iPhone 1: Should You Buy It
You should buy this if:
You cant afford the Pro but photos are vitalThe iPhone 14 offers some decent camera upgrades on previous years. The iPhone 14 Pro offers more, but if you cant afford that stretch, then this is an upgrade on previous generations particularly in terms of camera quality.
Youre all about safetyThe iPhone 14 improves on previous years with Emergency SOS Via Satellite and Crash Detection. If these features are important to you, dont choose an older version. Just remember, the iPhone 14 Pro also carries these features and a whole lot more besides.
You like a splash of colorThe iPhone 14, like previous years, offers a much more vibrant and playful range of colors compared to the iPhone 14 Pro.
You want a big iPhone in the shape of the PlusThis is finally the year of the 6.7-inch iPhone without the Pro bells and whistles, offering massive screen real estate and awesome battery life.
You shouldnt buy this if:
Youre on a budgetIf youre buying an iPhone but are worried about the cost, you can save a ton of money by buying an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, or even the iPhone SE, which will deliver nearly all of the experience of the iPhone 14 and Apples ecosystem for less.
You can afford the ProThe Pro is so much better than the iPhone 14, so if you can stretch the extra cost you should.
Its all about the cameraThe iPhone 14 Pros camera is vastly superior to the iPhone 14 and is definitely the option to choose this year for keen iPhoneographers.
Using Face Id With A Mask
When wearing a face mask, users can enable an “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature for convenience. Unlock with Apple Watch allows iPhone users to take advantage of an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as an alternative authentication measure to unlock their device when wearing a mask. It can’t be used to authenticate Apple Pay or App Store purchases, and it can’t unlock apps that require a Face ID scan.
In iOS 15.4, Apple added the ability for Face ID to work with face masks, with no need for an Apple Watch for authentication. Apple says that the feature can “recognize the unique features around the eye” for authentication purposes. If you opt to use this feature during setup, you will need to rescan your face for Face ID. From there, Face ID will be able to unlock your iPhone even when you’re wearing a mask.
Apple warns in the Settings app that Face ID is “most accurate” when it’s set up for full-face recognition only. For Face ID with a mask to work, you must be looking at your device to get it to unlock, and it does not work when wearing sunglasses. Face ID with a mask can authenticate Apple Pay payments and it can be used in lieu of a login and password in apps that support Face ID, unlike the prior Apple Watch Face ID feature.
The new feature is only available with the iPhone 12 or newer. iOS 15.4 has not yet been widely released to the public and is currently in beta testing.
Is The iPhone 13 Still Worth Buying Six Months On
The Apple iPhone 13 came out in September 2021 but it is still an excellent handset and still a great option, despite no longer being mere weeks old as it was when we initially wrote this review. It’s faced with some more competiton, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, but the iPhone 13 continues to hold its own and it continues to deliver in every aspect.
POCKET-LINT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Its camera capabilities are great and while it doesn’t offer a telephoto lens like the iPhone 13 Pro model and the Samsung Galaxy S22 models, it’s been something we’ve been happy to live without. The iPhone 13’s build quality remains strong and its battery life still far exceeds the iPhone 13 mini, making it the better choice between the two latest standard models. The only hestiation we would have in buying the iPhone 13 now is that its successor is due in September 2022, which might mean you’re better to wait if you can.
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iPhone 13 Mini Review: Design
The iPhone 13 mini looks very similar to its predecessor with one notable change: the notch. Its about 20% smaller this year, according to Apple, and its certainly noticeable. Its nice to have more screen real estate, even if the notch is still there.
The iPhone 13 mini features the same squared off edges and the small size is still easily pocketable and I could use it in one hand effortlessly. All the iPhone 13 models are IP68-certified, meaning that the 13 mini can survive up to six meters underwater for 30 minutes.
We were disappointed to see a lack of mask-friendly authentication on the iPhone 13 mini at launch. Fortunately with the introduction of iOS 15.4, you can now use Face ID with a face mask.
One thing to note, thanks to Apple’s new iPhone Self Service Repair kits, you can now carry out your own repairs, but proceed with caution here as you’ll need some technical skills.
iPhone 13 Pro Review: Software
The iPhone 13 Pro ships with iOS 15. Weve covered the latest version of Apples mobile OS quite extensively since we got our hands on the beta over the course of the summer. There are quite a few features to take note of, such as a tweak to notifications, Live Text/Visual Look Up, Focus, FaceTime enhancements, and improvements to many of the core apps. I encourage you to check out our extensive coverage of the update, including our iOS 15 review and our look at the current iOS 15.2 update.
I didnt find any iPhone 13-specific software features , but I think iOS 15 is best experienced on the iPhone 13 Pro because of the ProMotion display and the A15 Bionic chip. Thats usually the case the newest hardware runs the latest software version the best and shows off everything it has to offer.
If you have an Apple Watch, we do suggest you proceed with caution if you’re going to buy an iPhone 13 Pro right away, as a caveat with on the software side of things in that it appears iPhone 13 models are having a problem unlocking with the Apple Watch. However, this issue doesn’t appear to be affecting every single user and Apple has officially acknowledged the problem and a fix may already be available.
