iPhone 13: Release date, specs, pricing, and news

After months of rumors and leaks, the Apple iPhone 13 series finally came out last September. The phones may not represent a major design shift over 2020’s iPhone 12 devices, but they still offer a number of upgrades, new features, and more.

Like the iPhone 12, there are four iPhone 13 models: the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. All four of the new phones have upgrades, and some of those upgrades are features that users have been asking for, for years.

We were able to publish full reviews of the phones. Here’s more of what you can find about the iPhone 13 series.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 256GB Price:$1,099.00 Buy Now Available from Amazon, BGR may receive a commission

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini reviews and features

• The lineup starts with the iPhone 13 mini retailing for $699.
• The device flips the camera layout to a diagonal camera arrangement which offers better, high-quality photos thanks to the larger lenses.
• iPhone 13s come in five new colors including Blue, Pink, Midnight, Starlight, and a Product Red option.
• Pricing has stayed the same, yet battery life according to the latest reviews is an incredibly meaningful change over the previous iPhone 12 smartphones.
• Read our full review here.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro max reviews and features

• Pro pricing has also stayed the same as the previous year’s models.
• The iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 while the iPhone 13 Pro Max retails for $1,099
• The iPhone 13 Pro displays finally offer 120Hz ProMotion, seamlessly increasing or decreasing the refresh rate based on what’s being utilized on the smartphone, saving battery in the process.
• The cameras yield another huge upgrade with physically larger sensors, all with either optical or sensor-shift stabilization, enhanced night mode, macro close-up photography, and Cinema video mode.
• The notch is 20% smaller.
• Battery life is rated at both 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours more, respectively.
• According to reviews, the newest Bionic A15 CPU delivers at least 10% better performance than last year’s models.
• The iPhone 13 Pro colorways are sierra Blue, Gold, Graphite, and Silver.
• Read our full review here.

iPhone 13 specs

iPhone 13 design

The iPhone 12 series got a major design overhaul, and as such, we were never expecting the iPhone 13 to get many design changes. The latest devices retain the squared-off edges and large square camera module on offer by Apple’s previous-generation phones. That’s not a bad thing though — we loved the look of the iPhone 12, and the iPhone 13 still looks great.

There are a few tweaks to the design though. Perhaps the most obvious of those is the fact that the devices have a slightly smaller notch. It’s not a huge difference, but it makes that edge-to-edge display slightly more immersive. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for the notch-less iPhone that we’re all looking forward to.

The other design shift comes to the two non-Pro models. The two devices now have diagonally aligned cameras instead of vertically aligned ones. It’s also not a huge change, but still a way to tell the phones apart.

The Pro comes in four finishes, including a new Sierra Blue finish. All four have a stainless steel frame. The Pro devices also boast a larger camera module, giving it enough room to get larger camera sensors — which we’ll get into a little later. It doesn’t make a huge difference for those that put their phone in a case. For the best cases for the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, click the links.

iPhone 13 display with 120Hz refresh rate

The Pro iPhones got a major display upgrade. After years of high refresh rate Android phones, Apple’s Pro devices finally got ProMotion displays. That means they offer a 120Hz refresh rate that give software smooth animations and a responsive feel. This was a feature that was long overdue, but it’s still nice to see.

As mentioned, unfortunately, the feature is only available for “Pro” models — so the standard devices didn’t get the treatment. Hopefully, that will change for the iPhone 14 series, though only time will tell. Still, all four devices offer nice OLED displays that look great whether they have high refresh rates or not.

The standard devices got a bit of a display upgrade though. The device has a new high-efficiency display that can go up to an impressive 1200 nits.

Despite some early rumors, there’s no Touch ID sensor in the display. It’s possible that will arrive down the line.

iPhone 13 specs and features

As is tradition, the series received an improved processor — all four models now offer Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. The new chip is based on the 5nm process, not a 3nm process as some rumors indicated. But it gives an already super powerful chip a little extra oomph. It’s a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.

