Indicated price
- $ 799
Test: iPhone 13
Last year, of four iPhone models, most buyers turned to the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. With the changes to this new generation, will the dilemma be the same or does the iPhone 13 stand out enough that the choice is obvious?
On the surface, not much seems to have changed from its predecessor other than the new color scheme or the diagonally positioned rear sensors. The improvements are rather under the hood, with the integration of a more powerful chip.
Pricing and availability
Even after all of its improvements and the increase in its base storage capacity, the price of the iPhone 13 remains virtually unchanged, compared to last year, as it starts at $ 809 for 128 GB.
If this price is not as low as that of the iPhone 11 when it was released, it makes it more competitive compared to its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S21, the Oppo Find X3 Pro, and the Xiaomi Mi 11.
Presented on September 14, 2021, you can get it since September 24 directly on the Apple site or from retailers like Amazon, or Fnac.
The Black Friday event, which takes place on November 26, is an opportunity to find great deals on iPhone 12 and 13, among others. To take advantage of other Apple promotions, check out our article on the brand’s best deals.
Design and conception
- Modern design
- Wide range of colors
- Excellent water resistance
In 2020, Apple gave a certain taste of nostalgia to users of the Apple brand by abandoning the rounded shape of version 11 in favor of a square design, as we saw for the first time in 2010 on the ‘iPhone 4.
Visually, the changes between the iPhone 12 and its successor are much less dramatic, but the transformation is ultimately appreciable. While the iPhone 11’s aesthetic didn’t need to be redesigned and was arguably more comfortable in the hand, the iPhone 13’s edges help it stand out from many Android rivals.
The Proline opts for notable finishes, such as its mirror-polished stainless steel frame, while the standard 13 and 13 Mini are offered in a rich assortment of colors, with a dark blue finish. Also, there is the signature color of line 13, which is a new pastel pink of surprisingly understated elegance.
At 174g, the iPhone 13 is a bit heavy compared to its predecessor, but it remains well below the 200g threshold that is usually felt. The new photo module adds thickness, an important detail to take into account.
If, like us, you are clumsy, then rest assured since it has IP68 certification. It has been tested to withstand submersion six meters deep in freshwater for 30 minutes.
Display and audio
- Stunning colors and contrast
- 60Hz lower refresh rate than the competition
- Reduced notch
The iPhone 13 sports what appears to be the same 6.1-inch 19.5: 9 AMOLED Super Retina XDR panel as the iPhone 12.
Very crisp and vibrant, it offers superb viewing angles, as well as enhanced brightness of up to 800 nits in bright sunlight and 1,200 nits in HDR.
Side by side with the 2020 edition, there is one key physical difference: its notch. While the firm has not yet succeeded in eliminating it, it has been reduced by around 20%. While this fix is already a step forward, we still hope to see a screen without a notch one day, possibly on the iPhone 14.
It accommodates a front sensor and the TrueDepth system, necessary for Face ID and Memoji, as for the speaker it has been moved up, closer to the frame. Also, we are satisfied with its Ceramic Shield protection, which is twice as resistant as usual.
We regret the absence of the ProMotion display, although it is present on both Pro models, it seems to remain out of reach for a standard model. This is arguably the most disappointing omission from this otherwise excellent 13th generation display, but the competition is ahead of the game in this area …
Fortunately, even at 60Hz, the content looks nice, however, an increase to 90Hz would have been very nice.
As for its speakers, which are stereo in nature, they produce a well-balanced sound with rich mids.
With only a Lightning port on hand, you’ll have to purchase compatible headphones or a 3.5mm adapter if you want wired audio. Bluetooth 5.0 and naturally tight AirPods integration will make your wireless experience a joy, thanks to features like spatial audio and voice isolation during calls.
Software and Features
- iOS 15
- Advanced features
- FaceTime is compatible with Android and Windows
This iPhone 13 is launched with iOS 15, the latest version of Apple’s operating system for iPhone.
Highlights include improved FaceTime calls, with support for Android and Windows smartphones, reworked content presentation of the Messages app, and other advanced features.
The summary of notifications is particularly interesting because it allows you to group the non-essentials throughout the day. Thus, the interaction is reduced for better concentration, without distraction.
The Do Not Disturb feature has been extended with the addition of Focus modes titled Self Time, Work, and Rest. It is now possible to create specific profiles to customize to block notifications from certain applications, hide your home screens, as well as schedule their activation.
If you want, you can also whitelist contacts that are allowed to override do not disturb mode.
We may not be talking about an incredible update, but these are significant improvements that help curb bad habits associated with using a smartphone.
As with previous models, iPhone 13 features NFC, making it compatible with Apple Pay contactless payments. You will find the Siri voice assistant and relatively new additions to iOS, such as widgets, for good organization.
