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Prices are the same as last year — $699 for the iPhone 13 mini and $799 for the iPhone 13. Thankfully, you’ll get more storage, as the phones now start with 128GB of storage instead of a paltry 64GB. There are also 256GB and 512GB options.
Apple’s promising trade-in deals to lower the cost of your new iPhone, which I’m sure we’ll find out about later today.
Let’s be frank — battery life on the iPhone 12 wasn’t great. Apple apparently heard those complaints because it’s promising better battery life for the iPhone 13. Specifically, the iPhone 13 mini will last 1.5 hours longer than its predecessor while the iPhone 13 could last up to 2.5 hours longer.
Credit a bigger battery, the A15 processor and power optimizations resulting from software and hardware integration. This is one feature we definitely hope lives up to Apple’s billing.
Apple says the iPhone 13 features customized antennas to add more 5G bands than before — pretty impressive given the array of bands the iPhone 12 support. Apple’s promising 5G support for 200 carriers in 60 countries and regions by year’s end.
On the video front, Cinematic mode can adjust background and foreground focus to make your videos look more like the movies you see on the big-screen. You start recording and Cinematic mode holds focus on the subject, transitioning the focus in real time. One of the neater tricks is when your subject trains her focus away from the camera, the iPhone will adjust the focus as well. You’re also able to tap to shift focus or lock it on another subject
Camera demos don’t always translate well to video, but this one really impressed.
Let’s talk cameras. There’s a next-generation image signal processor powering what Apple touts as the the most advanced dual-camera system it’s put on any phone.
The main 12MP sensor is larger to let in more light, and the sensor shift stabilization introduced in the iPhone 12 Pro Max is coming to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. That should mean sharper photos.
A new ultrawide camera is included to better capture dark areas.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have new displays that are 28% brighter than before. And inside there’s the new A15 Bionic chip, which features a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. Apple says the CPU is the fastest of any phone, and we’d believe that claim given how the iPhone has smoked Android devices in past benchmarking.
Sound the iPhone 13 alarm. Apple’s ready to show off the new phones. A lot is the same from last year — Ceramic Shield display and straight edges — though the camera array is rearranged to be diagonal. The notch is smaller, too as rumored, and there are five colors — pink joins black, white, red and blue.
By the way, here’s our report on the iPad 9 and all the new features Apple announced earlier.
Among the additions to Fitness Plus are pilates, guided meditations and a new workout program that takes its inspiration from winter sports (Workouts to Get Ready for Snow Season).
Apple is also introducing Fitness Plus Group Workouts through Share Play. The feature will be available through iPhone, iPad and Mac, and support up to 32 people at once. Presumably, with SharePlay not coming when iOS 15 launches, that feature will be delayed until later this fall. Otherwise, Apple says that new features are arriving next month.
It wouldn’t be an Apple Watch presentation without talk of Apple Fitness Plus, the subscription service available in six countries. Fifteen countries will add the service later this fall with subtitled workouts.
Series 7 has WR50 water resistance and is more durable than before. Charging’s been improved to be 33% faster, but Apple Watch users will be disappointed that Apple is still only touting all-day battery life. We had been hoping that Apple would boost how long its watch would last.
The watch will come in Midnight, Starlight, Green and Product [Red] colors. Additional colors for available for stainless steel.
The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399; it won’t be available until later this fall (possibly confirming rumors that the Apple Watch is experience production displays.) The Apple Watch Series 3 remains in the lineup for $199 while the Apple Watch SE costs $279.
But we’re not just here to talk about how watchOS can now better track cycling — Apple’s introducing a new generation of Apple Watch, the Series 7. It features the largest display ever — 20% more than Series 6. Borders are just 1.7mm, 40% thinner than last year’s watch, to maximize screen area.
We get rounder corners for the display, not the flat edges that had been rumored. More importantly, the watch is 70% brighter when your wrist is down, so that it’s easier to check the time. (“Discretely,” Williams adds.)
