With each generation, iPhones are getting better: for Apple this is a reason to attract new customers, and the owners of new products have their own reason for joy. A smart and convenient device will last several seasons before you need to change your old phone to a new one. As Apple continues to get the iPhone 13 ready for launch, please find the review below!
In the case of the iPhone 12 introduced last year, the story is even more interesting. It turned out to be so successful and convenient that surpassing it and making the phone even better and more interesting is not an easy task.
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Old design with new colors
Judging by their acquaintances, people most often switch from an old iPhone to a new one as soon as a phone with a fundamentally new design comes out. This was the case when the iPhone 12 appeared – it was a welcome update. In the case of the iPhone 13, you will experience new sensations if you haven’t held the iPhone 12 in your hands yet. Otherwise, there will be no fresh emotions.
Same dimensions, flat edges, aluminum alloy and glass on the back. But what about the new body colors? Apple has revised the color palette and updated it. In my opinion, the scale turned out to be strange and somehow boring. It is not necessary to paint the hulls in loud acid tones, but you want some kind of variety, or something. Remember how bright and fresh the iPhone XR line was: juicy yellow, coral, beautiful blue.
Then there was the iPhone 11 in a calmer scale, then the same neutral iPhone 12. I thought maybe the iPhone 13 would somehow stir up the pastel kingdom, but no.
Basic white is good, but nothing new. New black – it is terribly easily soiled, but at the same time it does not look like the usual black, rather, bluish-black. Unusual color, but not for everybody. Judging by the sales statistics, 7 out of 10 iPhones sold in Russia are black and this color will have the maximum demand.
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For all my love of blue, I didn’t like the dark blue on the iPhone 12 or the new shade of blue on the iPhone 13. The soft pink is too pale and easily confused with white in photographs. I would like to add saturation and make it brighter. Blood red Product Red looks good, but not an option.
In general, I don’t presume to judge Apple’s design team, but the color scheme is somehow not memorable and strange. Whether it is the iPhone XR in blue: how many years have passed, and it still looks very beautiful.
Still a very user-friendly phone
Like the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 13 also has a larger camera block – the iPhone 12 case won’t fit. The rest of the body is the same size, it got a little thicker, but it is still a handset that is comfortable to use with one hand. At the same time, it is not heavy, unlike the iPhone 13 Pro, which, with comparable dimensions, feels like a much heavier device.
Of all the current-generation iPhones I’ve tried, the iPhone 13 is my favorite. The miniature iPhone 13 mini is very small and not very convenient for active work on the Internet. The iPhone 13 Pro has a decent weight – it feels like a heavy brick. There is no need to talk about the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it’s just huge. It was the iPhone 13 that turned out to be the most comfortable and balanced: it is not big or small, not thick or heavy. The optimal phone for the usual one-handed use.
Wonderful screen
You can write literally one sentence about the display: everything is the same as in the iPhone 12, only the brightness margin has increased from 625 nits to 800 nits. Unlike the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro, support for 120 Hz did not appear: we lived without it for so many years and I see no reason to worry.
The picture is bright, the colors are pleasant, the display bezels are small – everything is fine. In this regard, both the iPhone 12 and 13 compare favorably with the old XR or 11, which no longer look modern against the background of new generations.
The reduced size of the “monobrow” on the one hand also deserves mention, on the other – we do not get any practical bonuses. Let’s say you could add some characters to the vacated space.
In addition, when using the phone, you do not pay attention to the fact that the “bangs” have become smaller. Here the question is whether it exists, in principle, as on the iPhone, or not, as shown by the manufacturers of Android devices.
Redesigned cameras: especially good at shooting in the dark
The block with cameras sticks out of the case even more, and at the same time it takes up more space. Attentive people will also notice that the cameras are now located not one under the other, but diagonally. This is the main feature of the new iPhone 13, immediately distinguishing it from the iPhone 12.