One of the best things about iOS is how developers have embraced the platform and continue to make great apps for Apple devices. We’d suggest loading up on some of the best iPhone apps or, if you’re new to the platform, grabbing the best apps for a new iPhone.
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iPhone 13 Mini Review: Price And Release Date
The iPhone 13 mini is available to buy right now. The 128GB model starts at $699, with the 256GB jumping to $799 and the top-end 512GB going for $999. Yes, Apple doubled the base storage this year while keeping the price the same. Considering all of the power under the hood, the iPhone 13 mini for $699 is a great deal. Make sure you check our Apple Store coupons page for the latest discounts.
In the U.K. you’re looking at a starting price of £679 for the iPhone 13 mini, with the 256GB model hitting £779, and the 512GB handset costing a healthy £979.
Before you pull the trigger on buying one, I encourage you to check out our best iPhone 13 deals page to make sure you get the best offer. Also take a look at the iPhone SE if you want to spend less, but keep in mind we still consider the iPhone 13 mini the superior small iPhone.
But, you may decide you want to wait another year for the iPhone 14 before making the upgrade from your current Apple phone if so, check out the seven biggest upgrades we want to see from the iPhone 14.
What Is The iPhone 13 Price
There are four different starting price points for the iPhone 13 range and across the board the price has increased from the previous iPhone 12. However, it is important to note that all of the “base” models come with 128GB of storage, as opposed to the iPhone 12’s 64GB.
iPhone 13 Mini: 699$
iPhone 13: 799$
iPhone 13 Pro: 999$
iPhone 13 Pro Max: 1099$
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Vs iPhone 13 Display
The Galaxy S22’s 6.2-inch display offers slightly more space than the iPhone 13’s 6.1-inch screen, and of course, there’s no notch on Samsung’s phone only a punch-hole cutout in the top center of the panel. But that’s not the story here. Rather, Samsung has increased brightness on all its Galaxy S22 models, including the entry-level version.
For the Galaxy S22, that means a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits. When we turned on HDR, we got a reading of 1,152 nits, though in SDR, we measured peak brightness at 672 nits with our light meter. The iPhone 13’s peak brightness came in at 795 nits. You’re not going to struggle to see either phone when you’re outside in bright sunlight.
Both phones capture the same 110% of the sRGB color spectrum, though that Galaxy S22 reading came with the phone’s display set to natural mode. Still, when streaming the Ms. Marvel trailer on YouTube side-by-side on both phones, the red in the Marvel logo looked a little richer on the Galaxy S22’s screen, and Kamala Khan’s uniform seemed to pop more. That could come down to a difference in color accuracy the Galaxy S22’s Delta-E rating of 0.25 is just ahead of the iPhone 13’s 0.26 score.
Winner:Samsung Galaxy S22
iPhone 13 Mini And iPhone 13 Price
The iPhone 13 Mini starts at $699. This is the same price as the iPhone 12 Mini when it launched in October of last year.
The iPhone 13 with 128 GB of storage costs $799. Again, this is also the same price as its predecessor, the iPhone 12.
Keep in mind that these prices assume that your iPhone purchase will be paired with a mobile carrier service plan. Expect an increase of about $30 for all models to get an iPhone from Apple without an included carrier SIM card.
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iPhone 1: Specs At A Glance
- Four models : iPhone 13, mini, Pro, Pro Max
- Five colours for iPhone 13 and 13 mini: pink, blue, midnight , starlight and Product
- Four colours for iPhone Pro and Pro Max: Sierra blue, gold, graphite and silver
- Smaller notch for iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 mini has a 5.4-inch screen
- iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro have a 6.1-inch screen size
- iPhone 13 Pro Max has a display size of 6.7 inches
- Features new A15 bionic chip fastest ever
- All models come with 5G connectivity as standard
- 1TB storage available on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models
- iPhone 13 battery life should last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12
- Biggest camera advancement ever in the Pro and Pro Max models
What Will Be Different About The iPhone 13
Per MacRumors.com, the new phone will likely have 1 TB of internal storage, along with options for higher-end models.
- Theres also talk that the new iPhone 13 will have a video version of the iPhones portrait mode, which will allow people to capture videos that focus on a person, blurring out the background, according to MacRumors.com.
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iPhone 13 Review: Display
- Brighter display easier to read in direct sunlight
- Stellar colors and contrast
Alas, the iPhone 13 doesnt boast the adaptive 120Hz refresh rate of the iPhone 13 Pro, but its still a stellar OLED panel. This Super Retina XDR display is now 28% brighter than the iPhone 12 its also rated at 800 nits, compared to 600 nits for last years phone.
In my testing, I wouldnt say the brightness difference is dramatic, but it can help when youre trying to view the iPhone 13s display in direct sunlight.
The overall display quality continues to be stellar. When watching the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, I was mesmerized by the neon code encircling Neo as he walked down the street, and in another scene I could make out individual hairs on Neos beard as he stared up into the sun.
