Official iPhone 13: 120 Hz screen, reduced notch, 1 TB of memory … Apple refines its recipe for success

The iPhone 13 is finally official! This new generation of Apple smartphones takes the ingredients introduced last year with the iPhone 12, such as the angular design and MagSafe charging. The brand nevertheless introduces a series of eagerly awaited innovations, including the reduced size notch, a 120 Hz ProMotion screen and 1 TB of internal memory.

As expected, Apple has just lifted the veil on the iPhone 13 during its traditional keynote. Mirroring last year, the Cupertino giant is offering its range in 4 different versions : an iPhone 13 mini, an iPhone 13, an iPhone 13 Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro Max. By offering two affordable smartphones and two high-end phones, Apple is once again seeking to appeal to a wide range of consumers. This is the strategy chosen by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, since he replaced Steve Jobs on the throne.

Read also: Apple Watch Series 7 – bigger, more durable and faster to charge, the connected watch is official

What’s new for the iPhone 13?

With the iPhone 13, Apple uses the fundamentals introduced last year with the iPhone 12. There is a matt metal back for the Pro editions, flat metal edges like iPhone 4 and a huge rounded photo block on the back. However, the manufacturer didn’t just recycle last year’s design.

Four years after its first appearance on the iPhone X, the notch is finally smaller (by 20%). As rumors have it, Apple has finally managed to cut back on this notch, which contains all the TrueDepth sensors necessary for Face ID facial recognition. Despite rumors, Apple does not include a Touch ID fingerprint reader under the display. Despite the generalization of the sanitary mask in the world, the brand continues to focus on facial recognition.

Apple claims to have integrated a brighter screen and more resistant on its iPhone thanks to ceramic protection. On the iPhone 13/13 mini, the sensors are now aligned diagonally. On the Pro editions, the sensors are larger than those of last year. The photo block stands out strongly from the structure.

At the heart of the iPhone 4 of this 2021 generation, we find the SoC A15 Bionic. Engraved in 5nm + by TSMC, the chipset promises high performance. Obviously, the SoC is compatible with 5G thanks to the presence of a Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 modem. There is a CPU of 6 cores and 15 billion nozzles. It is “The fastest CPU on a smartphone”. It would be 50% powerful than the competition. On the other hand, the GPU would be 30% faster than those of Apple’s rivals. “The competition is still two years behind“, laughs Apple. Note that the GPU of the Pro versions is even more powerful (and more massive).

The iPhone 13 mini is built around a 5.4-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The standard iPhone 13, on the other hand, is covered with a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a frequency of 60 Hz. For the first time, Apple equips its iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max witha 120 Hz ProMotion LTPO display (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide thin-film transistor) supplied by Samsung.

Already used on Apple Watch, this screen technology allowssave battery power by adapting the frequency of the panel. The refresh rate can vary between 10 and 120 Hz depending on the user’s needs (games, reading, etc.). It is especially useful for gaming. If the iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 13 Pro Max climbs to 6.7 inches, like its predecessor.

Photography side, the iPhone 13 has a dual photo sensor consisting of a wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide-angle sensor. The device incorporates a new 12 megapixel sensor that captures 40% more light. Note that the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s stabilization system is integrated on the most affordable versions.

On the other hand, the iPhone 13 Pro inheritsa triple photo sensor, with wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle and a telephoto lens. All these modules have been improved compared to last year. This year, the ultra wide angle has a macro mode. “The new professional camera system offers even more professional photographic capabilities such as improved telephoto zoom, macro photography, photographic styles, cinematic mode, as well as ProRes and Dolby Vision videos”says Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of marketing.

This module is completed by a lidar scanner (like last year) intended for augmented reality and portrait mode. Apple has announced Smart HDR 4, the latest generation of the brand’s HDR. You can change the style of the video in real time using Apple’s algorithms.

Determined to seduce videographers, Apple has announced ProRes format, equivalent to the ProRaw format introduced on the iPhone 12. This format is used by film professionals to shoot very high quality images, particularly in 4K at 30 frames per second. Apple also announced a kinematic mode which is inspired by the practices of filmmakers. The mode follows the person in the center of the screen even when they move. Apple assures us that the mode is very easy to use to create professional videos. The videos shown during the keynote are rather encouraging.

Side internal storage, the brand offers 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB of internal memory on the iPhone 13/13 mini. On the other hand, the iPhone 13 Pro have 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB of internal storage. This is the first time that the firm has climbed to 1TB on an iPhone. The shift to pro-quality videos is not for nothing.

Unsurprisingly, MagSafe magnetic wireless charging is making a big comeback in the range. True to form, Apple has not disclosed battery size, nor the maximum charging speed, during the keynote. This information will be posted on the brand’s website.

However, Apple assures that the 13 mini offers an additional autonomy of an hour and a half compared to its predecessor the iPhone 12 mini. That’s good news when you think about the latter’s poor autonomy. The standard 13 offers two and a half hours more than the iPhone 12. For their part, the iPhone 13 Pro offer a full day’s battery life, ie 1 hour and a half more than the iPhone 12 Pro. On the Max version, this gain is 2.5 hours.

What release date and price for the iPhone 13?

Apple will open iPhone 13 pre-orders from Friday September 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. on its official website. The 4 smartphones will then be marketed from Friday, September 24, 2021 in Apple Stores and in retailers’ stores.

Apple offers the iPhone 13 at a starting price of 809 euros. Depending on the model chosen and the storage space available, the price goes up to 1839 eurosHere is the complete price list:

• iPhone 13 mini 128 GB: 809 euros
• iPhone 13 mini 256 GB: 859 euros
• iPhone 13 mini 512 GB: 979 euros
• iPhone 13 128 GB: 909 euros
• iPhone 13 256 GB: 959 euros
• iPhone 13 512 GB: 1079 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro 128 GB: 1159 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro 256 GB: 1279 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro 512 GB: 1509 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro 1TB: 1739 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro Max 128 GB: 1259 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro Max 256 GB: 1379 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro Max 512 GB: 1609 euros
• iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB: 1839 euros

Color side, the iPhone 13/13 mini is available in pink, blue, red, black and white. The iPhone 13 Pro is offered in the colors Gold, Black, Silver and Alpine Blue. What do you think of the new generation of iPhone, ultimately very close to the iPhone 12? Do you regret some of Apple’s choices? We await your opinion in the comments below.