The iPhone 13 isn’t a game-changer for Apple’s smartphone series, but it’s an important iteration that offers better battery life, a better processor, and a better camera setup than the iPhones that came before it. If you’re looking for a fast and capable smartphone and don’t need the extra features of the more expensive Pro model, this is the best choice.
| Pros | Cons |
| Special design | No 120Hz screen |
| Better battery life | Minimal design changes |
| Powerful internals | No Ceramic Shield on rear |
iPhone 13 review
The iPhone 13 is no longer Apple’s latest smartphone, although it may be a more tempting purchase than its successor. The iPhone 14 series is out and the main device of this series is very similar to the 13 with the same cameras, display, chipset and design.
It’s a shame because in our original review of the iPhone 13, we noted that it didn’t come with a huge amount of features compared to the iPhone 12, although there were a few tweaks here and there.
On paper, you’d be hard-pressed to find a reason why Apple didn’t call the iPhone 13 the iPhone 12S. The design is basically the same, the specs aren’t much different, and there aren’t many new features grabbing headlines.
If you want a bigger update, you can go for the iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
However, everything on the iPhone 13 is a little better than before, and some elements are significantly better.
The highlight of the iPhone 13 is battery life. Before, the iPhone wasn’t synonymous with long battery life, but during each day of our testing, we found it hard to drain the iPhone 13.
Apple has finally surpassed it when it comes to battery life, and it’s now much better than previous iterations of the iPhone.
Meanwhile, the new A15 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 13 is incredibly powerful, and when combined with 4GB of RAM, it’s capable of running multiple apps and tasks quickly and efficiently.
The new dual camera for iPhone 13 improves image clarity, and the introduction of Sensor Shift Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), previously only available on Apple Pro Max phones, makes a big difference for those who want to shoot quickly without losing the subject in a blur.
Even the screen on the iPhone 13 is slightly better than what we’ve seen on previous “standard” iPhones, which is a big deal if you’re upgrading from an iPhone XS or older. OLED technology delivers a brighter picture than ever and the picture quality is fantastic.
One disappointment, however, is that Apple didn’t include a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 13, so you don’t get the smooth experience you get on the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max.
As always, Apple’s new iPhone will cost you: The iPhone 13 starts at Rs. 65,999 – though you’ll get 128GB of storage last year rather than the base iPhone 12’s 64GB.
While the iPhone 13 may not seem like a big leap forward for Apple at first glance, the improved battery life, performance, screen, and camera overall is a worthy upgrade for anyone who’s moved from an old iPhone or wants to make a new one. switch from android. In fact, it’s enough to rank first in our best iPhone guide.
iPhone 13 release date and price
- Went on sale September 14 2021
- Price Rs. 65,999 for 128GB
- Second most affordable of the iPhone 13s
The iPhone 13 series was announced on September 14 at the company’s annual presentation, and pre-orders will open on September 17. The iPhone 13 release date is September 24, and unlike the 2020 iPhone 12 series, all new phones were available for purchase the same day.
The iPhone 13 starts at $799 / £779 / AU$1,349, which is the same price as the iPhone 12 in the US and Australia, and slightly cheaper in the UK. The iPhone 12 was priced at US$799 / £799 / AU$1,349 at launch.
For that price, you’ll get 128GB of storage — Apple ditched the 64GB models last year, and not before. If you need more storage, the 256GB iPhone 13 costs $899 / £879 / AU$1,519, while the 512GB model costs $1,099 / £1,079 / AU$1,869.
iPhone 13 design
- Basically the same design as in 12
- Rear cameras have undergone minor changes
- Small enough for a smartphone
If you have an iPhone 12, you’re unlikely to see much of a difference between this phone and the iPhone 13. However, if you have an older iPhone or Android device, you’ll definitely see some differences.
The new iPhone features the flat-edge design that debuted in the iPhone 12 lineup. This means the design is slightly more angular than the rounded finish of previous iterations, but the phone is still comfortable to use with one hand.
The front and back of the phone are glass, but only the front panel features Apple’s patented Ceramic Shield technology, featured on last year’s iPhone 12. Apple says it’s four times more drop-resistant than the glass on older iPhones, but we still don’t recommend testing that claim.
We found the iPhone 13 to be easy to use with one hand – it measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm – although if you really need a one-handed device or have small hands, the iPhone 13 mini might be a greater choice.
The iPhone 13 weighs a little more than the iPhone 12, at 174g compared to 164g, but that’s not something you’ll notice in everyday use and is about the norm for a phone of this type.
