Apple unveils iPhone 13 range alongside new iPads and Apple Watch
15 September 2021, 07:34
The new flagship smartphones will go on sale on September 24.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 13 range, which will come with bigger batteries and better cameras, and boss Tim Cook hailed them as the “best iPhones we have ever created”.
After a major redesign of the popular smartphone last year, Apple has instead made a series of incremental changes across the four versions of the handset, most notably improving battery life by at least 1.5 hours on each of the devices.
The technology giant said it had also revamped all the cameras across the range, with a new cinematic mode allowing users to film higher-quality, cinema-like videos, while the infamous camera notch on the front of the phone has been made smaller.
Like the iPhone 12 range last year, the four new devices on offer will be the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, all of which will be powered by the firm’s latest A15 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is 50% faster than its nearest competition.
Notably, the new 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will offer a one terabyte storage option for the first time, as well as support for a 120Hz screen refresh rate, which allows for smoother scrolling.
In terms of the improved battery life, Apple said the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro will both offer up to 1.5 hours extra life while the iPhone 13 and iPhone Pro Max will each see up to 2.5 hours additional battery life.
Making its announcements via an online virtual event, an updated version of the iPad and a new iPad mini were also announced alongside the Apple Watch Series 7, which has been made more durable and dust resistant and has a larger screen.
Despite the range of upgrades being less substantial than last year, industry experts said Apple had still unveiled a range that would appeal to older iPhone users thinking about upgrading.
“The iPhone remains a core lucrative product for Apple as it represents a gateway to other devices and more importantly services,” tech analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said.
“While many will see some upgrades as incremental, there are millions of users who have yet to upgrade to 5G. Therefore, this so-called ‘supercycle’ moment is still relevant.
“The biggest challenge will be maintaining a premium for what some users will see as incremental upgrades. While the individual improvements may not seem to be much, collectively they will be significant in leading to the best iPhone experience for users.”
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, agreed that the key improvements to the iPhone’s battery life and cameras would be an enticing prospect for many.
“The new iPhones see Apple returning to the staples of battery life, screen technology, performance and camera capabilities, all of which are all attractive to existing customers looking to upgrade,” he said.
“People will be pleased Apple has resisted the temptation to bump up prices which it could have easily attributed to rising component costs.
“It’s even increased the entry-level memory configuration on several products, including the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini and iPad.”
Apple confirmed all four new iPhone models would go on sale on September 24, with the iPhone 13 mini starting at £679, the iPhone 13 at £779, the 13 Pro at £949 and the 13 Pro Max at £1,049.
