So what is it worth, the new iPhone that 20 minutes was able to test it 48 hours before it goes on sale this Friday, September 24? Observation: the improvements promised by Apple are indeed significant, especially in terms of autonomy, photos and video …
Sold at the same price as the iPhone 12 Pro when it was released (but with 64 GB of additional memory) *, integrating three rear 12-megapixel sensors and a battery with an extended autonomy of 90 minutes, the iPhone 13 Pro, since it is the one we chose to test, is now on the shelves alongside the other three models, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Weight and design: the same but heavier
Out of its box, the smartphone shows a certain overweight. If it has the same measurements as the iPhone 12 Pro (14.67 x 7.15 x 0.76 cm), it weighs 207 grams, against 187 grams for its elder. On paper, these 20 grams of difference seem insignificant, which is not the case when you have the smartphone in your hand where the terminal clearly marks its difference from its predecessor. Undoubtedly the price to pay for a battery with an extended autonomy of 90 minutes.
We also note an enlargement of the diameter of the rear optics of about 10%. The evolution of the size of the main sensor, capable of storing more light, is not for nothing. At the front, the slightly awkward notch that houses the front camera ** loses 20% of its surface. We note the effort made, but the comfort of the eye unfortunately gains nothing significant. When will Apple adopt a front camera in the form of a punch, widely used by other manufacturers?
The A15 Bionic chip: a monster of power is unleashed
Some very technical tests already published and others benchmarks attest to an even stronger firepower for the new A15 Bionic chip which powers the new iPhone 13. According to Geekbench 5, cited by
01Net, this chip would surpass all the Android models on the market in its computing power and would be 43% more powerful than that of the iPhone 12. A good point, as we will see below.
The night photo: you can see better!
The improvement in the iPhone 13 Pro’s ability to take better night shots was highlighted in the last keynote Apple. In the field, this assertion is justified. The new on-board LiDAR sensor (like in self-driving cars) does a good job.
By taking the same night photo with an iPhone 12 Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro, we immediately see that the second shot is better balanced, more contrasted and natural, less artificially lit by image processing. Even more, we notice the presence of more details in the image, as on the edges of the photo. Note that the two images above were taken outdoors in very difficult conditions, close to complete black and without any public lighting.
The daytime photo: everything is clearer
Helping the A15 Bionic chip work, backlighting is better managed by the iPhone 13 Pro.
Evidenced by these two images, the first by the iPhone 12 Pro, the second by the iPhone 13 Pro, with a subject with a slightly brighter face.
The macro photo: the feat was expected
This is one of the new advances of the iPhone 13 that Apple insists on. By using the ultra wide-angle and getting as close as possible to your subject (up to 2 cm maximum), it is possible to achieve remarkable images, as rarely seen with a smartphone, except perhaps at Oppo with its Find X III Pro.
This is a real gap that Apple finally fills by allowing the iPhone 13 Pro to venture into the field of macro photography.
Cinematic mode: impressive, but could do better
Supported by Apple’s all-powerful A15 Bionic chip, the Cinematic shooting mode of the iPhone 13 is to video what Portrait mode is to photos. With it, it is thus possible to blur around a subject and, on the same shot, to change focus freehand to focus on another subject in the image.
Tested, this function allows to obtain very aesthetic results (but only in Full HD at 30 images per second). Nevertheless, it seems that the Cinematic mode, like the Portrait mode in photo, still lacks a bit of precision in the clipping of the subjects on which the focus will be made, with outlines that can sometimes lack detail.
The x3 optical zoom & Styles: the best in the lens
With an improved telephoto lens (the equivalent of a 77mm field of view, against 52mm previously), the iPhone 13 Pro’s portrait mode switches to x3. A small gain it seems compared to the x2 of the iPhone 12 Pro, but the performance is visible to the naked eye with portraits easier to achieve without having to stick too much to it, or more obvious possibilities to get closer to a detail on a monument or in nature.
Whatever the shot, it is now possible to choose from five styles of images (Standard, High Contrast, Vivid, Warm, or Cool). For each of them, we can go further and refine the settings by adjusting the tone and temperature of the image. The first results obtained are quite flattering. Well mastered, these Styles should quickly make it possible to do without retouching in postproduction. And you don’t have to be a seasoned photographer to use them.
The Oled screen: Brighter and smoother
Apple announces that it has increased the brightness of the 6.1 ” Oled screen of the iPhone 13 Pro (which goes to 1,000 nits). And that’s true. By pushing the screen brightness settings of our iPhone 12 Pro to the maximum and applying the same fate to that of the new iPhone 13 Pro, the second is clearly brighter to the naked eye, and even whiter. In direct sunlight, the image is even more visible.
Finally adopting an adaptive 120 Hz screen (what Apple calls the Pro Motion), the screen of the new iPhone gains in fluidity by displaying up to 120 images per second, instead of 60 Hz per second more conventionally. Difficult after having had it in hand only 48 hours to fully verify this promise, especially since fluidity has never been a big problem at Apple. But a little test makes it possible to measure the immediate effects of 120 Hz …
Thus, by opening our mailbox side by side on the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro and scrolling the messages received, we see that the characters displayed become blurred on the 12 Pro and remain sharp on the 13 Pro.
Should we buy it?
It will obviously take us more than 48 hours to test the new resources of the iPhone 13 Pro. But the effects of the technical improvements announced by Apple are notable. Treat yourself to the new flagship of the brand at the apple if you already have the iPhone 12 Pro will probably make little sense, the advances of the new toy (in power, in photo) can remain at the margin for the biggest number. On the other hand, if you have an older iPhone model, or if you are addicted to photos and videos, the progress will be all the more appreciated.
* iPhone 13 Pro: 1,159 euros (128 GB), 1,279 euros (256 GB), 1,509 euros (512 GB), 1,739 euros (1 TB).
** Rear cameras: 12 megapixel ultra-wide-angle (120mm equivalent; f / 1.8); 12 megapixel wide-angle (26mm equivalent; f / 1.5); 12 megapixels (telephoto equivalent 77 mm; f / 2.8). Front camera: 12 megapixels (f / 2.2).