iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini arrive with smaller notch, better cameras and longer battery life

iPhone 13 angled photo front and back
(Image credit: Apple)
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini: Specs

Price: $699 (iPhone 13 mini); $799 (iPhone 13)
OS: iOS 15
Display: 5.4-inch (mini); 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR up to 1,200 nits
CPU: A15 Bionic
Storage: 128GB and up
Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.4)
Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
Video: 4K at 60fps HDR
Battery life: TBD

The iPhone 13 has arrived. 

At its main event of the year, Apple took the wraps off its latest fleet of flagship smartphones. Comprised of the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple's latest devices bring new features while resolving some of the main complaints of the previous models.

In this article, we'll focus on the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 which received some significant updates, some of which we didn't foresee going into this event. These enhancements could make the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini compelling upgrades for those holding onto older Apple devices or Android users making the switch

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini price

Matching the previous models, the iPhone 13 mini starts at $699 while the iPhone 13 starts at $799. But wait! Apple gave us something to be excited about because both models will start with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB. 

You can pre-order iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini beginning at 5 a.m. PDT on Friday, September 17, with availability beginning Friday, September 24.

And for those in the UK, here are the best iPhone 13 deals.

iPhone 13 

The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 looks similar to the iPhone 12, flaunting a flat-edge design and a ceramic front glass except now with a smaller notch. Yes, the notch, the cutout at the top of the screen made to accommodate sensors and the front-facing camera, is still there but slightly smaller (20% reduced) this year. Like the previous model, the iPhone 13 has an IP68 rating system. 

Besides the notch, the biggest design change involves the lenses which are now arranged diagonally. There are also five new colors painted atop the aluminum frame: pink, blue, Starlight, Midnight and (PRODUCT)RED.

iPhone 13

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 13 retains its 6.1-inch display though Apple claims the Super Retina XDR panel is now brighter than before with a max of 1,200 nits (28% brighter than before) when viewing HDR photos or videos.

iPhone 13

(Image credit: Apple)

Powering the iPhone 13 and iOS 15 is a new A15 Bionic chip, which Apple calls the fastest smartphone chip ever with 50% better performance and 30% beefier graphics than competing processors. Also improving the performance of the iPhone 13 is support for more 5G bands. 

iPhone 13

(Image credit: Apple)

There is a new dual-camera system on the iPhone 13 comprised of a 12MP wide-angle lens with an f/1.6 aperture and a new 12MP ultra-wide lens at ƒ/2.4. Apple says the sensor captures 47% more light with its 1.7-micron pixels. Fast-moving subjects should be easier to capture thanks to the Sensor Shift feature that first debuted on the Phone 12 Pro Max.

Video capabilities were expanded with a new cinematic mode and a smarter focus transition for quicker refocusing on subjects. The iPhone 13 can shoot at 4K, 60 frames per second.

iPhone 13

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 13 will supposedly last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12, which could resolve one of the biggest downsides with the previous device.  

Apple finally listened to customers and upgraded the base storage from 64GB to 128GB on the standard iPhone 13 without increasing the price.

iPhone 13 mini

The smallest and least expensive of this series, the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini shares many of the same features as the iPhone 13, including the updated cameras, A15 Bionic SoC, brighter screen and wider 5G support.

iPhone 13

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple says the iPhone 13 mini will last for 90 minutes longer than the previous model. If true, expect around 9 hours on a charge, which upgrades the iPhone 13 mini's battery life from poor to OK.

Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.