Although we are not expecting it before the beginning of next year, rumors are starting to crystallise about the likely specifications about the next iPhone SE – and bigger changes are expected on the inside and the outside than first though, including a major first for Apple.

There are a lot of exciting updates expected, which we'll get to, but one is very interesting.

Business Standard has now speculated that this will be the first phone from Apple which includes an Apple silcon, rather than a Qualcomm, modem. In other words, until now, even though Apple has achieved huge gains in battery life by designing its own combined processor chips, like the A17 in the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pros (see the best iPhones for Photography for more), Apple has not yet made its own chip to control the communications with the rest of the world – the wi-fi and cellular networks.

Apple has been working on this for some time, and the potential is massive, partly because it reduces reliance on external companies, but also because it gives Apple more control – and potentially more ability to extend battery life. (Of course, if it all goes wrong, it could be like antenna gate all over again, when the iPhone 4 design put the antennas in the metal rim of the phone design which some designers criticised.)

However it pans out, it's a very big step for Apple, but – other than the effect on battery life – it might be invisible, so what else might you get?

It's an especially important question for would by iPhone customers because in the '16' generation Apple have been unusually generous to the 'standard' iPhone 16, giving it the A17 chip – two generations ahead of the iPhone 15 – and the new Camera Control button (when, usually, a new feature like that goes on the 'Pro' series first then filters down.

Well, the last update to the iPhone SE was in March 2022 (it also rose to $429 from $399 at the time). It seems reasonable to expect the next update in March 2025 – once supplies of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lines have settled down.

This time reliable rumor sites like Macrumors are expecting the "Touch-ID" fingerprint button to be replaced with Face ID, as on the other iPhones, which should also make space for a bigger screen than the 4.7-inch. (For lovers of Touch ID, it's a last chance to snap this tech up.)

One place to look for a phone model that might simply be re-branded as the SE is the iPhone 13, which is currently sold for $599. That would provide differentiation – that phone has a notch rather than the newer 'dynamic island', and Apple could probably find a cheaper screen than the OLED, and, indeed, ditch the second camera. All SE phones so far have only had one camera.

In the same way the iPhone 16 generation seems keen to be "Apple Intelligence ready" there might be a bit more of a bump. Fonearena has circulated the following widely leaked specs which seem very plausible to us:
• 6.1-inch 2532 x 1170 pixel display OLED (Super Retina XDR)
• Six Core A18
• Dual Sim
• 48MP wide-angle camera
• 12MP front camera
• FaceID (using the same TrueDepth tech that other FaceID uses)
All, of course, with 5G and GPS, NFC etc.

That would be a strong play to keeping Apple in the broader market for accessibly priced phones, which – in the long run – could prive important in keeping iOS relevant and not just a niche product for the (relatively) rich.

As a photography fan, I'd still want the iPhone 16 at least, but this is a lot of phone for – presumably – a lot less money.

Straight off the back of Apple’s September 09 event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, launching the iPhone 16 amid other announcements, everyone is talking about the Camera Control button. 

Everyone else, however, is talking about the man who revealed it. 

Piyush Pratik, a graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), is the current product manager for iPhone at Apple, overseeing the global product management and marketing for Apple’s flagship product. 

His impressive career has sparked interest across social media, with many not knowing his name before yesterday. 

So often at these events or launches, we see the famous money taking credit for all the hard work; CEOs like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates staying center stage. Giving Pratik the platform has proven popular with the internet.  

He completed a dual degree in biochemical engineering and biotechnology from IIT Delhi in 2011. After graduating, he began his career as an associate consultant at Bain and Company, which provides management and consulting services to Fortune 500 CEOs. From there he moved to InMobi in 2013, an AI and consumer first technology company based in Bangalore, India, where he was later promoted to director. 

Going back to school in 2017 Pratik pursued an MBA from Stanford Business School, and received a full Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai scholarship. The Dhirubhai Fellowship program, is for Indian citizens only, and is designed to aid exceptional students in realizing their academic and professional aspirations at Stanford, and create change on a global scale. 

Joining Apple as a product manager in 2019, Pratik has been instrumental in the development of earlier iPhone models including the iPhone 13 series, and the second generation iPhone SE. 

Pratik works with various Apple departments to oversee the entire production development of the iPhone models, from product positioning to customer visits and global trade show appearances. 

The new hardware feature: a dedicated ‘camera control button’, is the standout innovation of the new range. Pressing its capacitive, pressure-sensitive surface, brings up a customizable menu screen, allowing users to quickly adjust the camera settings including zoom, exposure, and stylistic features. 

Pratik’s most recent contributions towards the hotly anticipated iPhone 16 range, available to pre-order on September 13 to ship September 20, and speech at the recent launch have been seen by many as a testament to his hard work and dedication, and solidified him as one to watch in the developing tech world.

Is he on a path to being a face we'll expect at all Apple events – perhaps the new Jony Ive?

Take a look at our guides to the best camera phones, the iPhones for photography, and the best lenses for iPhone and Android camera phones.  

So, we're not quite a quarter of the way into the 'iPhone cycle', but you can be sure that Apple are working hard on the next generation of iPhone and, according to a MacRumors post, we can expect to see a new camera arrangement of the first time since the iPhone 13.

Specifically, according to an 'anonymous source' the iPhone 16 will see vertically aligned cameras, perhaps more like those on the iPhone 12, or maybe even in a single 'pill' like the iPhone X. (At the moment the iPhone 15 features the camera arranged diagonally inside the square.) To their credit, MacRumors do pick some good sources. They have also created some image mock-ups, including the one above, to illustrate that concept. The colors, however, are apparently those being considered at Apple for the iPhone 16, codename 'DeLorean'. 

There was a lot of discussion about the button layout before the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro, which boasted an Action Button where its predecessors had sliding mute switches. This will also, apparently, be brought down the range to the iPhone 16 – hardly a surprise since it is clearly cheaper to manufacture than the switch and poses less of a threat when it comes to water and dust ingress.

Button projects have also looked at merging the volume button into a single long rocker with no moving parts, just haptic feedback – Apple's internal name for this was the Bongo project, but that seems to have been abandoned. MacRumors cite 'unresolved technical issues' but I'd be tempted to say that people just didn't like or trust the technology. Seriously, what happens when you need to do a reset?

Not that Apple has completely given up on the idea; a capacitive capture button (project Nova, since you asked) is on the cards for at least the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple has gone as far as working out where in the casing to move the antenna to make space for this touch-sensitive button.

On the front, with the dynamic island, and at the bottom where the USB-C port is no changes are anticipated.

Is the iPhone the best camera phone, and if so, which is the best iphone for photography? We've given it some thought!

The most striking thing about the new ‘base’ model of the Apple iPhone 15 is its new colorways. A new process embeds the color directly into the glass back and sides, and as a result, the multi-colored models have a far more ‘pastel’ appearance compared to previous incarnations, more of a ‘white with a hint of’ color. 

It’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing – and I have to say that the color versions are just a bit too pastel for my tastes. So while my previous-generation iPhone was blue, this time around I opted for the standard black coloring. Then again, as the first thing that most of us do is stick our smartphone into a protective case, the color of the thing will be largely academic. 

Perhaps the reason that Apple has gone for such a radical cosmetic change is that, at first glance, there’s not a huge amount else that is different from previous models. It otherwise has roughly the same dimensions as the iPhone 13 and 14 before it (there’s a millimeter or so difference here and there, but not so much that you can’t squeeze it into a case designed for these older models while shopping around for a brand-new iPhone 15 case). The control layout is identical (it doesn’t have the new multifunction Action button of the Pro models, but sticks with the ringer/silent switch), and on the back, there’s the familiar ‘bump’ housing the dual camera modules arranged in a diagonal layout. 

Powered on, the differences become more apparent. The display notch that houses the front ‘selfie’ camera and face detection sensor assembly has been moved down the display to form a cutout rather than a notch, which Apple has cleverly disguised within a ‘dynamic island’ – a display-within-a-display area that expands and contracts to keep you alert of various background tasks, such as incoming messages or timers. It’s a brighter display too, and easier to read in daylight. 

Apple iPhone 15: Key features

While there are only two rear cameras, Apple boasts of three native optical zoom settings: a wide-angle 0.5x (equivalent to 13mm in full-frame DSLR terms), standard 1x (if still quite wide at 26mm), and telephoto 2x (52mm setting). How so? Well, a little skullduggery is at play here. The resolution of the main camera has increased from the 12MP of previous generations to 48MP, and so the phone produces the 2x image by simply only using the pixels as the very center of the sensor and binning the rest. 

The upshot is that you get just as much resolution in the final image as you do when using the wide setting (a 12Mp 4032 x 3024 image) or as in previous iPhones. Even at the 1x zoom setting, the full image image is downsized to a 24Mp 5712 x 4284 resolution. However, there is also the option of ‘super high resolution’ 48Mp 8064 x 6048 image in the HEIF format, though these don’t have the same editing flexibility as those taken at standard resolution. 

Trickery aside, having perfectly usable 2x images is a big improvement on previous generations of iPhones. You can actually go further still; if you hold rather than tap the zoom area, a swipeable display pops up, allowing you to enlarge the image up to 10x with digital zoom, though here you are severely cropping into the picture, and the low-res result isn't good for much.

Apple iPhone 15: Build & handling

The phone is constructed from a toughened and (as previously mentioned) color-infused glass frame, giving it a very different look and feel from the Pro models’ titanium bodies. 

With very similar dimensions and control layout to the previous five generations of iPhone, upgraders will feel immediately at home, although perhaps also feel that they’re getting more of the same. There are no radical design departures here. 

The dynamic island may have been engineered primarily to disguise the move of the various sensors to further down the display, but it feels completely natural and soon becomes an integral part of the functionality of the phone.

And of course, being an iPhone, it fits seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem and runs iOS, the best phone operating system out there. It comes with the very latest iOS 17 out of the box, although of course owners of previous models can also upgrade to this over the air.

Apple iPhone 15: Perfomance

This year’s base model inherits last year’s Pro model processor, Apple’s own custom A16 ‘Bionic’ processor (by comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max get the all-new A17 silicon), and with this chip at its core, the phone is zippy in all aspects of performance.

This extra processing grunt no doubt enables much of the behind-the-scenes functionality that enables some of the phone's most stunning photography features. As with previous models, there’s a portrait mode that uses the main camera to take the image but the secondary wide camera to create a depth map, from which the device can work out how far different elements in the image are from each other and blur out the background convincingly to make the subject really stand out. 

But this time around, you can apply this after you’ve taken the shot, switching the focus between two people in a scene, for example. You don’t even have to have shot the original picture in portrait mode to do this, though it does have to be taken at the standard 1x zoom.

Video is similarly slick, allowing smooth focus transitions by simply tapping on the area of the frame that you’d like the focus to pull to. It’s capable of recording 4K at 30fps, and 1080p HD video in slow-mo at 120fps or 240fps.

Apple iPhone 15: Verdict

The iPhone 15 has some major improvements in its camera capabilities over the iPhone 14 and previous generations. Eeking three native ‘optical’ zoom levels from two lenses is downright clever, and the ability to decide where the focus should be in a shot after it has taken allows for something of a ‘shoot first, ask composition questions later’ approach. 

However, with the Pro model only costing an extra $200/£200, most phone photographers will find the additional camera and increased functionality that the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max brings well worth the modest additional outlay – and that’s before factoring in the superior build, more advanced processor, always-on ProMotion display, Action button, and longer battery life. 

But all that said, it’s a very good smartphone in its own right that's brimming with features and is hardly underpowered, and if photography functionality is a nice-to-have rather than your prime reason for buying a phone, and you really can't stretch to a Pro, then is the lowest-cost route to getting a latest-gen iPhone.  

Apple iPhone 15: Competitors

This is the base model iPhone 15, but also consider: the iPhone 15 Max, which has a bigger 6.7in screen for an extra $100/£100; the iPhone 15 Pro, which has has an additional ‘true’ 3x telephoto camera module, faster processor and snazzy titanium construction for $200/£200 more; and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which as the name suggests combines the improved specs of Pro and bigger display of the Max, while also increasing the telephoto lens to a 5x zoom and doubling the base memory from 128GB to 256GB, and costs $400/£400 more than the base model. 

Read more: for our top picks of the best camera system you can buy right now on a phone, check out our guide to the best camera phone, or if you have a little less to spend, check out our picks for the best budget camera phone.

For the last 8 years or so I’ve been a regular writer for MacLife and MacFormat magazines, so I’ve written a lot about iPhone photography (or iphoneography as we like to hashtag!). To generate images for various iPhone tutorials and features I tended to shoot friends and family. More recently I realized I needed to ‘up my game’ and shoot a professional model (plus the novelty of appearing in print had long worn off for my relations). So I popped over to Purpleport.com to find a model who was available for a paid shoot.  

A few days later I headed to London to meet Mia, a full-time model from Australia who was touring Europe. Mia was a highly experienced model and had many shoots booked in advance throughout her European trip. Before we met I warned her via that I was going to be shooting on an iPhone for MacFormat magazine, rather than using a DSLR. I didn’t want her to think I was a pervy middle-aged man with an iPhone, playing at being photographer! In an attempt to make my iPhone 13 Pro Max look a bit more like a ‘proper’ camera I popped it into a ShiftCam ProGrip. This bulked up the shape of my iPhone and enabled me to tap a physical shutter button to snap a shot via Bluetooth (as well as wirelessly charging the iPhone during the shoot). 

At the start of the shoot I was nervous. I’d been happy to direct friends and family to pose, but not a professional model. The nerves quickly evaporated as Mia launched into a series of rapid-fire poses as soon as I raised the iPhone. All I could do was constantly tap the ProGrip’s shutter button to try and keep up!  I learned later that posing for an iPhone had its challenges and advantages for my model. For starters the iPhone 13 Pro Max has three cameras - an ultra-wide 13 mm, a wide 26 mm and a 77 mm telephoto.  In her public review of the shoot on Purpleport.com Mia wrote “It’s slightly harder to look down the barrel of three cameras at one time or to hear the clicks of the shots to know when to change pose (but you might get more natural looks this way) and it’s interesting to see how different poses turn out with the lenses.”  Her last point is a good one.  I was able to quickly change from ultra-wide to telephoto without fumbling around for lenses in a kitbag, so our shoot could flow uninterrupted. 

After snapping the first few shots I was able to show her the results on the iPhone’s relatively large 6.7‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED display and she seemed happy. The shots would have looked much less impressive on my old Canon’s tiny LCD. This positive feedback boosted my confidence and I was able to direct her in a range of locations along London’s Southbank. 

London's Southbank includes tourist attractions (Tower Bridge) and private buildings (the old City Hall), so on past DSLR shoots I’ve been told to “move on” by security guards in fluorescent yellow jackets. DSLRs are like red rags to a bull when it comes to security personnel. However, when shooting with the iPhone I looked like ‘just another tourist’ so was left in peace.

