Background information
When will it end? Graphics cards and other components could become even more expensive
by Kevin Hofer
iPhone 13 mini to Pro Max: new chip, new functions – and a familiar design
3.9.2021
Translation: Eva Francis
Co-author: Coya Vallejo Hägi
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 13. This generation of the smartphone is also available in four variants from mini to Pro Max. Little has changed in terms of design. However, the chip, the display, the camera and its functions are better. And Apple also claims to have extended the battery life.
According to Apple, the notch on all four iPhones has been reduced by 20 per cent. The front-facing camera and the sensor for the Face ID facial recognition system are located in the recess at the upper display edge. The display is covered by a «Ceramic Shield» which Apple claims is harder than any other smartphone display.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini
There are few changes in the design, but the colours are different. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are available in a total of five shades: Rosé, Blue, Midnight, Polaris and Red.
Regardless of their colours, the new iPhones are IP68 waterproof. They can survive up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 metres. The antenna strips made of recycled water bottles which Apple built into the aluminium frame don’t change that fact.
The Super Retina XDR display is 6.1 inches in the iPhone 13 and 5.4 inches in the iPhone 13 Mini. Their OLED displays are said to be up to 28 per cent brighter than the iPhone 12 at 800 nits, and reaching 1200 nits at their peak.
Apple has redesigned some inner workings according to its own requirements. Among other things, to make room for a larger battery. The iPhone 13 mini should then also last 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 mini. This even becomes 2.5 hours for the iPhone 13 when compared to the iPhone 12.
The new A15 Bionic chip supposedly plays a big role in this. It isn’t only the most powerful smartphone chip, but also very efficient in terms of power consumption. Its CPU performance is said to be up to 50 per cent higher than even the best chips from the competition, with a graphics performance up to 30 per cent.
Dual camera and Cinematic Mode
The iPhone 13 and 13 mini have two cameras. Their wide-angle camera should be able to capture up to 47 per cent more light. Apple isn’t participating in the megapixel arms race in terms of resolution, unlike other manufacturers. Some of those have already reached 200 megapixels. Apple is still satisfied with its 12 megapixels, which can still deliver quite good pictures. Sensor Shift, among others, is helpful in this pursuit. The image stabiliser has found its way from the iPhone 12 Pro Max into the standard models of a new generation.
The ultra-wide-angle camera also delivers images with a resolution of 12 megapixels. Both cameras have a night mode for images in low-light conditions.
For videos, a new Cinematic Mode has been added. It provides depth of field and can adjust the focus automatically. Such as when a person steps into the picture or turns around and looks back, for example. However, it can also be adjusted manually and even after the fact.
There’s more to the storage systems of the iPhone 13 and 13 mini. The smaller variants have 128 gigabytes. Twice as much as the iPhone 12. In addition, there’s the familiar 256 GB variant and the new 512 GB version. Prices appear to remain unchanged, starting at 799 francs/euros for the iPhone 13 mini and 879 francs/899 euros for the iPhone 13.
iPhone 13 Pro (Max): innovating with your flagship
All the innovations present in the iPhone 13 can also be found on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. With minor changes and other additional features.
Thus, the four colours – graphite, gold, silver and Sierra blue – of the Pro versions have more of a metallic look. Their Super Retina XDR displays increase the brightness a bit more, reaching 1000 nits – even 1200 nits at their peak. The touchscreen of the iPhone 13 Pro is 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The different sizes aren’t new. ProMotion, on the other hand, is. Apple’s new tool can automatically adjust frame rate in the Pro iPhones. This ranges between 10 and 120 hertz. All depending on what is needed for the optimal display and low battery consumption.
The A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 Pro has 5 processing cores. With the iPhone 13, there are only four. This leads to up to 50 per cent more graphics performance in the Pro than in the competition.
Another feature on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is the third camera. Apple has added a telephoto lens with triple zoom to the dual cameras on the iPhone 13. They’ve also adjusted the ultra-wide-angle camera for macro shots. Again, all cameras have night mode.
