The iPhone 13 Pro After 2 Years: Battered Back, 82% Battery Life, and iOS 26 Tempting an Upgrade

Battered Exterior, But Reliable Performance

I purchased the iPhone 13 Pro in late 2022. Back then, I thought I would take good care of it as it was the most expensive phone I had ever bought. But not long after, a moment of carelessness left the back shattered, with cracks spreading like a spider web to the frame and even the camera. It was a pity, but since the broken glass didn’t affect the functionality, I decided to leave it as it was and just use a case to prevent glass shards from falling out. Since then, it has served me well for both work and entertainment every day.

What surprises me is that despite the worn-out appearance, the phone’s performance remains unaffected. Basic tasks such as web browsing, photo editing, light gaming, or multitasking are still smooth. I’m currently running the latest iOS 18.5 and hardly experience any lag or frame drops. The phone does heat up occasionally when recording videos, playing intensive games, or editing RAW images, especially in hot weather, but it has never crashed or become unbearably laggy. I’ve also compared its performance with my colleague’s iPhone 15 Pro, and I barely notice any significant difference in processing speed; it’s just a matter of an extra second or two of waiting time.

However, there’s a minor issue that Apple hasn’t completely fixed since the iOS 17 update. When using the LabanKey keyboard and pressing the button to open the emoji selector, the phone often reverts to the default iOS keyboard. While not a serious problem, it is annoying as it happens daily, with the issue occurring once or twice out of every five times I type.

Battery at 81% But Still Sufficient, Unless Gaming

After about two years of use, my phone’s battery health is at 81%. In practice, this has less of an impact on my experience than I thought it would. On days when I use the phone lightly, mainly for reading, browsing social media, and taking a few photos, it still lasts from morning to evening, with screen-on time averaging 4-5 hours (compared to 7-8 hours when it was new). But if I also edit photos in Lightroom or shoot 4K videos, or play games, the battery starts draining rapidly. There was a time when editing RAW photos in Lightroom caused the phone to heat up and drain by over ten percent in just about 20 minutes. Playing mobile games like Arena of Valor or Wild Rift also consumes about ten percent of the battery per match, whereas previously, it would only use around five to seven percent.

Nonetheless, I don’t see a compelling reason to replace the battery yet. Partly because the cost of an official replacement is quite high (and I don’t fully trust third-party options), and partly because I have a power bank and have also switched to using a Galaxy S25 Ultra for gaming and photography. As a result, the iPhone 13 Pro has been “downgraded” to a secondary device, used when I don’t have both hands free and need the convenience of its compact size and the iOS ecosystem. That being said, iOS still excels in certain aspects compared to Android, particularly in its rich ecosystem of high-quality photo editing apps that are unavailable on Android.

Camera Still Sufficient But No Longer Impressive

The iPhone 13 Pro’s camera used to satisfy me, but after extended use and having tried newer phones (both iPhone and Android), I realize its image quality is no longer exceptional.

Photos usually retain a neutral color style, avoiding overly vibrant colors, and are highly compatible with popular photo editing apps and filters. However, the detail captured by the old 12MP sensor falls short when digital zoom is required, such as when shooting at 2x. Apple’s approach to handling detail gives a pleasant feeling, but it often looks overly “smooth,” resulting in images that appear dull and almost like paintings, with HDR effects that are sometimes overly dramatic and obvious.

Nonetheless, the camera is sufficient for my social media needs. For more distant subjects or higher-quality images, I have two reliable companions: the Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Sony camera.

No Plans to Upgrade

Upgrading to a new phone would cost me at least 20 to 30 million VND for an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro. (The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro will likely be even more expensive.) Compared to spending less than 2 million VND to replace the back glass and battery, I don’t see the need to upgrade. As long as iOS remains smooth, the battery lasts through the day, and the camera produces acceptable images, I don’t see a compelling reason to spend that much money on a new model.

My iPhone 13 Pro is no longer in pristine condition, and its age is starting to show in the battery and camera performance. Yet, realistically, it remains a capable daily driver for both entertainment and work.

While newer iPhone models offer exciting new technologies, in a time of rising phone prices, continuing to use a stable device seems like a sensible choice. For me, upgrading now wouldn’t be a step forward but rather an unnecessary expense and redundancy.

A Change of Heart with iOS 26?

Apple recently unveiled iOS 26, featuring a significant interface overhaul. The most impressive aspect is the new liquid glass effect applied to various interface elements, creating a smoother sense of motion, along with more matte glass and light-scattering effects that add depth to the overall look compared to the previous iOS version.

However, I’m concerned about installing iOS 26 on my two-year-old iPhone 13 Pro. These smooth and visually appealing effects will undoubtedly demand more from the device’s performance. If I update, the phone may struggle to handle the more complex image processing and rendering. Additionally, the device may automatically throttle performance to compensate for the aged battery, further exacerbating potential sluggishness with iOS 26.