The iPhone 13 doesn’t add many new features, but it does improve on the iPhone 12 in key categories — most notably battery life, power, display, and cameras – to make it one of Apple’s most stunning all-around gadgets. On the surface, it’s difficult to see why Apple didn’t label this phone the iPhone 12S. The design remains virtually unchanged, the specifications aren’t much different, and there aren’t many noteworthy new features. Everything about the iPhone 13 is, however, a little better than before, and some components are noticeably improved. The iPhone 13’s battery life is its defining feature. Previously, iPhones were not known for their long battery life, but we were unable to run the iPhone 13 out of power on any of the days we tested it. When it comes to battery life, Apple has finally mastered it, and it’s now significantly superior to its ancestor iPhone models. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13’s new A15 Bionic high-end Chip is tremendously powerful, and when combined with 4GB of RAM, it’s capable of rapidly and efficiently executing several apps and tasks. The iPhone 13 features a new dual camera that improves image clarity, while the company’s Sensor-Shift optical image stabilization (OIS) technology, which was previously only available on Apple’s Pro Max handsets, is a big deal for those who want to shoot quickly without losing their subject in a blur.
Even the iPhone 13’s screen is a little better than previous standards iPhone screens, which is a major improvement if you’re moving from an iPhone XS or older. The OLED technology used here allows for a brighter picture than ever before, with incredible picture quality. However, Apple hasn’t integrated a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 13 which is disappointing from a consumers point of view given the apple enterprise, so you won’t get the same seamless experience as you would with the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple’s new iPhone will set you back as usual, with the iPhone 13 starting at 79,900 Indian rupee / £779 / AU$1,349 – however, this year’s pricing includes 128GB of storage, rather than the 64GB of the iPhone 12. While the iPhone 13 may not appear to be a significant step forward for Apple at first look, the enhanced battery life, performance, screen, and the camera makes it an ideal gadget for anyone upgrading from an older iPhone or switching from Android.
The Design If you already have an iPhone 12, you won’t notice much of a change between it and the iPhone 13 but If you have an older iPhone or an Android device, though, you will notice certain variations. The latest iPhone has a flat-edge design, which was first seen on the iPhone 12 series. That means the phone’s shape is a little more angular than previous models’ rounded finishes, but it’s still easy to use one-handed. The phone’s front and back panels are both made of glass, but only the front panel features Apple’s trademarked Ceramic Shield technology, which was first debuted on the iPhone 12 last year. Apple claims that this glass is four times as resistant to drops as prior iPhone glass, although we wouldn’t recommend putting this claim to the test. The iPhone 13 series is dust and water-resistant to IP68 standards, which means it can withstand immersion in up to six metres of water for 30 minutes. Don’t expect this phone to be completely waterproof, but it should be able to withstand the occasional splash. The quiet switch, volume controls, and SIM tray are all located on the phone’s left edge. The power button is located on the right edge, making it easy to locate with your thumb or finger while attempting to wake the device. The speakers and the Lightning port connector for charging and data transfer are located on the bottom edge. Although the iPhone 13 is easy to use one-handed (it measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm), the iPhone 13 mini may be a better alternative if you want a fully one-handed device or have smaller hands. The quiet switch, volume controls, and SIM tray are all located on the phone’s left edge.
The power button is located on the right edge, making it easy to locate with your thumb or finger while attempting to wake the device. The speakers and the Lightning port connector for charging and data transfer are located on the bottom edge. Although the iPhone 13 is easy to use one-handed (it measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm), the iPhone 13 mini may be a better alternative if you want a fully one-handed device or have smaller hands. The iPhone 13 is available in five colours: Blue, Midnight, Starlight (a cream hue), Product Red, and Pink. These colours are very faint, so if you don’t like any of them, you might want to wait and see if Apple releases more colours in the future — the company released a purple iPhone 12 six months after it was first released. If you own an iPhone 12, keep in mind that the old model’s cases will not fit the new device.
