The wait for iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max is over. At an event in California on Tuesday, Apple unveiled its newest flagships with faster ProMotion displays that can reach 120Hz, an even faster A15 Bionic chipset, and big camera improvements for both photos and videos.
This year’s refresh also adds a 1TB storage option for iPhone 13 Pro models and finally shrinks the notch above their screen. You can preorder yours starting Friday, September 17 before the new iPhone lineup makes its official debut one week later on September 24.
Apple unveils iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
“iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max make up our most pro iPhone lineup ever with the biggest advancement for our camera system, the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and the fastest performance of any smartphone, setting a new standard for iPhone and enabling incredible experiences never before possible,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
They might look a lot like their predecessors, with stainless steel frames and strong Ceramic Shield glass, but iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max pack big improvements that make them well worth the cost of an upgrade for many iPhone fans. They’re faster — in more ways than one — and more capable than ever before. They’re now the best iPhone models money can buy.
Faster A15 Bionic chip and ProMotion
Its new A15 Bionic chip, which features a six-core CPU and five-core GPU, makes iPhone 13 Pro up to 50% faster than the leading competition in both performance and graphics. It’s also more efficient than ever before, and it enables big machine learning, display, and camera improvements.
iPhone 13 Pro is Apple’s first smartphone with a brighter Super Retina XDR display that feature ProMotion technology — just like iPad Pro. It can reach a refresh of 120Hz (and go as low as 10Hz when speed isn’t necessary) to make everything you do smoother and more responsive than ever before.
Photo: Apple
There are big camera improvements for both photos and videos. iPhone 13 Pro packs a familiar three-lens camera system, but each of its sensors has been greatly improved. The 12-megapixel Wide lens lets in up to 2.2 times more light; the 12-megapixel Ultra Wide lens is also brighter with macro photo support, and the new Telephoto lens now offers up to 3x optical zoom.
Apple also demonstrated a brilliant new Cinematic mode with “rack focus” for video recording. “Cinematic mode on iPhone records videos of people, pets, and objects with a beautiful depth effect with automatic focus changes, so anyone can capture cinema-style moments, even if they aren’t a professional filmmaker,” Apple explains. You need to see it to appreciate how awesome it is.
Big camera improvements
As if that wasn’t enough, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max support Dolby Vision HDR and the advanced ProRes video codec — the same one used by industry professionals. It gives video editors greater control over their recordings.
“The new pro camera system offers even more pro photography capabilities like improved telephoto zoom, macro photography, Photographic Styles, Cinematic mode, as well as ProRes and Dolby Vision video,” Joswiak added. “The Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion is our best display ever; it intelligently responds to the content on your screen, offers fantastic graphics performance, and is perfect for any viewing experience.”
Photo: Apple
Thanks to that more efficient A15 Bionic chip and Super Retina XDR display, coupled with custom 5G radios, iPhone 13 Pro also offers even better battery life. You can expect an additional 1.5 hours from the smaller model and up to 2.5 additional hours from iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Order iPhone 13 Pro this Friday
iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Both are available to preorder this Friday in graphite, gold, silver, and Sierra blue with up to 1TB of storage for the first time ever in an iPhone. They arrive September 24.
