APPLE IPHONE 13 AND13 PRO SERIES REVIEW

Lucky number 13? Despite reservations about the name, Apple has stuck with what’s sensible and went with the number 13 for their latest iPhones. You might have already heard, Apple’s newest iPhones are the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini, and the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max . No surprises, there. However, there are some profound changes compared to last year’s lineup and that could affect your purchasing decision. Sit down, grab a cuppa, this is a long one.

DESIGN

Last year’s iPhones got a major redesign so we knew we weren’t going to be getting phones that look drastically different this year. The basic recipe for this year’s iPhones is nearly identical to last year’s models. In fact, unless you know what to look out for, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this year’s models and last year’s.

They all have flat sides and the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini have aluminium bodies while the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have stainless steel bodies. The sides of the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are matte, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have highly polished sides that are fingerprint and dirt magnets. Round the back, the regular iPhones continue to have clear glossy glass backs while the Pro iPhones have matte glass backs.

Speaking of glass, the front of the phones are protected by Ceramic Shield, a glass that was developed with Corning to be the strongest smartphone glass ever – again, the same as last year’s models. And since we are on the topic of protection, the IP ratings of the phones are unchanged, so all of this year’s iPhones are rated IP68 which means they can stay submerged in up to six metres of water for up to 30 minutes. Buttons and ports are also all carried over, which means the Lightning port is sticking around for another year.

Now, I have strong thoughts about the Lightning port. At this point, the Lightning port should make way for USB-C. Previously, a point could be made for compatibility but since all new Macs and nearly all new iPads rely on USB-C, it’s time that iPhones do the same. USB-C not only enables faster charging, it also transfers data quicker, and works with a greater variety of accessories. It’s funny because Apple talks about all the benefits of USB-C in its Mac and iPad events and yet puts Lightning ports on their phones. Alright, rant over.

Previously, a point could be made for compatibility but since all new Macs and nearly all new iPads rely on USB-C, it’s time that