The storage amounts received updates as well. Apple has done away with the 64GB storage option, meaning that the base iPhone now offers 128GB. This is helpful for those who like to store lots of files and media on their device — though those that rely heavily on cloud services may not notice much of a difference. And, there’s a new 1TB storage option too.

The devices have improved 5G performance too. Now, the device supports C-band 5G networks, which could play a large role in 5G deployment over the next few years.

iPhone 13 camera with optical zoom

The iPhone 12 series represented a big step forward for the iPhone’s camera, bringing larger camera sensors that perform better in low light. The iPhone 12 Pro Max in particular performed excellently in that respect. Apple brought that tech to the entire iPhone 13 lineup. It helps the devices offer better low light performance and stabilization.

Like the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, the two lower-end models still have a dual-camera setup with one 12-megapixel wide and one 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. And, the Pro devices still have a triple camera setup, which adds a 12-megapixel telephoto camera to the mix.

There are some other improvements to the camera, besides the sensor-shift tech. The devices have a larger 7-element wide camera, which has a larger sensor. And, the Pro devices offer an improved 6-element ultrawide camera with an f/1.8 aperture. This ensures they can perform better in low-light conditions, plus it allows the device to take macro photography without the need for a dedicated macro camera. And, the telephoto camera on the Pro models finally offers up to 3x optical zoom, making for a total of 6x zoom range when you factor on the ultrawide camera.

The series offers some new software features too. They have a new Cinematic Mode feature, which is basically Portrait Mode for video. The mode lets you change focus by tapping on subjects on the display. phones also offer a new AI-based filter system called “Styles.”

iPhone 13 larger battery

The series got a solid battery improvement too as all four models received a battery boost. The iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13 Pro offer 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Mini, while the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max gets a 2.5-hour improvement. Apple says this is largely due to a more efficient chip and more efficient software. If you’re looking for the best iPhone 13 charger, see here.

Pricing and release date

The overall pricing structure of the series is the same, with the 13 Mini coming in at $699. The standard iPhone 13 costs $799, while the iPhone 13 Pro costs $999, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes at $1,099.

All four of the phones are now fully available. You can read about where to buy the iPhone 13 devices here.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 256GB Price:$1,099.00 Buy Now Available from Amazon, BGR may receive a commission

What is the difference between iPhone 12 and 13?

There are a few differences between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13. The two phones offer mostly the same design, however, the camera lenses are diagonally-aligned instead of vertically aligned. The iPhone 13 also has Apple’s upgraded A15 Bionic chip, over the A14 Bionic chip in the iPhone 12. And, the device has Apple’s sensor-shift camera tech.

Basically, the phones are very similar, but the iPhone 13 has a slightly better processor and a slightly better camera. If you have an iPhone 12, you don’t need an iPhone 13.

Is the iPhone 13 waterproof?

No, the iPhone 13 is not waterproof — it’s water-resistant. There is a difference to note. Waterproof means that a device is impervious to water. Water-resistant means it can handle some water in some situations, but with caveats. The iPhone 13 actually offers pretty good water resistance — it has an IP68 water-resistance rating. In this case, that means it can withstand being submerged in up to six meters of water for up to 30 minutes. You probably don’t want to submerge it in water intentionally, but if you happen to drop it in the bath, it should survive.

Is the iPhone 13 the same size as the iPhone 11?

It’s a similar size, but it’s not the same. The iPhone 11 is 5.94 inches tall, 2.98 inches wide, and 0.33 inches thick. The iPhone 13, on the other hand, is 5.78 inches tall, 2.81 inches wide, and 0.30 inches thick. In other words, the iPhone 13 is smaller in every way — but only a little.

Is the iPhone 13 dual SIM?

Yes! The iPhone 13 has one slot for a physical nano-SIM, and supports eSIM technology. That means that you can use Dual SIM technology with the iPhone 13, though you can’t use two physical SIM cards.