If you have trouble remembering the difference between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro, Apple has produced a video that runs over seven minutes that gives a “guided tour” for each of the four different models that were unveiled last week. The four are the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Color options for the non-Pro and Pro models are discussed and the tour guide informs us that the camera update for the Pro models is Apple’s biggest ever.
All four units come with Cinematic mode which allows you to control the bokeh effect (the blurred background in a portrait) for videos. It uses the phone’s neural network to decide when the focus in a video should switch. This is the kind of effect that you’d see in the movies, hence the name of the feature. And the cameras on all 2021 iPhone models will deliver improved low-light photos, at least according to Apple.
Both the non-Pro and Pro models also come with the Ceramic Shield which is a glass-ceramic material developed by Corning and Apple that is supposedly offers stronger drop protection than pre-iPhone 12 series models. And there is the 5nm A15 Bionic chipset with 15 million transistors. There is not much improvement in the CPU this year, but the component should still provide some improvement in performance (up to 21% according to one report) and better graphics.
The Pro units do have the ProMotion display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This simply means that the screen refreshes 120 times per second to deliver buttery-smooth scrolling, enhanced animation, and more. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max support Macro photography which means that the pair can take close-ups of small subjects, like insects and bugs, for example. And the telephoto camera on the pair delivers 3x optical zoom.
The video then goes into length on some of the new features including Photographic Styles which are similar to filters (but better, notes Apple). They can be used at the time that a photo is being snapped, or added to any photo later. Photographic Styles can work with four different styles such as Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool. Unlike regular filters, skin tones are not affected, and the setting will stay on so that subsequent photos will be consistent.
So if you haven’t ordered your new iPhone yet and you’re in a quandary trying to decide which iPhone 13 series handset to order, perhaps this quick guide from Apple will help you to reach a decision.
