As the follow-up to the iPhone 12 series, Apple released the iPhone 13 series in September of this year. The iPhone 13 has a larger notch-less display, a better camera, longer battery life, and many other improvements. I’ve had the phone for three months now. Is this the finest iPhone 12 upgrade? In order to discover out, let’s examine the review.
Display, Hardware and Design
The 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display on the iPhone 13 features the same resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 476ppi. The firm claims that the display is 28 percent brighter outside at 800 nits and has a greater peak brightness for HDR at 1200 nits than the predecessor. It supports HDR and Dolby Vision. When using the monitor outside and when viewing HDR material, I had no problems. Wide Color and True Tone adjustments are also included. You receive haptic touch feedback as a result of the Taptic Engine.
If you desire a high refresh rate screen, you must spend extra money and get the iPhone 13 Pro model because it lacks the 120Hz high refresh rate option. It is protected by the Ceramic Shield technology first seen on the iPhone 12. Apple claims that the new high temperature crystallization technique, which creates nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix, results in a 4x greater drop performance than standard protection.
Since Apple combined the flood illuminator and dot projector of the Face ID system into one component and moved the earphone cutout up to the edge of the phone, the notch on the iPhone 13 series is less than on the model it replaces. The front camera is still a 12MP True Depth with an f/2.2 aperture.
There is still a Ring/Silent button adjacent to the volume rockers since button locations have not changed from the iPhone 13 model. As you can see, the phone’s aluminum frame has a matte texture, making it less likely to collect fingerprints. The antenna cutouts are furthermore visible.
The speaker grill and microphone port are on each side, the power button is on the right side, and the lightning port is at the bottom. The phone boasts 6 meters of water resistance for up to 30 minutes according to IP68 certifications.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 share a 6.1-inch screen, but the iPhone 13 is slightly thicker (7.65mm vs. 7.4mm) and has a larger camera hump, making it impossible to use the same iPhone 12 cover on the iPhone 13.
It still has sharp edges and is covered by Corning-made tempered glass. It is available in the colors Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT) RED. It weighs 173 grammes, which is 10 grammes more than the iPhone 12 since it has a larger battery.
Camera
According to the manufacturer, the upgraded 12MP (f/1.6) primary camera in the iPhone 13 features 1.7 m pixels, making it the largest sensor ever used in an iPhone dual-camera system. The primary camera on both the iPhone 13 and 12 Pro now features the Sensor-shift OIS technology, which was first introduced in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. There is a secondary 12MP 120° ultra-wide (f/2.4) camera.
On all cameras, there is a Night Mode option that may be manually adjusted. When the phone recognizes a low-light situation, you instantly receive a night mode symbol. Although the long exposure, which can be adjusted to up to 30 seconds, may be changed, it automatically proposes the seconds. Additionally, it has the Deep Fusion option, which debuted in the iPhone 11 series. The A15 Bionic Neural engine, part of an innovative image processing system, enables this to take photos with much improved texture, detail, and noise reduction in low light.
The camera user interface (UX) is the same as it was in earlier generations, with options for photo, video, portrait, pano, timelapse, slo-mo, and a new cinematic mode. You now have new Photographic Styles filters for pictures (Standard, Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool). The pro variant of the iPhone camera still lacks the ability to manually change the ISO, shutter speed, and other settings. RAW mode is also absent on the iPhone 13. To access these functionalities, there are third-party applications, however the most are paid.
The 12MP camera produced good daylight images with lots of details, rich colors, and excellent dynamic range. Although 2X is respectable, as it is a digital zoom, the quality declines as you zoom further. Perfect edge detection makes the portrait mode dazzling. The 12MP camera’s ultra-wide photos are equally as excellent and have the same level of clarity, color, and dynamic range as the primary camera.
Low-light photographs are also nice. When the night mode is on, the photos are softer and have fewer colors, but they are also somewhat brighter and have higher dynamic range. Night mode is supported by even ultra-wide cameras, but without it, photos seem flat because of the smaller aperture.
Images from the 12MP selfie camera are good as well with brilliant dynamic range and colors, but it uses the same sensor as the iPhone 12. In addition to normal wide images, which has a 23mm equivalent FoV, there is a zoomed-in model, but this crops in to 7MP or 30mm FoV. The portraits are good as well with brilliant edge detection.
