iPhone 13 pro after a Week
After a week of using and testing the new iPhone 13 Pro, I have some first impressions of Apple’s new flagship phone.
When Apple presented the new iPhone 13 Pro during their California streaming event about two weeks ago, I was intrigued but not blown away by their new Pro phone. Instead, I wondered how much better the camera system could get compared to my iPhone 11 Pro if I would actually notice the new display and smaller Notch.
The short answer to those questions is that all these things are actually noticeable and make quite a difference. So, for the more in-depth impressions, here they are:
So when the new iPhone was finally available on the 24th of September, I had one waiting for me at the nearest Apple Store. The pick-up process was as quick and easy as it could be, and after just five minutes in the store, I had the new iPhone 13 Pro, a clear case, and the MagSafe leather wallet.
The unboxing experience & design
As soon as I arrived back home, I began unboxing the new device. A detail I had already noticed back at the store was just how much slimmer the packaging for the new iPhone was. Due to the lack of a charger in the box, the thickness of the box is noticeably reduced, especially if you upgrade from a phone that had a charging brick in its box.
Back to the unboxing, though. In a move that actually shows some kind of commitment to environmental protection, Apple removed the plastic wrap around the iPhone boxing.
However, apart from that, the unboxing experience is still the same. Once I got the Sierra Blue slab of greatness out of its box, I set it up, which is really ridiculously easy.
Before I got into using the device, I investigated the new design. Ever since the introduction of the flat sides design, I was torn on it, as whenever I saw an iPhone 12/12 Pro at a store and compared it with my iPhone 11 Pro, I was convinced that the 11 Pro had the more futuristic design.
After a week with the iPhone 13 Pro, I still believe that the slimmer and rounded design of the iPhone 11 Pro looks more modern. However, I can really much appreciate all the advancements that come with the slightly thicker phone.
The glossy stainless steel sides look gorgeous, and the Sierra Blue finish on the backside gives it a unique touch and also looks fantastic. The design aspect of this phone, though, is the triple camera setup on the back. This camera setup is massive in every way imaginable.
It is very wide and even thicker, with three “camera bumps “. The first is the square on which the lenses lie, then the metal ring around the lenses, and lastly, the lens is also elevated.
Overall, I like the design and the advantages it brings to the iPhone, and even though I still can’t really get over how big the camera square on the back is, it does not seem out of place. And, of course, the hardware that lies within this camera square produces some remarkable images.
The Cameras
The cameras are not only the defining design feature. They are also the feature that was promoted the most during Apple’s presentation of the new phones. Coming from an iPhone 11 Pro, I wasn’t expecting a massive jump in image quality because the cameras on that phone were great too. However, I can see a clear difference between the picture quality of the 11 Pro and the new iPhone 13 Pro.
Even though this is just my first impression, and I need to test those cameras a lot more before giving my final verdict, I can confidently say that they are crazy good. Especially Videos made an enormous jump, which probably has to do with better stabilization. However, I also feel that the new sensors have better colors (without the new styles), making the pictures look noticeably better.
Two final points I want to touch on are the new macro feature and the 3x telephoto lens. First of all, the new Macro feature allows for some incredible closeups, but it is also a bit quirky to use. The camera just switches to the ultra-wide lens when it thinks you want to do a macro, and I haven’t manually found a way to reverse that.
The other point, the 3x telephoto is terrific without being quirky. On the iPhone 11 Pro, I often found myself missing a bigger optical zoom, and while the change to 3x isn’t massive, it is heavily appreciated. Furthermore, especially for portraits, the telephoto is also outstanding.
In conclusion, the camera system on the iPhone 13 Pro impressed me way more than I expected. I believe it produces the best smartphone pictures I have ever seen. However, In order to clearly assess its strengths and weaknesses, I’ll need to test it a lot more.
Battery
Something that does not need a lot of further testing, though, is the battery of the iPhone 13 Pro. Simply put, it is fantastic. Even though you probably have that feeling every time you upgrade to a new phone, the iPhone 13 Pro has easily enough battery to last me through a day with heavy use.