The iPads now dispensed with, Apple turns to the Apple Watch. Tim Cook says Apple is continuing to push the boundaries of what the Apple Watch continue to do. And to show you what that means, chief operating officer Jeff Williams has been dispatched to the central coast of California to talk about new cycling features in watchOS 8. The best addition: fall detection in case you and your bike take a tumble.
The iPad mini costs $499, with Wi-Fi and cellular connections. Like the main iPad, it’s available to order today and on-sale next week.
As with the other iPad (and the iPad Pro before it), the iPad Air adds the Center Stage feature. (It’s almost as if video conferencing has become important over the last 18 months.)
Like the iPad, the iPad mini now has Apple Pencil support. So basically, this tablet is becoming a lot like Apple’s full-sized iPad only shrunken down.
Apple is adopted the USB-C port for the mini, same as the IPad Air. So that’s a faster data connection. Apple’s touting the speed and improved neural engine on the iPad mini, too. (If they mentioned what chip is powering the tablet, though, I missed it.)
But the biggest connectivity addition may be the inclusion of 5G. Presumably that will be included with the cellular option of the iPad mini, as opposed to the Wi-Fi-only version of the tablet.
We’re getting a second iPad too — the iPad mini 6 in purple, pink, starlight and space gray. You get a liquid retina display with an all-screen design and new enclosure.
Because the screen is edge-to-edge, Touch ID has moved to the button on the top of the screen — a trick Apple borrowed from the iPad Air (and should add to its phones, if you ask me.)
The new iPad starts at $329 for 64GB (which is twice the storage as before). The education price is $299, so clearly Apple is touting this as a tablet for schools.
Apple’s also touting the neural engine on the A13 processor, as well as the upgraded 12MP ultrawide camera that’s now on the front of the iPad. To go with that camera, the iPad will adapt the Center Stage feature from the iPad Pro, so that you remain in the shot as you move around.
Center Stage works in FaceTime as well as third party apps like Zoom and Blue Jeans. It works with things like TikTok too, which should impress the young’ins.
We’re getting a new iPad, the iPad 9 to be exact. It will be powered by the A13 processor, which Apple says is 3x faster than the best selling Chromebook and 6x faster than the best selling Android tablet.
We’re starting with Apple TV Plus, as Tim Cook recounts the critical and award acclaim Apple shows are getting (obligatory Ted Lasso mention). And we’re going to get a preview of some of the shows coming to Apple TV this fall. That includes returning favorites — The Morning Show — as well as new programs like Jon Stewart’s upcoming show and programs with Tom Hanks and Paul Rudd.
Oh, Tim Cook is in a theater, not the desert. Well, that’s a disappointment.
And we’re underway with a musical number — California Soul — with shots of music makers around the state of California. In addition to that desert Tim Cook tweeted from, we’ve got coastal, forest and city scapes, so Apple is leaning into its home state here.
If you’re following along at home, Apple’s live stream is now live — if you define “live” as showing the Apple logo floating above a field of flowers while soothing music plays.
Strap yourself in, folks.
It has only now occurred to me that there could be a good reason for Tim Cook to be wandering around the desert, other than the fact that Joshua Tree is a lovely national park, and well worth a visit (though maybe not in the summertime). The iPhone 13 is rumored to be getting some form of satellite communication — likely a way to send alerts via text when a cellular connection isn’t available.
Having spent some time in Joshua Tree National Park, I can tell you that it is also an ideal place to show what happens when you can’t pick up a cellular connection. So chalk that up as another last-minute prediction.
Some last-minute reading, while we’re waiting for Apple to flip the switch on today’s presentation: The iPhone 12 was a big hit, helping Apple enjoy record sales throughout the past year — even at times when iPhone sales tend to peter out. One of the big reasons was the addition of 5G.