The camera has become better compared to the iPhone 12, the main 12 megapixel module captures more light, and the additional 12 megapixel wide-angle module has got autofocus and is better suited for shooting in low light conditions. But it doesn’t know how to shoot macro, as the iPhone 13 Pro does.iPhone 13
But the iPhone 13 received one of the cool features of last year’s flagship iPhone 12 Pro Max: optical image stabilization with a matrix shift. I really liked that now the night mode, when there is a splice of several frames, is launched only in extreme cases. In most situations, the software does not give in to the dark, quickly takes pictures and does not require you to wait until the frame is taken.
During shooting, six lighting effects are available, and photographic styles have also been added. They differ from built-in filters in that they do not affect skin tone. Conveniently, if you like some of the styles, then the phone can automatically apply it to the rest of the frames, you don’t have to waste time processing. In addition, the camera has become less “yellow”, it is hard to believe that warm shades are a thing of the past.
Smart HDR 4 works, it now recognizes up to four people in the frame and optimizes color settings individually. I tried it – to be honest, I didn’t feel much difference, but it is possible that more experienced photographers will be able to see the difference.
The phone also acquired a special “Cinema Effect” mode when shooting a video: you move the camera from one object to another, and the phone automatically changes focus. Moreover, it works both with people and with inanimate objects. It looks great if you like to shoot video with a creative approach, appreciate the new techniques.
The front camera remains the same, the quality is the same, but more options were added: “Cinema mode” and photo styles for taking selfies.
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Even faster and more powerful
The iPhone 13 has the same new Apple A15 Bionic chipset as the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro, the only difference is in the graphics. The 13 Pro has five cores, while the 13 has four. In games, I did not notice a difference in performance, in everyday use, too.
But now Apple has doubled the amount of internal memory: the iPhone 13 is sold with 128, 256 and 512 GB of memory. At the same time, the price is the same as it was on the iPhone 12 a year ago.
Worth mentioning is the support of two eSIMs at once instead of one, as it was in the iPhone 12. Plus, we get one physical SIM-card. Thus, you have a choice: either two virtual SIM cards at once, or one virtual one paired with a physical one.
Battery cases
I walked with the iPhone 12 for about six months, and in general, its operation time suited me. It did not hold the record for autonomy, but when I used it, the charging was most often enough for the whole day, although sometimes I recharged it during the day.
Then I switched to the iPhone 12 Pro Max in the hope that the big phone will have a large battery and there will be no problems with autonomy in principle. As it turned out in the process of use, there is a difference in favor of Max, but not so critical to put up with its huge size. If the iPhone 12 produced about 5.5-6 hours of active screen, then the 12 Pro Max – from 6 to 7, occasionally about 8 hours.
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With the iPhone 13, the situation has changed for the better, the autonomy has increased. According to Apple, it lasts 2.5 hours longer than its predecessor. According to my feelings, he lives just at the level of the iPhone 12 Pro Max: enough for a day. On average, about 7 hours of active screen comes out, which is worthy by my standards.
Buy an iPhone 13 or save and buy an iPhone 12?
An eternal topic for discussion: buy a completely new model or stay with last year? I covered the topic in a separate text, you can read it here:
Looking for the differences between iPhone 13 and iPhone 12
After using the iPhone 13, I want to say that the capabilities of the new cameras make a very pleasant impression. Therefore, if you like to take pictures, then it is definitely worth paying extra for the capabilities of the iPhone 13. And this is not counting its other advantages.
Or iPhone 13 Pro?
There are more differences between the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro this season than between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro a year ago. Therefore, if the budget allows, then look towards the older model, it is even more interesting, first of all, in terms of camera capabilities.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Review
iPhone 13 pricing
The 128 GB iPhone 13 costs $829 the 256 GB version will cost $929, and for the maximum volume of 512 GB you need to pay $1,129.
Conclusion
Apple again has a great phone, well balanced, comfortable and enjoyable in every way. Perhaps it is too predictable and the improvements relative to the iPhone 12 seem simple and expected: better photos, improved autonomy, slightly refreshed the design. At the same time, thanks to such steps, if you look at the iPhones of the past generations, you can clearly feel the difference between the new and old models.
Therefore, if you were in doubt last year whether to switch to iPhone 12 or wait, now you can confidently prepare to move to the new iPhone 13. You will definitely like it and will remain relevant for a long time, receiving regular iOS updates.
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