Check out the camera Samples
The Cinematic mode with depth effect and automated focus shifts is available on all iPhone 13 models. In the iOS Photos app, iMovie for iOS, iMovie for macOS, and Final Cut Pro, you may modify the focus before and after the photo is taken (requires macOS Monterey).
Dolby Vision HDR is used to record in the cinematic mode. Additionally, it provides HDR video recording with Dolby Vision for 4K at up to 60 frames per second on all cameras, from capture through editing and sharing. However, the iPhone 13 Pro series is the only one that supports the Pro Res, a sophisticated video codec. Additionally, it can capture 1080p slow motion video at up to 240 frames per second.
Excellent video quality is produced by all three cameras. You receive superb dynamic range, contrast, and realistic colors in videos when Dolby Vision is on. Videos support 192kbps wide stereo audio for spatial sound. Similar to Portrait mode, which utilizes AI to identify faces or objects and automatically blur the backdrop, Cinematic mode employs edge detection, which is far superior to Portrait video on other Android phones. Videos shot in cinematic mode are 1080p quality and 30 frames per second.
Software and UI
Out of the box, the iPhone 13 ran iOS 15, but since then, the firm has issued iOS 15.0.1 and iOS 15.0.2 updates for bug fixes, as well as iOS 15.1 which brought the much-anticipated Share Play feature that enables you to see and enjoy material with your friends while on a FaceTime conversation.
FaceTime now has extra features thanks to iOS 15, including spatial audio, voice isolation, portrait mode, and more. In your Group FaceTime calls, the Grid View allows you see up to six faces in a grid at once. For the first time, you can create a special FaceTime web link to connect with those who don’t have the app. Since the link opens on a web page, anyone using Windows or an Android device may view it.
You can overlay text on photos or animated gifs using shortcuts, and a new selection of games also allows you pass the time with Siri. This is closer to IFTTT.
Focus mode is a new method of filtering alerts depending on what a user wants to focus on “in that time,” such as Work Focus, Personal Focus, or Fitness Focus. It is available across the Apple ecosystem. A new feature called notification summary has been added to iOS 15 to improve notifications, and the Live Text feature now has support for on-device intelligence.
Only the Gmail app, which I use, has the ability to mark notifications as read and to remove them. Since I have to open the app each time to mark something as read or remove it, I wish other applications like Messages, WhatsApp, and Telegram had this capability.
Thanks to Apple Neural Engine, Live Text that functions in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, and Safari as well as in live previews with Camera enables you copy and paste, lookup, and translate. All the information you’re searching for is available in one comprehensive result when using Spotlight in contacts, movies, and TV shows. Additionally, iOS 15 has updated Maps and Note applications.
Numerous enhancements are made to Siri, Home Kit, Find My, Translate, Apple TV, and more in iOS 15, but Apple may yet make more.
Face Unlock
FaceID is smaller on the iPhone 13 because it integrates the flood illuminator and dot projector into one piece. The phone can be unlocked quickly, and it is also functional in the dark. You must input the pin each time or take off the mask if you are wearing a mask since it prevents the device from recognizing your face.
This is not an issue if you wear an Apple Watch, since the company developed a function early this year that enables customers to unlock their iPhone using Face ID with less security while donning an Apple Watch. Apple replaced its large physical TouchID fingerprint sensor, which is still included in the iPhone SE series, with FaceID. Rumor has it that Apple won’t introduce under-screen Touch ID capability until the 2023 iPhone.
If you have an Apple Watch, this is not a problem because Apple released a function early this year that enables customers to unlock their iPhone using Face ID with less security as long as they are wearing an Apple Watch. The large physical TouchID fingerprint sensor that is still included on Apple’s iPhone SE series has been replaced with FaceID. According to rumors, Apple may only provide under-screen Touch ID capability in iPhones starting in 2023.
Music and Multimedia
Spatial audio compatibility for Dolby Atmos music was added to Apple Music earlier this year with dynamic head tracking, but it only works with AirPods Pro and AirPods 3rd Gen. I’ve been using previous TWS earphones with the iPhone without any connection or audio quality problems. The majority of businesses provide iPhone companion apps.
The iPhone 13 includes two speakers, one at the bottom and the other inside the earpiece grill, just as the iPhone 12. Spatial audio and Dolby Atmos are also supported by the speakers. Even at maximum level, the audio quality is excellent, with crisp highs and lows. Any other smartphone in this price range is inferior than this one.
