When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, it went on to revolutionize a lot in the smartphone industry in terms of design, simplicity & functionality. In fact, the original iPhone laid the foundation for the simplistic brick-like style of practically every single smartphone today. Before the iPhone, smartphones were usually a confusing mix of touchscreens, slide-out QWERTY keyboards and often came in unusual shapes and sizes.

Now, we’re graced by the debut of the latest iteration of the iPhone. The iPhone 13. Unveiled on the 14th of September, 2021 alongside the iPad Mini 6, the iPad Mini, and the Apple Watch Series 7, the new iPhone 13 comes with an array of new details that makes it stand apart from its predecessors.

Apple iPhone Series 6 Review

Key Features

1. Comes in iPhone 13 standard, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, & iPhone 13 Pro Max variants.
2. High-quality aluminium & Gorilla glass hybrid construction
3. Ceramic shield front cover for increased durability
4. RED, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, & Pink colour choices for iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Mini versions
5. Graphite, Gold, Silver & Sierra Blue colour choices for iPhone 13 Pro & Pro Max version.
6. IP68 water resistance
7. TrueDepth camera system
8. 5G support
9. Environmentally friendly methods of construction (Recycled elements) and lack of plastic outer wrap, avoiding the use of 600 metric tons of plastic overall.

Specifications

How much does the Apple iPhone 13 cost?

Pre-orders for the iPhone 13, Mini, Pro & Pro Max will start on the 17th of September, 2021 and will officially go on sale on the 24th of September, 2021.

What we like

The availability of 5G functionality makes it revolutionary. The iPhone 13 is quite ahead of time in that regard, as this technology is still in the process of roll-out and is still not truly available in many countries. This is an excellent step in promoting the use of 5G technology, which could very well be the next breakthrough of progress and innovation.

The new A15 Bionic Processor is a fantastic upgrade to the older A14 version. It’s fast and makes the new iPhone 13 keep up with the speed of modern times.

The new Camera system, with its triple-lens feature, is divided into Telephoto, Wide & Ultra Wide lenses. The Wide lens in particular is the largest sensor in any iPhone ever and features an aperture that lets in 2.2 times more light than before and the Ultra Wide lens captures up to a whopping 92 percent more light. This makes the camera much more effective in low-light conditions & of course, makes it a fantastic all-rounder.

There’s the introduction of cinematic mode which is useful in focussing & blurring subjects easily in progression, the Smart HDR 4 which is an optimisation feature, the Photographic Styles, which is a smart filter that fine-tunes the features of a photograph, Macro photography, Telephoto Night Mode, Telephoto Cinematic Mode, Night Mode Portraits, ProRes, etc.

The availability of 1 TB of storage for the Pro and the Pro Max versions, which is quite a feat, especially in such a compact and well-designed package. This has just made it become more convenient and functional than ever before.

Apple’s dedication to sustainability and environmental protection. Sometimes, the smallest of details make the biggest of differences. That’s why the packaging that does off with the plastic covering is directly responsible for the reduction of usage of nearly 600 metric tons of plastic potentially. Moreover, the Gold used in the circuits, as well as the Tin used as a solder material, are all entirely recycled. 

What’s more, Apple’s ambitions to do away with plastic completely from its packaging and also become entirely carbon-neutral over time is something to be noticed and applauded.

What we wish we could improve

The design isn’t entirely revolutionary. But we can understand that at this stage, evolution is more of the way forwards, at least for the time being. Evolution of the details, to be more precise.

But despite boasting aerospace-grade aluminium construction and the new wide range of colours (Red, Starlight, Midnight, Graphite, Gold, Silver & Sierra Blue), the new iPhone 13 isn’t much far off in comparison to the previous generation iPhone 12 in terms of design.

Apart from the Pro & the Pro Max versions which offer 1 TB of storage as an option, the new iPhone 13 isn’t exactly that much of an upgrade from the iPhone 12. And considering it costs much more, upgrading is something to really think of before doing. It’s important not to get caught up in the rush of what’s new, focusing more on the practicality of purpose.

But nevertheless, it’s a good choice for first time ownership. But if you already have an iPhone 12, upgrade to the 13 only if you really want to, as that’s an objectively excellent phone on its own.

The Other Highlights

The Apple Watch Series 7

One of the greatest companions the iPhone could have ever wished for, would of course be the Apple Watch. Having a wearable piece of technology that directly links with your iPhone, expanding its functionality a lot, is something extremely useful.

Of course, the Apple Watch, just like any other smartwatch in its class is objectively a very high-quality and usable product just like the iPhone. And something to notice is that the Apple Watch’s soft-cornered rectangular shape has always been one of the prettiest choices for a smartwatch.

The new Apple Watch Series 7 is the largest in comparison to its predecessors. It comes in a choice of 5 aluminium colours, which are Green, Blue, RED, Starlight and Midnight.

The screen is larger for better visibility and functionality. The borders have been reduced by 40% as compared to the previous Series 6 which gives it nearly 20% more screen area. That’s an amazing improvement already.

It features an Always-On display that makes viewing the time more convenient and effective. But the most fascinating feature is its ability to perform a full ECG, with its onboard ECG app. That’s a real fear right there! The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 for the 40mm GPS model and it will increase for the 44mm as well as for the cellular support functionality.

It will be available later this fall and pre-orders haven’t been opened yet.

The New iPad 10.2

Along with the iPhone 13 and the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple has also revealed the new iPad 10.2 for 2021. The design is very similar to the previous version, with the main differences being what’s under the hood. 

The 10.2 inch, 1620 x 2160 LCD display with Apple’s TrueTone tech makes the whole system more vibrant and effective under all sorts of external lighting conditions.

The front camera has been upgraded with a 12 MP version with Apple’s Centre Stage feature, with the rear camera being the same 8 MP one as the previous version.

It comes with iPad OS 15 and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil. Unfortunately, there’s no 5G support yet. It costs $329, with pre-orders open now and will go on sale officially on the 24th of September, 2021.

The Conclusion

The future looks bright and interesting. Apple has always been at the forefront of technical as well as aesthetic innovation for years, and with the new iPhone 13, the Apple Watch Series 7 and the new iPad 10.2 for 2021, they have successfully refreshed their line-up of high-quality products. 

Now, apart from the technical upgrades, Apple has given its products, the introduction of proper 5G support for the iPhone 13 is the highlight that really points out the fact that Apple has become a trendsetter to lead the world into the future. And that’s something commendable.