The iPhone 14 might be here, but with minimal upgrades for Apple\u2019s latest smartphone, there\u2019s still plenty of life in the iPhone 13 yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the iPhone 13 Pro<\/strong> models, which Apple discontinued with the launch of the iPhone 14 Pro<\/strong>, it still sells the iPhone 13 alongside the newer 14 series. It\u2019s picked up a small price cut in certain regions, and can often be found even cheaper on big deals days and during sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also now runs iOS 16<\/strong> and should continue to receive software updates for many years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple went big with the iPhone 12 redesign, ridding the curved sides of older models, and giving the new device a refresh that harked back to the iconic iPhone 4 and 5. It was a welcome change, especially after years of the curved iPhone 6 look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With such a significant change to the iPhone\u2019s exterior happening recently, this update was always going to be iterative. Apple has made some design changes, but they\u2019re all fairly minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The notch is 20% smaller, which is welcome but still more annoying than most of the Android competition that have switched to hole-punch style cutouts for the front cameras. On the iPhone 13 Mini, the smaller notch is most welcome; but here it doesn\u2019t have much of an impact. It would have been good to use that extra space to display the battery percentage, for instance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The iPhone 13 is also slightly heavier and thicker, to account for the bigger battery and upgraded camera module. Unless you hold the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 next to each other, however, you\u2019re unlikely to notice this difference. The larger camera bump does mean that the device won\u2019t fit into older cases, though, which might prove annoying to some but is hardly a surprise. It\u2019s very similar to the iPhone 14 though, in terms of size,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weight<\/p>\n\n\n\n Size (Dimensions)<\/p>\n\n\n\n iPhone 13<\/p>\n\n\n\n 173 G<\/p>\n\n\n\n 71.5 x 7.65 x 146.7 MM<\/p>\n\n\n\n iPhone 13 Mini<\/p>\n\n\n\n 140 G<\/p>\n\n\n\n 64.2 x 7.65 x 131.5 MM<\/p>\n\n\n\n iPhone 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n 172 G<\/p>\n\n\n\n 71.5 x 7.8 x 146.7 MM<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple introduced a couple of new colour options for the iPhone 13. Starlight adds a hint of gold to a silver body, while the Product(RED) model you\u2019ll see pictured is a deeper shade than before; it really is quite striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Midnight is a very<\/em> dark blue that looks almost black, plus there are blue and light pink options, too. This isn\u2019t quite the standout selection of colours we\u2019ve seen in recent years; I\u2019m disappointed that there\u2019s no pale green and purple option \u2013 both of which I really liked on the iPhone 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The upgrades that Apple added with the iPhone 12 remain, including Ceramic Shield and the IP68<\/strong> water-resistance rating. I used an iPhone 12 for an entire year, and despite a few drops and no screen protector fitted, the phone still looks in good condition. There are a few micro-scratches on the display \u2013 obviously, fitting a screen protector would have alleviated such issues \u2013 but they aren\u2019t too bad. I\u2019d hope it would be a similar case this time around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the iPhone 13 Pro<\/strong> model that gets all the big-screen upgrades this time around, and it\u2019s a shame the iPhone 13 sticks with the standard 60Hz panel \u2013 although it is a very good 60Hz panel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ProMotion<\/strong>, which adds an adaptive refresh rate that can ramp up to 120Hz and down to 10Hz, is one of the headline additions to both Pro models \u2013 and I have to say it\u2019s my favourite iPhone upgrade in years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A faster display isn\u2019t really something you wish for when you haven\u2019t already experienced it, but once you have, it\u2019s hard to switch back to a 60Hz panel. Scrolling, swiping and gaming all feel super-smooth; it just makes animations and movements so much faster. Judging by Apple\u2019s past releases, we\u2019ll see ProMotion on this series eventually \u2013 although it might end up being the iPhone 15, as it still is not on the iPhone 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the iPhone 13 features a great OLED<\/strong> display. The smaller notch is welcome when watching videos, while the extra hit of brightness (an 800 nits max in general activities and 1100 in HDR video) is of slight benefit when reading messages or viewing Google Maps directions on sunny days. It isn\u2019t a reason to upgrade, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple\u2019s screens tend to be some of the more neutral around, reigning in the overly saturated look of Samsung\u2019s panels. Colours are vibrant and immersive, without feeling lurid. An episode of the visually stunning Our Planet on Netflix showed this off perfectly, with fantastic contrast and accurate colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have any control over the screen, though. Don\u2019t expect to find multiple presets available if your preference is for a cooler, or warmer, panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest spec upgrade for the iPhone 13 comes by way of the duo of cameras on the back. The new cameras here \u2013 wide and ultra wide \u2013 are pretty much identical to what you\u2019ll find on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, minus the optical zoom of course. This is great considering that was one of the best camera phones<\/strong> around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main wide camera remains at 12 megapixel, with an f\/1.6 lens, while the 12-megapixel ultra wide has a slower f\/2.4 lens and a 120-degree field of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is impressive stuff, especially when you consider last year\u2019s smaller Pro model didn\u2019t even have this camera. It makes this a sizeable upgrade over the iPhone 12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The camera sensors themselves are much larger (1.7\u00b5m on the iPhone 13 vs 1.4\u00b5m on the iPhone 12) to allow in more light. The main wide sensor now has in-body stabilisation, too, which Apple calls Sensor Shift stabilisation. Both of these upgrades help significantly in low-light situations \u2013 the pictures I snapped when the lighting was less than stellar were similar to those taken with the 12 Pro Max.