone. Refurbished, it often starts under $200 on RefurbMe, with Back Market and Amazon Renewed among the sellers.
Runs iOS 18 and is in line for more updates, so it stays current for years.
Handles everyday work without strain: calls, browsing, messaging, and most apps.
Keeps a strong dual 12MP camera that covers daily photography.
Lasts a full day for average use.
A familiar design with no new hardware to learn.
The smart pick when you do not need the newest camera or USB-C.

Reasons to choose the iPhone 15

A 48MP main camera that captures far more detail than the 13's 12MP sensor.
Better low-light photos thanks to the larger sensor and Photonic Engine.
Dynamic Island replaces the notch and shows live alerts and activities.
A brighter screen that is easier to read in direct sun.
The faster A16 Bionic chip for smoother gaming and heavier apps.
USB-C charging, so one cable works across your laptop, iPad, and accessories.
Worth the extra spend if photography or future-proofing matters to you.

iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 15: What are the differences?

The two phones look alike and share a screen size, but the iPhone 15 leads on camera, chip, and connectivity. Below is where the money goes, point by point, so you can decide whether the upgrade earns its price.

Design and build quality

Both phones carry Apple's rounded edges, aerospace-grade aluminum frame, and Ceramic Shield front glass. The iPhone 15 refines the look with color-infused matte glass on the back, which resists fingerprints better than the 13's glossy finish.

iPhone 15 Image by: Apple

Both models keep IP68 water and dust resistance. The iPhone 15 weighs 171 g against the 13's 174 g, a difference you will rarely feel. The real design change is the Dynamic Island, which turns the screen cutout into a live status area for calls, timers, and music. The iPhone 13 keeps the older notch.

Dynamic Island Image by: Apple

Display technology and screen size

Both phones use a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel with the same 460 ppi sharpness, so day to day the screens look nearly identical. The iPhone 15 edges ahead on brightness.

Its display reaches a higher peak brightness than the 13's, which makes outdoor reading easier and HDR content punchier. Neither phone has ProMotion, so both run at a 60Hz refresh rate. If you want the 120Hz smoothness, you need a Pro model, not the standard 13 or 15.

Color accuracy and HDR handling improve slightly on the 15, but for browsing, video, and social apps the gap is small. The screen is not the reason to pay more for the 15.

Processor and performance upgrades

The iPhone 15 runs the A16 Bionic, a step up from the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13. Both chips are fast, and both feel instant for everyday tasks.

iPhone 13

The A16 is built on a 4nm process and adds a faster GPU, which shows up most in gaming, heavy photo editing, and graphics work. For calls, messaging, and standard apps, the A15 keeps pace and rarely feels slow.

The 15 also carries 6GB of RAM against the 13's 4GB. That extra headroom helps with AI apps and heavy multitasking, and it gives the 15 a longer runway for future iOS versions. For most users the difference is felt over years, not days.

Storage options and memory configurations

Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 ship in the same three sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Light users who lean on cloud storage are fine at 128GB; people who shoot a lot of video or keep large app libraries should size up.

The memory gap is the real split. The iPhone 13 has 4GB of RAM, the iPhone 15 has 6GB. That extra 2GB keeps more apps alive in the background and smooths out demanding work.

If you switch between many apps, run resource-heavy software, or want the phone to age well, the 15's extra RAM earns its place. For everyday use, the 13's 4GB still holds up.

Camera improvements and features

The camera is the clearest reason to choose the iPhone 15. It jumps from the 13's 12MP main sensor to a 48MP main camera, which captures far more detail and lets you crop without losing sharpness.

The iPhone 15 also adds a 2x telephoto option that crops into the 48MP sensor for a closer shot without a separate lens, something the iPhone 13 cannot do. The ultra-wide stays at 12MP but gains better color and noise handling from the Photonic Engine.

Video improves too, with Cinematic mode in 4K at up to 30 fps and Action mode for steadier handheld clips. Both features are absent on the iPhone 13. If photography drives your choice, the 15 is the clear pick. If you shoot the occasional photo, the 13's camera is still good.

Battery life and charging

Battery life is close. The iPhone 15 carries a slightly larger battery, around 3,349mAh, against the 3,240mAh in the iPhone 13, and its A16 chip is a touch more efficient. In practice the 15 buys roughly an extra hour of video playback.

Both phones last a full day for typical use and support 20W wired charging, which reaches about 50% in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is the same on both: 15W MagSafe and 7.5W Qi.

The big change is the port. The iPhone 15 switches from Lightning to USB-C, so one cable charges your phone, laptop, iPad, and most accessories. The iPhone 13 keeps Lightning, which means a separate cable in 2026.

Conclusion

The iPhone 15 wins on the camera, the chip, the screen brightness, and the move to USB-C. It is the better phone on paper, and it is the right buy if photography or long-term use matters to you.

The iPhone 13 wins on value. It runs the same iOS 18, handles daily life with ease, and costs far less refurbished, often under $200 against the 15's higher price. For most people, that gap decides it. Both still get software support for years to come.

If you want to spend less, buy refurbished. RefurbMe compares certified refurbished iPhones across sellers like Back Market, Amazon Renewed, and Apple, so you see the lowest price and the warranty on each listing before you buy.

🆚 Related reviews:

FAQ

Last updated: Jun 9, 2026 · First published: Aug 13, 2024