iPhone 13 review: Apple delivers a delightful upgrade – CNET

One of the most-hyped new camera features is Cinematic mode. It’s kind of like Portrait mode for video, but while Portrait mode only gives the background an artistic out-of-focus blur, Cinematic mode can focus from one subject to another. This leaves either the background or foreground out-of-focus. The effect is dramatic and nearly everyone I showed a Cinematic video to was awestruck.

iPhone 13 Pro

Another nice addition is Photographic Styles, which changes the way your camera develops photos to suit your preference. There are four Photographic Styles: Vibrant, Rich Contrast, Warm and Cool. These styles aren’t filters added after the fact. You choose which one you like, and your iPhone incorporates that style into its workflow for developing a photo.
For all intents and purposes Apple launched two phones in 2021: The iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. If you want a small version of the iPhone 13, get an iPhone 13 Mini. If you need an iPhone 13 Pro with a bigger screen and battery, get the 13 Pro Max. I spent five days testing all four phones and decided to share my results in two reviews. This one covers the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini; I wrote a separate one on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. You can also compare all four iPhone 13 models here.
I’m happy the iPhone Mini lived to see another year. If the iPhone 13 is understated, the 13 Mini just wants to be the shy kid in the corner of the sandbox. As a proud iPhone 12 Mini owner, I’m tempted to upgrade just to get the extra battery life. But whether you’re due for your two-year (or more) upgrade or have been sitting on a much older phone, the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are both solid choices.

iPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 keeps the flat-sided design, comes in 5 colors

Read more: iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max review: Damn, these cameras
iPhone 13 Mini
The new phones have the same squared-edged design as the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. They come in five colors: blue, starlight, Product red, midnight and pink. In certain lighting, the soft pink color can almost look white.

Last year’s iPhone 12 is still around at a lower price. If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 11 or older, remember the iPhone 12 with 128GB of storage is only less than the iPhone 13. That means it’s easy to climb that upgrade ladder from an iPhone 12 up to a 13. Apple’s clever pricing aside, you definitely get more than of improvements with the 13.
Next, editing a Cinematic video is straightforward enough, but the controls for the keyframes where you change focus are small. You can long-press to expand the timeline, but it shrinks back as soon as you let go, making it impossible to keep a zoomed-in view of those tiny focus keyframes.
The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini received a number of significant upgrades including new cameras, a bigger battery, more storage and a brighter screen. The iPhone 13 is a delightful upgrade to last year’s already wonderful iPhone 12 family. Some will be disappointed because it’s not radically different from previous models, but that’s actually part of the charm. Familiarity has been one of the keys to Apple’s success with the iPhone, and the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are those same reliable friends that seemingly never change.

The iPhone 13 gets several big camera upgrades

If you want a deeper dive into iOS 15 and my experience with features like Focus mode, watch my run-down of iOS 15’s best features.The iPhone 13 embraces the familiar design of the iPhone 12.
Technically both phones are heavier, but I didn’t realize that until I read the specs sheet. If the extra 7 to 10 grams come from the bigger battery, I welcome the extra weight. I only had five days with the phones, but both the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini had no trouble making it through a day on a single charge. I own a 12 Mini and know the reality of the 3 p.m. recharge, but I don’t experience that with the 13 Mini. On an average day of use, the iPhone 13 Mini makes it through a day and even outlasts last year’s regular iPhone 12.

Cinematic mode on the iPhone 13 is a blast

What’s fascinating is you can dial in the amount of tone and warmth for each style to suit your preference. Also, if you don’t want to use any of these styles, you can leave your camera set to standard.
Other than that, the phones have a Ceramic Shield covering over the display, an IP68 rating for dust- and water-resistance means they can survive being submerged 6 meters (about 20 feet) for up to 30 minutes. The models I tested had no trouble surviving an unexpected drench from an afternoon summer rainstorm. Aside from the colors, there are two conspicuous design changes. A new camera bump houses the dual-rear cameras diagonally. It’s funny how one change can clue people in. When I tested it, several people stopped to ask if this was the “new iPhone.”
In daily use, the iPhone 13 Mini typically made it a day on a single charge. If I used it heavily, like taking lots of photos and recording a bunch of videos, it needed to be topped off by late-afternoon. Even on days I used it heavily, the iPhone 13 had no problem making it to the end of the day on a single charge.
Last, don’t let the name fool you. Cinematic mode is more of a novelty than a professional tool. It’s the equivalent of when Portrait mode first debuted on the iPhone 7 Plus: fun to try but far from ready for prime time. I look forward to seeing Cinematic mode improve in future iPhone models. I will likely stick to using the default Video mode for my recording needs, especially for important moments.

The iPhone 13 lets you personalize how it captures photos

In use, these upgrades don’t make drastic differences, but I definitely noticed the improvements. There’s less image noise in photos I take in medium lighting. And the ultrawide is better at taking photos in dim lighting. On the front, the selfie camera is good but not great, especially compared to the rear cameras.
The results are nice, and I imagine after using it enough you’ll have your own sense of what’s possible. But there are a few limits to be aware of. First, you can’t use Cinematic mode when it’s dark. You’ll be greeted with a message prompting you to turn on your flash.
The new iPhones run iOS 15, which in my time worked well. iOS 15 isn’t a drastic overhaul and feels like a continuation of iOS 14. It’s not defined by a couple of giant flashy features. Instead, iOS 15 is made up of hundreds of small and medium additions that add up to something more significant. From more ways to personalize your Memoji to the larger visual improvements in Maps, iOS 15 is a significant improvement for your phone.

iPhone 13 has an A15 Bionic chip

The wide-angle camera has a larger sensor with sensor-based stabilization. Apple says the cameras were arranged diagonally to make room for the bigger camera module. To give you some perspective, the main camera sensor on the iPhone 13 has the same sized pixels as the main camera on last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max, which at the time had the largest sensor on an iPhone. The ultrawide camera gets a new sensor that helps it gather more light.

The iPhone 13 starts at 9 (£779, AU,349) and the 13 Mini at 9 (£679, AU,199). That’s for the base model, which comes with 128GB of storage. If you buy and activate your phone on a carrier plan, that price drops by , and that’s before adding on the impressive deals from carriers.

Better battery life than the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini

The other difference is that the notch is slimmer. It’s still a notch and I still have a love-hate relationship with it aesthetically. But I’ll take it being 20% smaller.For example, if you usually edit your photos to add more contrast after you take them, you can set the Camera app to Rich Contrast. Your phone won’t just amp up the contrast across the entire photo, it analyzes your subject and applies the style selectively. If you use the Warm Photographic Style, it won’t make your subject’s skin orange. But it will add warm tones to other parts of the photo as soon as you press the shutter button.iPhone 13 Mini
Both the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini last longer on a charge than the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. In fact, the iPhone 13 Mini consistently lasted longer than the regular iPhone 12. If the shorter battery life on the iPhone 12 Mini prevented you from buying it, you should definitely consider the iPhone 13 Mini.
It’s been a good start with both phones but I have more in-depth testing to do with the durability and comparing its cameras against other phones. The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are reliable phones that most people should be more than happy to use for the next few years.