I enjoyed my iPhone shoot with Mia and she was happy enough to return for a second shoot in London’s Barbican Centre a month or so later. More importantly, my magazine editors were pleased with the improvement in the quality and variety of my tutorials’ portrait shots. The results of my shots with Mia have also graced the pages of many of my Digital Camera World reviews (such as this PhotoRefine.ai review). 

I’m relieved and delighted that my iPhone shoots have borne plenty of fruit and the iPhone is still my ‘go to’ camera to generate model shots for every review, tutorial and feature that I write.

You can see more of Mia’s work at @layal.official 

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra may be last year's tech, but that doesn't mean it should be put out to pasture.

For those of you thinking about what makes the best camera phone for photography or looking for the best Android phone out there, the most important question for many is, "Does it have a good camera?"

When we compared the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the then-latest iPhone, the iPhone 13 Pro, we found that looking at the specs on paper, it’s the Samsung that has the most impressive camera and lens lineup. 

The main camera on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a whopping 108MP resolution and is paired with an f/1.8 lens. As well as this, there’s a 12MP ultra-wide angle f/2.2 lens, plus two telephoto lenses, both paired with 10MP sensors. You get a 3x f/2.2 lens and a 10x f/4.9 lens and on top of that, digital zoom – called Space Zoom by Samsung – that gives you up to 100x zoom. 

So for any photography situation you come across in your day-to-day life, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has you covered – and thanks to that amazing resolution, you can even crop in on some images and still keep a good amount of detail.

No phone does more than the Galaxy S22 Ultra in its category. Yes it is a generation old as we write this, but don't let that put you off as this is a phone that really blows the socks off a lot on the market. Its camera zooms further, its screen shines brighter, its S-Pen is more responsive, and all the while the S22 Ultra doesn’t miss out on fundamentals like wireless charging. 

While it was the most expensive phone on the market at the time, however, now the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the same price as a mid-tier device but with flagship specs. Furthermore, its feature set reflects its price today, and from an imaging point of view, its quad-camera makes it the most complete photography experience on a smartphone to date. 

This means if I was the in the market for a new phone and I didn't want to spend the astronomical price of the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, I would honestly consider the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for half the price, with close to current-gen specs.

Apple has just released a brand new iPhone… well, sort of. 

It has launched the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in a happy sunshine yellow – and of all the days to release it, of course, Apple picked a day when it’s winter in the northern hemisphere and actually snowing in the UK.

The iPhone 14 was already one of the best camera phones and now it's even better. Yellow is the color of spring, it’s a sign of warmth to come, and without this color yellow, everyone's favorite (or least favorite) car game wouldn’t exist. It’s not unusual for Apple to introduce a brand new color option to an existing lineup, but it's been a while since we've seen a yellow phone. 

• Check out the best iPhone 14 deals, even if you don't want a banana-colored phone

In March 2022, Apple unveiled a gorgeous forest green color available for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, but we haven’t seen a yellow iPhone since the iPhone 11 was released back in September 2019.

Anyone hoping to pick up this joy-inducing new color in a 14 Pro will be left disappointed, though. Since the vibrant tone doesn’t really match the darker hues of the pro range, it’s only available for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. 

Other than the color, of course, everything else has remained the same. It still has the same 12MP main camera, up to 26 hours video playback, the A15 Bionic chip, tough smartphone glass, water resistance and 5G connectivity. 

If mellow yellow isn't enough to tempt you, in September the iPhone 15 will be due – and rumor has it that it will be available in a gorgeous dark red color. Red isn't the most uncommon iPhone color, however, thanks to the ProductRed series that helps to raise money for life-saving HIV treatment and is available for the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone SE, iPhone 12 and the 8th generation Apple Watch.

Colors already available for the iPhone 14 include midnight, starlight, blue and purple, but yellow is by far the standout in our opinion. 

Check out the best iPhones for photography if you want tippy top photos, or the best budget camera phones for when you're on a budget, and take a look at the best selfie sticks – perfect for taking group photos or self-portraits.

There are many generations of Apple iPhone for photography on the market, and while they're all decent camera phones in their own right, they also all offer different features and levels of advanced photo tools.

When the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max launched in 2022, Apple ProRes video – a high-quality lossy video compression format – was a major selling point for the two devices. But many might not have been aware that Apple ProRAW, the RAW image format, was already available on the iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro.

• ProRes vs ProRes RAW: what's the difference?

Here, we'll look at what Apple's ProRAW feature actually is, what iPhones have the feature, and how to turn it on and use it to capture better image quality.

What is Apple ProRaw?

Apple ProRAW is a feature that photographers will find especially appealing, as it captures images similarly to the RAW format on standard digital cameras. This allows for greater creative control during photo editing, particularly with exposure, color, and white balance adjustments.

While ProRAW isn't available for Live Photos or Portrait mode, compatible iPhones can capture images in ProRAW format using any of their cameras, including when using modes like Smart HDR, Deep Fusion, or Night mode.

Which iPhones can shoot ProRAW photos?

ProRAW isn't a feature available on all iPhones, even if you've got the latest iOS installed. Currently, you use the Camera app to take photos in the Apple ProRAW format on these iPhones, with iOS 14.3 or later:

• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max

Check out our guide to all the iPhone generations if you're not sure which model is right for you.

How to take Raw photos on your iPhone

It's incredibly simple to shoot Apple ProRAW images on a compatible iPhone. To take ProRAW photos on your iPhone, you'll first need to turn on ProRAW.

Turn on ProRAW
Go to Settings > Camera > Formats, then turn on Apple ProRAW under Photo Capture. To take a raw image, you can then tap RAW in the Camera app, then take the shot.

Choose the resolution
On the iPhone 14 Pro, you can capture Apple ProRAW images at either 12MP or 48MP. To change the resolution go to Settings > Camera > Formats and turn on Apple ProRAW to reveal the resolution options.

The best resolution to choose depends on how much storage space you have, and what you want to do with your image. For example, the file size of a 12MP ProRAW image is around 25 MB, and the file size at 48MP is around 75 MB. You can only capture 48MP photos with the main camera at 1x zoom.

Turn off ProRAW
If you turn off RAW in the Camera app, the format of the photo will default to the format you've set under Camera Capture in Settings > Camera > Formats: either High Efficiency (HEIF format) or Most Compatible (JPEG).

At the end of last week, leaker and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a decent track record for Apple information, said that the iPhone 15 will be the first iPhone to see the switch to USB-C and that it will result in higher data transfer speeds for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. It doesn’t look like the iPhone rumours are loosing any traction, as now leaker ShrimpApplePro, @VNchocoTaco, (via Phone Arena) has alleged that the iPhone 15 will feature a new design and be made from titanium. 

New design 

As you can see from ShrimpApplePro’s tweet above, the well-known leaker alleges that the iPhone 15 could feature a side frame that is curved towards the back, rather than being flat as per the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and new iPhone 14 families. They also add that the upcoming phone will be made from titanium but finish the leak with “Still very early to take it as it is,” which we take to mean they aren’t 100% sure but we can never assume leaks to be correct anyway. 

Since the initial leak, which was shared yesterday, today ShrimpApplePro has added that the iPhone 15 will still have a glass back, which is as we’d expect. The leaker adds: “Personally I think this design will create a really beautiful edge transition from the back to the camera bump,” and Twitter users have been quick to agree, adding it takes them back to the iPhone X days and say it’ll help on how to grip the phone. 

We do agree this would be a welcome design change and note Apple aren’t opposed to returning to previous design styles – the leak would mean the upcoming iPhone 15 series would benefit from the sleek look of the current flat design and the better ergonomics of the slightly curved back design, although this is obviously subjective. However, when it comes to the premium aluminium body, we think this, if true, will be most likely resefved for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models only. 

The iPhone 15 is expected to launch in September 2023, in line with Apple’s stand launch model, so we expect a slew of leaks and rumors before then. 

If you're wondering which iPhone 14 model you should buy, check out our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Procomparison guide to all four new models. You might also like the best iPhone for photography.

We're comparing the iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro to help you decide which one might be your best choice to buy or upgrade to. The specs on the two models aren't hugely different, so is the newer model worth the extra cost? We've tested both phones and in this article, we'll explain how each measures up in real-life use.

Like the best cameras, the best iPhone for photography is the one you've got in your hand, but what iPhone should that be? Of course, the latest model is the iPhone 14 Pro, but it's also the most expensive.

If you're planning to buy a new iPhone or upgrade your existing model, it's the existing iPhone generations you'll want to focus on. The iPhone 13 Pro is no longer the newest device, but that means that the prices of earlier models have dropped. The iPhone 13 Pro has some small changes to the iPhone 12 Pro. On paper, it's certainly the one with the better camera, but how different is it in use? Read on to find out...

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Camera

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro are very similar, in many respects. Both feature a triple-lens setup, and each has a standard, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens. But there’s been some small but key changes under the hood. 

The iPhone 13 Pro’s standard lens, which is 26mm equivalent, has a slightly faster aperture (f/1.5 vs f/1.6) and also uses the larger sensor size previously only found in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Putting these two specifications together adds up to the better low-light performance. On a similar note, the ultra-wide angle lens (13mm equivalent) now has a much wider f/1.8 aperture, when compared to the f/2.4 lens on the iPhone 12 Pro. 

Read also: Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro

Lastly, the telephoto lens for the iPhone 13 Pro has been bumped up to 3x (78mm equivalent), compared with the 2x of the iPhone 12 Pro, or 2.5x of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. You do lose out a little when it comes to aperture though, with the iPhone 13 Pro’s being f/2.8 compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s f/2.0

A new addition to the iPhone 13 Pro is the ability to focus extremely close-up in a new automatic macro mode. This works by switching to the ultra-wide camera when a close subject has been detected. As it does it automatically, there’s no way to stop it from happening, but it’s quite a striking difference compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, which doesn’t offer the same functionality.

Aside from the addition of the A15 Bionic chip (processor) for the iPhone 13 Pro – claimed to be the iPhone’s faster chip ever – many of the same specifications have been brought across from the iPhone 12 Pro. That includes many things, but notable specs include the LiDAR scanner, which promises faster autofocus in low light (compared to the iPhone 11 Pro), 4K video recording, and the general screen and body design.

There’s also the same ability to record in Apple’s ProRAW format (DNG) available on both phones, giving you scope to make adjustments in post-production if necessary. 

That said, there’s been a couple of other software-type tweaks for the iPhone 13 Pro which are worth thinking about. Most excitingly, probably, is the addition of Cinematic Mode for video recording, which recreates a shallow depth of field effect. This is something we’ve seen from other manufacturers in the past so it’s not hugely surprising to see Apple finally adding it to the iPhone. 

The other new addition is 'Photo Styles', which you can use to change the look of your shots directly at the point of capture. These can be customized to your own preferences, and are also available on the more basic iPhone 13. Despite this being a software tweak, this feature is not (yet) available on the iPhone 12 Pro.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Night Mode and low-light shooting 

Both phones are packing the same impressive Night Mode and Deep Fusion technologies, both of which debuted in the iPhone 11 series. The LiDAR Scanner comes into play for low-light portraits, but otherwise, the software tech is the same here. However, as the iPhone 13 Pro has a slightly larger sensor and a wider aperture there are some slight differences, which you can see if you examine pretty closely (but otherwise aren’t hugely obvious at first glance). 

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Portrait mode

Both the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro have the same portrait mode that we’ve seen on the last few generations of iPhones. However, as the telephoto lens for the newer model is a 3x zoom, rather than 2x, there is a clearly marked difference between the two when shooting with the 2x/3x option enabled.

If you shoot at the 1x option to include more of the background/context of whatever it is you’re photographing Photo Styles – bearing in mind that Portrait mode is not just for Portraits but for any subject which you want to isolate from the background – the differences are a lot more subtle. 

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Video

iPhone 12 Pro video sample

iPhone 13 Pro video sample

Video functionality is broadly similar across both devices: both have the ability to record 4K at up to 60fps, and both have Dolby Vision HDR. However, there is one key difference seen in the addition of Cinematic Mode. You can use this to create a shallow depth of field effects for moving subjects, something which was previously only available for stills shooting with the iPhone 12 Pro.

It works pretty well for the iPhone 13 Pro, particularly if the subject – such as a person or a pet – has a reasonably well-defined outline. That said, you can’t record this in 4K, so it’s perhaps more something you might consider a fun effect rather than anything more serious. It also seems reasonably likely that this could come to the iPhone 12 Pro via a firmware upgrade at some point.

The iPhone 13 Pro also offers ProRes (Apple’s professional video format) 4K recording, as long as your device has at least 256GB of storage. That makes sense because the ProRes video will take up a lot of space on your phone. So if you’re seriously into your vlogging, make sure you plump for a higher capacity device. ProRes at 1080p, meanwhile, is available for 128GB models. 

See also: Best phone for video recording

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Screen & design 

While the iPhone 12 Pro marked somewhat of a design departure from its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro is almost identical to its forebear. Both the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro have 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screens, with both offering HDR displays at the same resolution.

The iPhone 13 Pro adds ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates, but, looking at both of these phones next to each other it’s really quite difficult to spot the difference; so it seems unlikely most people will notice much of a change in isolation. The iPhone 13 Pro is also slightly brighter (1000 nits vs 800 nits in typical usage), but again this is difficult to spot. 

Both also feature the same IP68 water resistance, meaning the phones can be taken down to six meters for up to 30 minutes, or (more realistically for most users) can stand being dropped in the bath or exposed to a heavy downpour. Both models also use the same tough ceramic shield front, which is said to be 4x better for “drop performance” than the iPhone 11 Pro; good news for the clumsy among us.

In terms of size, shape, and weight, the two iPhones are almost identical, with the iPhone 13 Pro being fractionally deeper. If you want to know the exact measurements, that’s 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.6mm (iPhone 13 Pro) compared with 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm (iPhone 12 Pro). In other words, it’s just different enough to warrant you having to buy a completely new phone case too; thanks, Apple!

The iPhone 13 Pro is slightly heavier at 203g vs 187g, but again it’s hardly noticeable in reality. Apple has stuck with the squared-off curved edges of the iPhone 12 Pro for the iPhone 13 Pro. So the best way to play spot the difference between the two models is to flip them over where the newer model’s larger camera lenses make it most apparent. 

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Battery and capacity 

Apple never officially reveals the exact specs when it comes to battery capacity, but we can glean enough information from the stated “playback” life of both models to tell us more or less what we need to know.

The iPhone 13 Pro offers a longer playback than its predecessor, but, given that the devices are roughly the same size, this seems likely to be down to the A15 Bionic chip inside the newer model being more efficient and therefore making it last longer. Either way, we’ve found that both models generally comfortably last the day with moderate usage. 

Last year’s iPhone 12 Pro was the first iPhone model to come without a charger in the box (you do get the cable). Not surprisingly, this has continued for the iPhone 13 Pro. But given that most people have plenty of USB adapters lying around this is unlikely to be a deal breaker. If you have a 20W adapter, you can fast charge both phones up to 50% in just 30 minutes. 