As in the iPhone 13, SmartHDR is used. The so-called Photograhic Styles are new. Four new filters that you can activate and adjust before shooting. However, we’re still waiting on a specific new feature for the Pro iPhones. Support for the ProRes video professional file format is expected to follow later this year.
According to Apple, the battery life has also been increased. Compared to its direct predecessors, the iPhone 13 Pro is supposed to last 1.5 hours longer, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max even improving by 2.5 hours.
There is a new option for larger storage at one terabyte, but the prices for smaller sizes seem to remain unchanged. Apple has issued recommended retail prices of 1129 and 1229 francs as well as 1149 and 1249 euros for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
What we wrote leading up to the event
13.09.21: two autumn events?
Mark Gurman, Apple expert and columnist for Bloomberg, suspects that Apple’s September event this Tuesday will probably feature only two major product categories: the iPhone 13 and the Apple Watch Series 7.
In his weekly newsletter and a subsequent tweet, the tech journalist says the California tech giant will unveil new MacBook Pros and iPads in a second event later this year.
08.09.21: a new colour for the iPhone 13?
Besides the hints at augmented reality applications or always-on display, Apple’s invitation could also hint at a new iPhone colour. The hashflag of the event used on Twitter also supports this theory.
This was pointed out by Twitter user Darvik Patel. In his tweet, he posted a computer-animated image of two iPhone models, one of them with a new colour scheme.
The rose gold colour variant has been the subject of rumours for several months.
08.09.21: what Apple’s event invitation reveals
Apple has a habit of hinting at what will be presented in its event invitations. This is why it’s no surprise that there is speculation about the current invitation for 14 September.
The theme of the event is «California Streaming». But that doesn’t offer much room for interpretation, as the event will be streamed from California, where the company’s Cupertino headquarters are located. So far, no one has another streaming service by Apple seems likely. What seems more likely are some new features in Apple Music or a new series for Apple TV.
What’s more exciting is that the invitation contains an Easter Egg. If you go to Apple’s event page on your iPhone and tap on the Apple logo that’s hovering over the lake, an augmented reality (AR) application will launch. It launches the Apple logo into an environment as a 3D effect and is explorable, as Apple’s Head of Marketing, Greg Koswiak, demonstrates in this tweet.
Among other things, the date of the event can be seen, which is visually very reminiscent of the display of an always-on display. And so far, iPhones don’t have that. The starlit sky could hint towards improvements in the night mode or a new mode for star photography.
In addition, there have been rumours and hints for a while about Apple working on AR glasses. If want to go out on a big limb, you might see the invitation as a hint that Apple will present AR glasses on 14 September – and the iPhone 13 won’t be the sole star of the evening.
07.09.21: official invitation for event on 14 September
A week before the event, Apple has confirmed the presumed date for its iPhone 13 event. The motto is «California Streaming». It starts at 10 a.m. local time in Cupertino. That’s 7 pm in Switzerland. You can stream the event at apple.com/apple-events.
07.09.21: new MagSafe charger hints at four iPhone 13 models
The observant folks at 9to5mac.com spotted a new MagSafe charger in the records of the U.S. FCC. No differences to the previous MagSafe model are visible there. This fits with the rumours that the magnets needed for this charger will be stronger in the iPhone 13.
According to the FCC documents, Apple tested the new MagSafe charger on all four variants of the iPhone 12 and four unspecified devices – probably the iPhone 13. However, according to rumours, there won’t be an iPhone 13 mini. That would mean there will only be four devices. Possible explanations:
- There are four variants after all: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Max, iPhone 13 Max Pro.
- There are three iPhones and the new AirPods 3 also support MagSafe.
07.09.21: TSMC announces price increases for chips
TSMC is one of the largest chip manufacturers in the world and supplies many companies. Apple is one of them. According to Nikkei, the Taiwan-based company has announced a price increase of between 5 and 50 per cent. The reason for this, as the company claims, is the current shortage of semiconductors as well as necessary investments in the coming years amounting to $100 billion. However, this price increase will probably not be noticeable in the prices of smartphones, notebooks and other devices until 2022.
