Apple iPhone 13 Pro review

Video quality

The iPhone 13 Pro can record video at up to 4K60 with all of its four cameras. 4K24 is also available across the board if you're after a more cinematic motion look. All videos are digitally stabilized - Apple calls this cinematic video stabilization, and it can't be turned off. All modes, including the 4K60, feature expanded dynamic range thanks to the Smart HDR. The slow-mo options max out at 1080p at 240fps.

You can also capture HDR videos straight into the Dolby Vision format up to the same maximum 4K60 (the previous generation was limited to 30fps). You can edit these videos on the go on your phone, you can upload them on YouTube or any other popular platform, or even send them to your friends. The Dolby Vision information is saved outside of the video stream, so the video will look normal to any non-HDR player/screen and will be boosted on any Dolby Vision compatible player and display.

You also have a choice between H.265 HEVC and H.264 video encoders. The High-Efficiency mode uses H.265 and is mandatory for 4K60 and HDR footage, while the More Compatible mode (H.264) provides easier playback across different devices.

The iPhone 13s, like the previous iPhones, capture wide stereo audio for the videos at about 192kbps.

We're seeing typical iPhone video performance out of the 13 Pro, and that means some of the best video quality out of a smartphone, specifically in good light. We're getting excellent dynamic range and lively colors, no noise and very good detail.

4K60 on the main cam, as well as on all other cameras, is as good as 4K30 - there's no quality penalty to be paid for the extra smoothness if you prefer to shoot that way. The same goes for 4K24 - you won't be able to spot a difference between frame grabs from the three frame rates.

The telephoto's output maintains the same great quality as the main camera's.

The ultrawide won't disappoint you either. It shows the same global properties as the other two, so you can expect spot-on color matching as well as exposure and dynamic range. The detail is also very good, but it's not quite up to the other two's standard.

Low-light videos out of the main camera aren't the best we've seen, but they are still pretty okay. We're getting accurate exposure and good dynamic range, and accurate colors with no loss of saturation. It's the level of sharpness and detail that could be improved upon, though things aren't bad as is.

3x zoom footage in these light conditions comes from the main camera, so it's understandably quite soft.

The ultrawide is similarly not too keen on shooting in the dark, but it does do an okay job with our difficult balcony scene. Exposure and dynamic range are excellent, and detail is about adequate.

Stabilization is properly great, as usual. You can count on the ultrawide and the main camera to almost completely iron out the walking shake, and they'll also maintain steady footage if you're just pointing the phone in one direction. The telephoto, too, is very well stabilized.

We didn't shoot a dedicated Cinematic mode sample on the 13 Pro, but we do have the one from the 13 Pro Max to show you. The Pros do work better than the non-Pros in this situation, and it's likely the best implementation of what's essentially Portrait mode for video that we've seen on a phone. It's still far from perfect, and we can't imagine it actually being useful in its current state as soon as the initial novelty wears off.

Here's a glimpse of how the Apple iPhone 13 Pro compares to rivals in our Video compare tool. Head over there for the complete picture.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro against the Galaxy S21 5G and the Oppo Find X3 Pro in our Video compare tool