Take your word for it: every year when Apple introduces its new phones, we proudly say that we are dealing with the best iPhones in history. An open door that the manufacturer pushes down with all love. And of course the iPhone 13 even better than the 12, although this time it is necessary to look for the external differences with a magnifying glass. So the so-called notch at the top of the screen (the notch that houses the front camera among other things) is a bit narrower, the screen is a bit brighter and the rear cameras are slightly more robust. And, oh yes, there are new colors. For the rest, Apple sticks to the beautiful design of its predecessor. And like the 12, the 13 comes in three different sizes and there’s a Pro variant as well.
Technically, the differences are bigger, although the consumer shouldn’t expect a revolution here either. Think of a new (especially more efficient) chip, better cameras, bigger batteries, and – with the Pro – a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This allows the screen to respond faster when need, for example during demanding games or when scrolling fast back and forth. More expensive Android devices have had it longer.
Cameras have larger sensors to capture light, which reduces noise in photos, especially in dark shots. As a bonus, the Pro has a telephoto lens with three times optical zoom.
By far the best looking of all the new features is a new video option called Movie Mode. This does what portrait mode did with photos before: blur the background for more depth. When shooting, the camera automatically focuses on the face in the foreground, when the face turns away, it focuses on a face in the background. The owner of the iPhone can also decide for himself (possibly after) what he wants to have in focus. According to Apple, “anyone can film in cinema quality”. This may be a bit of a stretch, but the result is indeed quite spectacular.
Fortunately, this movie mode isn’t just for Pro models, which means the gap between the standard iPhone and the Pro variants is smaller than before. Only consumers who necessarily want a huge 6.7-inch screen are dependent on a Pro anyway.