So how does Apple follow that up? True, not everyone upgraded to a 5G iPhone since the iPhone 12’s release, so there will still be some upgraders for that feature. But what else? Here’s how Apple could make the case that the iPhone 13 is the device you need.
If you like your iPhone 13 predictions last minute, AppleInsider has posted a round-up of what the analysts at TrendForce think about the upcoming phone announcements. What they’re forecasting is consistent with the iPhone 13 rumors we’ve been tracking.
The highlights:
- The iPhone 13 Pro will get ProMotion displays — that’s the dynamically adjusting 120Hz refresh rate — and a 1TB storage option.
- As with the iPhone 12, all the iPhone 13 models will have AMOLED screens.
- Sensor shift stabilization, a feature on the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s camera, will be available on all four iPhone 13 models.
- LiDAR returns, though the story doesn’t specify if that’s just returning to the Pro models or if the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are joining in on the fun. We’ve heard dueling predictions on that front.
Only another 50 minutes or so, and we’ll find out who’s right.
If this were an in-person product launch, about now, Apple would be opening the doors, and tech reporters would be tweeting out photos of the Steve Jobs Theater. In lieu of that, here’s a photo of my TV, opened to the TV app on Apple TV, which will be live streaming the event.
The Steve Jobs Theater, this ain’t.
If you’re looking for a last-minute prediction to wow friends and family with, it’s not out of the question that Apple could talk about Apple Arcade today. It would make particular sense if the iPhone 13 Pro models do get 120Hz displays, since immersive gaming would be one of the known benefits of having a fast-refreshing 120Hz display.
Apple could stoke enthusiasm for 120Hz displays by talking about games on Apple Arcade that have been optimized for the faster refresh rate — at least, that’s one way to talk up both the benefits of Apple’s new phones plus its subscription services.
This isn’t based on any rumor or inside knowledge — just some speculation on our part. We’ll see if it’s correct in a little more than an hour.
Got plans for after the Apple event? Tom’s Guide editorial director Mark Spoonauer will be appearing on the Future Tech Show with Laptop editor-in-chief Sherri Smith to talk about whatever Apple announces.
The show gets underway at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT, and you can watch along on YouTube or on the embedded stream below.
We mentioned potential Apple Watch colors earlier, but what about the iPhone? As you can imagine, iPhone color rumors are a big source of speculation leading up to any iPhone launch. After all, the color of the phone is the first thing people see, so clearly, everyone wants an iPhone that makes a good impression.
In the case of the iPhone 13, think pink. Apple is going with that as a color option for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, according to rumors. Pink would replace Green among the current color options, with white, black, purple, blue and Product [Red] all returning from the iPhone 12. Or so the rumor goes.
On the iPhone 13 Pro front, expect fewer color options, though two of them are likely to be new. Apple is reportedly adding matte black and bronze as options alongside silver and gold.
As always, it will be interesting to see which colors people embrace and which ones will be in ample supply.
We’re expecting Apple to reveal release dates for iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 today. (We could also get the release date for macOS 12 Monterey, though if Apple is holding a separate Mac event in a few weeks, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Apple to release a macOS update then.) In fact, Apple could go so far as to roll out the new software updates today.
But even if the latest software updates aren’t available until next week, that raises the inevitable question — should you update right away or should you wait for an update or two before taking the plunge?
It’s never a bad idea to wait, as that gives Apple a chance to stamp out any lingering bugs. And you can also judge how smooth the upgrade process is by seeing how people react on social media. In terms of iOS 15, at least, I’ve been testing the beta since it came out in June — you can read my iOS 15 beta hands-on to see what I think. And I’ve found it to be pretty stable, with the most persistent bug being that apps occasionally crash when I try to launch them and I’ll need to launch them once again — not exactly a showstopper of a bug.
So if you normally proceed with caution around software updates continue to do so. Otherwise, if you’re feeling adventurous, these feel like pretty solid updates.