Both are also compatible with the MagSafe accessories, which include a fast wireless charger. You can charge both phones wirelessly with other compatible wireless chargers, but it won’t be as quick.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Price

The iPhone 12 Pro has already gone from Apple’s official website, but you can still get it from other third-party retailers such as Amazon. You may also be offered it as part of a contract from the network providers. But do note that the price difference may be a lot less than you expect, judging from the deals we've been seeing. So if you’re buying the phone outright and don’t already have an iPhone 12 Pro, you may as well pay just a little bit more and get the 13 Pro. 

Prices are likely to vary fairly widely between different network providers, however, so it’s harder to make a bolder statement about those variables. It’s always worth checking to see the saving when going for the older model, and if it’s quite significant, definitely consider it carefully. 

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Conclusion 

If you're looking at the iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro, it's not easy to say which is better. While the iPhone 13 Pro is unarguably a better phone, the differences between the two are reasonably subtle and therefore won’t necessarily be worthy of an upgrade for many people.

In terms of body design, connectivity (both are 5G), screen, and so on, the two phones are nigh-on identical. If you base your phone-buying decisions on the quality of the onboard cameras, there are some upgrades in the 13 Pro which are fairly tempting – more so if you're upgrading from an older model than the 12 Pro. 

The big upgrades are the new longer telephoto lens, the larger sensor for the main camera, the addition of Cinematic Mode for Video, Picture Styles for stills, and the new close-focusing option. All of these things are nice to have, and add up to a nice set of upgrades. But they're unlikely to be used enough to justify a big spend if you already have the 12 Pro.

If you have an iPhone 11 Pro or older and you want to upgrade because you've had it for a couple of years, the price difference between the 12 Pro and the 13 Pro is so minimal that you may as well plump for the 13 Pro. But otherwise, the 13 Pro is a generation that many may choose to skip and wait for the 14 series.

If you can find good deals on contract or the second-hand market for the older 12 Pro model, it may also be worth considering going for the older handset if it’s upgrade time. Otherwise, if you’re buying outright, brand new from most retailers, the iPhone 13 Pro offers the best value for money.

If you're not sure that you want an iPhone, take a look at the best camera phones. For a more affordable selection, there are the best budget camera phones.

Finding the best camera lens protectors for the iPhone, particularly the iPhone 13 Pro & the iPhone 13 Pro Max, can be a tricky thing to shop for. But it really is an essential accessory to have, especially for smartphone photographers that you have your iPhone camera unit and lenses protected from the get-go.

You wouldn't carry your iPhone around without a case or screen protector (we hope), and your camera smartphone lenses are just as vulnerable. Without any form of protection, they're susceptible to scratches, dust, and even cracks.

We're pretty much experts when it comes to finding the best phone cases, but lens protection is relatively new territory for many people. Some of the best camera lens protectors will come included when you purchase a phone case, but this isn't always the case, and just like a screen protector, they're a small price to pay for the peace of mind provided that your lenses will (hopefully) be okay if you ever drop your iPhone.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is one of the most popular camera phones from tech giants Apple, only just surpassed by the recent launch of the iPhone 14 series. It's also one of the best iPhones for photography, with a camera unit comprising 12MP f/1.8 Ultra Wide, 12MP Wide, and 12MP 77mm f/2.8 telephoto lenses.

The Apple iPhone 13 lineup includes the standard iPhone 13 model, but also the iPhone 13 Mini. Each of these iPhone models will have different design features, no matter how subtle, and will therefore require a camera lens protector that has been created for that exact model only.

However, the iPhone 13 Pro camera specifications and design are conveniently the exact same as the Pro Max model, meaning you can buy a camera lens protector for either of these iPhone models, and it should be compatible with both camera units.

Be sure to triple-check your iPhone model by heading into Settings – General – About – and finding the exact model or device name to ensure you purchase the correct lens and camera protection for your exact device.

Best camera lens protectors for iPhones

This tempered glass camera lens protector from Spigen is our top pick for a budget-friendly and high-quality offering designed specifically for your iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max smartphone. Spigen is a renowned manufacturer of phone accessories and you can be assured that this is one of the best camera lens protectors on the market.

Spigen Optik's tempered glass protector comes in a pack of 2 and is equipped with extra scratch protection coatings, as well as anti-fingerprint coatings to keep your camera lenses clean and smudge-free. The cover is made with durable 9H tempered glass for protection from everyday scratches and comprises a partial adhesive, rather than a full adhesive cover, to prevent blemishes over time.

The high-definition camera lens covers are available in different color-matching options to blend with the original color of your iPhone 13 Pro (or Max), these include Black, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Silver. These lens covers are flat, with no extra raises or camera interruption/interferences - this means no flash reflections will occur when using your camera and no lifting due to the all-around adhesive cover.

This camera lens protector comprises three aviation aluminum metal rings, made from 9H tempered glass. These seal rings are designed to prevent dust and water, protecting the lenses from dust and scratches, while their secure protection aids to resist shock, and prevent impact towards your smartphone's camera unit.

No bubbles or residue will be left after the removal of these lenses, being highly transparent without any fog. Case friendly, they leave 0.5mm between the lens and case, with no camera interference or blue light caused by using the camera flash.

The delicate and precise 3D spiral patterns of these lenses produce fascinating reflections, and the shine creates a super glitter effect in any light, with the choice of a personalized color that matches your device or lets it stand out.

This camera lens protector from CASETiFY is fresh on the market, and manufactured by one of the world's leading phone case brands. The camera lens protector comes in a single pack, is completely clear, and includes a cleaning kit for easy installation that comprises a microfibre cloth and two wipes: one wet and one dry.

The camera lens cover is best suited and paired with a CASETiFY case for either the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max, depending on which model of iPhone 13 you own. Cases from CASETiFY are completely unique with a catalog of over 2000+ designs to choose from, and even a bounce case that has springs!

Overall this camera lens protector from CASETiFY is a little pricey, but will be worth every penny for peace of mind that your camera unit and iPhone lenses are as protected as possible from elements such as dust, dirt, rain, and of course, drops.

These camera lens protectors from RhinoShield take shape of three super strong rings that cover each of your iPhone 13 pro and Pro Max camera lenses individually (excluding your front camera of course). These covers have been precisely contoured to the camera lens and feature anodized aluminum lens trims that are accurately color-matched to your device for a more seamless and natural look.

The RhinoShield 9H Tempered Glass Lens Protector also provides superior scratch protection against everyday objects such as keys, coins, and even knives. The covers protect against low-to-moderate impact knocks and maintain the original picture quality of your camera without any fog or interference.

A water-and-oil repellent coating used on the lens covers resists grease and finger smudges, and under normal usage, the lens protector also keeps dust away from the lenses, without any fogging up. of the lenses in humid environments.

This camera lens cover from CloudValley takes the form of a base plate containing three individual lenses that are installed and pushed into place, the base is then removed so the glass covers sit individually over each lens.

The HD glass ring covers are made from aluminum with alloy edges, and HD clear tempered glass film, protecting your iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max from dirt, scratches, cracks, and drops.

A built-in night circle ring ensures that images captured are clear with no reflections. The coatings on the tempered glass are anti-glare, anti-Shatter, with oleophobic coatings to prevent oil build-up, scratch resistant, and anti-reflective. The strong adhesion means that the lens covers won't fall off very easily after installation.

This 9H 0.33mm tempered glass camera lens protector from QHOHQ offers enhanced light transmission functions with an upgraded "night circle" function, as it is called, where the night shooting environment is guaranteed to not affect the flash.

The camera lens cover offers scratch resistance and excellent protection features, with a 2.5D rounded corner design, the edge of these lenses feel smooth with oleophobic layers to provide additional protection against water, oil, dust, and scratches.

The installment and strong attachment of these lenses rely on what the company refers to as "electrostatic adsorption technology" adapted from South Korea, making the lens covers extremely stable and unlikely to fall off.

Admittedly, a lot of these camera lens protectors and covers we've recommended so far all do relatively the same job in different ways, and are manufactured extremely similarly. These UniqueMe protectors are another option for you to consider, offering the same oleophobic layer coatings that prevent water, oil, and dust. And don't forget the anti-glare night coating that is embedded on most of these protectors.

These lenses fit the brief and do what they say on the cover essentially, keeping your phone lenses in 99.99%HD transparency, and clean all at the same time. The picture quality is undisturbed, using a new "automatic adsorption technology" that makes the lens covers super easy and convenient to install.

Precision cut-outs surrounding the flash hole aid to reduce any disruptions or blue light interference to your images, and prevent unnecessary scratches in your daily smartphone usage, while maintaining high-definition and high-resolution of the images and videos you capture daily.

• Whether you've got an old or new iPhone, you might also need an iPhone power bank or iPhone charger. Check out the best iPhone printer for some creative fun.

The iPhone 14 Pro is Apple’s mightiest offering crammed into a pocketable package, and most exciting – it upgrades the finest iPhone camera offering with more pixels, a larger sensor, and a new video stabilization system. But can Apple fend off competition from stellar compact Android phones like the Xiaomi 12?

From the back, there’s not that much new about the iPhone 14 Pro, except for its Deep Purple color, introduced in 2022. Eagle eyes might notice its beefier camera bump, but it’s still a frosted-backed, stainless steel framed smartphone with virtually identical dimensions to the 13 Pro.

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro costs roughly the same as the Oppo Find X5 Pro and Xiaomi 12 Pro in the UK, and a bit less than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra globally. But can Apple's new camera mix for its priciest iPhones to date make the 14 Pro and Pro Max – which pack identical optics – the best iPhones for photography, and possibly even the best camera phones of 2022?

The front of the phone features the first major update – the notch is out, and the Dynamic Island is in. A pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen.

iPhone 14 Pro design and screen

The iPhone 14 Pro's styling flips that of the vanilla iPhone on its head. While the iPhone 14 features matte sides and a shiny back – the 14 Pro's frosted back feels satiny and looks lustrous, while the polished stainless steel sides are shiny.

It looks very iPhone 13 Pro from behind, but it's all about the Dynamic Island from the front, helping the new iPhone 14 Pro stand out from the pack.

Available in a new Deep Purple color, you can also pick up the Pro in Gold, Silver, and Space Black, and all four options have that frosted glass back. Side-by-side with the 13 Pro, the new iPhone is a bit thicker thanks to that new camera sensor. Officially it measures 7.85mm deep, which sounds thin on paper, but in the flesh, it's around 11.5mm when factoring in that chunky camera bump.

It's got the same button configuration: a power button on the right, volume buttons on the left, and an alert slider. That said, iPhone 13 Pro cases won't quite fit the new model thanks to slightly different button positioning (check our guide to the best iPhone 14 Pro cases we have seen).

The new iPhone line is IP68 water resistant and is also protected by a scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield front panel of glass. You don't get a pre-fitted screen protector on the phone, nor do you get a case in the box, or a charger. But the Pro does ship with a USB-C to lightning cable that powers up the iPhone.

Weighing 206g, the 14 Pro is only a few grams heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro which launched last year, but much heavier than the 176g iPhone 14.

With a 6.1-inch screen, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro takes on the Samsung Galaxy S22, and other high-performing yet compact flagship phones. In the flesh, it looks stunning, and is best-in-class in key areas, with a maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits, bettering even Samsung's finest flagship displays.

The 14 Pro's Super Retina XDR display doesn't just get bright, it's also nice and sharp with a 2556x1179 resolution, with a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch. In the top center is the Dynamic Island, and the phone is also the first from Apple to support an always-on display. 

Add HDR credentials and a 120Hz refresh rate to the mix, and the iPhone 14 Pro doesn't tread any new ground, but it does check all the flagship boxes. If you're big on watching content, we'd suggest thinking about the iPhone 14 Pro Max over the 14 Pro, though. The reason is that the Dynamic Island is the same size on both phones, so takes up a greater portion of the 14 Pro's screen given its smaller size – 6.1 inches versus the Pro Max's 6.7 inches.

iPhone 14 Pro camera specs

This year, Apple's launched the most impressive camera we've seen in an iPhone, upgrading both the resolution and sensor size of the main camera. While the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max feature humble 1/1.7-inch sensors, for 2022, Apple introduces a large 1/1.28-inch sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro.

The 14 Pro's larger sensor is matched with a 48MP high-resolution, an f/1.78 aperture lens with a 24mm focal length, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, a seven-element lens, and 100% focus pixels. 

For the first time, the iPhone's camera competes with its Android counterparts when it comes to specs as well as performance.

The secondary cameras are 12MP, so the primary camera on the 14 Pro shoots in 12MP by default, though captures large 48MP RAW photos.

Apple takes advantage of the main camera's high-resolution sensor when it comes to its telephoto offering. Adding a digital lens, the iPhone 14 Pro crops into the inner 12MP of the main camera sensor to create a native 12MP two-times telephoto image. This punches into 48mm – perfect for portraits.

The ultra-wide camera has also been upgraded, getting a sensor size bump to 1/2.55 inches, and matching that with a 12MP resolution and a 13mm focal length. It also benefits from 100% of its pixels being focus pixels, has a six-element lens and autofocus, and is used as the default camera when capturing objects nearer than around 20cm.

As far as zoom goes, the 14 Pro packs the same 12MP three times telephoto camera as the 13 Pro Max, with a 77mm focal length and an f/2.8 aperture, as well as OIS, and a six-element lens.

The iPhone 14 Pro's LiDAR scanner helps with night mode portraits, while the 14 series introduces a new action mode, which adds GoPro-style stabilization to 2.7K video content.

Apple's selfie camera, which has been updated with autofocus, unfortunately, doesn't appear to pack a new, larger sensor or benefit from a megapixel bump. Instead, it features the same 12MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture introduced on the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019, only now, it can focus on near or far objects.

iPhone 14 Pro camera review

You can see the three optical focal lengths of the iPhone 14 Pro below in the first image, and if you scroll through the pictures, the photos taken at the four selectable ranges within the UI – 0.6x, 1x, 2x, and 3x. 

This new additional 2x option is great to have, and in well-lit environments, captures detailed 12MP photos. 

The new main camera on both the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max capture with a slightly wider angle than the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. Wider angles usually produce a less shallow depth of field when taking close-up photos, however, the 14 Pro stacks up well when it comes to capturing soft, dappled backgrounds thanks to its larger sensor.

When you get close to an object, the camera automatically switches to the ultra-wide  for macro capture nearer than around 6cm. You have to manually go into the settings and enable an option to override this, which we'd suggest doing. When you do, though, you'll realize that the 14 Pro's primary camera is actually a worse performer than the 13 Pro, unable to focus as close and in turn, failing to deliver as much subject detail in automatic mode.

The iPhone 14 Pro enjoys the most natural-looking processing we've seen from an iPhone to date. There are still options to fire up a high-contrast mode or vibrant mode, but out of the box, things look relatively neutral.

Specifically, compared to the 13 Pro Max and non-Pro iPhones, the 14 Pro Max dials back contrast but still creates a dynamic, pleasing image that's full of detail. This is specifically the case when it comes to the main camera. Its photos are still a bit crispier than the Pixel 6 Pro's, as you can see below, but that's no bad thing for anyone who wants instantly shareable punchy shots.

