The new iPhone 13 series features Apple’s new A15 Bionic Chip which has been developed in-house by the Californian giant, and Apple has also added what CEO Tim Cook called “the biggest camera system advancement yet”.
Camera performance is seen as a key battleground in premium smartphones with Apple adding 3x optical zoom, macro photography and video features such as cinematic mode to its high-end range.
The four new iPhones – the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max – all feature the new processor, which Apple said would help users “absolutely fly through demanding workloads smoothly and efficiently”. They also pack larger batteries which will offer users up to 2.5 hours extra battery life per day.
“iPhone 13 has a faster chip, faster 5G speeds, a brighter OLED display and the most advanced dual camera system ever in an iPhone, and with all these upgrades the iPhone 13 has a better battery life,” Apple’s vice-president Kaiann Drance said.
All four iPhones will be available to pre-order from Friday, and ship from 24 September. The iPhone 13 mini starts at $699/£679, the iPhone 13 starts at $799/£779, the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999/£949 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1099/£1049.
But the new devices, while offering incremental improvements on last year’s models, were in part overshadowed by a leak of what one well-known leaker claimed were the specs for the iPhone 14 – highlighting a completely redesigned handset based on the popular iPhone 4.
According to tech blogger and leaker Jon Prosser, the iPhone 14 renders and information are based on “real images and schematics”, just like with Google’s Pixel 6 which he previously leaked, although this has not been confirmed by Apple. It is unclear if this will impact Apple sales, given the iPhone 13 is only the company’s second series to offer 5G – meaning there is a lot of potential users yet to adopt the next generation of connectivity.
Beyond the iPhone, Cook also revealed new iPad devices including a new iPad Mini.
The redesigned Mini features a larger, 8.3 inch screen display (up on 7.9-inch display found on previous generations), a USB-C port, Touch ID, a new landscape stereo speaker system, and upgraded 12MP cameras on the front and back.
It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and optional 5G (with download speeds up to 3.5Gbps) as well as the second-generation Apple Pencil, which attaches magnetically to the iPad and charges wirelessly.
It accompanied a new, larger brother – a 10.2-inch iPad. It launches with support for Apple Pencil (first generation) and Smart Keyboard, making it a more flexible device for business use.
“iPad has never been more essential for working, learning, and communicating, and we’re excited to bring one of the biggest updates ever to our most popular iPad,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the powerful A13 Bionic, more engaging video calls with Centre Stage, and double the storage, the new iPad delivers advanced capabilities, versatility, and simplicity at an incredible value.”
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