Camera
- The superb quality of selfies
- Lack of telephoto
- Kinematic mode
- Excellent dynamic range
One would think that the unusual diagonal configuration of its dual rear sensor was simply designed to differentiate it aesthetically from that of its predecessor. However, once you get the hang of it, you realize that it is much more than that.
You still get a pair of 12MP lenses, a primary one with a 1.6 focal aperture, and an ultra-wide f / 2.4. It comes with a 120˚ field of view, with Deep Fusion processing and Smart HDR 4.
The wide-angle incorporates optical image stabilization, previously exclusive to the 2020 Pro Max, and associated with 1.7 µm pixels (compared to 1.4 µm on the 12). Thus, the light enters more than 47% and in less time.
Other exclusive additions to the iPhone 13 come in the form of Photographic Styles, which, unlike filters, change the science of color and contrast applied to your shots.
When it comes to more classic shots, the iPhone 13 delivers a beautiful picture, with impressive noise cancellation, even in low light. Colors are rich and contrast is underpinned by some of the widest dynamic ranges ever seen on a smartphone.
However, while Apple’s algorithm strives to preserve as much detail as possible, especially thanks to macro and portrait modes, it can also happen that some of them are muffled.
Video quality peaks at 4K / 60 fps with Dolby Vision HDR, with the same incredible dynamic range and color reproduction as photos. There is a stabilizer system on the three lenses, front, and rear, not to mention the kinematic model. This technology helps to detect subjects and track them automatically.
You get one of the best selfie sensors around, which picks up an impressive number of features from the rear lens, like 4K video recording, Smart HDR 4, and even Cinematic mode. It defaults to a cropped view, but you can expand the field if you want.
After listing all of its great features, it’s important to note that the lack of a telephoto lens is a big mistake on Apple’s part.
As a result, despite a maximum magnification of 5x, the zoom quality is arguably its great weakness. If you want that extra flexibility then you will have to go for the Pro version.
Performances
- Higher performance than Android flagships
- A15 Bionic chip
- Ideal for games and other demanding applications
The entire iPhone 13 family is equipped with Apple’s 5nm A15 Bionic chip, the main difference being in the GPUs with four cores on the 13 and 13 Mini, but five on the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. This discrepancy is unlikely to have any tangible effect on the day-to-day use of your iOS.
This will only matter if you plan to game intensely or want heavy video rendering. In this case, we recommend going for the more muscular version of the A15 instead, with support for ProMotion, Pro, or Pro Max. As if you are one of those looking to develop 3D or augmented reality experiences.
When it comes to performance, the iPhone 13 skillfully surpasses last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max and a handful of this year’s Android flagships.
On-screen graphics benchmarks peak at 60 fps due to the 60Hz refresh rate limitation, but it’s clear the A15 processor has plenty of wiggle room.
Battery and charge
- Relatively slow charging speeds
- Superb battery life
- No charger supplied
If we exclude the Pro Max versions, the iPhone 13 has the largest battery of all the iPhones present to date. Apple boasts of its longevity.
Officially, it was designed to last 2.5 hours longer than the 12 and that is exactly what our test results reflect. A whole day of battery life has been promised, but in practice, the iPhone 13 could offer two days of use.
It achieves an exceptional 8.5-hour battery life on a single charge, beating its direct competitor, the Galaxy S21. It even topped the 12 Pro Max and its average of around 7.5 hours.
In addition to its amplified battery and efficient chip, Apple has also renewed the Smart Data mode to switch from 5G to 4G LTE to consume less energy.
When it comes to recharging, the 13 range represents the second generation of iPhones to omit a charger from the box, only integrating a USB-C to Lightning cable.
For fast charging, it boasts 120W of power to fill its 5,000mAh capacity in just 20 minutes. As for wired charging, it tops out at 20W, and when tested with a 27W PD charger, it hit the 50% charge Apple promised in 30 minutes, but it took 1, 5 hours to fully charge.
As for its MagSafe function, again present, it facilitates 15W charging as well as compatibility with a wider ecosystem.
Apple iPhone 13: our test and review
Conclusion
The strengths of last year’s model were only amplified with the iPhone 13, making it one of the best-performing smartphones on the market, with exceptional camera quality and even better battery life.
However, these updates also accentuate its weaknesses which, at this stage, seem to push to the purchase of the model 13 Pro, more expensive. We particularly regret its 60Hz refresh rate and the lack of a telephoto lens.
On the other hand, if these are just details for you, then you should know that in all other respects the iPhone 13 is built to last.
Technical sheet
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR 60Hz OLED display
- Apple A15 Bionic processor with quad-core GPU
- 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB storage
- 12 Mp main sensor with OIS
- Ultra-large 12 Mp sensor with FoV 120
- 12 Mp TrueDepth front sensor
- FaceID
- Wi-Fi 6
- 5G
- NFC
- Bluetooth 5
- 3240mAh battery
- MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
- Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
- IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
- Dual SIM (nano and eSim)
- 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm, 174 g
