Apple has virtually unveiled the all-new iPhone 13 series from its home base in Cupertino. The latest in Apple flagship smartphones features some enticing upgrades, including the introduction of ultra-smooth 120hz displays to the iPhone and the all-new Cinematic Mode.
All models of the iPhone 13 are available for preorder starting at 5 AM on Friday, September 17. They will be available on September 24.
iPhone 13 Models and Prices
Mirroring the iPhone 12 series, the iPhone 13 series is made up of four models varying in size, features, and price:
- Apple iPhone 13 mini (5.4") starting at $699
- Apple iPhone 13 (6.1") starting at $799
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro (6.1") starting at $999
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (6.7") starting at $1,099
iPhone 13 128GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 12MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 13 256GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 12MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 13 512GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 12MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 13 mini 128GB
- 5.4 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 12MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 13 mini 256GB
- 5.4 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 12MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
How to Get the iPhone 13
All models of the Apple iPhone 13 series are available for preorder starting at 5 AM on Friday, September 17, and will be on shelves and in customers' hands on September 24. You can order your iPhone 13 directly from Apple or through major carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
These are the deals each of the major carriers is offering upon preorder of the iPhone 13 series:
- AT&T:
- Get $700 off the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini with trade-in
- Get $1,000 off the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max with trade-in
- T-Mobile:
- Get up to $1,000 off any model of the iPhone 13 series with trade-in on T-Mobile Magenta MAX
- Verizon:
- Get $700 off the iPhone 13 mini
- Get $800 off the iPhone 13
- Get $1,000 off the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max
What's New with the iPhone 13
As always, there are some flashy new upgrades with the iPhone 13 to catch the eyes of the tech enthusiasts (especially, if you shoot a lot of videos), and some that will be appreciated by all users. Here are some of the more notable updates for the iPhone 13 devices.
Improved battery life
Fancy cameras are cool and all, and faster processors sound good even if most of us could barely notice the difference, but what most of us want is better battery life. Apple took note of the criticisms regarding battery life for the iPhone 12 series and addressed the issue with the iPhone 13 series. The new A15 Bionic chip is more efficient, which helps a ton, but also Apple went and redesigned the insides of each model to make room for bigger batteries without increasing the size of the phones.
Compared to the iPhone 12 series the Apple iPhone 13 models have increased battery life:
- Up to 2.5 hours on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13
- Up to 1.5 hours on the iPhone 13 Pro an iPhone 13 mini
Cameras
For the better part of the past 10 years, whenever one of the big phone makers launches its newest flagship, they focus their presentations heavily on improvements on the cameras. This was the case with Apple and the iPhone 13. While every single lens on all iPhone 13 models is still 12MP, Apple pulled off some modifications such as increasing aperture to allow more light into your shots.
As with the iPhone 12 series, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have two rear-facing cameras, while the Pro models have three rear-facing cameras. As you might expect, all aspects of the cameras, including Night mode and optical/digital zoom, are improved this year, though none of these updates are quite revolutionary.
Cinematic Mode
The Apple iPhone 13 feature that is sure to appeal to those who shoot a lot of videos is Cinematic Mode. Using rack focus techniques, Cinematic Mode automatically shifts focus while you are recording to help dynamically tell the story of the clip. To add some more neatness to this feature, you can even adjust the focus in editing.
ProMotion
This upgrade is relegated only to the Pro models of the iPhone 13 series, but Apple has finally brought 120Hz refresh rate to the iPhone, an upgrade many expected last year with the iPhone 12 series. Brought from the iPad Pro, the ProMotion feature adjusts refresh rates automatically to allow for a smooth viewing when necessary but powered down so as to not eat away at your battery life.
Displays
There's really nothing very big to update in this department. Apple boasted about improvements of the Super Retina XDR OLED, which all boils down to more brightness to add better contrast and allow for improved viewing. All welcomed improvements, but all also pretty much what you'd expect from a phone upgrade.
A15 Bionic Chip
An iPhone upgrade wouldn't be much of an upgrade without a new chip to support all the new features. Apple's A-Bionic chips have been leading the industry for some time, and without getting too technical, the A15 Bionic has the juice to back up all the computation that helps bring us features like better digital zoom, Night mode, and especially that Cinematic Mode for video shooting. All of this while also increasing efficiency to help improve battery life.
Overall Thoughts About the iPhone 13
As expected, the iPhone 13 series has some cool upgrades, but it certainly doesn't mark a new generation in smartphones. These new models look a lot like the iPhone 12 models and while they certainly have better specs, it's clear that these phones are just a step towards the next revolutionary wave in smartphones, rather than a leap.
For anyone in the market for an upgrade, or anybody looking to make the jump from Android, the Apple iPhone 13 series is the way to go. For more help with deciding on whether or not to upgrade, check out our guide on the iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 12.
Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
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