All three cameras, which shoot at four preset focal lengths, do a very good job when it comes to white balance and exposure. Colors across the three cameras are consistent in all but the most challenging conditions, and the dynamic range is strong too. 

There's no getting around the fact that, while the ultra-wide and primary cameras have seen huge upgrades, the telephoto camera falls behind much of the competition, including the Honor Magic 4 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. Though on a small phone, there's less space for a periscope zoom, and no compact competition delivers in this area except the Xperia 5 III.

Nighttime and mixed light photography is another area the iPhone 14 Pro does a great job. It's able to intelligently assess how long to keep the shutter open with its automatic night mode, recognize if the phone is steadied on a surface, and create an evenly exposed photo free of clipping and detail-rich shadows.

RAW capture on the iPhone 14 Pro is one of the phone's highlights. Captured at 48MP, as you can see in the example below, the new iPhone produces photos that are much better suited to cropping than the 12MP RAW photos from the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The photo below shows how much you can crop into a 48MP RAW photo captured on a steady surface.

Matched with an Apple Watch, which can act as a remote shutter complete with a wrist-based viewfinder, the 14 Pro is an excellent photography tool that will save group photos from their usual mediocrity.

On top of an excellent portrait mode on the new iPhone 14 Pro, complete with impressive layer detection and versatile effects, the phone brings back Cinematic Mode, which is a video portrait mode of sorts, as well as Panorama, Slow-mo, and Time-lapse. 

Frustratingly, there's no Pro Mode out of the box, though you can download third-party apps that enable manual photography and video capture, and we'd suggest photography enthusiasts do this.

Video shot on the iPhone 14 Pro using the primary camera looks great, even when the lighting isn't perfect. The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras aren't quite so capable in darker scenes, and neither is the Action Mode, which fires up near-GoPro-grade levels of stabilization to keep the shot steady. Still, when the light is bright it's a welcome addition that does a good job of holding everything together.

The 14 Pro Max's selfie camera has been upgraded with autofocus, but it doesn't feature a larger sensor or a wider aperture than that of its predecessors, and in turn, its core photo quality is only incrementally better than that of past iPhones when it comes to detail and low-light performance. Steady it and get your subjects to keep still, and it will perform admirably. Dimly lit scenes with moving subjects, however, won't produce a winning shot.

iPhone 14 Pro additional specs

The new Apple A16 Bionic chip powering the iPhone 14 Pro is the firm's most powerful to date, unsurprisingly. This means the phone, which runs iOS 16 runs like a dream. Available with 128GB storage as a starting capacity, and packing as much as 1TB, in its highest-capacity guise, the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $1,099 / £1,099, and can cost as much as $1,649 / £1,649.

The 14 Pro charges up to 50 percent in as little as 30 minutes with the 20W charger, and takes a little over 90 minutes to charge fully. The phone also powers up wirelessly through traditional Qi charging at 10W, and using a MagSafe charger, that number climbs to 15W. 

The phone also lasts a full day with moderate use. While the 14 Pro Max definitely lasts longer, so would be our suggestion for power users, unless you're gaming, watching, or messaging for hours non-stop, the Pro should still get you to 8pm. Add the convenience of MagSafe to the mix, and you shouldn't have any trouble going from morning to night.

With 5G connectivity and eSIM support globally, US customers lose out on the SIM card tray altogether, while global customers all gain access to a new satellite communication system and crash detection. 

The first feature connects the iPhone to a satellite in order to contact emergency services when you have no signal. As for the second, it detects the high impact of a crash, and automatically calls for help, unless you stop your phone in time.

iPhone 14 Pro verdict

The iPhone 14 Pro is a serious, pocketable powerhouse. Yes, it's thick, but its relatively compact footprint and ample camera and power mix make it an enticing option, especially for photographers.

While it's a shame there's no pro mode for manual photography, the 14 Pro's 48MP RAW photos capture excellent results. The automatic mode's photo processing is also one of the best, if not the best, we've seen on a phone. Additionally, while the lack of a periscope zoom is a bugbear when using the Pro, on smaller phones, there's less of an expectation for a far-reaching zoom.

So while the new iPhone 14 Pro is expensive, it's a mighty phone with a brilliant camera, that's powerful and lasts a full day. Is it the best smartphone of 2022? If you're an Apple fan who likes more compact phones, absolutely. If you consider yourself a power user who needs a superior battery and the very best watching experience, then you should think about picking up the 14 Pro Max. 

Whether you've got an old or new iPhone, you might also need an iPhone power bank or iPhone charger. Check out the best iPhone printer for some creative fun.

Most of the iPhone-owning readers of this review will probably be keen to upgrade to the latest incarnation of their beloved device. The job of this review is to help you make an informed decision on whether to upgrade to an iPhone 14, hold out for the iPhone 15, or take the jump (and the financial hit) to go pro with the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. Of course, our guide to the best iPhone for photography should also help.

As you’re reading a Digital Camera World review we know that the iPhone 14’s role as a camera is particularly important, so we’ll put its two cameras through their paces later in our review (with an accompanying test video).

iPhone 14 Key features

As with the other models in the 14 range, the iPhone 14 offers Crash Detection. It can detect the sudden impact of a crash due to a variety of factors including a new high g‑force accelerometer that senses extreme accelerations or decelerations up to 256 Gs. A high dynamic range gyroscope monitors drastic changes in your car’s orientation and the microphone can identify the sound of a collision. 

The built-in barometer can even detect changes in pressure caused by the deployment of an airbag. All these features enable the iPhone 14 to recognize a crash, contact emergency services and broadcast your location. In an emergency situation with no signal, the iPhone also offers the option of contacting emergency services via satellite, though this feature may not currently be available in all regions. 

iPhone 14 Design & screen

If you currently own an iPhone 13 then the iPhone 14 will feel very similar as it takes up the same width and height space in the palm of your hand.  At 7.80 mm (0.31 inches) deep the iPhone 14 is slightly thicker than the iPhone 13’s 7.65 mm (0.30 inches) but this difference in size is negligible, as is the fact that the iPhone 14 is lighter by 1 gram! Indeed the iPhone 13 and 14 also have an identically sized 6.1” all-screen OLED display that showcases your High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos as richly colored shots that boast detail throughout the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights. With a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio your shots really ‘pop’ when viewed on the iPhone 13 and 14’s display! 

One difference between the iPhone 14 and its iPhone 13 predecessor is that the 14 comes in a different range of colors, including a lighter Blue and a unique Purple that will differentiate it from the 13. Both models are also available in Midnight, Starlight, and the eye-catching Product Red. Of course, a new color scheme on its own does not justify an upgrade but there are a few things that give the 14 the edge over the 13 as we’ll explain. 

Thanks to its aerospace-grade aluminum body and front and back ceramic shield you should feel confident in not hiding your expensive purchase away in a protective case. I kept my iPhone 13 Pro Max case-less throughout last year and despite dropping it multiple times there was never any need to visit the repair shop. Your iPhone 14 is designed to be seen, not encased – especially if you go for the ‘look at me!’ Product Red model!

iPhone 14 camera specs

The advanced dual-camera system on the iPhone 14 is the main attraction for photographers. The 13mm focal length of the Ultra Wide camera enables you to capture more of an urban environment as a generously sized 12 MP photo, which at 3024 x 4032 is large enough to produce a decently sized print. The Main camera’s 26 mm focal length is great for portraits (and it lacks the people-stretching properties of the Ultra Wide camera’s lens, though this lens distortion is less noticeable on the iPhone 14 due to in-camera lens correction). 

With an aperture of f1.5, you can use the Main Camera to capture grain-free indoor shots with an ISO level as low as 100.  Sensor shift optical image stabilization also helps reduce the chance of shake-induced blur when taking pictures in low light, as well as keeping handheld video looking gimbal-smooth. Compared to the iPhone 13’s True Depth front camera the iPhone 14 can capture better-looking (and closer) selfies thanks to its new autofocus system.

iPhone 14 camera performance

If you’re an iPhone 13 Pro user and are attracted to the iPhone 14 due to its relative affordability compared to the 14 Pro then think twice. If you enjoyed using the 13 Pro’s additional 3x camera telephoto camera then you’ll feel limited by the 14’s lack of optical zoom. You can dial in 3x digital zoom on the iPhone 14’s Main camera but the digitally magnified results will be inferior in quality to those produced by the 13 Pro’s optical 3x telephoto lens. 13 Pro users will also miss the option to shoot in RAW (.dng format) if they upgrade to the iPhone 14. The iPhone 14 restricts you to capturing compressed .jpeg or HEIF files which limits your ability to tease out more tonal detail using post-production apps such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.  The iPhone 14 also lacks the option of shooting in Macro shooting mode (which on the 13 Pro enables you get better-looking close-encounters with subjects such as insects and flowers.)

Those reservations and limitations aside the iPhone 14 does in general capture great-looking shots thanks to the Main camera’s 7-element lens and clever ‘under the hood’ processing.  The new Photonic Engine is an enhanced image pipeline that is unique to the 14 series. It helps the iPhone 14 capture better-looking shots in low light. The iPhone 14 also enables an increase in quality by applying the computational benefits of Deep Fusion earlier in the imaging process to deliver more detail, preserve subtle textures, provide better color and maintain more information in a photo.  Despite the Photonic Engine the iPhone 14 did occasionally produce disappointing low light results during our test shoots. 

These featured prominent grainy noise artefacts that were exacerbated by a high ISO speed such as 1250.  The noise was more noticeable on the Ultra Wide camera which had a maximum aperture value of f2.4, forcing the iPhone 14 to use a faster (and grainier) ISO.  When shooting in the same indoor location with the Main cameras’ wider f1.5 aperture we got lower ISO speeds and much cleaner results. 

For our iPhone 14 test shoot, we hired a model and took photographs in a range of urban locations.  I also snapped some shots of the same subject on my older iPhone 13 Pro Max for comparison. Once the photos had synced via iCloud and were jumbled together in my Photos Library I was hard pressed to differentiate between photos shot on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and captured by the iPhone 14 (unless I dug into their metadata using the Photos app’s Info panel!). This is a testament to the general high quality of the iPhone 14’s cameras and processing power.

One exciting new feature I enjoyed when shooting in the iPhone 14 Camera app’s Portrait Mode is the presence of both foreground and background blur in photographs. The iPhone 14 was instantly able to identify our subject’s face and keep that looking nice and sharp while blurring her foreground hand and the background buildings. This helped mimic the natural bokeh of a DSLR more effectively than previous versions of Portrait Mode.  This more realistic foreground and background blurring is actually the result of iOS 16. If you upgrade to a version you can enjoy this selective focus effect using older iPhone models too without needing to upgrade to an iPhone 14. 

One area where the iPhone 14 does excel over its predecessors is in its new Action mode. This enables you to capture gimbal smooth video clips while carrying the iPhone 14 on the run.  When you activate Action Mode on the iPhone 14 it switches to the Ultra Wide 0.5x lens. This enables it to capture more area around the edge of the subject so that it can crop the image and reposition the subject’s position on a frame-by-frame basis to keep them moving smoothly.  

In our test shoot, the subject whipped left and right due to the camera shake as we chased them through a field (see this review’s supporting video). The processed Action mode clip kept the runner in the center of the frame as the camera glided smoothly along. This in-camera stabilization will save filmmakers the time and hassle of using post-production stabilization tools in iMovie or Final Cut Pro, enabling them to share their movie clips there and then.  The only downside to Action Mode is that it will drop your resolution from 4K to 2.8K, but that will still look great in a standard 1080 HD project. 

Another selling point for the iPhone 14 is the new option to shoot 4K Cinematic mode footage at the more filmic frame rate of 24 fps (as well as the 25 fps for PAL or the common rate of 30 fps for general media output such as web). The cinematic mode adds a post-production bokeh blur to the background of your video footage creating a Hollywood-style shallow depth of field. You can also capture full HD resolution footage when shooting in Slo-Mo mode at 120 fps, so your slow-motion sequences will look great when added to a 1080 HD project’s timeline.

iPhone 14 sample video footage

iPhone 14 rivals

The iPhone 14 has the edge on the iPhone 13, but perhaps not enough of an edge for you to upgrade from a 13 to a 14. Both models have the A15 Bionic chip, a 6-core CPU and a 16-core neural engine. The iPhone 14 has a 5-core GPU compared to the iPhone 13’s 4-core GPU, so it should offer better performance and efficiency for demanding workloads. 

You also get an extra hour of video playback on the iPhone 14 compared to the 13, but again this doesn’t make the 14 a ‘must have’.  However if you’re still using an older model such as the iPhone 12, you’ll notice the difference in battery life and general processing performance due to the older model’s A14 Bionic chip. The iPhone 12 offers up to 17 hours of view playback compared to the iPhone 14’s 20 hours, which makes the iPhone 14 a more attractive purchase for owners of older iPhones. 

iPhone 14 Verdict

From a photography point of view, the iPhone 14 is a great piece of kit, especially if you just want to point, shoot and share great-looking shots via social media without doing much post-processing. However, the more serious photographer will miss the ability to shoot in RAW (.dng) format so that they can enjoy fine-tuning the look of their images in a digital darkroom such as Adobe Camera Raw. 

Images on the iPhone 14’s Super Retina XDR display look great, but you may need to view them on a larger display if you want to discover and remove noise artefacts or retouch a portrait more effectively. In this instance, you might consider paying an extra £100 for the iPhone 14 Plus, which has the same camera specs but boasts a larger 6.7” display (and it provides an extra 6 hours of video playback). The iPhone 14 should be more attractive to those who want to upgrade from an iPhone 12 or older as they will notice a bigger difference in performance and features than those upgrading from an iPhone13.

The iPhone 14’s new Action mode produces amazingly smooth handheld footage which alleviates the need to stabilize it in a non-linear editing app, but serious filmmakers may also want the option to shoot in HDR Dolby Vision, which will lead them in the direction of the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max.  The iPhone 14’s lack of a Telephoto camera and Macro mode will also cause many photographers to cough up the extra cash for a Pro model iPhone.

You might also like to find out about the iPhone 13 Pro vs 14 Pro and the best camera phones from all manufacturers. Looking for the best budget camera phones? Try these!

Apple is finally bumping up camera resolution for the new iPhone 14 Pro Max after years of 12MP deja vu. Now, there's a 48MP primary camera sensor, as well as a new action mode, for advanced video stabilization. Pixels aren't everything, though, and last year's iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are two of the very best iPhones we've tested, and excellent in comparison to their Android peers. 

Can the iPhone 14 Pro Max and its camera beat out its predecessor, taking those bigger pixels, and marry them with stellar image processing to turn Apple's latest flagship into the best camera phone of 2022? And how does Apple's latest iPhone stack up against the best of the Android world, like the zoom champion Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Xiaomi 12s Ultra with its one-inch sensor?

Without ruining the punchline of this review, we love what the 14 Pro brings to Apple's smartphone camera mix, but there's more to the latest Apple upgrade than just imaging. The new phones feature A16 Bionic internals, satellite communication for SOS messaging, car crash detection, and there's that always-on display. And you can't mention the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max without talking about the new Dynamic Island – an ingenious combination of marketing and UX design.

