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iPhone 13 and 13 Mini announced with redesigned camera array and smaller notch

 


The iPhone 13 is here – the entry-level, most mainstream model that will set the tone for Apple's phone portfolio in 2021.


The entry-level iPhone 13 will be available in two sizes, as it was last year: a 6.1-inch “regular” model and a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini. The screen is an OLED panel, which is brighter than last year's, with aluminum sandwiched between two slabs of glass on the sides.

The iPhone 13 starts at $829 and the iPhone 13 Mini starts at $729, with Apple once again offering a $30 discount for phones purchased through carriers. Apple has increased the storage options for this year's models, giving 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants for the two models. Preorders for the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini will begin on Friday, September 17th, with a release date of September 24th.


There aren't many startling new features or upgrades in the iPhone 13, which instead resembles Apple's former "S"-year generation of iPhones. Rather than major new features, it offers modest adjustments and enhancements to last year's design.


Unlike the iPhone 12, which received a significant redesign, the iPhone 13 has the same overall design as last year's model, but with a 20 percent smaller Face ID notch, which means it will take up less space at the top of your phone. It's not quite as minimalist as Android's hole-punch displays, but it's a nice-looking improvement.


There's also a more powerful CPU, the A15 Bionic, which Apple claims is faster and more energy-efficient than the A14 Bionic chip from last year. Although it's still a 5nm chip with a 6-core CPU (two new high-performance and four new high-efficiency cores), Apple claims it's the "fastest CPU in a smartphone," up to 50% quicker than the competition. It also claims that its visuals are up to 30% faster than those of its competitors (though it doesn't mention who it's comparing to).


The new iPhone 13 lineup will also offer better battery life: the iPhone 13 Mini will get 1.5 hours more battery life than the iPhone 12 Mini, while the larger iPhone 13 should get up to 2.5 hours more battery life compared to the iPhone 12, thanks to bigger batteries, better performance from the A15 Bionic, and additional software improvements and optimizations.



The biggest change actually comes in the form of trickled-down camera technology from last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max: the base iPhone 13 has gotten the same souped-up camera that Apple debuted with its biggest smartphone in 2020, with a physically larger sensor for the wide camera that’s 47 percent bigger than last year, allowing it to capture more light in darker environments with less noise.

The new wide sensor is a 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.6 aperture, while the new 12-megapixel ultrawide camera features a faster f/2.4 lens and 120-degree field of view. The iPhone 13 will also feature the sensor-shift stabilization technology that Apple introduced last year on the 12 Pro Max, which physically moves the wide sensor to reduce vibrations.

The new cameras will also be getting the “photographic profiles” feature that Apple introduced with the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models, which allow you to customize the look of your photos even further for more consistency across shots.


Apple also introduced a new “cinematic mode” for a video that allows for a rack focus effect to change the focus during a video, which the company showed off in an amusing Knives Out-style parody. When recording a video, cinematic mode will automatically transition focus while filming in real time, intelligently shifting focus when people enter the frame or glance away from the camera. You’ll be able to manually change focus or lock focus on a particular object for more precise control, too. The front-facing camera will also feature cinematic mode support.


Apple is also promising improved 5G performance compared to the iPhone 12, with more band support for better international 5G experiences. The company promises the iPhone will support 200 carriers in over 60 countries and regions by the end of the year.

Correction September 13th, 2:30PM ET: Apple originally announced the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini would cost $799 and $699, respectively. The MSRPs are actually $829 and $729. The lower price only applies after a $30 discount from specific carriers.

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