Image: Apple · source
iPhone 13
Better battery life, a smaller notch and Cinematic mode.
Overview
The iPhone 13 changed relatively little on the outside, with diagonally arranged camera lenses the most obvious difference. Inside, the changes were substantial: a new A15 Bionic chip, a 20 percent smaller notch and a display that reached 800 nits of typical brightness.
Battery life improved dramatically, with Apple claiming up to 19 hours of video playback, around two and a half hours more than the iPhone 12. The main camera borrowed the sensor-shift stabilization of the 12 Pro Max, and Cinematic mode added rack-focus effects to video. Photographic Styles let people choose a consistent tone for their photos.
Storage began at 128GB rather than 64GB at the same $799 price, and a Green color was added in the spring of 2022. It became one of the best-selling phones in the world and stayed on sale for three years.
Why it mattered
It showed that sustained battery gains and storage upgrades could drive strong sales in an incremental year.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 14, 2021
- Released
- September 24, 2021
- Discontinued
- September 9, 2024
- Launch price
- $799
- Chip
- Apple A15 Bionic
- Display
- 6.1"
- Storage
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Status
- Discontinued
Highlights
- A15 Bionic chip
- Sensor-shift stabilization on the main camera
- Cinematic mode
- Up to 19 hours of video playback
- 128GB base storage at $799
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 6.1-inch
- Type
- Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, True Tone
- Resolution
- 2532 x 1170 pixels (460 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Brightness
- 800 nits typical, 1,200 nits peak (HDR)
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A15 Bionic (5nm, six cores)
- GPU
- 4-core
- Neural Engine
- 16-core
Memory
- RAM
- 4GB
- Storage options
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Camera
- Rear cameras
- Dual 12MP: wide f/1.6 (sensor-shift OIS) and ultra wide f/2.4
- Front camera
- 12MP TrueDepth, f/2.2
- Video recording
- 4K Dolby Vision HDR at up to 60 fps; Cinematic mode at 1080p 30 fps
Battery
- Video playback
- Up to 19 hours
- Charging
- MagSafe 15W, Qi wireless, fast charge to 50% in 30 minutes with 20W adapter
- Capacity
- 3227 mAh
Connectivity
- Cellular
- 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave), Gigabit LTE
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Connector
- Lightning
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0
- SIM
- Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
- Ultra Wideband
- U1 chip
Design
- Dimensions
- 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm
- Weight
- 174 g
- Materials
- Aluminum frame, Ceramic Shield front, glass back
- Water resistance
- IP68 (up to 6 m for 30 minutes)
Security
- Authentication
- Face ID (TrueDepth camera)
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 15
