The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini may seem like incremental upgrades to last year’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini—at least on first look—but they’re more than the sum of their parts. They’re about refinement, and in some ways, also about democratising next-gen technology so more people can access it today. There is of course the Apple tax that follows, but overall, the pricing seems just right for what it’s worth. We have the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini in the house and while we work on our full review, here’s a quick look at all that Apple’s new ‘budget’ flagship iPhones for 2021 bring to the table. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
The iPhone 13 Mini price in India starts at Rs 69,900 for a version with 128GB storage. The top-end model with 512GB storage will set you back by Rs 99,900. The iPhone 13 also comes with 256GB storage for Rs 79,900. The iPhone 13 meanwhile starts at Rs 79,900 for a version with 128GB storage. The top-end model with 512GB storage costs Rs 1,09,900. The iPhone 13 also comes with 256GB storage at a price of Rs 89,900. In case you didn’t notice, both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini come with double the storage (128GB versus 64GB) at the entry-level point when compared to their predecessors. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Apple hasn’t changed the design a lot this year, except changing the camera alignment on the back possibly to accommodate the larger main camera sensor on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini. The build materials (glass back, ceramic shield front, aluminum sides) and finish (glossy back, matte sides) are being carried forward but there’s a slight change in weight and thickness. The iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13 are heavier and thicker than the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12: 140g (versus 133g), 7.65mm (versus 7.4mm); 173g (versus 162g), 7.65mm (versus 7.4mm). One of the reasons why that is because, both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are packing slightly bigger batteries, something that should benefit the mini. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Speaking of which, Apple says the iPhone 13 can last up to two and a half longer than iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 Mini up to an hour and a half more than iPhone 12 Mini on a single charge. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Screen size remains the same just as last year. This means the iPhone 13 is again, a 6.1-inch iPhone while the iPhone 13 Mini has a 5.4-inch screen. The resolution remains unchanged as well but Apple has bumped up the peak brightness to 800 nits. Unlike the pro iPhone 13 models, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are sticking to a conventional 60Hz panel. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Apple has reduced the size of the notch by up to 20% in all the iPhone 13 models although, on close inspection, you realise it’s gotten taller. Also, the extra screen real estate hasn’t been put to any use to show additional information on either side, at least not yet. The 12MP selfie camera is also same as last year. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini have more or less the same 12MP dual cameras as their predecessors but Apple is using a larger 1.7 µm pixels main sensor which is said to capture up to 47 percent more light. Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) is also available (and not limited to just the iPhone 13 Pro Max). The ultra-wide-angle camera seems largely unchanged. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Apple’s new Cinematic mode is supported on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini. Think of it like portrait mode for videos. Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini also support Photographic Styles that allow you to tweak the output as per your liking from a combination of rich contrast, vibrant, warm and cool styling. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic System-on-chip, same as the pro iPhone 13s but they come with a slightly slower GPU–4 cores versus 5 cores. Both come with 4GB RAM and iOS 15 right off the gate. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
Quick recap: the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini have a brighter screen, faster core hardware, an improved main camera sensor, and a bigger battery. All of these updates may not seem very exciting, especially when you compare them with the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, but combined they make for an all-round better smartphone, one that those looking to make an upgrade from an older-gen iPhone would appreciate. Watch this space for our full review of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini in the days to come. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