That doesn’t stop wccftech.com from speculating that the iPhone 13 will be more expensive. Allegedly, TSMC is to produce 100 million A15 Bionic chips. However, the currently announced price increase will probably only apply to future orders and the chips for the iPhone 13 are probably already finalised. This might suggest that there won’t be a price increase. As a major customer, Apple also benefits from being able to get off lightly in the event of spontaneous price increases.
iPhone 13: no Touch ID
We’ve just seen the big revolution on the iPhone market with the sharp edges of the iPhone 12. Therefore, as rumours suggest, Apple has tweaked the details of the device. And no, Touch ID isn’t returning.
iPhone 13 with 120 hertz display
You wouldn’t guess it by looking at the iPhone 12, but Apple hasn’t yet equipped a phone with a 120-hertz display. This is supposed to change with the iPhone 13. Korean news site Thelec reports that the iPhone 13 will feature a 120-hertz LTPO display. This would also make an always-on display possible, as Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman writes in his newsletter.
The display wasn’t installed in the iPhone 12 because Apple was worried about the battery life, as rumours suggest.
iPhone 13 with ports, but without USB-C
For a short time, there was talk that the iPhone 13 would come without any physical ports. This won’t happen.
Apple won’t switch to USB-C for the iPhone 13 either, as Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported. The open standard would cause many problems and the port is less waterproof than the Lightning connector.
Smaller notch on the iPhone 13
While the rest of the smartphone industry is already working on under-display cameras or is hiding cameras in the casing, Apple is sticking to the notch. The iPhone 13 is also said to hide the selfie camera at the top edge in the indentation, according to smartphone leaker Ice Universe.
However, the notch is supposed to be smaller.
The iPhone 13 will feature the A15 Bionic chip
One thing seems set and be more than a rumour: the iPhone 13 will run on the A15 Bionic system-on-a-chip (SoC). This was confirmed by tech newspaper Digitimes in a report that stated mass production of the 5nm chip started in May.
As the report claimed, Apple ordered more than 100 million of these chips.
The new 5G modem by Qualcomm is added on top, as reported by Digitimes.
In general, it can be said: the iPhone 13 can do what the iPhone 12 can. while being faster and more efficient, which affects battery life. On top of this, it’s said to feature up to 1 TB storage.
The iPhone 13 will have a larger battery, but no mini variant
In a tweet that has since been deleted, leaker L0vetodream revealed that the iPhone 13 Pro Max will boast a 4352 mAh battery. That is massively more than the 3687 mAh battery the iPhone 12 Pro Max features. This is made possible by a new camera module design and the integration of the SIM card slot into the SoC.
- Battery iPhone 13 Pro Max: 4,352 mAh
- Battery iPhone 13 Pro: 3,095 mAh
- Battery iPhone 13: 3,095 mAh
- Battery iPhone 13 Mini: 2,406 mAh
The mention of the Mini could come from the fact that the tweet was published before Apple stopped production of the Mini. No iPhone 13 Mini is expected.
On top of this, the new iPhones are said to charge faster. MyDrivers.com mentions 25-watt chargers. The iPhone 12 charges with 20 watts.
Better camera thanks to AI
Of course, Apple is improving the camera on the iPhone 13. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Pro models feature f/1.8, which can capture more light. This is supposed to provide better pictures especially in dim light or darkness. The wide-angle lens is said to have autofocus capabilities, delivering even sharper images.
However, the camera sensor is supposed to remain the same one as in the iPhone 12. However, the cameras are said to protrude less, as a video by leaker Max Weinbach shows.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is innovating the iPhone 13’s artificial intelligence. It’s rumoured to be able to blur backgrounds. In addition, ProRes resolutions are to be supported, which could especially please photo and video professionals.
Several features for professionals and astrophotography are to also said to be added.
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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