Apple launches suite of new iPhone 13 models

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Apple has announced the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, as well as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini, with the company saying the suite of new smartphones offers the biggest advancement in imaging performance yet.

 

Image: Apple
Image: Apple

Joining many Android smartphones, the cameras on all four of the new phones gain new Ultra Wide, and Wide cameras, with the Pro models also gaining Telephoto cameras. All are powered by an A15 Bionic chip, which Apple calls the fastest on a smartphone, and the sensor on all the models are also bigger, marking the first time Apple has increased the primary camera’s sensor size since the iPhone XS and XR back in 2018.

As a result, the upgrade in performance is across the board, with Apple saying the 13 and 13 Mini can capture 47 percent more light than the 12. The 13 Pro and Pro Max get an even greater increase, along with faster f/1.5 lenses that capture 2.2 times as much light as before, along with a 1.9μm sensor - one of the largest we've seen. 

Image: Apple
Image: Apple

What does it all mean? Well according to Apple, a faster Neural Engine in the A15 Bionic chip, along with advancements in computational photography make it possible to offer new features like macro photography on the new Ultra Wide camera and up to 2.2x improved low-light performance on the new Wide camera on the Pro and Pro Max.

The same tech also powers new Photographic Styles, which personalise the look of images in the Camera app, and all models now include Night mode on all cameras. 

It's worth noting that the telephoto camera remains exclusive to the 13 Pro phones. It has an equivalent focal length of 77mm, or three times longer than the primary camera. A telephoto lens is a pretty useful addition, but it’s really just bringing Apple up to speed with its competitors as 5x (and greater) periscope telephotos are already common in the Android world.

Apple also says video has taken a huge leap forward, with a new Cinematic mode for better depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and further improved low-light performance.Cinematic mode records in Dolby Vision HDR, and for the first time, on the 13 Pro, it's possible to record and edit video in Apple’s ProRes codec on the phone itself, or export the ProRes file to Final Cut Pro on a Mac.

“iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max make up our most pro iPhone lineup ever with the biggest advancement for our camera system, the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and the fastest performance of any smartphone, setting a new standard for iPhone and enabling incredible experiences never before possible,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“The new pro camera system offers even more pro photography capabilities like improved telephoto zoom, macro photography, Photographic Styles, Cinematic mode, as well as ProRes and Dolby Vision video. The Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion is our best display ever; it intelligently responds to the content on your screen, offers fantastic graphics performance, and is perfect for any viewing experience.”

Image: Apple
Image: Apple

The new smartphones are also designed to be somewhat more environmentally friendly, with Apple spruiking their enviro cred including the use of 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in magnets, 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and the solder of the battery management unit. The cameras also offer 100 per cent recycled gold on the plating of the main logic board and the wire in the front camera and rear cameras, and redesigned packaging eliminates the outer plastic wrap, avoiding a whopping 600 metric tons of plastic.

Apple says it is currently working towards a goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging by 2025, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 per cent carbon neutral by 2030. 

Availability

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available in graphite, gold, silver, and sierra blue in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options with preorders beginning at 10 p.m. AEST on Friday, 17 September, with availability beginning Friday, 24 September.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will be available in pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED in a new entry-level capacity of 128GB for double the storage, as well as 256GB and 512GB capacities, with availability beginning Friday, 24 September.

iPhone 13 starts at RRP A$1,349 inc. GST before trade-in, and iPhone 13 mini starts at RRP A$1,199 inc. GST before trade-in. The iPhone 13 Pro starts at an RRP of A$1,699 inc. GST before trade-in, and iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at RRP A$1,849 inc. GST before trade-in from apple.com/au/store, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations.

Finally, a new update to Apple's iOS, iOS 15, will be available as a free software update from Monday, 20 September.

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