The iPhone 13’s brighter display, longer battery life and powerful cameras make it the best iPhone for most people
The iPhone 13 (from $799) may not look all that new — other than the new camera lens layout — but under the hood, it's a better flagship all around. Some might see it as an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 12, but it's definitely got a lot going for it.
The new iPhone’s display is brighter than its predecessor’s. The battery life is noticeably longer. And Apple has improved an already great camera with new sensors and computational photography features that make you feel like a pro (even on a non-Pro phone).
Yes, the A15 Bionic powering the iPhone 13 is once again the fastest chip in the land. But it’s more about what this chip lets you do. This includes Cinematic mode, which adds depth of field to your videos while automatically shifting focus, and Photographic Styles for changing the look of your pics.
The regular iPhone 13 has some flaws. The charging is still relatively slow compared to some Android phones. And I don't like that only the iPhone 13 Pro models get a 120Hz display and telephoto zoom. But based on my in-depth iPhone 13 review, this new iPhone is the best phone for the money.
Check out our iPhone 13 mini review if you want all the same features of the iPhone 13 in a smaller design. Want a 120Hz display and telephoto zoom? See our iPhone 13 Pro review. And our iPhone 13 Pro Max review is the place to go if you want the biggest screen.
iPhone 13 review: Price and storage
Available right now, the iPhone 13 starts at $799 for 128GB of storage (up from a meager 64GB on the iPhone 12), and that goes up to $899 for 256GB and $1,099 for 512GB. In the U.K. the entry-level model starts at £779, with the 256GB handset coming ins at £879, and the 512GB model hitting £1,079.
These are hardly cheap phones but you can save with trade-in offers from Apple as well as from wireless carriers, and there are plenty of discounts available. Do make sure to check out our iPhone 13 deals page for the latest offers. And see the iPhone 13 Cyber Monday deals for really big savings.
iPhone 13 review: Design and colors
- Smaller notch makes display a bit more immersive
- Slightly different button placement
- Pink and blue are standout colors
There’s really two design changes of note for the iPhone 13. First, the cameras on the rear are now arranged diagonally instead of vertically.
Second — and more importantly — the notch is now 20% smaller while still delivering the same great TrueDepth camera system and Face ID you’d expect since the iPhone X ushered in this feature four years ago.
Honestly, the smaller notch doesn’t make much of a difference in day-to-day use of the iPhone 13. When watching videos in landscape mode side by side at full-screen, I didn’t find either notch that distracting.
I did appreciate the mini notch more when using apps with a white background in portrait orientation, such as Gmail. However, the notch on the iPhone 13 swoops down a bit more despite being narrower.
