Shutterstock
The newest flagship iPhone might not look very different from its predecessor at first glance. Some people have openly wondered why they should bother upgrading. It doesn’t help that the new iPhone is hard to find, thanks to global shipping issues, and the device isn’t exactly cheap.
So, is it worth the upgrade? Well, if you want the newest, greatest thing in the world of iPhones, yes. The iPhone 13 is an improvement over its predecessors in some stealthy ways.
There have been numerous quality-of-life upgrades to the iPhone 13. The most noticeable is the battery life, which is more efficient than ever thanks to the A15 Bionic chip that powers the device. That chip helps the device manage power effectively, allowing your battery to last longer even as you’re using the new, brighter display.
That A15 chip can do a lot more than manage power, too. It’s one of the most powerful chips running in any smartphone. It makes the iPhone 13 an outright beast for everything from productivity to playing video games.
The camera array on the iPhone 13 is unbeatable. It’s easily one of the best cameras on any modern phone, bolstered by the A15 chip. Cinematic Mode allows users to take videos that are automatically scaled and focused by the phone’s powerful processor. Another new feature, Photographic Styles, allows you to fundamentally alter the look and feel of photos you snap.
The cameras are also now arranged diagonally, making it easy to tell the iPhone 13 apart from its predecessor. Speaking of cameras, the notch that houses the Face ID cameras is noticeably smaller than before, leaving even more room for the big, gorgeous screen.
The usual holiday rush to get new smartphones is going to be a bit tougher this year. Apple’s been struggling to get enough chips for their new flagship phone, which went on sale back in September. Even before the chip shortage issues came into play, finding iPhone 13s on store shelves was tough.
The base model starts a $799. That price tag gets you a version with 128GB of storage, an upgrade from the comparatively small 64GB of the base iPhone 12. You can also get a 256GB model for $899 or a whopping 512GB of storage for $1,099.
If you can get your hands on one of these phones, they’re some of the best smartphones money can buy.