Starting at $1,199 / £1,199 for the 128GB version, is the new 14 Pro Max an overpriced upgrade, or is it the iPhone every photographer wants in their pockets or palms at all times?

iPhone 14 Pro Max design and screen

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is strikingly similar to past iPhones, though the new, Deep Purple option has been turning heads in our week with it, with people commenting on the color almost as much as the Dynamic Island. A subtle mauve in certain lights, metallic aubergine in others, and purple tinted space grey in dimly lit environments, it's definitely an elegant option. 

Also available in Gold, Silver, and Space Black, whichever you go for, the iPhone 14 Pro Max looks premium, but the Purple one's definitely the most enticing in the flesh as far as we're concerned.

The phone's frosted back fends off fingerprints well, while the polished stainless steel frame, which is color-matched to the phone's back with a subtle tint to it, absolutely loves them. Irrespective, you'll likely want to protect your iPhone 14 Pro Max with a case, given the fact iPhones hold onto their resale value as well as they do.

In addition to picking up one of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases, we'd also suggest a screen protector. We opted for the UltraGlass Treated Screen Protector from Belkin, pictured below, which is recommended by Apple in-store alongside the new iPhones. It was easy to install and is barely noticeable once in place.

The largest and heaviest iPhone of the pack, the 14 Pro Max is a serious paperweight, weighing the same hefty 240g as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Despite not being heavier, the new iPhone 14 Pro Max is thicker than its predecessor, thanks to the new cameras jutting out that bit more.

The new iPhones all have the same button configuration we're used to: a power button on the right, volume buttons on the left, and an alert slider. The new line is IP68 water resistant and is also protected by a scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield front panel of glass.

The main design difference this year across both 14 Pro models comes in the form of the Dynamic Island, which is a pill-shaped punch hole selfie camera mix in the top center of the screen.

With a 6.7 screen, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max takes on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and other oversized flagship phones. Not pulling any punches, the 14 Pro Max's screen is best-in-class in key areas, with a maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits, beating even Samsung's finest flagship display. 

More than just easy to see in bright sunlight, the phone's auto-brightness is also very responsive. This even changes the brightness when the always-on display is active, so you should still be able to see your lock screen when the sun's out. 

The 14 Pro Max's Super Retina XDR display doesn't just get very bright, it's also nice and sharp with its 2796 x 1290 resolution and a 460 PPI pixel density.

Add HDR credentials and a 120Hz refresh rate to the mix, and the iPhone 14 Pro doesn't tread any new ground, but it does check all the flagship boxes, and unlike many Android HDR phones, it's supported by Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

It's worth focusing on the Dynamic Island and the Always-on Display in a bit more detail. ‘Dynamic Island’ is a fancy term for the pill-shaped cutout in the top center of the screen. While the software enhancements within iOS 16 help turn it into something pretty fun, the size of the cutout shouldn't be downplayed. It does interrupt full-screen content, and despite looking cool when interacting with the interface, watching videos took us a bit of time to get used to.

As for the Always-on Display, this is a dimmed-down version of your lock screen, and it takes over the whole screen. While Android always-on displays (also called AODs) have been displaying a few subtle nuggets like the time and date for years, Apple's take on AODs is extreme, either on – slightly illuminating the whole screen, or off – not activating at all. We wish there were an Android-a-like middle ground. On the plus, the AOD does turn off during bedtime hours which you can set, when in a pocket, or when the phone's upside down.

As samey as the style of the new iPhone 14 Pro Max is, and as much as we’re talking about niggles, we are nitpicking. Apple has made a good-looking, premium phone with a brilliant display.

iPhone 14 Pro Max camera specs

The iPhone 14 Pro Max's camera is a serious spec bump for Apple, and on paper, the most impressive camera we've seen in an iPhone. While last year's iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max feature humble 1/1.7-inch sensors, for 2022, Apple introduces a large 1/1.28-inch sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The new, larger sensor is matched with a 48MP high resolution, an f/1.78 aperture lens with a 24mm focal length, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, a seven-element lens, and 100% focus pixels. This means the iPhone's camera competes on specs, not just software and tuning. It shoots 12MP photos by default but can capture 48MP images if you fire up RAW mode.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max also introduces an updated ultra-wide camera, increasing its 12MP sensor to 1/2.55 inches, and matching it with a 13mm focal length. It also benefits from 100% of its pixels being focus pixels, and has a six-element lens and autofocus.

Apple takes advantage of the main camera's high-resolution sensor when it comes to its telephoto offering. Adding a digital lens, the iPhone 14 Pro Max crops into the inner 12MP of the main camera sensor to create a native two-times telephoto reach while retaining the same 12MP resolution the iPhone shoots in by default. This punches into 48mm – perfect for portraits.

For objects that are further away, the 14 Pro Max gets the same 12MP three times telephoto camera as the 13 Pro Max, with a 77mm focal length and an f/2.8 aperture, as well as OIS, and a six-element lens.

The cameras benefit from sapphire crystal lens cover protection and a LiDAR scanner, which helps with night mode portraits. Another noteworthy addition, the iPhone 14 Pro introduces a new action mode, which adds GoPro-style stabilization to 2.7K video content for high-motion shooting.

The selfie camera on the iPhone 14 Pro Max has been updated with autofocus, however, doesn't appear to pack a new, larger sensor or benefit from a megapixel bump. Instead, it features the same 12MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture introduced on the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019, only now, it can focus in on near or far objects.

iPhone 14 Pro Max camera review

Looking at photos shot on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max's primary cameras, you'll instantly notice the 14 Pro Max's wider angle lens. Dropping from 26mm to 24mm while that might not sound like much, below 30mm, it's a marked difference.

Wider angles usually produce a less shallow depth of field when taking close-up photos, however, the 14 Pro Max stacks up well when it comes to capturing soft, dappled backgrounds thanks to its larger sensor.

Where the iPhone 13 Pro Max wins out, however, is when it comes to macro photography using the main camera. It's able to focus at a much closer focal distance, so the 14 Pro line isn't a clean sweep upgrade across the board. 

Whichever phone you use, when you get super close to an object, the camera automatically switches to the ultra-wide camera for macro capture as near as around 8cm. Here, the ultra-wide of the 14 Pro outperforms that of the 13 Pro, with superior detail and shallower depth.

Apple hasn't shied away from sharpening and boosting its camera phones' photos in the past, however, the 14 Pro Max packs amongst the most natural-looking processing we've seen from an iPhone to date.

Compared to the 13 Pro Max and non-Pro iPhones, the 14 Pro Max dials back contrast but still creates a dynamic, pleasing image that's full of detail. This is specifically the case when it comes to the main camera.

All three cameras, which shoot at four preset focal lengths, do a very good job when it comes to white balance and exposure. Colors across the three cameras are consistent in all but the most challenging conditions, and dynamic range is strong too. 

There's no getting around the fact that, while the ultra-wide and primary cameras have seen huge upgrades, the telephoto camera falls behind much of the competition, including the Honor Magic 4 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.

Nighttime and mixed light photography is another area the iPhone 14 Pro Max does a great job. It's able to intelligently assess how long to keep the shutter open with its automatic night mode, recognize if the phone is steadied on a surface, and create an evenly exposed photo free of clipping and detail-rich shadows.

As you can see below, when the lights drop, the phone can get confused when it comes to white balance across the telephoto range. Nevertheless, each individual photo is a standalone strong image.

One of the most impressive aspects of the new 14 Pro Max camera is the resolved detail when grabbing RAW photos. Captured at 48MP, as you can see in the example below, the new iPhone produces photos that are much better suited to cropping into than the 12MP RAW photos from the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The images below also illustrate how the new sensor is better able to handle more pared-back processing.

If you can get the phone on a surface or tripod, everything from landscapes to family group shots are a great opportunity to flex the 14 Pro's RAW capture. Matched with an Apple Watch, which can act as a remote shutter complete with a wrist-based viewfinder, the 14 Pro Max is an excellent photography tool.

On top of an excellent portrait mode on the new iPhone 14 Pro Max, complete with impressive layer detection and versatile effects, the phone brings back Cinematic Mode, which is a video portrait mode of sorts, as well as Panorama, Slow-mo, and Time-lapse. There's no Pro Mode out of the box, though you can download third-party apps that enable manual photography and video capture, and we'd suggest photography enthusiasts do this.

Video shot on the iPhone 14 Pro Max using the primary camera looks great, even when the lighting isn't perfect. The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras aren't quite so capable in darker scenes, and neither is the Action Mode, which fires up near-GoPro-grade levels of stabilization to keep the shot steady. Still, when the light is bright it's a welcome addition that does a good job of holding everything together.

The 14 Pro Max's selfie camera has been upgraded with autofocus, but it doesn't feature a larger sensor or a wider aperture, and in turn, its core photo quality is only incrementally better than that of past iPhones when it comes to detail and low-light performance. Steady it and get your subjects to keep still, and it will perform admirably. Dimly lit scenes with moving subjects, however, won't produce a winning shot.

iPhone 14 Pro Max additional specs

Powering the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the new A16 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is the most powerful of any smartphone, and our benchmarks would back this up. So too would our real-world use with the phone, specifically, playing back titles like Genshin Impact and Monster Hunter. We experienced no slowdown, it made short work of editing 4K video and exporting RAW photos, and the UI in general flowed, helped by the smooth 120Hz screen.

Running iOS 16, currently rolling out to older-gen iPhones right now with features like smart, customizable lock screens, it's the latest software from Apple. To get the full benefit of the OS – namely that always-on display and Dynamic Island, you'll need a 14 Pro or Pro Max.

With a starting capacity of 128GB storage, and going up to 1TB, in its highest capacity, the iPhone 14 Pro can cost as much as $1,749 / £1,749 – a huge sum of cash.

Apple claims the 14 Pro Max charges up to 50 percent in as little as 30 minutes, and the phone also supports Qi wireless charging and MagSafe charging too. A full charge took us almost two hours, though you can charge up by around 50 percent in 30 minutes. You can expect a full day of power from about 60-80 percent charge, even with the always-on display active. In turn, just like the 13 Pro Max, the 14 Pro Max is a battery champ.

US customers lose out on the SIM card tray altogether, and the phone is 5G compatible globally. Wherever you buy your iPhone, though, you'll gain access to a new satellite communication system and crash detection. 

Why would you want to communicate with satellites? To contact emergency services when you have no signal – and the feature only works when you have a very clear view of the sky. The second feature, crash detection, can recognize when you've been in a high-impact crash, and automatically calls for help, unless you stop your phone in time.

iPhone 14 Pro Max verdict

If you shoot RAW photos and need to, on occasion, grab magnificently detailed shots, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a worthwhile upgrade, even if you've got the 13 Pro Max, purely owing to the larger camera sensors on the main and ultra-wide cameras. This improves the scope for high-detail, cropable RAW photos greatly, and the natural-looking depth of field we've been able to capture despite the phone's wider angle is also welcome.

It isn't a clean sweep on the camera front. The main camera is an inferior macro camera to that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The telephoto reach also pales in comparison to many Android phones. 

So if you're not swayed by that new camera system, aren't an action adventurer in need of satellite comms saving the day, and don't live on the sun and need 2000 nits of high screen brightness maximizing your screen visibility, then you would be well off holding onto your iPhone 13 Pro Max, or indeed opting for one over the 14 Pro Max. It's aged incredibly well, and costs significantly less. If, however, you want the very best iPhone money can buy, the 14 Pro Max is it.

We've also reviewed the iPhone 14 Pro. Discover the whole Apple iPhone 14 lineup, and see how the iPhone 14 Pro compares to the iPhone 13 Pro – is it worth the upgrade? 

The long-awaited announcement of the iPhone 14 lineup has finally happened, with the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max available to order now. 

September's Apple event saw the company announce a whole new roster of exciting photography features for the iPhone 14 family, including Action Mode, Apple ProRAW, and updates to the main cameras.

To help you decide which iPhone 14 model will be right for you, we've rounded up each new iPhone 14 model below, from the standard iPhone 14 to the powerhouse that is the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Discover our guide to the best iPhone for photography and if you're interested in a new iPhone, check out the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

Build and design

The iPhone 14 comes in five colors, including Product Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, and Purple. The base iPhone 14 features a 6.1" OLED Super Retina XDR display with rounded corners and a curved design. It weighs 172 grams (6.07 ounces) and has a depth of 7.80 mm (0.31 inches). Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Plus features a 6.7" OLED Super Retina XDR display and weighs 203 grams (7.16 ounces) – that's 21% more screen/

Both models also include True Tone, Haptic Touch, and an HDR display that's capable of up to 1200 nits maximum brightness. Just as the iPhone 13 before it, all of the iPhone 13 models are rated IP68 (waterproof to a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes). 

Under the hood, the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus both feature the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13, which has a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores.

Camera

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus both feature a similar dual 12MP camera system with a wide and ultra-wide camera as the iPhone 13. However, it's worth noting that there is a new main camera, and improved image processing lets you capture shots in low light. Apple suggests that you now get up to 2.5x better low-light photos on the Main camera and up to 2x better low‑light photos on the Ultra Wide camera. The TrueDepth front camera now has autofocus and a larger aperture, again for better low light captures, plus a brighter True Tone flash.

There are a few other incremental changes that users will be able to enjoy. Cinematic mode automatically can shift focus to the most important subject in a scene, and content creators can now record video in 4K at 24 fps — a popular frame rate in professional filmmaking.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Build and design

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models come in four shades, including Space Black, Gold, Silver, and the brand new Deep Purple. Both handsets feature a Ceramic Shield front and a textured matte glass back and stainless steel design. The iPhone 14 Pro features a 6.1" OLED Super Retina XDR display, weighing 206 grams (7.27 ounces) and with a depth of 7.85mm (0.31"). The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a larger 6.7" OLED Super Retina XDR display and weighs 240 grams. 

Both models include the new Dynamic Island feature, which consolidates your notifications, alerts, and activities into one interactive place. The TrueDepth camera system is 31% smaller, and this frees up display space.

An Always-On display means that the Lock Screen is always visible, but the iPhone screen does go dark when faced down or in a pocket (to save on battery life). The display also now reaches a peak of 2000 nits outdoors – twice as bright as before and the "highest peak brightness of any camera phone" and potentially ideal for outdoor photography.

Both iPhone 14 Pro models feature a brand new A16 Bionic chip, which gives a more power-efficient performance to help run with the iPhone 14 Pro models for longer.

Camera

We've already written about the ways the iPhone Pro camera will improve your phone photography. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both feature significant camera upgrades – namely an all-new 48MP Main camera with an advanced quad-pixel sensor. That's a 65% larger sensor than on the iPhone 13 Pro, plus Apple's ProRAW image format for more detailed images.

The Pro camera system also adds an additional 2x Telephoto – which expands your zoom options to 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x. Like the iPhone 14 base models, the TrueDepth front camera now has autofocus and a larger aperture.

Apple's all-new "Photonic Engine" is available in all the iPhone 14 models, and it merges the "best pixels from multiple exposures into one phenomenal photo." Essentially, having more preserved data means that the iPhone 14 should deliver more lifelike and bright images (see an example of an image taken with the iPhone 14's Photonic Engine below). 

