Apple iPhone 13 promises longer battery life, storage up to 1TB
Apple has revealed its new iPhone 13 along with several other devices, including a new iPad, iPad Mini and Apple Watch Series 7 at a virtual event hosted by the company’s boss Tim Cook this evening.
Apple has promised up to 2.5 hours more battery life on the iPhone 13, and 1.5 hours more battery life on its iPhone 13 Mini. This will largely be achieved through new efficiencies in its chip technology. The iPhone 13 pre-order date is Friday, September 17 and it will go on sale on Friday, September 24.Apple also has put a new, faster chip inside the device, called A15 Bionic. It says its 50pc faster than the leading competition, with 30pc faster graphics. The new iPhone comes in five colours too: Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red.
The iPhone 13 Mini price will start at $699 while the iPhone 13 will cost $799 and it’ll start with 128GB capacity – better than the current 64GB entry-level models. The iPhone 13 Pro keeps its starting price at $999, and the Pro Max comes in at $1,099. It also includes a 1TB storage option, which joins its other storage options.
The new iPhone 13 range will have “better” battery life thanks to increased battery size and will also have MagSafe. At the higher end, Apple has revealed its new iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. New colours include gold and sierra blue. It also has a 20pc smaller top notch.
Apple says the iPhone 13 line has its most advanced dual-camera system yet thanks to a new image sensor (ISP) that allows for 47% more light from the main f/1.6 12MP wide camera. There’s also a new ultra-wide f/2.4 12MP camera.
One of the most interesting new camera features is ‘Cinematic Mode’. This brings rack focus to a smartphone – which is when a video focuses on a character in the foreground, and then shifts to the character in the background when the foreground character moves away.
Says Ben Wood, Chief Analyst, CCS Insight:
“These updates follow Apple’s tried and tested formula of delivering new products with metronomic consistency. The company is offering enough new features to fuel consumer demand, with the vast majority of purchases being upgrades by existing Apple customers.”
“Apple has a proven and profitable approach that it appears capable of sustaining for a long time. Only a major industry disruption, such as a dramatic shift to flexible devices, which is far from certain at present, would force it to radically deviate from this strategy.”
“Much to the dismay of its rivals, there is little reason to indicate Apple is not on course to continue its incredible momentum into 2022.”
“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.”
“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.”
The Apple Watch Series 7 (pictured above) has a release date which is ‘Later this Fall’ according to Apple, meaning it won’t be available right away like today’s other products. It includes new bike features that can auto-detect when you start riding and tell you to start workout. There’s also auto pause and resume, fall detection, and improved algorithm for e-bike riding.
The Apple Watch Series 7 case and display also have softer more rounded corners. Apple claims the screen is up to 70% brighter indoors. The on-screen buttons have been redesigned and enlarged thanks to the larger display and it fits nearly 50% more text than Series 6 watch and comes with new watch faces.
Furthermore, Apple has upped the durability upgrade with the Apple Watch 7, calling it its most durable Apple watch ever. Not only is it crack-resistant, it comes with IP6X certification and WR50 water resistance.
Commenting on the Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+, Leo Gebbie, Principal Analyst, CCS Insight says:
“At first glance the latest Apple Watch is another iterative update, but the larger screen allowing bigger virtual buttons and up to 50% more text on screen should certainly improve usability.”
“I’d expected to see a bump in battery life on the Apple Watch, as owners continue to clamour for smartwatches to last longer, but Apple has decided not to deviate from its 18-hour battery life. The faster charging will be welcomed, but for those wanting to track their sleep it would be far easier to offer a battery that lasts a couple of days.”
“Despite these concerns, the Apple Watch continues to sell in record numbers and dominates the smartwatch market by a distance. Clearly, users are happy enough with the daily charging routine, and I expect that other improvements to the Watch will be very well received.”
“New features such as dedicated activity tracking and fall detection for cyclists add to the Apple Watch’s capabilities in the fitness space. They’ll be a welcome update for new and existing owners. The enhancements further the Watch’s credentials as the best all-round smartwatch.”
“Rolling out Fitness+ to a further 15 markets underlines Apple’s desire to grab a huge slice of the remote fitness market. New guided meditation classes and workouts will be welcomed, but the stand-out feature is undoubtedly Group Workouts, which adds an interesting competitive element to exercising at home, and a further lock-in to Apple’s ecosystem.”
