Apple iPhone 13 Pro, the best for photos and videos | Review

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Every year the new iPhone arrives, and every year we ask ourselves whether it is worth replacing the “old” iPhone for the new one. That the new products are always the "best ever" is not in doubt, but how much is the new iPhone 13 Pro able to make a difference? What are the new features offered by the new model? The answer is simple: a new screen, a new CPU and a new camera compartment. Will it be enough?

Iconic design, with small differences

The most critical of you will be able to assert that the general design could be even more refined and improved than the previous generation, with which this new iPhone 13 Pro actually shares many aspects. The truth to the test of facts and everyday use, however, is that the reduction in the size of the front notch (by 20% compared to the old iPhones equipped with this aesthetic element) combined with the new "bump" of the camera, now even more evident and in relief, they are by themselves distinctive elements and a sign of a "character" that is quite different and more refined than the previous generation.

Differently from what has almost always happened in the past, the new iPhone 13 Pro is more thick and heavy than the iPhone 12 Pro. We are talking about 0.25 mm more, a trifle, which however can be seen with the naked eye, and a weight of 16 grams more, which can be perceived in the same way by holding the two smartphones. Despite this, we want to reassure you because in everyday life these differences will never make you complain, especially after a few days of use in which the sensation caused by these differences will have disappeared.

The overall constructive care of the product at the absolute top of the category remains unchanged, with the stainless steel structure which, combined with the flat edge, offers excellent ergonomics. As much as Apple therefore wanted to play it safe with this iPhone 13 Pro (the most fanatic will remember all the rumors about the return of the touch ID or even the fake leaks relating to completely display panels without interruptions), the judgment on the design and construction side can only be fully convincing and positive.

120Hz is coming

The OLED screen is always 6.1 ″, a size that makes the "Pro small" (not Max) model sufficiently great to offer, according to the writer, the perfect compromise between manageability, portability and screen space for information. But it is not the same screen, because the novelty is the arrival of ProMotion technology, capable of varying the refresh rate from 10Hz up to 120Hz.

For those not accustomed to this term, the refresh rate is that parameter that indicates the quantity of times that a screen is "refreshed", or rather, how many times in a second the image on the screen is redrawn. The higher the refresh rate, the more stable and sharp the images are perceived, especially moving images. We are not just talking about a game or movie, in fact even just scrolling a web page can enjoy a high refresh rate. The industry standard has always been 60Hz in recent years, and now iPhone 13 Pro can go up to 120Hz, offering a very stable image. Even better, the ability to change the refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, allows the iPhone to set the maximum speed only when needed, and to drop, in conditions of static images, to very low refresh levels, preserving the duration of the battery. This behavior is fully automated.

In practice, it is difficult to find real faults with this display, which now fills the last gap compared to the competition, with applications and various screens that will now be reproduced at the best speed possible, contextually to the scenario of use with always an eye on the theme of consumption, which however we will deepen shortly. Excellent contrasts, maximum brightness able to pass any test of use both indoors and outdoors (the over 1000 maximum nits are very pleasant) and a respectable chromatic fidelity.

The most powerful processor of always

The A15 SoC offers even more power than the previous models, and on the iPhone 13 Pro it gives its best, beyond what is possible on the "mini" and "normal" models.

We do not want to do direct comparisons with competitors, but it is undeniable that A15 is at the top of its category and, in cross-platform benchmarks, is always able to position itself at the top. What matters is the always painless experience with all the applications and video games available on iOS, thanks to the six cores (two of which are defined "performance") and the 6GB of RAM, data that may seem subdued compared to other solutions, but which in practice they offer an excellent experience.

We mention, for example, the new cinematic mode that allows you to manage an intelligent shooting in real time or the ability to easily edit videos in 4K, functions that require a lot of power, not within reach of all platforms. Furthermore, we did not notice any overheating during the test, even under the 5G network.

The camera, this time really "Pro"

If you love photos and, above all, videos, iPhone 13 Pro is the smartphone you should buy. Without ifs and buts. It is immediately clear that the performance of the photographic module goes beyond everything seen so far, and we are not talking about maximum resolution or performance in poor lighting conditions, that is the battlefields on which practically all smartphone manufacturers are fighting in the recent years.

