One small reduction of the notch, one giant leap for the iPhone! That’s the best description for the most minor iPhone upgrade yet – the Apple iPhone 13. But even if it won’t make iPhone 12 owners line up for the new model, like it or not, the iPhone 13 is still one of the most powerful smartphones on the market and a bestseller in the making.

The notorious notch, first introduced back with the iPhone X in 2017, spread in mere months across the entire smartphone industry, possibly faster than any other feature so far. It has since evolved into droplets, punch holes, or gone thanks to pop-up or under-screen selfies. But for the first time in four years, Apple has shrunk its size, albeit not by much, and the process of getting rid of it has finally begun. The predictions for the iPhone 14 are already running wild.

It is wrong to focus on just the notch size with iPhone 13. This standard 13 model has a 6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED screen with Dolby Vision, now with higher brightness, the most powerful mobile chip to date – the Apple A15 Bionic, and three nicely capable 12MP cameras – two at the back and one at the front. Apple has used a new, larger sensor for the main camera and has the sensor-shift stabilization from last year’s 12 Pro Max has trickled down across the entire iPhone 13 lineup.

Other tweaks include doubled base storage, a larger battery, and a couple of exclusive software tricks for the camera like Cinematic mode and Photographic Styles.

And that’s it – a brighter screen with a smaller cutout, a faster chipset, more storage, more battery, and an improved sensor on the main camera. Not the upgrade iPhone 12 users have been hoping for, but a massive one for anyone using an older-gen iPhone.

Apple iPhone 13 specs at a glance:

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.

The biggest letdown has to be the missing ProMotion support – the 120Hz refresh rate is exclusive to the Pro models this year, and we guess the base models will have to wait a year or two before they are allowed to have it. The ultrawide camera autofocus upgrade is also exclusive to the Pro series, which is not great, but it’s what Apple usually does, so not surprising either.

With the ongoing chip crisis, among other production problems due to the pandemic and lack of resources, the iPhone 13 devices will face various delays with production and shipping, but doesn’t this happen every year? Oh, well…

Unboxing the iPhone 13

There is not a whole lot to unbox with the iPhone 13 as Apple has expelled everything but the USB cable from the iPhone retail boxes with the goal of reducing electronic waste, the extra profit being just a bonus. This year it has gone even greener by ditching the plastic wrapping – wherever wrapping was needed, Apple has used paper stickers.

So, inside this thin and lightweight box, you will find the iPhone 13 and a USB-C to Lightning cable.

Apple has still not switched to USB-C on the iPhones for various reasons, most of them being accessories compatibility and electronic waste. The EU Commission is pressing for such change, so we are either seeing the last of Lightning-capable iPhones or, knowing Apple, the last of the iPhones with any sort of USB ports.

The small paper compartment contains some paperwork, the SIM-ejection pin and one Apple sticker.

Alternatives

The Apple iPhone 13 is obviously a very minor upgrade over the iPhone 12, and we cannot think of a single reason why any iPhone 12 user should jump on it.

But the iPhone 13 is also one of the best current smartphones on the market for its beautiful design, increased durability, powerful hardware, superb speakers, and excellent camera experience day and night. And for such a compact device, the battery life turned out pretty good, too.

Of course, there are plenty of offers on the market, and the competition within Apple’s own series is already tough enough. Let’s say you are using an older model iPhone, should you get this €900 iPhone 13 or another iPhone?

Well, the iPhone 12 is now at least €100-150 cheaper than the iPhone 13, while carriers are pushing even bigger promotions as they are getting ready to replace the older model with the new one. And it’s pretty much the same device with a slightly bigger notch and a missing Cinematic video mode. We can’t blame anyone that would skip these features and get the iPhone 12 at a large discount instead.

The iPhone 11 is also still on sale, and it’s now cheaper at about €500-€550. It is one particularly powerful smartphone that’s great for gaming, plus it is also a dual-glass IP68-rated device. It has a 6.1″ LCD screen and a familiar 12MP dual-camera, supports Face ID, and its 12MP selfie shooter is really good, too. Not to mention that battery life is great, too.

You can, of course, get the €800 iPhone 13 mini if you want the most compact yet most powerful iPhone, which is identical to the iPhone 13, but smaller. Or, if you want to get the best compact iPhone right now, the €1150 iPhone 13 Pro will offer you a 120Hz display, more powerful graphics and much better ultrawide and telephoto cameras. It is a significant update over the iPhone 12 Pro and will surely get the most attention. We guess most people will get it for the versatile photography skills with the added autofocus on the ultrawide and its 3x zoom lens, so you should consider it, too.

Apple iPhone 12 • Apple iPhone 11 • Apple iPhone 13 Pro

And if you are into Android phones of similar size and capabilities like the iPhone 13, you may want to explore the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, or the Asus Zenfone 8, or maybe the Realme GT 5G. These are all not-so-large phones with 120Hz OLEDs, powerful processors, and great cameras, plus they are all cheaper! The Realme GT is not water-resistant, but it’s quite affordable, so it’s worth mentioning.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G • Asus Zenfone 8 • Realme GT 5G

Verdict

The Apple iPhone 13 is a very capable smartphone – it has one of the fastest chipsets and one of the best camera kits – that’s why it is ideal for photography and video capturing on the go, great for bloggers and vloggers on a budget. It also does a brilliant job at streaming your favorite shows and playing demanding games. Its speakers are surprisingly nice, too.

The iPhone 13 is a premium-looking smartphone with great all-around protection. But it’s not just the good looks; it’s also built to last with that Ceramic Shield and sapphire covers for the lenses.

There is also another thing that seems to be an iPhone-exclusive – the promised 5 years of major updates. That’s a whole lot more than any Android device can offer, but also understandable since Apple makes a limited number of phones and has full control over every aspect of them.

The iPhone 13 is not a perfect smartphone – the notch is still huge as Apple doesn’t want to resurrect the Touch ID yet, the 120Hz display is exclusive to the more expensive Pro model, and it just won’t allow for faster than 25W charging, though the last one could be somewhat responsible for the longer battery lifespan of the iPhones.

There are also controversial aspects that will never change – the aim towards a port-less phone, the minimalistic retail bundle that reduces electronic waste, the iOS-specific file manager, among other controversial Apple policies.

But there are two undeniable facts – no iPhone is a bad phone, on the contrary – every iPhone is designed to excel at a wide variety of tasks, and it does. And secondly, no review will make a decided Apple user to reconsider their iPhone purchase/upgrade because of that. So, go get your new iPhone and enjoy it, it is yet another good one, in case you needed to hear it from us.

Pros

• Outstanding design – sturdy and water-proofed.
• Bright OLED screen, HDR10, Dolby Vision.
• Dependable battery life.
• Loud stereo speakers, excellent output.
• Unmatched performance, 5G.
• Great all-round photo and video quality across all three cameras.

Cons

• Minor upgrade over iPhone 12.
• No 120Hz refresh rate.
• The notch is still an eyesore even if smaller.
• The fast charging isn’t very fast and the charger is not bundled.
• iOS (with its limitations) remains a love it or leave it affair.