There are five color options available for the iPhone 13: Blue, Midnight, Starlight (Cream), Product Red, and Pink.
iPhone 13 display
- 6.1-inch screen with a resolution of 2532 x 1170
- The OLED panel looks good in the sun
- Only 60Hz, not 120Hz like the Pro
The iPhone 13 display has a diagonal of 6.1 inches with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. It’s Apple’s Super Retina XDR OLED display, which delivers crisp, clear images – the iPhone 13’s brightness is improved, and it can stand up to other smartphones in direct sunlight.
That resolution is 460ppi, which isn’t the best we’ve seen on the market, but it’s fine for everyday use – we didn’t find ourselves needing a higher resolution, even when watching videos or playing games.
There are thin bezels around the phone’s screen, and part of the display is also occupied by a notch at the top. Yes, the iPhone 13 still has a notch, but it’s 20% smaller than the notch on the iPhone 12, giving you a bit more screen real estate.
It’s not a big change, but it’s noticeable when you compare the phone to the iPhone 12. You’ll get used to it quickly, though.
It’s important to note here that the iPhone 13 display doesn’t get the new 120Hz refresh rate that Apple introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max – the displays on these phones refresh twice as fast as the standard 60Hz screen for a smoother experience. while scrolling web pages or playing a game.
If you’ve experienced this technology before (it’s now common on many Android phones), you’ll notice a difference here, although it’s a nice-to-have feature, not a must-have.
iPhone 13 camera
- 12-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultra-wide cameras
- The front camera is also 12 MP
- Digital zoom up to 5x
In terms of basic specs, the iPhone 13’s camera setup isn’t all that different from last year’s array, but you do get some noteworthy upgrades here, including the setup of the cameras themselves, as well as a number of software updates.
You have two cameras on the back: a 12MP wide-angle camera with f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.4 aperture and 120-degree field of view. There’s no telephoto shooting here – you’re relying on digital zoom, so this phone isn’t the best for long-distance shots.
Short of shooting at a distance, it’s a fantastic and versatile experience. The main camera uses 1.7μm pixels (compared to 1.4μm on the iPhone 12), which makes a noticeable difference in image quality here.
You also get Apple’s Sensor Shift OIS technology, which debuted in last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max and offers the best image stabilization we’ve seen on an iPhone, allowing you to get sharp shots even if you can’t hold the phone perfectly still.
The shots taken in most scenarios have less noise than similar shots from the iPhone 12, and there were a few situations where the camera didn’t perform as well as we’d hoped – it’s a great point-and-shoot experience.
The ultra-wide camera’s 120-degree field of view is useful when you want to cover more of a subject or scene, but we mostly stuck with the main camera.
There’s up to 5x digital zoom, but the results aren’t particularly impressive, and you’ll find that many other smartphones have more in this area, although it’s by no means a critical feature.
Another new feature is Photo Styles, which you can access through the camera app. They allow you to apply a custom look to your images, such as rich contrast, bright, warm, and cool.
You can shoot videos on iPhone 13 in 4K at 24, 30 and 60fps, and in Full HD at 30, 60, 120 and 240 frames per second.
iPhone 13 specs and performance
- A15 Bionic chipset is very powerful
- The phone is excellent for gaming
- 4GB RAM, storage goes up to 512GB
All of Apple’s iPhone 13 series are equipped with the company’s new A15 Bionic chipset, the latest effort to create the most powerful smartphone chipset on the planet. Apple says it has a 50% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU than the competition.
Whatever the accuracy of these claims, Apple’s new phone is undeniably powerful, and while day-to-day performance won’t be noticeably different from what you’d get from the iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, it’ll be a huge step forward for those with iPhone 8 or lower.
In our testing, we found that the iPhone 13 can launch apps instantly and easily switch between apps with a limited wait time for each.
Gaming on this phone was also a breeze, with titles loading as fast as we’ve seen on other products like the iPad Pro (one of Apple’s most powerful devices in 2021). Games looked fantastic on the OLED display, and the GPU performance boost was especially noticeable.
Apple has taken another big step forward, but it’s most noticeable in the benchmark results. The day-to-day experience is pretty much the same, but it will be a noticeable step up from older iPhone models.
The A15 Bionic chipset is paired with 4GB of RAM, which is enough to keep it running at full capacity. That’s less RAM than you’ll see on most equivalent Android phones, but Apple doesn’t seem to need a lot of RAM to get the most out of the A15 Bionic.
Your storage options are 128GB, 256GB or 512GB, and if you plan to load your phone with media files for a few years, we recommend going with the 256GB or 512GB option; even with iCloud support, 128GB can easily fill up.
Apple has at least ditched the ridiculously meager 64GB storage option that has been its main offering for the past few years.
The iPhone 13 series is 5G ready, and it’s nice to know you’re ready for the next generation of technology, even if you don’t need it yet or it’s not available where you are – it’s becoming more common and iPhone 13 will be compatible with any 5G operator.
iPhone 13 software
- Comes on iOS 15
- Let’s see a few years of updates
- Focus mode is useful for productivity
iPhone 13 comes with iOS 15 out of the box, so you can enjoy all the latest software features from the company.