Apple goes a step further, and makes the camcorder truly intelligent and capable of capturing professional shots, without having to study photography for years. To achieve this, Apple has completely revised the photographic sector, inserting new lenses and sensors, which now protrude in an important way from the back of the smartphone.

Behind we find in fact three main 12MP cameras, limited size compared to others smartphone, but as we have said several times, the size of the sensor is often used as a marketing lever rather than a real need. The three lenses offer wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto shooting. The latter offers a 3x optical zoom, an absolute novelty and more functional than last year's model.







The camera software is been revised in some detail, and although the approach always remains the "point and shoot", now it is possible to create some more creative effect, a defect corrected compared to the past, considering that we live in the era of Instagram.

The shots are always very sharp, even in low light conditions. Better sensors allow you to use night mode (long exposure) less often, reducing the chances of blur. The bokeh effect is omnipresent, or almost, for more emotional shots. You can also choose between three different color temperatures (cold, warm and balanced), for a style of photographs that is closer to your personal tastes.





If you like video you will love the cinematic mode, which thanks to the AI ​​is able to make clips with different depths of field, lock the focus on a subject (not just a person) or switch the focus from one subject to another with ease of a tap on the screen. All this, combined with the usual excellent stabilizer and the brightness of the sensors, makes this function a favorite of anyone who wants to use the iPhone 13 Pro to create videos.

Autonomy of the battery

Apple has always been cautious in communicating energy consumption, trying to maintain the autonomy of the battery unchanged with the passage from one generation to another, ensuring, at a minimum, the same performance. With the iPhone 13 Pro we go further, thanks to an optimization of energy consumption, together with the ability of the screen to limit consumption when displaying mostly static images, the new iPhone 13 Pro is able to offer about an hour and a half of autonomy more than the iPhone 12 Pro. This result does not upset the user experience, rather it leaves a little more freedom of use, especially of the new camera, without changing the result of autonomy at the end of the day.

If we were to identify a defect, this would be the limitation of the recharge to 20W maximum, which does not allow for super fast recharges. The Android world, in this context, has much more to offer, with fast recharges reaching 65W (not to mention 120W). Do not miss the Wireless charging with MagSafe.

iOS 15, small but always pleasant improvements (remove)

With the new iPhone comes iOS 15 which brings, as usual, many small improvements . The user experience is not upset, and probably the biggest change is the relocation of Safari's address bar to the bottom of the screen, a difference we still have to get used to.

Once you try it, you won't make it anymore except for the "live text" features, the new way to use FaceTime with better video and audio management, as well as the new aesthetics of many system applications. As mentioned, not an upheaval but an always constant refinement process that will please users loyal to the operating system made by Apple which makes stability its core, rather than relying on an extreme and deeper customization (however much in recent years many steps have been taken and others will certainly be made in the future).

Price and versions

The “classic” memory cuts available at launch remain unchanged, with the range iPhone 13 Pro which incorporates the three cuts (128/256 / 512GB not expandable) available on the iPhone 12 Pro, but with the addition of the variant of even 1TB, new for 2021:

iPhone 13 Pro from 128GB - 1189 euro 256GB iPhone 13 Pro - 1309 euro 512GB iPhone 13 Pro - 1539 euro 1TB iPhone 13 Pro - 1769 euro

Verdict

iPhone 13 Pro is now on par with its "Max" brother in terms of features and performance, dimensions aside, and it's a smartphone com pleto in all respects. We started this review by asking ourselves if the differences compared to the iPhone 12 Pro were enough to push the purchase of the new model, and now we have the answer, which as usual is not unique.

If you are great lovers of photography or (especially) videos, then the answer is yes. The new camera sector, combined with the cinema mode, alone is worth the sale of the "old" iPhone 12 Pro and the purchase of the new iPhone 13 Pro. suitable for any context of use.

The new processor, the new screen with variable refresh rate and the improved autonomy are fantastic additions to this photographic experience, however alone they would not be enough to replace the still excellent iPhone 12 Pro. Obviously, if you have an iPhone older than last year, the same rule applies: switching to the new iPhone brings you enough news to be worth updating.