Apple has announced the new iPhone 13 at its online event with a tweaked design, new cameras, and better performance. Despite the bump in the naming scheme, this is definitely an “S” year for the iPhone with a stronger focus on specs instead of design.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference you’ll spot between the old iPhone 12 and the new iPhone 13 on the outside (besides the repositioned camera sensors) is the screen. Apple has shrunken the notch on the new iPhones by 20 percent so that it doesn’t take up as much of the screen as before. In addition, the display itself can get 28 percent brighter up to 800 nits. On both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, the actual sizes of the screens remain the same at 6.1-inches and 5.4-inches, respectively.
Apple includes an A15 Bionic processor under the hood on the iPhone 13 which it says offers a new six-core CPU powered by two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. This, the company says, will help the iPhone 13 series perform 50 percent better than the competition. In addition, the new four-core GPU is 30 percent faster.
The cameras are a big focus for Apple this generation given how little everything else has changed. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini come with new 12MP sensors on the back, with a main f/1.6 lens and an ultra-wide f/2.4 120-degree lens. Apple says the new system can take in 47 percent more light compared to the previous generation (read: night photos will be improved), while stabilization will also be improved thanks to sensor-shift stabilization, a feature first introduced on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Apple also has a new feature called photographic styles which are basically presets for different styles of shooting. This way, you’ll be able to consistently capture photos that fit your aesthetic. Smart HDR 4 is also onboard with improved color, contrast, and lighting thanks to the upgraded image signal processor.
Apple is also introducing a new Cinematic mode for video capture, which lets you utilize rack focusing to quickly switch focus between a subject and its background. The feature can be used while recording video and after you’ve captured something, with editing available in iMovie for iOS and macOS as well as Final Cut Pro. You can also (obviously) shoot video in Dolby Vision HDR as well as 4K up to 60 frames per second.
Battery life is getting an upgrade on the iPhone 13. Apple says you can expect 1.5 hours of extra juice on the iPhone 13 mini compared to the 12 mini, while an extra 2.5 hours of stamina can be found on the iPhone 13 compared to the 12.
The rest of the iPhone 13 is virtually the same as the iPhone 12. Face ID hasn’t received any major upgrades, and there’s still a Lightning port on the bottom. The speakers are also the same, as is the overall design. Pricing is also identical to last year, with the iPhone 13 mini starting at $699 and the iPhone 13 at $799.
There are new colors, however: pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED. Storage has also been upgraded to 128GB on the base model, with a new 512GB configuration added as well. That means there’s no more a flagship iPhone with 64GB of storage, which is very nice to see.
Apple says the iPhone 13 will go up for preorder this Friday, September 17th. You’ll be able to purchase the device and its miniature counterpart on September 24th.
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