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shooting at night, in darker bars and restaurants, is a real highlight. The iPhone 13 tends to force itself into the dedicated Night mode more often than the iPhone 13 Pro, but the results are supremely detailed with natural bright points and minimal noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daylight photos taken with the previous model were decent, and it\u2019s hard to tell the difference between landscape shots taken with the iPhone 12 and the 13, or even the iPhone 14 for that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you\u2019re coming from an even older iPhone then the difference is far greater, with punchier colours and sharper details apparent. That bigger wide sensor also helps with a more natural bokeh effect (the soft blur that surrounds an object when you get up-close), which is always welcome. If you want a stronger, more customisable blur then the dedicated Portrait mode is excellent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple is giving you a little more control over the look of your snaps this time around with a new software feature called Photography Styles. The Vibrant style, for instance, boosts colours and saturation, very much in the vein of a Galaxy S-series flagship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The High Contrast option ups the dynamic range, producing far more striking results that aren\u2019t too dissimilar to those from a Google Pixel. Finally, there\u2019s Warm and Cool, both of which do pretty much what they say on the tin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to not view these options simply as filters, since they\u2019re more than that. They directly alter the pipeline of the image, meaning you can\u2019t flick between styles or remove them after you\u2019ve taken the photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cinematic mode got a lot of screen time during the device\u2019s reveal and it isn\u2019t hard to see why. It\u2019s almost a Portrait mode for video, but it takes this idea further by adding in focus racking, allowing the camera to switch focus points \u2013 for example \u2013 if a face turns away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The blur effect is far from perfect, but it\u2019s much better than attempts made by the Android competition; plus, the focus racking works very well. I lined up a number of objects, with the camera changing focus smoothly as I moved them away. It worked well with faces, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can record Cinematic mode in HDR Dolby Vision<\/strong> up to 1080p at 30fps, far lower than the 4K 60fps maximum in the standard video modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn\u2019t call Cinematic mode a gimmick. It works well and I\u2019m sure that, like Portrait mode before it, it will get better over time. I just can\u2019t see who would use it consistently, especially since the formats and the ability to edit focus points is restricted to Apple\u2019s own software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where I\u2019d have liked to see some greater upgrades to the camera is around the front. The 12-megapixel selfie camera has remained the same for generations now, and it could really do with a little more attention. Selfies are flat and lack the nuance of snaps taken by the rear cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple\u2019s silicon is now past the point where it\u2019s valid to say a new chip makes the phone feel faster. iPhones have felt fast for years now, and the advancements to the A15 are far beyond upping some benchmark scores or making web pages load faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The A15 Bionic powers the Cinematic mode<\/strong> with its focus racking and constantly changing blur effects. It also powers stuff like the ridiculously useful Live Text feature, which can pull addresses and phone numbers from your photo library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside the chip is a six-core CPU, four-core GPU and a 16-core neural engine for AI tasks. Interestingly, Apple has kitted out the Pro models with a five-core GPU \u2013 although I didn\u2019t notice any real differences through testing. The A15 Bionic is paired with 4GB of RAM, which is identical to the iPhone 13 and 2GB less than the Pro models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The iPhone 13 is fast in all tasks you throw at it. I\u2019ve tried countless Apple Arcade titles and they all run without a hitch, while apps open instantly. While I\u2019d expect such performance on a far cheaper phone than this, it\u2019s still worth noting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a wider selection of 5G bands this year thanks to a new 5G modem. If you\u2019re in the USA then the iPhone 13 also supports mmWave 5G \u2013 a faster version of the tech that only really works when you\u2019re very close to the masts. mmWave isn\u2019t a thing in the UK, nor many other regions yet, so the tech is simply just missing from these iPhone models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One very welcome change is the jump up to 128GB for the base model, doubling the previous 64GB model. There\u2019s also 256GB (the one I\u2019d recommend) and a 512GB option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Battery life has seen one of the biggest upgrades in the iPhone 13, and it\u2019s been achieved through the inclusion of larger cells and a more efficient chipset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple claims an extra two hours of video playback, and while this is something of a pointless metric unless you really do just stream video all day, I\u2019ve found it does equate to a couple of extra hours of use before a charge is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout testing, I\u2019ve been trying to deplete the phone\u2019s battery in a day. I ran a looped video that took 21 hours for the battery to die (more than Apple\u2019s claimed 19 hours) while streamed video lasted for 15 hours. An hour of Netflix streaming in HDR at 100% brightness consumed 9% (7%, with a more reasonable 75% brightness), while an hour of playing Sayonara Wild Hearts only took off 11%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not going to say this is the best battery life I have seen on a phone, but it\u2019s certainly far better than the battery life I experienced with the iPhone 12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For charging, you\u2019ll still need to provide your own plug (although a cable is included in the very slim box), or pick up either a MagSafe charger or another Qi-enabled pad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple might have switched to USB-C across its laptops and the majority of iPads, but it still uses Lightning for the iPhone. If you have plenty of iPhone accessories lying around then this is great; but USB-C is just so much faster for both data transfer and charging that it does feel like a miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charging speeds will likely depend on the type of charger you\u2019re using. All iPhone 13 models support up to 20W fast wired charging, and using this you\u2019ll get to around 50% in half an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDesign and screen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Camera<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Battery life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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