Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 13 event took place on Tuesday, and we have tons of information to share. Apple kicked off its fall “California Streaming” show by immediately debuting an all-new and bigger iPad Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and more, but surprisingly, there are no new AirPods.
Here’s what Apple announced, what you need to know, when to pre-order the new iPhone 13 Pro Max, and more.
A New iPad and Bigger iPad Mini
In a surprise move and to start the event, Apple announced a new and improved 9th gen iPad alongside a bigger iPad Mini. And while the Mini is obviously the most exciting aspect here, the entry-level iPad didn’t get completely left out, but it’s more on an iPad SE than anything.
The regular 10.2-inch iPad, which happens to be Apple’s most popular tablet, received an upgrade to the A13 Bionic processor, 1st Gen Apple Pencil support, and fastly improved 12MP cameras on the front and the back.
More specifically, the new entry-level iPad now features the same Center Stage camera feature as the iPad Pro from last year. Users will also appreciate True Tone display support, double the base storage with 64GB while costing the same $329 price as previous models. Overall, nothing really changed visually, and it’s the same great iPad most people love.
Then, Apple’s smallest iPad received its biggest update yet, but at the same time, the iPad Mini now costs more than a regular iPad. Yes, the iPad Mini now comes with a bigger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. However, the tablet is still small, nearly the same shape as the original, as Apple made the bezels around the screen smaller than ever before.
The new iPad Mini is bigger, comes in four colors, has USB Type-C (not lightning,) 2nd Gen Apple Pencil support, 5G, TouchID, and improved 12MP cameras on both the front and the back. Like its bigger brother, the iPad Mini 12MP front camera has the Center Stage feature from the iPad Pro.
Unfortunately, all these upgrades mean the new iPad Mini costs $499 with 64GB or $649 for 256GB, and it ships on September 24th.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini
As expected, Apple announced its new iPhone 13, and there are four of them. The new iPhone 13 comes in several fresh colors, received a huge overhaul to the camera, a better display, a smaller notch for FaceID, and Apple’s A15 Bionic chip for improved performance and longer battery life.
The display has a new “ceramic shield display” that should be more durable than before, which is nice, but we’ve heard that before. The screen is also 28% brighter, but the phone still comes in the same 6.1-inch size for the iPhone 13 and 5.4-inch for the iPhone 13 Mini.
Perhaps the most exciting thing for the iPhone 13 is the new “Cinematic” mode that uses machine learning for tricks like auto-shifting the camera’s focus. So you could be recording your friend, but when they look back at something or someone behind them, it’ll autofocus to the back, which is pretty neat. Additionally, Apple finally killed 64GB, and the default option is 128GB across the board.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 13 lineup begin Friday, September 17th. Pricing starts at $699 for the iPhone 13 Mini, $799 for the standard iPhone13.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Next up is what you’ve all been waiting for, the new iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. These are big, powerful, fast phones with more upgrades than many expected. Here’s a full rundown of everything you need to know.
Building on iPhone 13, the Pro lineup features the same Super Retina XSR display, but now Apple caught up to Samsung and OnePlus and added a new ProMotion 120Hz variable refresh rate. They’re also 28% brighter, offer improved battery life, and have ceramic shield durability to prevent cracked screens.
There are several new photography upgrades, like the Cinematic mode, not to mention ProRes 4K 30FPS recording, and even a macro-mode. Yes, Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro uses the upgraded 77mm telephoto lens to do 3x macro shots. And for the first time, all iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max lenses support Night Mode.
Potential buyers will be happy to learn that there are several storage options, including an optional 1TB of storage, which you’ll need for all that ProRes video recording. For what it’s worth, you’ll need at least the 256GB iPhone 13 Pro to record in 4K 30 FPS. The 128GB model won’t support it in the camera app. Additionally, there are fancy new colors, better 5G support, and much more.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 13 lineup begin Friday, September 17th. Pricing starts at $999 for the iPhone 13 Pro and an eye-watering $1,099 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch Series 7 release didn’t bring the big redesign everyone wanted, or leaks lead us to believe, but they are bigger and better, have new watch faces, and get brighter. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Series 7 has slimmer bezels, measuring just 1.7mm, and a larger screen that extends nearly to the edge of the case. The new always-on retina display measures 20% bigger than Series 6 and about 50% bigger than Series 3. So while they are bigger, it’s not quite as drastic as we were hoping for. It’s also 40% thinner than the Series 6, and you can see roughly 50% more text on its screen in comparison, too. You can choose from the 41mm and 45mm sizes—only slightly bigger than the Series 6’s 40mm and 44mm options.
By reducing the borders, the screens are 20% bigger, allowing for bigger buttons, a full keyboard, and an overall better experience during daily use. In addition, the crystal screen is reportedly stronger than any watch to date and is the first Apple Watch to be IP6X certified against dust.
There’s a new USB Type-C charger that’s 33% faster than previous generations, new watch faces, and new color options as well.
The Watch Series 7 price starts at $399, but Apple won’t open pre-orders or start shipping it until later this fall.
A Few More Things
In closing, we wanted to highlight a few other smaller things Apple announced during the event. For one, iOS 15 will arrive on Monday, September 20th, so look out for the update. Apple also made some changes to the MagSafe Wallet, and it’ll now be able to display its last known location inside the Find My app, which is pretty awesome. That way, if you lose your wallet, you’ll at least have a good idea of where to start looking if it gets separated from your iPhone.
And finally, Apple Fitness+ is getting several new workouts, group workouts, guided Meditation, and availability will expand to 15 additional countries. Some of those include Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, and Russia. Workouts will be in English, but they’re adding subtitles in six languages.
Stay tuned for more details and order your new Apple products today.