The Display The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. The display is an Apple Super Retina XDR OLED, which produces a clean and brilliant image — the brightness has been improved on the iPhone 13, and it can compete with rival smartphones in direct sunlight. That resolution translates to 460 pixels per inch, which isn’t the finest we’ve seen on the market but is plenty for regular use – we never felt the need for a higher resolution, even when viewing videos or playing games. The handset’s screen is surrounded by slim bezels, and the notch at the top takes up a portion of the display but it’s 20% smaller than the one on the iPhone 12, giving you a little extra screen real estate and a bigger full-screen display. It’s not a significant difference, but it’s evident when compared to the iPhone 12. It’s something you’ll get used to soon, though.
The iPhone 13 display does not support Apple’s new 120Hz refresh rate, which was first introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max — the displays on those phones refresh twice as quickly as a conventional 60Hz screen for a smoother experience while reading websites or playing games.
The Camera On the back, there are two cameras: a 12MP wide-angle camera with an f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. Because there is no telephoto lens and you must rely on digital zoom, this phone isn’t ideal for long-distance photography. This is a terrific and varied experience when not shooting at a distance. The main camera has 1.7 million pixels (up from 1.4 million on the iPhone 12), which makes a considerable increase in image quality. You’ll also get Apple’s Sensor-Shift OIS technology, which debuted in the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year and provides the finest image stabilisation we’ve seen on an iPhone, allowing you to shoot sharp images even when the phone isn’t still. In most situations, photographs produced with the iPhone 12 had less noise, and there were few instances where the camera didn’t perform to our expectations — it’s a fantastic point-and-shoot experience. The 120-degree field of view of the ultra-wide camera is great when you want to capture more of your subject or location, but we generally used the main camera. Although there is digital zoom up to 5x, the results aren’t particularly stunning, and many other smartphones are more capable in this area, it’s far from a necessary feature. Photographic Styles, which you can access through the camera app, is another new feature here. Custom looks, such as Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool, can be applied to your photographs with these.
A 12MP f/2.2 wide camera on the front of the phone performs admirably for selfies and video calls. The front cameras on iPhones have long been outstanding, and while there are no significant advancements here, you’ll be pleased with the results. The iPhone 13 can record video in 4K at 24, 30, and 60 frames per second, as well as Full HD at 30, 60, 120, and 240 frames per second. The introduction of Cinematic Mode, which allows you to film with a bokeh effect in which the background of your shot is blurred, is the major video recording enhancement. The effect switches between subjects because it follows faces in the picture. We’ve found that this works great, although it does take some getting used to, and you may need to experiment a few times to obtain the right photo. This is, nevertheless, a nice tool that you might appreciate if you enjoy experimenting with video modes.
Camera Sample
The Specs and performance Apple’s iPhone 13 series includes the company’s new A15 Bionic chipset, which is the company’s next attempt to create the world’s most powerful smartphone chipset. Apple claims that its CPU is 50% quicker and its GPU is 30% faster than the competitors. Whatever the veracity of such claims, Apple’s new phone is certainly powerful, and while everyday performance won’t differ significantly from that of the iPhone 12 or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, it will be a significant upgrade for those with an iPhone 8 or lower. During our testing, we discovered that the iPhone 13 could start apps in a matter of seconds and could easily switch between apps with only a short wait for each to load. Gaming on the phone was also a breeze, with titles loading as swiftly as we’ve seen on other Apple devices like the iPad Pro (one of the company’s most powerful gadgets in 2021). On the OLED panel, the games looked amazing, with the GPU performance improvements standing out. The phone’s Geekbench 5 scores match our testing, with an average multi-core score of 4688. In the same test, the iPhone 12 received a score of 3859, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 received a score of 3367 and the OnePlus 9 Pro received a score of 3630.
Apple has taken yet another significant step forward in this area, but the difference is most obvious in benchmarking results. The everyday experience will be much the same, but it will be a significant upgrade over previous iPhone models. The A15 Bionic chipset is paired with 4GB of RAM, which is plenty to keep it running at top speed.
That’s less RAM than most comparable Android phones, but Apple doesn’t appear to require much to get the most out of its A15 Bionic. You can choose between 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and if you plan to fill your phone with media over the course of a few years, we recommend going with the 256GB or 512GB option; even with iCloud compatibility, 128GB may be difficult to fill up. At the very least, Apple has ditched the laughably little 64GB storage capacity that has been its standard offering for the past few years. The iPhone 13 series is 5G-ready, and it’s comforting to know that you’re prepared for the next-generation technology even if you don’t need it yet or it’s not yet accessible where you are — 5G is becoming more widely available, and the iPhone 13 will work with any 5G carrier.
