Apple goes big with the iPhone 13: bigger camera, battery, storage, same price
All new iPhone 13 features
After all, the 12 was the most popular among last year's crop, and there will be plenty of upgrades to the 13 series, even from 12 Pro Max owners, so what's new with the iPhone 13?
New iPhone 13 design, display, and colors, who 'dis?
Notch shrinkage, thicc as thieves
- Colors: Pink, Blue, Starlight, Midnight, (RED)
- Display: Ceramic Shield, up to 1200 nits brightness for HDR content
As rumored, Apple has shrunk the notch by roughly 25% by moving the earpiece up top, and miniaturizing the Face ID kit components further. The back has gotten a diagonal camera lens setup on account of the larger sensors which are seemingly inherited directly from last year's 12 Pro/Max models.
Both front and back design changes are immediately noticeable, making the iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 differences very visible. Rest assured, everyone on the club table and on the street will know you are rocking the latest iPhone model when you get the 13.
Apple kept the rich palette of the color scheme, too, as the iPhone 13 is available in pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and Product (RED), something for everyone's taste but the most somber of business people.
The iPhone 13 display is perhaps its most unexpected upgrade. With a typical brightness of 800 nits, it can go up to 1200 nits for high dynamic range content and earn its certification with aplomb.
Will my iPhone 12 case fit the iPhone 13?
No.
A larger battery necessitated a slightly thicker body, while the slightly offset buttons around the iPhone 13, and the rearranged camera bump mean that your iPhone 12 case won't fit the iPhone 13 now, bummer. Apple will gladly sell you a variety of new iPhone 13 silicone, leather, and hard cases, though, so you'll be starting completely fresh indeed.
The iPhone 13 camera, A15 chipset, and longer battery life are its biggest specs upgrades
Oh, the snaps you'll shoot!
Taking a cue from the Pro versions of yesteryear, the iPhone 13 has seemingly borrowed the main camera module of the 12 Pro Max, complete with its Sensor Shift image stabilization. We all know the great pictures that the 12 Pro Max takes, and the larger sensor is now going mainstream on the iPhone 13, ready to capture cleaner, sharper Night mode shots.
The ultrawide angle camera got an upgrade, too, а "custom-designed Ultra Wide camera with a new sensor," says Apple, perhaps able to collect more light in and snap sharper, better looking group and landscape pictures. All in all, a brand new camera set awaits you on the iPhone 13, even if you are coming from last year's 12, let alone if you'll be doing the most popular iPhone 11 to iPhone 13 upgrade.
New iPhone 13 ultrawide camera
When we add the new Apple A15 chipset that is crafted with the second generation of a 5nm process that Apple was first to use with the iPhone 12, the camera advancements become even more effortless.
The crazy power that A15 offers now allows Apple to do some professional photography and editing tricks such as a Cinematic video mode that adds adjustable bokeh to the footage and requires an insane amount of processing oomph to work right.
Cinematic portrait video mode on the iPhone 13 series
Don't expect killer benchmark scores, though, the A15 is just about 7% faster than the A14 but is more power-efficient, which should bode well for the iPhone 13 battery life from the larger, 3095mAh pack that Apple now uses.
Apple iPhone 13 camera samples
iPhone 13 vs 13 Pro/Max and 13 mini specs, fight!
iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 13 Mini | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 6.1" 60Hz | 6.7" 120Hz | 6.1" 120Hz | 5.4" 60Hz |
Processor | Apple A15 (5nm 2nd gen) | Apple A15 (5nm 2nd gen) | Apple A15 (5nm 2nd gen) | Apple A15 (5nm 2nd gen) |
Camera(s) | 12MP main (F1.6, 1.7 μm) 12MP ultrawide f/2.4 aperture Sensor Shift stabilization | 12MP main (F1.5, 1.9 μm) 12MP ultrawide f/1.8 aperture 12 MP 3x telephoto | 12MP main (F1.6, 1.9 μm) 12MP ultrawide f/1.8 aperture 12 MP 3x telephoto | 12MP main (F1.6, 1.7 μm) 12MP ultrawide f/2.4 aperture Sensor Shift stabilization |
Battery | 3095mAh, 2.5 hours longer battery life | 4352mAh, 2.5 hours longer battery life | 3095mAh, 1.5 hours longer battery life | 2406mAh, 1.5 hours longer battery life |
Storage | up to 512GB | up to 1TB | up to 1TB | up to 512GB |
Price(s) | from $799 | from $1099 | from $999 | from $699 |
New iPhone 13 storage options, same price
Very un-Apple, smells like socialism
- Prices: $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1099 (512GB)
- Release date: September 24, pre-orders start September 17
All those camera and processing upgrades won't come cheap? Why, the iPhone 13 is priced similar to its predecessor at launch - $799 for the base 128GB model - and going in $100 increment from there to the 256GB, then $300 more for the new 512GB storage option. The iPhone 13 pre-orders start Friday, September 17, and you'll be getting them on launch day, September 24.
iPhone 13/Pro/Max/mini prices
Wait, what, the iPhone 13 now comes with at least 128GB of storage?! That's right, the spirit of Gandhi finally flew over the ocean and anointed Apple's sales and marketing team to come up with the best gift they could give to iPhone fans, the gift of storage.
What do you think, did Apple hit the sweet iPhone 13 128GB price spot this time around?
Things that are NOT allowed: