Apple unveils new iPhone 13 range, redesigned iPad Mini
Out next week with pre-orders now open.
Apple has concluded its annual dance of September unveilings, this year introducing the enhanced-spec iPhone 13, its fancier Pro variant, plus various new iPad iterations including a long-awaited form factor update for iPad Mini. All of these play video games.
Starting with the iPad, there's a modest upgrade for the entry level model, which receives Apple's A13 Bionic processor - said to make this iPad 20 percent faster than the previous version - and a new 12-megapixel front-facing camera enabling support for the company's Center Stage feature. This model - available in Space Grey and Silver, and compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard - starts at £319 with 64GB of storage.
If you're looking for a more dramatic upgrade, you can turn your attention to the new iPad Mini, which now sports a form factor more closely resembling the flat-edged iPad Air and Pro range. Its new 8.3" Liquid Retina screen (up from 7.9") features narrower bezels and 500 nits of brightness, while its new A15 Bionic chip promises 40 percent faster CPU performance and 80 percent faster GPU performance compared to the previous model.
Additionally, there's a new landscape stereo speaker set-up, 12MP front and back cameras (the front sporting an ultra-wide camera compatible with Center Stage), Touch ID on the top button, and a USB-C port is included. This one comes in Space Grey, Pink, Purple, and Starlight, starting at £479 for the 64GB wi-fi model and £619 for the 5G cellular version.
Onto the phones! Both iPhone 13 and iPhone Mini are visually extremely similar to their immediate processors, albeit now sporting a smaller notch on the front and a slightly rejigged rear camera array to accommodate an enhanced dual-camera system. Its OLED display is said to be 28 percent brighter, its new A15 Bionic chip offers a performance boost over older models, and battery life is increased by 1.5 hours for the Mini model and 2.5 hours for the larger version.
iPhone 13 comes in Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red colours, and starts at £779 for the 128GB model. The iPhone Mini weighs in a little cheaper at £679 for 128GB.
And finally we're onto the 6.1" iPhone 13 Pro and its larger Max 6.7" variant, which both feature a new camera system and the A15 Bionic chip. Most notably, both displays now support Apple's ProMotion adaptive refresh rate technology up to 120Hz, and there's upgraded battery life too - expect an extra 1.5 hours on the Pro and an additional 2.5 hours on the Pro Max compared to previous models. Apple has bumped the Pro's top-end storage option to 1TB, and both phones come in Sierra Blue, Silver, Gold, and Graphite. The Pro starts at £949 for the 128GB model while the Max starts at £1049.
New iPad models are available to pre-order now via Apple's website and pre-orders for iPhone 13, in all its guises, open this Friday, 17th September. All release on Friday, 24th September.