The Software The iPhone 13 ships with iOS 15 preinstalled, allowing you to make use of all of Apple’s latest software innovations. The updates for 2021 aren’t as significant as the big revamp we saw with iOS 14, but the new features are intriguing, including a new Focus mode that can be accessed via a dropdown menu.
When you tap the Focus label, you’ll have quick access to the Do Not Disturb mode, as well as options for when you’re at work or ready to sleep. When you’re at your desk, you might want to turn off your Twitter notifications. This will make it possible for you to do so. Other new features are small, but altogether, it’s a wonderful improvement of what we’ve already seen. Apple is likely to maintain a new iPhone with software upgrades for many years to come; even the iPhone 6S is compatible with iOS 15, so assuming Apple continues to offer that level of software support, the iPhone 13 should continue to get updates until approximately 2027.
The Battery Life Apple’s phones have never been known for their long battery life, and while the iPhone 13 doesn’t have the best battery life we’ve ever seen in a smartphone, it is a significant upgrade over previous models. Although we haven’t confirmed whether Apple has increased the size of the cells within the iPhone 13, the increased battery life suggests that it has. Apple was rumoured to be expanding the size of the batteries in all models ahead of the iPhone 13 debut. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max are expected to have the best battery life in the series, according to Apple’s calculations. In comparison to the iPhone 12 and previous models, we found the battery life to be much enhanced. During our testing period, the iPhone 13 got through every day with enough battery life to last at least another couple of hours.
We pushed the phone to its limits one day by leaving the screen on all day, streaming video from YouTube and other sources from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. We were unable to turn off the phone, and it still had 20% battery life. That was after eight hours and 48 minutes of full brightness on the screen. As previously stated, this isn’t the best battery life you’ll find in a smartphone – many Android options will last longer – but it’s a significant step forward for Apple, and it’ll make the iPhone more appealing to many potential purchasers. The iPhone 13 is compatible with 20-watt chargers, which we found to provide adequate but not exceptional rapid charging. The phone was charged from zero to 26 per cent in 15 minutes and 51 per cent in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is back, and if you have a suitable charger, you’ll be able to charge at 15W. That’s not the quickest wireless charging on the market, but it’s still handy if you don’t like having to plug your phone in or if you’re running low on juice and have a Qi charger handy. The iPhone 13 does not come with a charger, much as the iPhone 12 series. Apple argues that you’re likely to have a Lightning charger from a previous iPhone purchase, thus the goal here is to reduce e-waste. If you don’t have one, you can buy one from Apple for Rs 4500, $19 / £19 / AU$29, though there are other cheaper third-party options. You might also wish to upgrade your charger to make use of the 20W charging capability, which many older iPhone chargers lack.
Should you buy the iPhone 13? Buy it if … ⦁ You own an older phone If you have an iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 is probably not for you because there isn’t enough new here to justify an upgrade – but if you have an older iPhone, like an iPhone 8 or iPhone XR, there’s plenty to be thrilled about. ⦁ You need a good battery life The iPhone 13’s battery life is a significant improvement over prior iPhone models. Choose this iPhone over previous and less expensive versions if you require a smartphone that can last a whole day on a single charge.
⦁ You want lots of power The iPhone 13 is a capable smartphone and one of the best we’ve ever used. If you require a lot of power, you can get it without upgrading to the iPhone 13 Pro. Don’t buy it if . . . ⦁ You own an iPhone 12 If you already have an iPhone 12, it’s doubtful that you’ll need the latest model’s enhancements. If you’re desperate for the latest handset, go for it; nonetheless, updates are few and far between here. ⦁ You want a small screen phone The iPhone 13 mini shares many of the same specifications as the iPhone 13, and it’s likely to be the best pick if you have smaller hands or simply prefer a smaller smartphone. ⦁ You want an affordable phone The iPhone 13 is one of the most cost-effective models in this year’s lineup, but it isn’t inexpensive in the big scheme of things. There are many more affordable Android phones available, or if you want to continue with Apple, the iPhone SE is a good option.