Dual SIM and Connectivity
The iPhone 13 comes with eSIM functionality, allowing you to utilize it as a second SIM even though it only has one physical SIM slot. It supports Gigabit-class LTE and 5G (sub-6 GHz).
You may use the phone in a variety of nations because it supports many 5G and LTE bands. The iPhone 13 series, according to Apple, has a specialised hardware design that packs more 5G bands, enabling it to operate on 5G in more locations for better coverage and performance.
Additionally, it supports Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with GLONASS, NFC with reader mode, Ultra-Wideband chip for spatial awareness, and 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with 22 MIMO.
The iPhone 13 (Models A2633, A2634, and A2645), according to the Apple website, has a head SAR of 1.18 W/kg (over 1 g) and a body SAR of 1.19 W/kg (over 1 g), which is somewhat higher than certain mid-range phones but much below the limit in India, which is 1.6 W/kg (over 1 g).
Performance and Benchmarks
The A15 Bionic 5nm Chip, which has around 15 billion transistors compared to the A14 Bionic’s 11.8 billion, powers the iPhone 13. It includes a new 6-core CPU that the firm claims is 50 percent quicker than the competition and the quickest in any smartphone. It contains two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.
According to Apple, the new 4-core GPU in the iPhone 13 is up to 30% quicker than the competitors. A five-core GPU found in the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max versions offers performance that is 50% quicker than that of the rivals. Compared to the A14 Bionic’s 11 trillion operations per second, it boasts a new 16-core Neural Engine that can perform 15.8 trillion operations per second.
Although the battery dropped rapidly when I was gaming, which is typical for all iPhone models, I did not have any heating concerns.
Battery Life
In terms of battery capacity, the iPhone 13 has a 3227mAh battery, which is 15% more than the iPhone 12’s 2815mAh battery. On a single charge, the iPhone 13 is expected to play videos for 19 hours, according to Apple. According to my usage, the iPhone 13 lasted two days with casual use and one day with rigorous use. After using it for two days, it reached about eight hours of screen time.
It is USB-PD charging compatible. Although it may utilise up to 23W of electricity, Apple advises using 20W PD charging. Apple claims that when utilising a PD charger, it can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes. Up to 80% of the charge can be completed in 50 minutes, however the final 20% charge takes over an hour, taking the total charge time to 100% to nearly 2 hours. Apple does this to keep the battery in good shape. It takes close to 4 hours to fully charge a phone using a standard fast charger.
Additionally, it has wireless charging up to 15W using an Apple MagSafe charger, which charges the phone completely in less than 2.5 hours as opposed to the previous model’s 3 hours. However, every Qi-compatible charger has a maximum 7.5W charging rate.
Conclusion
Overall, compared to the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 is a great update. Although it still has the same design and nearly identical functionality, the battery, performance, and camera have all been improved. Apple also provides 5 years of OS updates, allowing you to use the phone for a number of years without having to switch to a new model.
I miss it in the iPhone 13 after using the version of the device with a 120Hz refresh rate screen, the iPhone 13 Pro. Also, Apple won’t remove the notch until the iPhone 14 is out. We hope that iOS 16 will include the changes that are still needed.
Alternatives
After the latest price reduction, the iPhone 12 is still a terrific phone. The iPhone 13 mini delivers comparable specs to the iPhone 13 in a smaller form provided you don’t mind a smaller screen and battery.
Since ASUS has yet to introduce the 8Z in India, there are no more affordable Android flagships that provide the whole package. The Samsung Galaxy S21, which has a 6.2-inch screen and is somewhat taller than the iPhone 13, is also slightly wider and has an IP68 water resistant rating. You might also hold out for the forthcoming Galaxy S22, which is anticipated to have a 6-inch screen.
Pricing and Availability
The pricing of the new base model, the iPhone 12 128GB, which is the same as the iPhone 12’s launch price, is Rs. 79,900. Although the top-tier iPhone 13 512GB model we have costs Rs. 1,09,900, the 256GB version is Rs. 10,000 more expensive at Rs. 89,900. We can’t anticipate a price decrease until the iPhone 14 launches in late 2022, even if Apple is anticipated to begin local manufacture of the iPhone 13 in February 2022.