Sure, you can watch the Apple event live stream, or follow along here in the live blog or even watch the Tom’s Guide Twitter account for updates. But you can TikTok your way through today’s proceedings, too, and Tom’s Guide is here to helpl
Here’s a TikTok of our own Kate Kozuch previewing today’s big Apple reveal.
@tomsguide Will you watch today’s #Apple event? #iphone13 will make a big debut, but we could see new #airpods, a new #ipad and the #applewatch7, too! 🍎 #tech
With the Apple Store down — see our earlier live blog update — it’s a pretty good better that there will be things to pre-order at the end of the day. If you’re hoping one of those things is an iPhone, be sure to check out our iPhone 13 pre-order guide, which we plan to update with all the information from retailers and carriers just as soon as it comes in.
In the meantime, you’ll find links to the top iPhone retailers and a guide on what to expect in terms of ordering info and potential deal.
Celebrity cameos were a mainstay of Apple events back when these things were held in person. (Remember that time back in 2014 when U2 showed up to help launch the iPhone 6, and suddenly there was a new U2 album on our phones? Good times…) But the pace of celebrity walk-ons has tapered off in the COVID-19 area, as Apple has taken its events virtual.
That said, we’d wager there’s a non-zero chance of a Ted Lasso cameo today, though perhaps a Schmigadoon-style musical number is too much to hope for.
If this Tim Cook tweet is to be believed, today’s Apple Event is coming to you live from the Joshua Tree National Park.
Good morning from somewhere a little different this time. We’re California streaming in 3 hours! See you soon. 👀 #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/C5V5hiel8FSeptember 14, 2021
Nah, that’s probably not true. But we’d guess this tweet sheds more light on the California Streaming theme of the event, with Apple likely featuring executives talking up its products from the four corners of California instead of from around the Apple campus, as has been the case in previous virtual events.
Feeling nostalgic as we wait for the iPhone 13 launch? @SuperSaf has a closer look at the original iPhone on video, and it looks positively tiny.
Happy #AppleEvent Day 😎To mark the occasion, I got hold of the FIRST iPhone from @GridStudiocc 😍 This phone really changed the game! pic.twitter.com/6JMxxfHvCPSeptember 14, 2021
The iPad 9 has just been tipped to launch today alongside the iPhone 13. It’s definitely not set in stone, but we could see a larger 10.5-inch display, faster A14 Bionic chip and more RAM inside Apple’s most affordable tablet.
If you haven’t done so yet, update your iPhone to iOS 14.8 right now. Apple has issued an emergency update for iPhones and iPads in response to a serious spyware flaw.
Finally. The iPhone 13 is tipped to ditch the measly 64GB storage option and start with a base 128GB of storage. This would put Apple’s new iPhone on par with the best Android phones.
More of an Android user, editor in chief Marc McLaren still feels that camera improvements are again the big draw of Apple’s next-gen phone.
“The iPhone 13 Pro will supposedly be getting some big new camera skills such as autofocus on the wide-angle lens and a bigger sensor,” he said. “If true, this could push the iPhone even further ahead of the competition when it comes to photography. And let’s face it, that’s a far bigger deal for most people than whether it has a slightly smaller notch.”
Senior staff writer Kate Kozuch would like to see Apple adopt the much-rumored under-display Touch ID. Sadly, it looks like she’ll have to wait until the iPhone 14.
“The return of Touch ID would make all my iPhone 13 dreams come true. Yeah, it’s probably not happening, but under-screen Touch ID would make getting into my iPhone so much easier,” said Kozuch.
Meanwhile, it’s all about the display upgrades for managing editor of news Roland Moore-Colyer: “I really hope to see Apple adopt a 120Hz refresh rate across all iPhone 13 models. But it looks like only the iPhone 13 Pro will get it.
“But having used the Oppo Find X3 Pro for months now, I’m utterly enamoured with high-refresh rate displays, so if the iPhone 13 Pro gets one, it’ll be the Apple phone for me.”