On our lab tests, the iPhone 13 averaged 795 nits of brightness, compared to 569 nits for the iPhone 12 and 702 nits for the Galaxy S21. The iPhone 13 also registered 78.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 110.2% of the sRGG color gamut, where higher numbers are better. The iPhone 12 hit 81.1 and 114.5 and the Galaxy S21 77.4 and 109.2.
The iPhone 13 panels color accuracy is stellar, too, as it achieved a Delta-E score of 0.26 That compares to 0.29 for both the Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12.
iPhone 12 Vs iPhone 1: Which One Should I Buy
If you are planning on buying a new iPhone and hesitating between the previous iPhone 12 if you want to save some money, it is important to compare like for like, and the iPhone 12 with 128GB costs 749$ as opposed to the iPhone 13’s 799$. For an extra 50$ you could enjoy the other iPhone 13 updates.
If you are certain that you won’t need the additional storage, then you could purchase the iPhone 12 with 64GB for 699$ which is a decent saving. But bearing in mind you cannot upgrade your iPhone’s storage in the future, which could end up limiting the longevity of your device, it may be best to get more storage than you think you would need and go for the iPhone 13 with 128GB.
It should be noted that the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models are no longer available for purchase on the Apple Store. Therefore if you want the Pro or Pro Max versions of the iPhone, then you will have to buy the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max.
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iPhone 13 Pro Max Review: Performance
- A15 Bionic blows the door off of Android phones
- Sizable graphics improvement
Thanks to its new A15 Bionic chipset, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is ridiculously fast and grabs the title of worlds fastest phone. I got totally lost in the Warp Drive racing game, which delivers fast frame rates and silky smooth action even as you zoom around the track.
And I also got a kick out of Seek, which flexes the iPhone 13 Pro Maxs machine learning muscles by instantly identifying several plants around my abode, from coleus to new guinea impatiens.
In terms of benchmarks, the iPhone 13 Pro Max once again destroys the Android competition. In Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the iPhone 13 Pro Max notched a multi-core score of 4,549 and a single-core score of 1,720. The Galaxy S21 Ultra hit 3,440 and 1,123, respectively, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max reached 4,111 and 1,603.
Interestingly, the iPhone 13 scored a slightly lower 4,436/1,668, which we think could be due to the Pro Max having more RAM.
You should expect a graphics boost on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, as it vaulted ahead of the competition on the 3DMark Wild Life unlimited test. It registered a frame rate of 68.4 frames per second, compared to 54 fps for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and 34 fps for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Check out our iPhone 13 benchmarks page to see how the iPhone 13 Pro Max and all the new iPhones compare to each other and the Android phone competition.
iPhone 13 Review: Camera And Video
The rear camera system in the iPhone 13 isnt very different from the iPhone 12 or even the iPhone 11 when you look at the headline features: a dual-camera setup, with one wide-angle lens and one ultra-wide lens, both with a 12MP sensor.
But the performance here is noticeable improvement over the iPhone 12 in a lot of situations, and a big step up from the iPhone 11 .
Its all about how the cameras work: the sensors let in more light this time, which means they can capture more realistic colours and sharper details, and can take clearer low-light shots.
Adding to the low-light improvement is the new sensor-shift image stabilization, which means that the iPhone can use a slower shutter speed for low-light shots, because when your hand shakes subtly during the photo, the phone actually moves the sensor in the opposite direction to cancel it out, avoiding any smearing.
Apple has also upgraded its image processing and added a new Photographic Styles feature. These basically allow you to choose different presets for how the iPhone processes the image you can shot them more to your taste without applying a filter after. Filters are dumb, and work on the whole photo equally Photographic Styles are smarter, with different parts of the shots being handled differently, so they can do things like make colors bolder without changing skin tones.
Night mode: iPhone 12 , iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 handles exposure extremely well and allows you to create great shots in any light.
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iPhone 13 Mini Review: Verdict
The iPhone 13 mini continues the legacy laid down by the 12 mini last year. Its the best small phone you can possibly buy, outpacing anything Android can offer. Fans of smaller handsets will love this phone, as it fits in many a pocket. I can think of a few people personally who would appreciate that.
Even though the design hasnt changed much, the iPhone 13 mini is still a pretty device. I appreciate the smaller notch, even if Apple doesnt take advantage of the extra screen space.
But what I dislike is the lack of competitive fast charging and biometric authentication that works with masks. The latter is a serious lost opportunity. Despite the iterative improvements made across the board with the iPhone 13 mini, none of them obviate the annoyance of typing in my PIN while in public, and doing so again for Apple Pay.
If youre on an iPhone 12 mini, I dont think that the 13 mini is worth an upgrade. But if youre coming from something older and want a small phone, this is basically the best you can get.
Sadly the current rumors for the iPhone 14 say we won’t be getting another mini model, but an iPhone 14 Max instead that’s the same size as the iPhone 13 Pro Max but with the same specs as a basic iPhone 14. So the iPhone 13 mini may remain the best small iPhone for the foreseeable future.