iPhone 13 Batteries Positively Excel at Video Streaming Compared to iPhone 12 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
Apple Event Logo

Apple to Release These 15 New Products Later This Year

Friday May 22, 2026 6:36 am PDT by
April and May have been relatively slow months for Apple this year, but there is a lot to look forward to heading into WWDC 2026 and beyond. Apple is expected to release at least 15 more products later this year, with some of them held up until the more personalized version of Siri launches. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches in September, Apple's all-new smart...
imac video apple feature

Apple Released Two New Accessories This Month

Friday May 22, 2026 12:24 pm PDT by
May has been a quiet stretch in terms of new Apple products, but the company did release two accessories on its online store this month. First up was a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. U.S. pricing is set at $49. The band is part of Apple's 2026 Pride Collection, which also includes a new Pride...

Top Rated Comments

DNichter Avatar
61 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)
61 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
61 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
61 months ago
That is a tremendous gain. Nice big leap in tech.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oblivious.Robot Avatar
61 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)
61 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)