iPhone 13 Batteries Positively Excel at Video Streaming Compared to iPhone 12

Apple has made much of its iPhone 13 battery life improvements, noting for example that the 13 Pro Max offers the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. However, when you look at Apple's own battery comparisons versus the iPhone 12 lineup, it's the streaming video performance that the company has eked out of its new smartphones that really stands out.

iphone 13 display

  • iPhone 12 mini: 10 hours
  • iPhone 12: 11 hours
  • iPhone 12 Pro: 11 hours
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max: 12 hours
  • iPhone 13 Mini: 13 hours
  • iPhone 13: 19 hours
  • iPhone 13 Pro: 20 hours
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max: 25 hours

The iPhone 13 lineup features new low-power displays, a more efficient A15 chip, larger batteries, and more power-efficient components, all of which make for dramatic improvements when streaming, as the numbers above show.

For example, Apple claims that when streaming video, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max last nine hours and 13 hours longer than last year's equivalent models, respectively. Taking the same metric, the battery in the iPhone 13 mini manages 13 hours, which is longer than even the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

With video streaming services so ubiquitous these days, not to mention Apple TV+ (and obliquely, Fitness+), Apple has clearly factored the computations involved into the power optimizations that it has achieved through the tight integration of its hardware and software.

Of course, battery life varies by use case and many other factors, so actual results will vary, but if they're anything near what Apple is claiming, binge-watching your favorite show should be a cinch on these latest devices.

(H/T to Jack for pointing this out!)

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...

Top Rated Comments

DNichter Avatar
54 months ago
This is the first time in years I have zero desire to upgrade my iPhone, but this is pretty impressive.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Serban55 Avatar
54 months ago
of course, that is what promotion is all about
watching video at 24hz will save battery a lot more than stuck on 60hz like all other iphone had it
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
54 months ago

of course, that is what promotion is all about
watching video at 24hz will save battery a lot more than stuck on 60hz like all other iphone had it

I suspect a lot is due to promotion limiting display power consumption.
But the iPhone 13 doesn't have promotion and has 19 hours listed over the 11 hours from the iPhone 12.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
54 months ago
That is a tremendous gain. Nice big leap in tech.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oblivious.Robot Avatar
54 months ago
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-12-pro-battery-health.2285325/page-28

Given that some of us had horrible experience with our iPhone 12 Pro Max batteries, I honestly hope that they have rectified and improved them in the 13 series. :confused:

9 months old, 128 cycle, 89% battery health. Went from amazing 2 day battery life, to needing to use low power mode just to make it through the day on a same usage pattern. As it's not 80% or below, Apple Support Rep said nothing is wrong with my battery and can't (won't) replace it under warranty. Sigh.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
54 months ago
Should be good news for the mini fans as battery life was one of the 12 mini's downside.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)