The rumors were right. The centerpiece of today’s big Apple event is the latest iPhone. The latest device lands less than a year after its predecessor, now that things have settled down somewhat on the supply chain side for Apple. Last year’s iPhone 12 was a massive seller, bucking the trend of stagnating smartphones sales, in part due to a bottleneck in sales from the unplanned delay, but also because it finally brought 5G connectivity to Apple’s mobile line.
Lucky number iPhone 13 (no skipping for superstition’s sake, mind) features a familiar design. The front notch has finally been shrunken down — now 20% smaller than its predecessor, while the rear-facing camera system has also gotten a redesign. The screen is now 28% brighter Super Retina XDR display on both the iPhone 13 and 13 mini at 1200 nits.
The 13 sports a 6.1-inch screen, while the mini’s is 5.4 inches — same as last year. The display is protected by a ceramic shield coating, and the handset rates IP68 dust/waterproofing.
The phone is powered by Apple’s new A15 Bionic chip, built with a 5nm processor. The CPU is 6-core that the company is calling “the fastest CPU on any smartphone.” The new 4-core GPU, meanwhile, brings advanced graphics to the handset.
The rear dual-camera system features a 12MP wide angle camera that’s capable of pulling in up to 47% more light. The new Cinematic Mode, meanwhile, brings rack focus-style shooting capable of adjusting the focus on subjects, using machine learning (you can also tap to adjust manual or switch between subjects). All models in the iPhone 13 also support Night Mode shooting, as well as the ProRes codec for a more pro-level of video.
Following last year’s introduction of 5G, the company has added more advanced antennae. Through the combination of a larger battery and energy saving software, the company says it’s been able to eke out an additional 2.5 hours of life on the 13 and 1.5 hours on the mini.
iPhone 13 mini starts at $699 and, while the 13 starts at $799. It comes in black, gold, silver and a new, lighter blue. Storage options start at128GB.
Not a massive update all told — Apple seemingly save a lot of that for the iPhone 13 Pro, which brings a 120Hz display (a feature that was rumored across the line) and a number of key updates to the imaging system. The Pro and Pro Max feature similar battery upgrades as the 13. The devices go up for pre-order on September 17 and will be available at retail on September 24.
The company is also launching a number of accessories, including a new MagSafe Wallet that works with the Find My feature.