The final physical upgrade concerns the new front TrueDepth camera, which has a 38% better light‑gathering performance for less noise in low-light photos and videos.

When it comes to video, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max let you record, view and edit in Dolby Vision HDR and ProRes formats.

Which iPhone 14 should you buy?

The base iPhone 14 models haven't been the biggest upgrade from the iPhone 13 series, but we saw some amazing camera updates in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you're wondering which iPhone 14 model you should choose, the biggest differences really come down to the upgraded cameras on the Pro models – and of course, your budget! 

If you're not a super keen smartphone snapper (the iPhone 14 models still feature a fantastic camera array – you'll just miss out on the upgraded 48MP sensor and the Apple ProRAW feature) and you don't often play games or watch movies on your handset, then you might feel that the base iPhone 14 models might suit you better.

iPhone 14 pricing

These iPhone 14 prices are the starting prices for the base 128GB models. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and a brand new 1TB option – an abundance of storage for photographers.

You can order all iPhone 14 models now.

If you're not an Apple fan, check out the latest Google Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Z 4 Fold. These are the best camera phones, but if you need something that's affordable, check out the best budget camera phones – low on price but not performance.

Google Photos launched Memories three years ago and it has gone on to be one of Photos’ best loved features with a massive 3.5 billion Memories viewed by Google phone users each month. However, it’s been over a year since Google issued an update, so the one which started rolling out yesterday was overdue – here are five ways it’s set to shake up users’ Memories. 

1. Go back in time 

The new redesigned Memories experience transports Pixel users back in time. You’ll see more videos than before, including the best snippets from your longer videos that Photos automatically selects and trims and still photos are also treated to a subtle zoom that ties both together. Google promise they’ll add music from next month, too. This will make it a very similar to Memories in Photos on iPhone, which is certainly a good thing for Pixel users. It really is lovely watching these videos back and reliving special times.

2. Get graphic 

Another new feature Google is rolling out is a new feature called Styles, where graphic art is automatically added to memories. There are several fun designs that make photos pop, including limited-time styles from featured artists Shantell Martin and Lisa Congdon, made exclusively for Google Photos.

3. Share collages 

The update also features a new collage editor, which lets users easily create shareable collages. It’s super simple to use, you pick your photos, select your design (including styles from featured artists) and easily rearrange the layout with simple drag-and-drop controls. There’s even the option to edit the photos right from the collage editor — adjust brightness or contrast, apply filters and more. Google One members and Pixel users can also use additional editing features like Portrait Light or HDR within their collages and access more than 30 additional designs.

4. Get Cinematic 

Since its introduction two years ago, Cinematic photos has become one of Google Photos most-saved visual effects and now we are promised that we’ll start to see full Cinematic Memories that transform multiple still photos into an end-to-end cinematic experience – perfect for transporting you back to that moment in time. Cinematic Memories will also have music, making your photos feel a little more like a movie.

5. Share Memories 

Memories in Google Photos are only visible to the owner and it’s always been frustrating that they weren’t shareable – well, now they are! This update sees Google to roll out the ability to share entire Memories with your friends and family in just a few taps on Android (iOS and Web coming soon), so they can view them right from Google Photos on any device.

If you're not sure which Google phone is right for you, take a look at our Pixel 6 Pro vs Pixel 6 comparison, plus the Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultraand iPhone 13 Pro vs Google Pixel 6 Pro.

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 14 line-up. Apple's 'Far Out' event took place on September 7, 2022, and we saw four models: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

This is how the lineup of iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro models compare, but what do these camera phones offer over the current iPhone range? Are they evolutionary or revolutionary camera improvements on the iPhone 13 Pro? Has Apple done enough with the iPhone 14 cameras to ward off competition from the best camera phone manufacturers?

These are the best iPhone 14 prices right now. If you're not sure about upgrading, find out how the iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro compare.

Apple is notoriously aloof on Twitter (if you don't believe me, go see), but even it took to the platform today to update the world on its upcoming event.

"Here and wow. Watch a special #AppleEvent today at 10 a.m. PT."

No surprises there, as we already know the time of the big shebang. While we wait, let's take a look at every iPhone 14 camera rumor we've heard so far. Well, all of the major ones, anyway, as I haven't got all day. Oh wait...

Speaking of Twitter, I've just seen this brilliant Far Out Apple Event Bingo card from the Basic Apple Guy, who has rounded up everything we might see today. Talk about doing my job for me (and in a much more artistic fashion).

He explains his picks in this blog post, which include an always-on Display and the most exciting rumor that we keep hearing; an update to the main camera sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro to 48MP (the first-megapixel upgrade since iPhone 6!).

Keen smartphone photographers have to remember that today isn't just about the iPhone 14, as Apple is likely to announce new Apple Watch improvements, too.

Will the Apple 14 lineup offer enough innovation?

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: innovation. Or in Apple's case, a perceived lack of it. I've loved Apple products for years, since I managed to save up enough pocket money to buy the iPod classic. But even I – an Apple fan – recently found myself a bit bored of it all, and tempted by the Google Pixel 6.

Many users are taking to social channels to crack jokes and memes at Apple's expense, and last week even Samsung could be seen mocking Apple in an ad video called Buckle Up ahead of iPhone 14’s launch. The ad is digging at the iPhone's low resolution camera sensors, which haven't really changed much in years. 

Megapixels aren't everything when it comes to image quality, though, and Digital Camera World's own editor has posted about the iPhone 13 camera megapixels, and why 12MP is better than 108MP on other phones.

Either way, Apple really is going to have to do a LOT if it's going to wow consumers like it promises to do this year.

iPhone 14 lineup predictions

A sheet leaked by Chinese social media site Weibo shows us a potential four iPhone 14 models: an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 14 Plus along with specs like screen size.

According to the spec sheet (which could turn out to be a false leak) the screen size and resolution are the same on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro (6.1 inches), while the larger iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max share a 6.7-inch screen.

If true, this means that Apple has ditched the Mini version (see iPhone 13 Mini) in favor of a Plus version. In contrast, with the iPhone 13 series, the iPhone 13 Pro and standard iPhone 13 models had different screen resolutions.

Here's what analyst Ross Young thinks about the screen sizes...

iPhone 14 design predictions

We already had a few ideas about what the iPhone 14 lineup could look like from rumors, like this updated design for Pro models – which showed the iPhone models with two notches on the front of their screens (a pill and hole cutout).

More recently, we found another unexpected leak that said the pill and hole cutouts wouldn’t be visually separated when the display is powered on – instead appearing as one contiguous, longer pill shape. Confusing?

The rumor has commented on by Bloomberg’s highly-respected Mark Gurman, via Twitter, who said: “Having that separation would look odd during use.”

If the leak is true, it means that Apple will make the two display cutouts appear as one via software, blacking out the area between the two cutouts. 

According to a 9to5Mac’s source, Apple wants the space between the two cutouts to show privacy indicators for the mic and camera. It could also allow a redesign for the Camera app itself!

So, will Apple redesign the Camera App for iPhone 14?

Currently, in the Apple Camera app, all the controls are at the bottom of the screen (see below). A redesign of the screen could see Apple moving to the top portion of the screen – infrequent settings might sit below the display cutouts – giving photographers a larger view of the camera preview. Wouldn't that be nice?

iPhone 14 camera specs and features

So far, these are the key rumors about the iPhone 14 cameras: 

• iPhone 14 Pro models to get higher quality ultra-wide cameras.
• iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models rumored to include a new main sensor, with a significant upgrade from 12MP to 48MP.
• iPhone 14’s selfie snapper could at last feature autofocus.

iPhone 14 pricing predictions

We previously reported that the iPhone 14 lineup is tipped to get a price increase (hardly surprising given inflation rates!) and yet Apple might decide to freeze the launch price of the base iPhone 14 to stay competitive. We can hope, eh?

Will Apple take a financial hit themselves or pass the increased costs on to the consumer? Only time will tell. If you don't want to wait and see (or simply can't afford to right now) check out some of the best iPhone 13 deals.

Just when you thought we were all taking the launch of a smartphone too seriously, Buzzfeed goes and lightens the mood. 😂

The Apple Store is being refreshed as we speak, ready to make way for some brand new, shiny, high-priced (hopefully high-specced) camera phones for us. Look at it go. 

Let's talk about Apple's 'Far Out' theme

Apple holds regular events throughout the year, and before every event, it issues an invite for people to watch live at home. The events always have nicknames – last year in September we got called California Streaming, and found out more about Apple's streaming services. Makes sense, right?

Is it just me, or does it sound like Apple is trying to give us some cryptic clues about today's launch event? Far Out is the name, and to me that sounds very space-y indeed. Could we see some telescopic lenses on the iPhone 14 cameras? Will the iPhone 14 cameras be capable of astrophotography?

Apple's CEO Tim Cook has continued the star theme, by posting on Twitter. "Looking forward to a stellar Apple event." Stellar means, of or relating to the stars (astral) so maybe we could see iPhone cameras that are able to capture night-sky images.

26 minutes to go, folks! And no, that isn't any significant number, I'd just gone to make a coffee and missed the 30-minute countdown!

What do you want to see from the next generation of iPhone cameras? I'd LOVE to see a megapixel boost to the main camera sensor, a lighter design, and a lower price, but that last one definitely ain't gonna happen!

We're also likely to see new Apple Watch and AirPods models

As this is Digital Camera World, at this Apple event we're most interested in the new iPhone 14 – namely its cameras, their specs and features, and what they can do for smartphone photography.

But I should also mention that we're probably going to see Apple launch the Apple Watch 8 and AirPods Pro 2.

And so the 'Far Out' Apple Event 2022 begins...

Wherever you're watching the livestream (hopefully with us on this live blog) the video feed is now LIVE! And we got swirly stars and funky music to intro us.

CEO of Apple Tim Cook is here! Hello Tim Cook! to talk about three products about that have become essential in our lives. "always with you, whenever and wherever you need them!"

Apple iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

He's talking about the integration of the three products: "something that only Apple can do."

Well, this is touching – we're seeing stories from users of the Apple Watch around the world to see how the product has changed their lives (and even saved lives)! There are all ages, nationalities, college students... 

Apple Watch Series 8 - "all the features you love, and more"

Now we're going over to Jeff Williams (hey Jeff), to see more about the actual specs and features of the Apple Watch Series 8. Swim-proof, dust-proof crack-resistant, it's also full of more fitness smarts like improved ECG, and a new temperature sensor design (there are actually two within the watch) committed to improving women's health.

It's all about ovulation and cycle tracking right now with the Apple Series 8, camera-lovers. Interesting enough for healthcare, of course, but give us the iPhone 14 already!

Apple Watch Series 8 will be available in 4 colors, and there will also be some new Nikon Sport Loops for sport lovers – innovative, huh?!

So that's the Apple Watch Series 8, with temperature sensing, advanced ovulation tracking, crash detection, and international roaming.

Apple Watch Series 8 will be available from $399 and $499 (cellular). You can order today, and it will be shipping September 16.

Apple Watch SE 2

The new Apple Watch SE 2 will be available in 3 colors, and a new production process is said to "reduce its carbon footprint by 80%". It delivers to core benefits of the Apple Watch ecosystem, at a lower price. To be honest, it looks the same as the last one. I can't think why the internet complains about Apple not being innovative...

Prices for the Apple Watch SE 2 at $249 and $299, you can order today, available Sept 16.

Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch Ultra is officially here (rumors were calling it the Apple Watch Pro). Rugged, sporty, twice as waterproof as any Apple Watch before it. It's got an action button, plus three new bands – Alpine, Ocean, and another one that I missed (but probably called something like Earthy). I Googled it, it's called Trail.

To be honest the bit I'm most excited about here it a battery life that might last more than half a day (or half a run). The Apple Watch Ultra is said to have a battery life of 36 hours on a single charge. That extends to 60 hours with a battery optimization that's coming later this year.

Apple AirPods Pro 2

AirPods Pro 2 next... PLEASE can we have the iPhones yet? Apple has kindly created this spec sheet image so I don't have to type all of the specs.

AirPods Pro 2: $249, order September 9, available September 23.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

YEEEEES. It's finally the iPhone 14 time. Let me see those cameras....

First up we get to see the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which have 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch super retina displays respectively. There are five colors; purple, blue, white, red and black-ish!

This is your iPhone 14 camera, which DOES have the autofocus selfie camera that we've previously written about. This is called a true depth camera, and it should be able to focus faster in low light.

But it looks as if the main camera is still 12MP (seriously?). The main camera has an f/1.5 aperture and sensor-shift image stabilization. Apple has mentioned an ultra-wide camera, though that doesn't seem to have changed from previous iterations – I think.

Deep fusion is a process to improve low light. Photonic Engine is the name for this new process and benefits every camera – twice as good as the existing iPhone cameras. 

For video users, Apple has announced a new advanced stabilization mode, called Action mode which it says will do without the need for a gimbal.

Prices are $799 for the iPhone 14 and $899 for the iPhone 14 Plus.

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max

Let's face it, this is what photographers have really been waiting to see... the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.

Design-wise it looks the pill and hole punch has been turned into a feature called "Dynamic Island". Yep, you read that right.

The iPhone Pro models get three new cameras:

- New 48MP camera (yay) with a quad pixel sensor, f/1.78 aperture, and 24mm focal length (that's new, too).

- New 2x telephoto option that's essentially a crop from the main camera.

- Most interesting feature for photographers is that the iPhone 14 Pro can shoot ProRAW images at 48MP. Finally, they did it!

- There's a new 12MP ultra-wide camera, and the flash is said to be twice as bright – not something you'd want to rely on in low light but could be good at parties.

Like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the Pro models also get Action mode image stabilization.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available to pre-order from September 9, and available on September 16. Priced at $99 and $1099 respectively. Hate to say it, but I want one...

"The best iPhones we've ever created," says CEO Tim Cook. He would, wouldn't he?

Apple's Far Out event has now ended. Thanks for watching along with us, we hope you enjoyed it, and we'll be updating this blog post and Digital Camera World with everything we know about the iPhone 14 lineup, the iPhone 14 Pro cameras, and what they mean for the future of iPhone photography, very soon.

Everything that was announced

• iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max: First-ever 48MP Main camera on iPhone featuring a quad-pixel sensor. Photonic Engine offers an enhanced image pipeline that dramatically improves low-light photos. Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization. Faster A16 Bionic chip that uses 20 percent less power. A 'Dynamic Island' notch replacement, always-on display (6.1- and 6.7-inch screens). Emergency SOS via satellite.
• iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus: Larger 6.7-inch size joins the popular 6.1-inch design –goodbye iPhone mini. Featuring a new dual-camera system (Main and front TrueDepth cameras), cinematic mode in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps, End-to-end Dolby Vision HDR. True Tone flash is 10% brighter.
• Apple Watch Ultra: Completely new design and customizable action button. Great for athletes and outdoorsy types. 49mm display and three new straps. 
• Apple Watch Series 8: Looks similar to previous models, but has a new temperature sensor for monitoring women’s health, plus Crash Detection.
• AirPods Pro 2: New H2 chip unlocks "breakthrough audio performance." 'Find My' feature for the charging case.