Tom’s Guide’s editors are making their predictions for the Apple Event. Global editor in chief Mark Spoonauer thinks the camera upgrades will be the highlight of the iPhone 13.
“If the rumors are true, I think people will be talking about the improved Night mode and portrait mode video. Right now the iPhone 12 really struggles when shooting the moon or stars,” Spoonauer says.
We’ve perused the rumor that the iPad mini 6 will be inspired by the iPad Air, and we reckon Apple could be onto a winner here. A sleeker design with slimmer bezels and extra functionality could make for a rather impressive compact tablet.
Don’t expect so see the much-rumored MacBook Pro 2021 14-inch or a refreshed 16-inch MacBook Pro today, as they’ve been tipped for a separate Apple event, likely in October time. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed the new M1X MacBook pros could arrive in “the next several weeks” at a second Apple event that may also feature iPads.
And here’s our take on the iPhone 13 case leaks. It’s not going to revolutionize the iPhone’s current design, but we’re absolutely ready for a smaller notch.
Uh-oh! The Apple Store appears to be down. But that’s actually a good thing as it means Apple is likely refreshing its product lineup ahead of the Apple event, meaning we could see iPhone 13 pre-orders go live today.
The Apple Store is down! The average Store downtime is about 3 hours and 29 minutes – https://t.co/hnhhIQ6KjHSeptember 14, 2021
More claimed iPhone 13 case renders have been posted by serial leaker Evan Blass on his evleaks Twitter account. They give us yet another look at how Apple could have shrunken down the display notch, finally!
Apple hates it when case makers publish device-bearing renders prior to launch… pic.twitter.com/uA6wUvoXE3September 14, 2021
If you’re not convinced by the design of the iPhone 13, then you might want to wait for the iPhone 14. According to the early claimed leaks so far, it could finally drop the display notch and lose the camera bump. And Face ID could even be hidden under the iPhone 14’s display. That would be cool, but we’d be curious to see how Apple would pull that off.
Given the whole “California streaming” tagline for the Apple event, we’d be somewhat curious as to whether there’ll be any mention of Apple TV Plus. We’ve heard no leaks around it, but maybe Apple has managed to keep the lid on a few surprises.
Well this won’t come as a huge surprise to people who follow tech events, but Apple has its own ‘like’ animation for Twitter for the Apple event, with a like flashing up a luminescent Apple logo before tuning into a heart.
The AirPods 3 are expected to launch today but could be more expensive than the AirPods 2. At least that’s according to Apple oracle and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has the next-gen wireless earbuds tipped to be sold alongside the previous generation.
It’s looking like the new iPhone could get a ProMotion display, and we have a good breakdown of why an iPhone 13 120Hz display is a big deal for users.
New iPad mini 6 leak alert! Or at least an alleged one, claiming there’ll be Apple Pencil 2 support, a USB-C port, Smart Connector, and a trio of colors. The jury’s still out on whether it’ll be revealed today.
iPad mini 6 all the information I have#Apple #iPadMini6 pic.twitter.com/GRyNwiUrt9September 12, 2021
Another leak has the iPhone 13 tipped to get 1TB of storage space, which isn’t a first for smartphones, but could be pretty massive. It would be a boon for people who capture a lot of photos and videos.
Interested in the new Apple Watch design? Then here are the colors we are expecting to see from the Apple Watch 7.
A last-minute case leak adds further credence to the leaks we’ve heard about the iPhone 13’s design. It basically looks like an iPhone 12 but we expect a smaller notch.
iOS 15 is also coming this week and will get a recap at the Apple event. So here are 8 of the new iOS 15 features you’ll want to try out.
So today’s the big day. And the iPhone 13 is coming. Think you’ll upgrade? Well, here’s the one feature we’re hoping to see to make Apple’s new iPhones worth buying.