Apple announces new iPhone 13 launch: How to choose the best phone for your budget

It’s September, folks (A.K.A., the Silicon Valley equivalent of Christmas). Yep, you guessed it! Apple has just announced its next iPhone drop. Introducing the iPhone 13 series…

About the iPhone 13:

On the morning of Wednesday 15 September (Australian time), Apple announced it will be officially releasing the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max on 24 September 2021.

But before we get into all the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick overview of each iPhone 13 model’s basic specs:

Design:

At first glance, the new iPhone 13s sport a similar design to that of the previous generation (iPhone 12) - a flat-edge chassis with Ceramic Shield glass. It’s also IP68 dust and water-resistant (with a maximum depth of 6 metres for up to 30 minutes).

The most significant change is to the overall look and feel of the rear camera on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, with the lenses now placed diagonally rather than vertically, although the screens on all models have also been tweaked to have a slightly narrower notch (it’s about 20% smaller). 

Colour:

This year Apple has also come out with a range of new colours to choose from, with the specific options varying depending on the model.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available in graphite, gold, silver, and the all-new ‘Sierra’ blue.

Those looking for something a little bolder might opt for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini which come in pink, blue, midnight, ‘starlight’ and Product Red.

Display:

Not much has changed in terms of screen sizes and resolutions among the iPhone 13 series. However, we have seen Apple dish out 120Hz refresh rates on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

In other words, these new screens will have much smoother motion, which should help make them feel a bit faster and more responsive too.

Camera:

Now we’re getting to the good stuff! It’s 2021, folks. People want a smartphone camera that’ll knock the socks off a professional-grade camera and help lift their selfie game. Year on year, Apple always seems to deliver.

This year, all the new iPhone 13s’ cameras get a facelift with upgraded sensors and lenses. Additionally, the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Mini both feature diagonally positioned lenses instead of the vertical placement that was used for the iPhone 12 equivalents.

Compared to the previous generation, the triple-lens iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max still reign supreme and have even better low light performance than their forebears. Speaking of which, Apple also plans to roll out support for ProRes video to the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max later this year, so keep an eye out, budding filmmakers. 

All iPhone 13 models come with a brand new Photographic Styles camera feature which allows you to selectively apply adjustments to add a custom look to your photos. Plus, a new Cinematic mode for videos, so you can create depth effects and focus transitions.

Specs:

The new iPhone 13s are powered by Apple’s very own A15 chipset. On top of this, for the first time, Apple is introducing a 1TB iPhone - the largest capacity iPhone ever!

Here’s an overview of the different capacity sizes available with the different iPhone 13 models:

iOS 15:

If you’re a low-key nerd like me and love a good software update, then stay tuned. This year Apple is dropping its brand new iOS 15 software update on Monday, 20 September, so owners of older iPhones will be able to install it before the iPhone 13 range arrives.

So what’s new in iOS 15? Get ready for new FaceTime additions like spatial audio (3D audio), voice isolation (blocks out other ambient noise) and the ability to join calls via a web link, which will even be accessible to Android users.

The new iOS update will also see the introduction of status updates to Messages (long live MSN Messenger), a new live text feature that lets you translate or copy text in images to a document, a redesign to the weather app, a Maps revamp, plus so much more!

iPhone 13 release date:

When does the iPhone 13 come out, you ask? Get ready folks, cause the iPhone 13 will be available for you to pre-order from 10pm AEST this Friday, 17 September 2021.

The official release date is the following Friday, 24 September 2021. The major telcos (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone) have yet to announce their new iPhone plans at this stage, but we’ll be covering all the news on pre-orders for the latest iPhone 13 as soon as they go live so, watch this space!

iPhone 13 price guide:

The iPhone 13 series handsets follow a fairly similar pricing model to the previous generation of iPhone 12s. Check out our iPhone 13 series price guide below (keep in mind that prices may vary depending on where you purchase your device and whether you buy it outright or now):

We’ll be covering all the latest iPhone 13 release news so keep your eyes peeled!