Should You Upgrade to an iPhone 13?

Upgrade to iPhone 13?

Apple iPhone News. Is the new iPhone 13 any better than the iPhone 12? Is it worth the money to upgrade your device or should you wait for the next one? Short Answer – it depends. As another buying season settles, you can rest assured that Apple has released a new batch of iPhone devices right on time for your next upgrade.

The iPhone 13 is a powerful handset. The latest iPhone has some nifty specs, but you might not even notice the differences. When deciding to upgrade or not, it really comes down to what features you use the most on your smartphone. Then, there’s those pesky rumors about the iPhone 14.

Let’s get everything sorted in one go. Men’s Variety has the new iPhone 13 in hand to compare all the features with previous models. So, before you drop your money on a shiny new iPhone 13, take a look at this detailed review.

Different Models of the iPhone 13 Available

There are four tiers of iPhone 13 devices. There’s an iPhone mini, the standard iPhone, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is the same breakdown from the iPhone 12 generation. At first glance, all the iPhone 13 models look and feel like the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 13 mini has the lowest initial cost at $699. That was the starting cost of the iPhone 12. The new iPhone 13 costs $799 this time around. All the storage capacity upgrades have increased the prices on all models. The 256 GB iPhone 13 costs $899. If you want to max out with the iPhone 13 Pro Max with 1 TB of storage, it will cost $1,599.

Design of the iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has the same construction as the iPhone 12. The iPhone mini and iPhone 13 have glass cases that are ringed with aluminum. The higher models swap out the aluminum for stainless steel. The available colors are a bit different, at least in name. Some of the most popular choices are Sierra blue and pink. Starlight is the new name for white and midnight is the new black.

The iPhone 13 models are .3 mm wider than the iPhone 12s and a bit heavier. The iPhone 12 Pro Max weighs 228 grams, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max weighs 240 grams. The display screens are the same as the previous generation. The mini has 5.4 inches of screen real estate while the Pro Max has 6.7 inches.

Battery Life and Storage Capacity of the iPhone 13

Apple never discloses specifics on the battery life of the iPhones. It’s always a grey area that depends largely on how the user operates the handset. However, the iPhone 13 promises an increase to battery life on all levels. The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro have 1.5 hours more. The iPhone 13 and Pro Max have 2.5 hours more.

The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 offer 64 GB of storage on base models. The new iPhone starts the game with 128 GB of storage. That’s one of the biggest benefits of upgrading. At the higher end, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max can accommodate 1 TB of storage. That’s nearly double the amount of storage from the previous generation.

Processor and Operating System

There have been some significant changes for the iPhone 13 when it comes to processing speeds. It comes with the A15 Bionic chipset. The handset’s RAM has been boosted across the range. The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 start with 6 GB. The Pro and Pro Max have 8GB. The iPhone 13 doesn’t come equipped with a brand-new operating system though. It uses iOS 15 which is the same operating system as the iPhone 12.

Photo and Video Capabilities of the iPhone 13

The front facing camera hasn’t changed at all, but the rear facing cameras have larger sensors. This allows them to let in more light for better quality photos in low light settings. You can blur the background of photos in portrait mode. There’s an updated night mode and you can stitch multiple exposures together to make better panoramic compositions.

There’s an augmented reality mode for the iPhone 13. You can overlay objects and characters onto your photos in real time. New sensors in the rear cameras can recognize and adjust settings for up to four different subjects in a single shot.

All the iPhone 13 models can shoot 4K video at frame rates of 24, 30, and 60 frames per second. The last two framerates can accommodate full HD and slow motion. The colors are automatically upgraded with the inclusion of Dolby Vision. This was a feature on the iPhone 12s that carried over.

The iPhone 13 has a new cinematic mode. It can focus on different subjects and change the focus from different perspectives while you’re filming. For the best video capabilities, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have higher color fidelity and lower compression rates for exporting video.

What You Need to Know About the iPhone 14

Before you get too comfortable with the idea of upgrading to the iPhone 13 it’s important to know that there is a newer model already on the horizon. The iPhone 14 is slated to be released as soon as September of 2022. The iPhone 13 only had minor upgrades over the previous model because most of Apple’s attention is focused on the iPhone 14.

It’s rumored to have a rear camera with three lenses and the ability to record video in 8K. The iPhone 14 Pro will most likely have 8GB of RAM and larger storage capacities across the entire range. Will there be an upgrade to iOS 16? It’s a good bet.

Also, there won’t be an iPhone 14 Mini model; it will get replaced by an iPhone Max. Another notable tweak is the full notch on the front of the phone. It won’t be brought into the new design for the iPhone 14. Tech experts are expecting a full design overhaul for the iPhone 14.

Should You Upgrade to an iPhone 13 or wait for the iPhone 14?

The iPhone 13 has made some minor improvements, but it’s far from a gamechanger. The detail that stands out the most is just how little has changed from the previous generation. The iPhone 13 has better camera functionality, battery time and faster processing speeds, but these seem like very minor upgrades over the iPhone 12.

The new iPhone 13 is more like a mid-step from the iPhone 12. Both generations have 5G connectivity, iOS 15 and lightning ports. Screen resolution was unchanged. The size and design were largely unchanged, as well.

Here’s the bottom line. If you’re a few generations behind, then the iPhone 13 could be a good find for you. However, if you have an iPhone 12 then you won’t need to upgrade until next year’s iPhone comes out.

If you had an iPhone 12 mini, then an upgrade to the iPhone 13 mini could improve your battery life, storage capacity, and RAM. The iPhone mini received a baseline lift in nearly all categories, giving it one of the most dramatic changes over the previous generation.

You don’t want to upgrade to the iPhone 13 if you’re planning to use a payment plan. You’ll most likely still be making payments when the iPhone 14 arrives with a design overhaul, new operating system, and the latest improvements in imaging.

Do yourself a favor and wait it out. The iPhone 14 is right around the corner.