Apple's latest announcement has many people excited for the launch of the new iPhone 14 range of smartphone devices, but if owning the latest tech has never really been your top priority, then we have some good news for you. 

Whenever the latest iPhone is released, the older models tend to drop in price – kinda the same as how FIFA games are worth only pennies as soon as the latest one launches. The iPhone 14 Pro will launch on September 16, 2022, but will the model be the best iPhone for photography? And will it cause last year's iPhone 13 Pro to drop in price?

If you didn't see Apple's launch event, here's how the new iPhone 14 lineup compares. The latest iPhone 14 announcement from Apple was a big one, announcing four new models, as well as mega main camera upgrades for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, with a 48MP camera (a 65% larger sensor than on the previous iPhone 13 Pro and Max models) as well as an advanced quad-pixel sensor with an additional 2x Telephoto lenses.

If you're an avid smartphone shooter and unaffected by the current cost of living crisis, then it's a no-brainer to pre-order the iPhone 14 Pro (or iPhone 14 Pro Max) to get the absolute best out of your smartphone's camera. Check out our guide to the best camera phones if you're not set on sticking with an Apple device. 

However, you might be better off choosing the iPhone 13 Pro as your next phone, over the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro. Let's take a look at why.

iPhone 14 Pro vs 13 Pro Camera

There are a few things to consider first when deciding between the iPhone 13 Pro vs the iPhone 14 Pro, the main factor being the camera (we are a website for photographers after all). And it's worth noting that the latest announcement from Apple has revealed the largest upgrades and improvements to the iPhone's rear camera since the release of the iPhone 6S back in 2015!

Here's a quick comparison of crucial camera specifications from both the iPhone 13 Pro (released in 2021) and the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro. 

As can be seen from the table above, the main differences in cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro vs the iPhone 14 Pro involve the main camera - a ginormous leap from 12 to 48 megapixels which may be the deciding factor for many, but it's also worth noting that the telephoto camera is virtually the same, and as is the ultra-wide camera with the exception of an ever-so-slightly larger aperture of 1.8 on the iPhone 13 Pro. 

Other features worth comparing include that the main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro will offer an extended 2x telephoto option, with the actual telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, the same as the iPhone 13 Pro. all iPhone 14 models can now also shoot in a RAW format, or as Apple calls its ProRAW recording format, for advanced post-processing and editing of captures with more data to draw from.

As for the front selfie camera, a larger aperture size of f/1.9 will make a difference in capturing portraits with a greater depth of field, also improve by the new dual-lens TrueDepth front camera, now equipped with autofocus. In addition, this improved feature on the front camera offers 38% better light-gathering performance, resulting in less noise in low-light situations when shooting still photos and video.

In addition, there are a host of new modes and features introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro that includes a new Action mode, Photonic Engine, and new Adaptive True Tone flash, not forgetting an improved Cinematic mode. 

To learn more about exactly what each of these features can do, check out: 10 ways the iPhone 14 Pro camera will improve your smartphone photography.

iPhone 14 Pro vs 13 Pro Design and functions

As for the size and functions of these devices, the storage, screen size, and battery life are near enough the same, with the iPhone 14 Pro sharing the same screen size as the iPhone 13 Pro, though the 14 models have slightly improved brightness. Both units have 6GB of RAM, very similar weights, though the iPhone 14 has an updated Apple A16 Bionic chipset.

One of the main changes to take note of, however, is the lack of the SIM card tray on all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S. This is in favor of having to rely entirely on eSIM technology, which could be an issue for those who are with smaller network companies without support for this feature. Is this the end of cellular over satellite?

As for the design of the iPhone 14 Pro, many will be pleased to hear that Apple is saying goodbye to the notch. Swapping it out for what it's calling the 'Dynamic Island', a new moveable pill-shaped option that can be expanded when tapped and provide alerts and updates such as displaying the music track you are listening to, sports scores, step counts, and whatever else you may wish to customize it with. 

iPhone 14 Pro vs 13 Pro Price

If you're not overly sold on the latest features of the iPhone 14 Pro, you might be better off saving money and opting for the iPhone 13 Pro. Although, at the moment it looks like there's not an awful lot of difference in price, in which case it would be worthwhile to grab yourself an iPhone 14 Pro over the 13 Pro for a few extra dollars, if not for the camera advancements alone. 

With that being said, if you're a secondhand shopper, you'll undoubtedly be able to grab yourself an absolute bargain price on the iPhone 13 Pro, saving hundreds of dollars after the iPhone 14 Pro has been released and will subsequently lower the value of the iPhone 13 Pro – no longer being the latest offering from Apple. 

It's worth noting that the prices for the iPhone 13 Pro are up to date (as of the time of writing) but will be subject to change and likely drop as soon as the iPhone 14 is officially released. Keep checking our Best iPhone 13 Pro deals hub for the latest and best prices checked and compared across multiple retailers. 

You can pre-order all iPhone 14 models now, ahead of release from September 16.

You may also be interested in checking out the best iPhone power banks, as well as the best iPhone 14 deals. Make sure you're prepared for whichever device you choose by purchasing one of the best iPhone 13 Pro cases, the best phone cases, or Best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases.

Although Apple never advertises the amount of RAM in iPhones, in the past few years one of the ways in which the Silicon Valley giant has Apple differentiated Pro and non-Pro iPhones was RAM capacity – not anymore. 

Thanks to MacRumors, we know that all four iPhone 14 models – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max – are equipped with 6GB of RAM. They're sure to become the best iPhone for photography.

Looking at the latest Xcode 14 beta, MacRumors found files showing that the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are all equipped with 6GB of RAM. This is a fresh approach for this year as the iPhone 12 and 12 mini both had 4GB RAM while the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max both had 6GB RAM and last year’s iPhone 13 family mirrored this with the iPhone 13 and 13 mini both having 4GB and this increased to 6GB for the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. 

RAM speed 

According to leaks prior to this week’s iPhone 14 launch, the iPhone 14 Pro models are said to feature a faster type of RAM called LPDDR5, rather than the LPDDR4X RAM for the standard iPhone 14 models. Frustratingly, the Xcode files only confirm the amount of RAM in each model – we will have to wait for a full phone review/teardown to discover the type(s) of RAM used. Perhaps the difference in the type of RAM is now the Pro/non-Pro distinguisher. 

Storage-wise, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both offer the option of a massive 1TB of storage. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus offer up to 512GB. 

iPhone 14 pre-orders are now open 

All models in the iPhone 14 family are available to pre-order now. The new flagship smartphones will launch on Friday, September 16, with the exception of the 14 Plus model, which will be available from October 7.

Check out our phone rumors hub to keep up to date with all the latest smartphone speculation and camera phone queries.

The iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max have been out for a while, and with the new iPhone 14 lineup being launched great deals are now available on these stunning phones. If you've got your eyes on these models then you can find yourself some great deals – either unlocked or on great data plans that simply cannot be ignored.

The iPhone 13 introduced advanced features over its predecessors, First up is the inclusion of the Apple A15 Bionic chip, a hefty processor that's easily the most powerful yet from the tech giant. Bigger screens, batteries, and many camera improvements, also mean you're not simply getting a carbon copy of the iPhone 12 series.

There really is a big upgrade to be had from the older Apple devices, and if you are happy with last year's flagship specs, that are still up to the task today then you can really grab yourself a bargain with the iPhone 13 series of phones in the shadow of the iPhone 14 launch.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Which Apple smartphone should you buy?

Best iPhone 13 deals

Best iPhone 13 Pro deals

Best iPhone 13 Pro Max deals

The best iPhone for photography is where we round up our favorite models, or you can check out reviews of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is now available to buy, and if you've got your eyes on this larger model then you can find yourself some great deals – either unlocked or on some great data plans that simply cannot be ignored.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro comes in some great color options of Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, and Stormy Black and it features a 6.7-inch QHD+ 1440 x 3120LTPO OLED with 512 pixels-per-inch and a smooth 120Hz refresh. It also support HDR content and a full 24-bit color depth to reproduce 16 million colors.

But that's not all the Pixel 6 Pro has to offer, with 12GB of RAM and available in either 128 or 256GB of storage for all your photos, videos, apps, and more you can be sure the Google Pixel 6 Pro can keep up with your busy lifestyle. It's one of the best camera phones if you're already invested in the Android way of life.

Photography wise, you're getting a 50MP main shooter with a f/1.85 aperture across a 1/1.31" sensor. With a 12MP ultra-wide for when you want to fit in all the view when spaces gets tight, thanks to its 114 degree field of view you can be sure you will get the best images even in the most crowded of spaces. For the times you want to get closer to the action without moving forward, the 48MP telephoto camera with its f/3.5 aperture across a 1/2" sensor offers super res zoom up to 20x digital.

Video-wise, the Google Pixel 6 Pro is able to capture 4K video up to 60fps, or for the slow motion lovers you can get up to a sweet 240fps to make your world seem like it's almost standing still.

All of these amazing features and more makes the Pixel 6 Pro a flagship device that many would love to own, and now you can with some amazing deals being seen in the US and UK across carries and from Google themselves. The very best savings will be on key trading events such as Black Friday, but that does not mean you can't find yourself a killer deal now.

Best Google Pixel 6 Pro deals

If you're not sure which Google phone is right for you, take a look at our Pixel 6 Pro vs Pixel 6 comparison, plus the Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro vs Google Pixel 6 Pro.

Oppo's flagship Find X5 series has been championing impressive lowlight performance since it launched, and now the new Reno 8 Pro is getting in on the action too, bringing the firm's MariSilicon X imaging NPU (neural processing unit) to the midrange line.

Launching alongside the Reno 8 and Reno 8 Lite, only the Pro flavor gets the full flagship treatment on its main camera. More than just a camera phone, the Reno 8 Pro's also a striking bit of smartphone design, packing premium build quality and smart styling. 

Costing, $700 / £599, the Reno 8 Pro is the same price as phones like the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13 Mini, so needs to deliver across the board if it hopes to stand out. With its primary 50MP camera, showcasing the same IMX 766 sensor in the Find X5 Pro, not to mention 4K HDR video capture, it's off to a great start.

Things get really interesting when you look at the Reno 8 Pro's selfie camera though. Its 32MP resolution, RGBW sensor, and autofocus make it the best front camera Oppo's ever put on a smartphone. So while the Reno line has always been competitive – we rated the Reno 4 Pro four stars – the 8 Pro looks like the most interesting Reno to date.

The Reno 8 Pro's design takes the Find X5 Pro's curved styling and mixes things up, swapping the rounded glass front and back for flat panels, but keeping that elegant camera bump that rises smoothly.

Available in Glaze Blue and Glaze Black, we've gotten our hands on the Blue one and have to say, it looks great in the flesh. Fans of flatscreen phones have been starved of premium options in the past, so the Reno 8 Pro is poised to satiate that craving.

The Sony IMX766 sensor that spearheads the Pro's camera is a 1/1.56-inch sensor, and it's matched with an f/1.8 aperture, with an 86° field of view. The 8MP ultra-wide camera packs an f/2.2 aperture with an expansive 112° field of view, and there's a 2MP macro camera as well.

The MariSilicon X NPU enables 4K Ultra Night Video, which according to Oppo is ultra-clear and brighter than standard footage from the sensor, and it also makes 4K Ultra HDR video possible too.

As for the selfie camera, it's a 32MP Sony IMX709 with a 1/2.74-inch sensor. That's paired with an  f/2.4 lens sporting a 90° field of view and autofocus.

So the camera looks like a strong mix, but the rest of the phone's no slouch. Powered by a custom-built MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max, it sports near flagship grunt, and with 256GB storage and 8GB RAM, should offer loads of room for files and apps. Add 85W wired charging to the mix, and it powers up quickly, from zero to 100 percent in just over 30 minutes.

Pricing of the Reno 8 line starts at $370 / £319 for the Oppo Reno 8 Lite, climbing to $490 / £419 for the Oppo Reno 8, and peaking at £599 / $700 for the Pro. The phones are available across Europe and Asia to order from September 1, 2022, though regional availability may differ.

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With just a week to go until Apple launches the iPhone 14, the rumors are coming in thick and fast – only yesterday did we report on the new flagship being tipped to boast Apple’s long-rumored satellite connectivity feature. 

Now, trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said, via Twitter, that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models will feature new ultrawide camera sensors, which can capture 1.4µm-sized pixels – resulting in greater detail and better low-light performance, than possible with the 1.0µm-sized pixels found on the iPhone 13 Pro. 

A jump to 1.4µm pixels in the iPhone 14 Pro models from 1.0µm pixels in the iPhone 13 Pro models for their ultrawide cameras is a significant jump and something to (potentially) get very excited about. 

According to Kuo, the new CMOS imaging sensor will be joined by a new voice coil motor (VCM) and a new compact camera module. He tweets that these “have a significant unit price increase in this upgrade, with about 70 %, 45%, and 40%.” In an additional tweet, the respected analyst reveals Sony will supply the CMOS sensors, Minebea and Largan will take care of the VCM and LG will supply the main compact camera module. 

Camera sensor upgrade to 48MP 

Other likely-to-be-true rumors surrounding the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models are new main sensor, with a significant upgrade from 12MP to 48MP, coming via a TrendForce report. It’s said that Apple will support both 48MP and 12MP shooting modes to allow for 48MP images to be captured in well-lit conditions and 12MP images in lower light, giving users the option to choose. 

Another exciting leak, which we really hope will be true, points towards Apple finally taking the front-facing selfie camera seriously and equipping the upcoming flagship with a higher tech unit. This phone rumor comes courtesy of Korean site ET News who has published a series of reports on the Apple supply chain, with this latest one providing information from “industry sources” on Apple using products from Korean LG Innotek's for the iPhone, rather than iPhone 15 as originally planned. The upgrade is said to come at a price however: “Apple originally planned to install LG Innotek's products on the front camera of the iPhone 15, which is scheduled to be released next year, but recently moved the schedule forward hurriedly. It is understood that there had been quality problems from Chinese camera manufacturers during the quality tests.” ET News go on to say while the front-facing camera had been regarded as a low-cost part by Apple it is now high-cost. 

The most significant part of this leak is the mention of the switch to LG Innotek meaning the iPhone 14’s selfie snapper will at last feature autofocus – a missing feature which has seriously let Apple down in the past. This ties in with earlier information provided Ming-Chi Kuo back in April when he tweeted that the upcoming series of iPhones will feature two key upgrades to the front-facing camera: autofocus and a bigger aperture on the lens. 

Only a week to go to find out if Kuo is right on both or either account and indeed which of the other iPhone 14 rumors and leaks turn out to be legit.  

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Finding the best iPhone 13 Pro case to suit your everyday usage habits can be a tricky choice to get right, the balance of how a case feels in your hand or sits in your pocket can be a dealbreaker for many - but we're here to help!

