How to pre-order the Apple iPhone 13, iPad 9 and Apple Watch Series 7 now
Apple has unveiled the brand new iPhone 13 -- now available for pre-order -- along with new versions of its popular Apple Watch and Apple iPad products. Here's everything you need to know about the latest products from the consumer electronics giant.
What's new about the iPhone 13?
In a single sentence, Apple's new iPhone 13 is faster and brighter; features more storage; and takes better pictures than last year's model, the Apple iPhone 12.
Many of these improvements are due to Apple's snappy new A15 Bionic processor. It enables better photos and new, augmented-reality features, and it also makes for faster and smoother gaming. It's much more energy-efficient too, which, when paired with the iPhone 13's larger battery, dramatically improves battery life. (Apple says the iPhone 13 gets 2.5 more hours of battery life than the iPhone 12.)
The new wide and ultra-wide camera sensors on the Apple iPhone 13 take in 47% more light, allowing for more detail and richer colors in dark conditions, as well as shorter photo capture times. A new Cinematic Mode, meanwhile, can switch focus between subjects while you record in 4K60 Dolby Vision HDR. You can even change the depth effect after you shoot.
The improved 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display is up to 28% brighter and delivers "bright whites (and) true blacks," per Apple. There's a little bit more screen real estate here, too -- Apple reduced the size of the top-notch.
Finally, the new iPhone 13 features more internal storage. The entry-level iPhone 13 now has 128 GB of storage, with a new 512GB size available. Pricing starts at $799 for the iPhone 13 and $699 for the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini. The phones, now available for pre-order at Apple, Best Buy and elsewhere, launch on September 24.
What's new about the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max?
The high-end iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are getting big upgrades, too, especially to their cameras. The multi-camera setup takes in even more light than the iPhone 13 -- Night mode is now on its wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. The iPhone 13 Pro is also capable of macro photography and video, with a focus as small as 2cm for capturing tiny subjects.
The iPhone 13 Pro now has a 6.1-inch ProMotion display with adaptive refresh, another feature enabled by the A15 Bionic chip. The screen refreshes between 10 and 120 times per second, depending on what you're doing, so motion looks smooth and fluid on the phone, whether you're gaming or just scrolling through messages. (The iPhone 13 Pro has the fastest graphics performance of any smartphone, per Apple.)
And that's not all. The iPhone 13 Pro features improved battery life (2.5 hours more than the iPhone 12 Max) and more storage capacity, ranging from 128GB to 1TB. A new sierra blue color option is also available.
The price of the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999, while the larger, 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Pre-orders have begun. The phones launch on September 24.
What's new about the Apple Watch Series 7?
As expected, the Apple Event also brought a new and improved version of the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 7. Running the new watchOS 8 operating system, the Series 7 boasts 20% more screen space than the Series 6, with thinner, 1.7mm borders. The new Apple Watch Series 7 also charges 33% faster than the Series 6.
The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 and will be available later this fall. The Apple Watch Series 3 will continue to be available at $199.
Apple Watch Series 7, $399 (available soon)
What's new about the iPad 9 and iPad Mini 6?
Apple also announced the latest iteration of the iPad, the iPad 9. Powered by the A13 processor, the new iPad promises impressively fast performance (compared with high-end Android tablets, per Apple) and an upgraded 12MP ultrawide front-facing camera.
But that's not all the tablet news: There's a new iPad Mini on the way as well. The iPad Mini 6 features an edge-to-edge liquid Retina display, Apple Pencil support, a USB-C port and 5G connectivity. And like the iPad 9, the new Apple tablet now makes use of Center Stage, so its camera will stay trained on you even if you move around during your FaceTime or Zoom calls.
The iPad 9 starts at $329 for the 64GB model, while the iPad Mini 6 starts at $499. Both are available for pre-order now and will be available on September 24.
