The iPhone 13 has been released, but if you're an Apple smartphone enthusiast, you probably knew it was going to happen anyway, right? Apple is running almost like clockwork when it comes to yearly phone updates, and the iPhone 13 (along with the iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 7 Pro) has arrived on time. But Apple has a few surprises in store this year, and we're not just talking about the launch of a new iPad or an Apple Watch Series 6. Here are XNUMX details you might have missed from Apple's latest product showcase.
1. iPad Mini finally updates properly (and USB-C)
We love the iPad Mini, Apple's most portable tablet. It is often overlooked at these events, a side effect compared to its older iPhone brothers and cousins. But the new iPad Mini for 2021 really takes things up a notch. Now closer in industrial design to the iPad Pro line, it has the same overall footprint as previous models while squeezing more screen real estate: 8.3 inches. With a 40% increase in processor performance and a massive 80% increase in GPU performance, it now ticks all the right boxes thanks to magnetic Apple Pencil support, 5G connectivity, and built-in features. Plus, it now works with USB-C, which opens up a host of accessories recently supported by Apple's Miniature Slate.
2.watchOS 8 works best for cyclists
If you're out for a walk with your Apple Watch on your wrist, the new watchOS 8 operating system for the watch will be much more useful than ever. Cyclists will benefit from automatic prompts to start a workout when cycling activities are recognized, pausing and restarting as you take breaks along your route. More importantly, it will now recognize falls, a unique move compared to Apple's current ability to detect a fall while standing. And, if you take it a bit easier with the support of an e-bike motor, Apple Watch users running watchOS 8 can let their device know it's getting a built-in motor speed boost, with software. of calories with the engine in mind.
3. Video portrait mode = cinematic mode for iPhone
If you fancy yourself an aspiring filmmaker but can't afford professional-grade gear, Apple had Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow on hand to sing praises for the new iPhone's new cinematic video recording mode. Basically, this brings back and simplifies rack recording, allowing your iPhone's video camera to make better use of its depth capabilities. By adding bokeh and depth of field to your video, it can keep focus on a subject and automatically switch to a new focus point and depth of field without you having to do anything. It will anticipate a subject entering a frame and focus on another area of the frame if the subject moves away from the camera. You can also manually tap a target focus subject to move it away from Apple's automatic AI options. All of this will also be recorded in Dolby Vision HDR.
4. iPhone 13 Pro gets an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz
The OLED screen of the new iPhone 13 Pro will have a really cool new feature. Not only does it offer a maximum outdoor brightness of 1000 nits, but it also benefits from an adaptive refresh rate mode that Apple calls ProMotion. This will allow for smooth movement, as the Apple display stays in sync with the exact timings of the frames that your CPU and GPU are capable of producing. Now, to be clear, there are already several Android devices that offer adaptive refresh rate, so Apple isn't the first to have fun here when it comes to smartphones. But adaptive refresh rates really make sense when used in a gaming environment, and Apple's App Store and Apple Arcade services offer some seriously great and demanding games. The adaptive refresh rate will be perfect to see them really shine.
5.1TB internal storage for iPhone 13 Pro and Max
The bigger the better, right? With each and every 4K Dolby Vision movie you'll be recording on your iPhone 13 Pro, you won't be able to settle for some storage capacity. Therefore, in addition to the storage sizes of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, the iPhone Pro 13 will make maximum use of a 1TB storage option. You might want to take a deep breath before considering it - it's priced at € 1,499 / € 1,449 / AU € 2,569 for the standard Pro and a whopping € 1,599 / € 1,549 / AU € 2,719 for the 13 Pro Max.