This includes giving a personal hotspot for an hour daily for my commute and about 5 hours of screen time. With all those factors, I still come home having about 20% of the battery left.
Of course, only time will tell how long this will last, but I am currently highly impressed and feel incredibly comfortable leaving my home without a charger.
So, concluding this quick paragraph about the iPhone battery, it is simply outstanding and will last you a very long time.
Display and redesigned Notch
Where the verdict isn’t that easy is the new 120hz display and the smaller Notch. So naturally, I like to see both these improvements. However, after using the phone for a week, I am not that blown away by the advancements like I was from the camera and battery life.
Firstly, the Notch got obviously less intrusive, but there is no use for the extra screen real estate. Hence, it serves more of an aesthetic rather than a functional role by just being a slightly “more extensive “display. However, all the internals remained the same, and FaceID is still as fast as before and works well (as long as you aren’t masked up).
Regarding the 120hz refresh rate of the display, in my opinion, it is great. I personally think I can actually spot a difference in the snappiness of iOS that is only due to the higher refresh rate. Yet, it could also only be a placebo due to Apple’s great marketing. However, coming from the regular iPhone 11 Pro, I very much realize that the screen has gotten a bit bigger, which makes quite a difference when watching videos.
Summarising, the smaller Notch and the 120hz refresh rate make for a flagship phone that again can compete with its display technology. After a week, I am very content with them but far from blown away.
The A15 Chip
Every time I get a new Apple mobile device, something that blows me away is the computing power these devices have within them. For example, the A15 has never even generated much warmth while I was using it, even though I had the hotspot on and doing some web browsing while listening to music.
This may not be the ultimate stress for the processor, but my previous 11 Pro would not handle tasks like this without generating considerable heat.
As I am not much of a mobile gamer, I didn’t try to stress the chip and the display with an intensive game, but I believe that the A15 would also handle that easily.
Even though I only had the phone for a week, I do not think there is something in regular use that could really push this processor to its limits. However, in the coming weeks, I’ll do some further testing.
Creature comfort features
The previously touched-on features were the main talking points of Apple’s California streaming event for the iPhone 13 Pro. But I noticed some other things that are a significant upgrade to older phones and enhance creature comfort noticeably.
A significant improvement, in my opinion, is the speakers. In recent years Apple devices often had above-average speaker systems at least, with devices like the 16” MacBook Pro delivering best in class audio quality. The iPhone 13 Pro is no different. The speakers sound great. While I am by no means an audiophile, my impression is that they sound pretty full and maintain decent clarity also at higher volumes.
Another thing that I did not expect to like that much but now thoroughly enjoy is MagSafe. If you are coming from an iPhone that did not support MagSafe (which will probably be the case), you’ll be surprised by how useful it can be.
I especially enjoy the wallet, as even though I do have more than just three cards to go out quickly, you don’t need more than a driver’s license and maybe a debit card, which is then neatly stored on the back of you’re phone.
These two features are two that I did not expect to like that much, but I figure that many people, especially those coming from pre-iPhone 12 phones, will enjoy them quite a lot.
It’s available
The last thing I want to touch on, which is quite extraordinary in my opinion, is the fact that Apple has managed to bring out a new iPhone with a new chip in times of a global chip shortage. So even though some models aren’t that widely available, on the 24th of September, I could comfortably reserve my phone in the morning and pick it up at Noon.
This also, of course, has to do with the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro isn’t revolutionary but rather a diverse arrangement of many smaller upgrades that, in sum, create a device that is better than its predecessors. But this also has to do with the fact that Apple has top-notch supply chain management that even allows that they release new phones in these times.
Summary
All in all, my impressions after the first week are incredibly positive. I didn’t think that the new cameras would be such a huge jump, but they are. I also didn’t anticipate that fantastic battery life.
Furthermore, I wasn’t aware of how much creature comfort would be enhanced by MagSafe.
Hence, even though I did upgrade from a fairly recent phone, I am still highly impressed by the improvements made.
As always, stay safe.