The 2021 updates are smaller than the overhaul we saw in iOS 14, but the new additions are interesting and include a new focus mode that’s easy to enable via a dropdown menu.
Tapping the Focus label gives you easy access to Do Not Disturb, as well as settings you can turn on when you’re at work or about to go to bed. Want to block Twitter notifications while you’re at your desk? This will allow you to do so.
The other new features are more minor, but overall it’s a nice improvement over what we’ve seen before.
The main advantage of the new iPhone is that Apple will likely support it with software updates for years to come; even the iPhone 6S is compatible with iOS 15, so if Apple continues to offer this depth of software support, you can expect the iPhone 13 to continue receiving updates until around 2027.
iPhone 13 battery life
- A reliable day of use
- Charged to 51% in 30 minutes
- No charger included
Apple’s smartphones have never been known for long battery life, and while the iPhone 13 doesn’t offer the best battery life we’ve ever seen in a smartphone, it’s a clear improvement over previous iPhones.
We have yet to find out if Apple has increased the size of the cells inside the iPhone 13, but the increased battery life suggests it. On the eve of the presentation of the iPhone 13, there were rumors that Apple would increase the size of the batteries in each model.
According to Apple estimates, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max have the best battery life in the series. We found battery life to be significantly improved over the iPhone 12 and previous models.
During our testing, the iPhone 13 made it through each day with enough charge in the tank to last at least another couple of hours.
One day we pushed the phone to its absolute limits, keeping the screen on all day to stream videos from YouTube and other services from 10:30am to 11pm. We couldn’t turn off the phone and it was left with 20% battery. This was with the screen at full brightness for eight hours and 48 minutes.
As we said, this isn’t the best battery life you’ll find in a smartphone – many Android alternatives will be able to last longer – but it’s a big step forward for Apple, and it will make the iPhone a more attractive option for many potential buyers.
The iPhone 13 is compatible with 20W chargers, which we found provided good fast charging, but not the best we’ve seen. From scratch, the phone charged to 26% in 15 minutes and to 51% in 30 minutes.
Wireless charging is back here, and if you have a compatible charger, you’ll be able to charge at 15W. It’s not the fastest wireless charger on the market, but it’s still useful to have if you don’t like plugging your phone into an outlet, or you’re running low on battery and have a Qi charger handy.
As with the iPhone 12 series, you won’t get a charger in the box with the iPhone 13. The goal here is to reduce e-waste, and Apple’s logic is that you’ll likely have a Lightning charger from a previous iPhone purchase.
If you don’t, you can get a charger from Apple for $19 / £19 / AU$29, but there are also third-party options that can cost less. You can also upgrade your charger to get the most out of 20W charging, which many older iPhone chargers aren’t capable of (opens in new tab).
Should you buy the iPhone 13?
Buy it if…
You have an older iPhone
If you have an iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 probably isn’t for you, as there isn’t enough new to merit an upgrade, but if you have an older iPhone like the iPhone 8 or iPhone XR, there’s plenty to do. excited
You need good battery life
Battery life on the iPhone 13 is a big step up from previous iPhone models. If you need a smartphone that can work all day without a full charge, choose this iPhone over older and cheaper models.
You want a lot of power
The iPhone 13 is a powerful smartphone and one of the most powerful phones we’ve ever used. If you want a lot of power, you’ll get it here without stepping up to the iPhone 13 Pro.
Don’t buy it if…
You have an iPhone 12
If you already have an iPhone 12, you’re unlikely to need the updates that come with the latest model. If you’re desperate for the latest phone, go for it, but there aren’t many changes here.
You need a phone with a small screen
The iPhone 13 mini has a very similar set of features to the iPhone 13, and is probably a better choice if you have smaller hands or simply prefer a smaller device.
You need an affordable phone
The iPhone 13 may be one of the most affordable this year, but it’s not that cheap overall. There are plenty of more affordable Android phones out there – or you could look at the iPhone SE if you want to stay in the Apple stable.
Also consider
After this iPhone 13 review, we have a few more mobiles you might be interested in.
iPhone 13 Pro: If you want a bigger screen, an extra rear camera, and a great display than the iPhone 13, you might want to consider its Pro sibling instead.
iPhone 12: The iPhone 12 may not be as new as the 13, but it’s more affordable and you really don’t lose too many features.
Samsung Galaxy S22: If you’re tempted to switch to Android, then the Galaxy S22 is a best alternative to the iPhone 13 with a similar design, battery life, charging speed, display, but with an extra rear camera.
iPhone 13 Official Website: Visit Now