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and its range of sibling devices take many forms, available in addition is the standard iPhone 13 model, but also the iPhone 13 Mini, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Each of these iPhone models will have different design features, no matter how subtle, and will therefore require a case that has been created for that exact model only.

Be sure to triple-check your iPhone model by heading into Settings - General - About - and finding the exact model number or device name to ensure you purchase the correct case to perfectly fit your smartphone.

Our top picks

What sort of phone case do I need?

Do you prioritize your iPhone camera above anything else? Then you might want to consider a case with raised edges and shock protection. As a bare minimum, you'll want a phone case that uses silicone or rubber, as these are shock-absorbent materials. Don't forget about protecting your iPhone screen too!

If you realize that you may have stumbled onto the wrong iPhone case buying guide, don't worry! As we have a whole selection of case guides that should (hopefully) match your device model and will be handpicked for your smartphone.

Whether it's something sleek and stylish, light as a feather, waterproof, one of the best magnetic cases, or something a bit more rugged and military-grade certified that you're looking for – we've got you covered (pun intended).

Best iPhone 13 Pro cases

This ultra-thin case from TORRAS is one of the best iPhone 13 Pro cases available, covering almost all areas of interest from being excellent value for money as well as looking sleek and stylish. This slim fit case has a soft-touch and silky feel to it, designed with ultra-fine nanostructures that effectively reduce oil, dirt and fingerprints on your phone and case.

The case is made from a strong and durable thermoplastic resin material, which has high impact resistance while offering flexibility. Your iPhone screen and camera unit will be protected not only by the two included 9H Tempered Glass screen protectors, but the raised lips of the case are optimized to prevent scratches and possible damage to sensitive areas of your smartphone in the unpredictable instances of accidental drops.

The few downsides to this case include the incredibly lightweight feel, that make your device feel almost as if it didn't have a case around it. While some people desire this ultra-slim and light as a feather case design, it's important to be aware that there's a chance you may not feel your phone leave your pocket in the event of a theft or on the off-chance it were to fall out without any bulk added to the device.

This modern case from Spigen for the iPhone 13 Pro offers pretty much the full package, fitted with everything you could ever need in the way of protection for your device, packed with the latest in Air Cushion Technology and shock-absorbent design features. The case is slim fitting and stylish, with Magsafe compatibility for a faster wireless charging experience without removing your case.

Spigen is a well-respected phone case manufacturer and you can rest assured that the quality of its cases will not only protect your device but offer a luxurious experience without compromise.

The Spigen Mag Armor case boasts tactile buttons for a solid feedback response and ease of pressing, with raised lips around the camera unit and screen edges to offer that extra bit of security and padding against any unexpected drops and accidental damages.

OtterBox is a well renowned and established phone case brand, recommended by thousands, and it can certainly be trusted to look after your device. The manufacturer offers a variety of super robust and durable cases, but this particular OtterBox Symmetry Series has established a very unique pairing with PopGrip™ by PopSockets to offer military grade protection while fitted with a convenient socket grip for added handling and comfort when using your iPhone 13 Pro.

This case is able to be laid down flatly on surfaces, despite its integrated pop socket, that can be pressed flatly into the case making it almost invisible when placing your device on a counter or into your pocket. The PopTop can also be switched out and replaced with another, just close it flat, press down firmly, and turn the top to release it from the case.

The perfect blend of comfort, convenience and protection? This case would make a great choice if you tend to scroll through social media while lounging around at home, suitably comfortable to hold casually with one hand using the PopGrip, and securely protected by OtterBox's reliable high standard of quality and military standard drop protection. If you can forgive the high price, then get this case.

This offering from CASETiFY is available in a wide selection of creative designs, from a multitude of renowned artists, and its protective-ness has been tested to the extreme! The Impact case is a best-seller from the company, and can supposedly withstand drops from up to 6.6 feet, and four times the usual military standard!

As part of the company’s “Re/CASETiFY” upcycling program, the recyclable case can be returned to the brand by customers after use, in exchange for store credits. These cases are designed with a 1.6mm raised bezel for screen protection, and a 1.1mm camera ring to protect your lenses.

They are also wireless and MagSafe charging compatible, and super strong! Although, the upgraded and latest CASETiFY Ultra Impact and Bounce Cases are the most protective phone cases of their kind. These cases are available in multiple colors with a 2,000+ design catalog to choose from, with customization also available directly from CASETiFY's website.

This Apple official case for the iPhone 13 Pro is ideal for those who like things simple but functional. You can rest assured with this case that is has been thoroughly tested for integrity during the manufacturing process and has passed the quality checks and earned its seal of approval from Apple.

With that said, there are certainly better options on the market from other brands that will offer more in the ways of military-grade and fully sealed waterproof and shock-absorbing protection for your iPhone, but these can be a little on the chunky and expensive side.

As for design features, you don't have to worry about selecting a color for this case, as long as you like the color of your iPhone then you're sorted. The case is also compatible with Apple's Magsafe technology, meaning that you can experience faster wireless charging and use Magsafe accessories without the need to remove your case first.

We love Peak Design here at DCW and have reviewed many smartphone and photography related products from the company, it is for this reason that we can confidently recommend Peak Design as one of the top manufacturers of phone cases for photographers, and its Everyday range is the perfect choice for those wanting a more subtle style of case with a soft-touch feel.

Working in a similar way as Apple's cleverly designed MagSafe technology, Peak Design products are fitted with SlimLink: a built-in locking system that is perfect if you're interested in taking your iPhone 13 Pro out and about with you as it can be connected to anything!

Some other key selling points of Peak Design cases include the rubberized full-surround shock-absorbing bumper fitted to protect your device from 6ft drops, as well as a protective lip housing the screen and camera lenses. Everyday cases are also weatherproof, and Bluesign-approved, and the 'Loop Case' models feature a deployable finger loop on the back for easy gripping. Need we say more?

Peak Design also offers a Lifetime Warranty on its products that covers manufacturing defects, and any failures or breakages that have rendered your product non-functional (but not customer damage) keeping them out of landfill.

TORRO is a UK-based premium genuine cowhide leather phone case brand sourcing its materials from the finest US tanneries, which are said to undergo minimal treatments to preserve the natural properties and appearance of the luxurious leather cases. The case overall has a nice finish to it and feels very comfortable in hand, the ultimate balance of style and functionality.

The durable TPU frame has been designed as an aid to shock absorption, protecting your device from those drops and bumps. Flexible sides of the case ensure that inserting and removing the handset is an easy process, with the inner frame also benefiting from a microfibre lining that adds extra protection for the glass back of your smartphone. The screen is protected by a raised lip and the case itself features a raised edge around the camera unit to maximise protection.

Other features of this fancy wallet case include an integrated stand function, you can view your screen and browse Netflix horizontally by resting the case in on itself. The side magnetic leather clasp ensures that you always have a secure closure of the cover, allowing for peace of mind. These types of wallet cases aren't for everyone, but they do offer great screen protection in the event of an accidental drop.

This case from LifeProof is the ultimate iPhone 13 Pro case for the extreme outdoorsy adventure types! It can protect your phone from almost everything including dust, dirt, snow, water and of course cracks.

The case has been IP-68 tested and certified as waterproof, with up to 2 meters and around one hour of protection against water and all sorts of liquids, the brand even encourage customers to wash the phones with soap whenever washing your hands to keep the case as clean as possible!

As well as being rugged enough to withstand extremes, this phone case from LifeProof is also amazingly thin and light, compact enough to not be obtrusive yet still impressibly tough enough to provide rugged protection.

Probably the best part of this case it that it has a built-in screen cover, as well as a back camera lens cover, to offer 360 degrees of protection. The company do suggest however that it's wise to not add an additional screen protector on top of this to ensure that your smartphone is fully optimised and responding as it should.

How we test

In all honesty, there's no real way to test a phone case thoroughly enough without actually putting our own phones in danger. So for this reason, we base our recommendations on things like comfort and grip, case texture, additional features such as kickstands and wallet slots, compatibility with MagSafe and Qi wireless functions, manufacturer reputation, and most of all - value for money.

As photographers, we understand what most creatives are looking for in their phone cases. We also weren't born yesterday, and we know that most manufacturers will exaggerate and upsell key features of their phone cases knowing that you'll never test them. For example, some cases might be listed with 14ft drop protection, but we aren't about to find out for ourselves whether or not that's true.

With that in mind, we always take these things with a pinch of salt, and if we haven't tested a case to the extreme then we'll only recommend it if we know that the brand is reliable with an array of high-quality products that we HAVE tested before.

• You might also be interested in the best iPhone power banks, as well as the best iPhone charger, and not forgetting the best lenses for iPhone and Androids.
• Work from home? Try getting one of the best iPhone keyboards and the best iPhone stands for an effortless smartphone workflow to complement your usual setup.

It's crazy to me. My iPhone 13 camera megapixels amount to just 12MP – a resolution that seems positively paltry on paper. And with 48MP and even 108MP phones now commonplace, it makes my phone feel a bit feeble.

Is that really the case, though? Because whenever I use other handsets – even the best camera phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – I find that the images I take on my iPhone are almost always better. The iPhone 13 camera megapixels, limited though they may be, simply produce superior photographs.

• What's the best iPhone for photography?

That's just my personal perspective, of course. And it only applies to the rear camera; I'm not going to pretend that the 8MP selfie camera is anything to write home about. However, in a world where the megapixel wars are still raging – and where rumors are swirling that the iPhone 14 Pro could have a 48MP primary camera – more doesn't necessarily mean better (just more expensive).

We've already danced this dance before, with traditional cameras. Armchair quarterbacks bemoaned that the Canon EOS R3 "only" had a 24.1MP image sensor, but anyone who has actually used it will tell you how the quality, dynamic range, ISO performance, noise and virtually any other metric blows away that of higher resolution sensors that are typically thought of as "better".

The same is true of the iPhone 13. It doesn't matter whether I'm shooting in harsh sunlight, the dead of night, at a rock concert, baseline at a basketball game, photographing a pet… the pictures are always great. Yes, there's a whole lot of computational trickery going on, but Apple just does it so much better than everyone else seems to. 

Images I get from the Samsung are usually grainy, washed out, lacking in detail or definition, and just sometimes just plain 'muddy'. And there's a reason that shooting at the full 108MP resolution is just an option, not the default, on these high-res phones.

I'm not an Apple fanboy – I don't care what logo is on my phone, I just care about the pictures it takes. And right now, I'll take these 12 meagre megapixels any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

Read more: 

iPhone 13 review
iPhone 13 Pro review
iPhone 13 Pro Max review
iPhone 13 Mini review

Finding the best iPhone 13 case to suit your device and your needs is never an easy task, but fear not, as we've narrowed down the search for you to take away the effort and guesswork of scoping the internet for the perfect phone case. Whether you're after something stylish and sleek, or something a little more robust and shock-absorbent, we've got you covered - literally as we have had hands-on with all the options within this guide, so relax and leave it with us, we're on the case! 

The Apple iPhone 13 dates from 2021, but is still on sale - despite the availability of the newer, more expensive models such as the iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

If you're one of those people who use your phone A LOT you might also want to invest in one of the best iPhone power banks so you can charge on the move, a decent iPhone charger cable so you're not constantly replacing them.

But a case is a must-have, so let's discover the type of case you need to ensure that your Apple device remains scratch-free, functional - and in the best condition possible just in case you ever want to sell and upgrade…

Top Picks

Best cases for the iPhone 13 

How do I choose a case?

It's simple, really. Do you like your smartphone to feel weighted, or light as a feather? Are you someone who values intricate designs, or prefers to keep things simple with a clear case? How do you feel about having your credit cards stored in your phone case? Kickstand: love them or hate them? 

We understand that the hunt for a reliable yet reasonably priced phone case can be a little daunting, but fear not. Once you know the answer to these questions, then finding the best iPhone 13 case to suit your lifestyle (and budget!) is a breeze. 

There are also plenty of magnetic smartphone accessories available to enhance your device, so be sure to grab a wallet or pop socket and personalize your new iPhone. Need a case with extra strong magnets? Check out our best magnetic phone cases guide instead.  

How we test

In all honesty, there's no real way to test a phone case thoroughly enough without actually putting our own phones in danger. So for this reason, we base our recommendations on things like comfort and grip, weight and bulkiness, case texture, plus any additional features such as integrated kickstands or tripod mounts. However, we look at hundreds of different cases from lots of different manufacturers in order to create the shortlist of recommendations you see on this page.

There are other things to consider such as a case's compatibility with MagSafe, and other wireless functions, as well as the manufacturer's reputation, and most of all - the product price range and value for money.

We weren't born yesterday, and we know that most manufacturers will exaggerate and upsell key features of phone cases knowing that you'll never test them. For example, some cases might be listed with 10ft drop protection, but we aren't about to find out for ourselves whether that's true. 

With this in mind, we tend to take things with a pinch of salt when it comes to testing phone cases, but vow to only recommend products to our readers that we would purchase ourselves, from brands that can be trusted. 

• Take a look at our case guides for the latest flagship smartphones that boast the most powerful cameras: including the best iPhone 15 Pro Max cases, plus the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cases, and not forgetting the best Google Pixel 7 Pro cases and best Google Pixel 7cases to protect your device from the get-go.

If you want the best smartphone for photography, you’ve got plenty of choice at the moment. The Samsung S22 Ultra is an Android flagship model that includes a wide array of features specifically targeted towards photographers. The iPhone 13 Pro, or the larger iPhone 13 Pro Max which uses the same camera setup, sitting in the iOS camp, also promises to take your photography to the next level. 

But when it comes to iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra - which is best?

The Samsung S22 Ultra boasts four lenses, while the iPhone 13 Pro only has three. But there’s more to a good smartphone for photography than number of lenses. You might also want to think about other important aspects such as screen size, video functionality, the quality of the native camera app and battery life. 

Let’s find out how else these two powerful models match up against each other.

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Cameras and lenses

 Looking at the specs alone, it’s the Samsung S22 Ultra which has the most impressive camera and lens line up. There’s a “main” camera which boasts a 108 megapixel resolution and is paired with an f/1.8 lens. As well as this, there’s a 12 megapixel ultra-wide angle f/2.2 lens, plus two telephoto lenses paired with 10 megapixel sensors - you get a 3x f/2.2 lens and a 10x f/4.9 lens. On top of that, digital zoom - called “Space Zoom” by Samsung gives you up to 100x zoom. 

In contrast, the iPhone 13 Pro / Max with its three lenses seem a lot more pedestrian in comparison. Each are backed by a 12 megapixel sensor and you get a “standard” (26mm, f/1.5), an ultra wide (13mm, f/1.8) and a 3x lens (78mm, f/2.8) Here the digital zoom allows you to go up to 15x. 

• iPhone 13 Pro vs 13
• Samsung S22+ vs S22 Ultra

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Image quality

As we’d expect, both the phones put in an excellent performance when it comes to image quality, as such picking them apart is actually quite difficult - and in some respects it might also come down to personal preferences. 

Colors from both are well-saturated and vibrant, but the Samsung seems to err towards warmer tones, while the iPhone keeps things a bit more on the realistic side. 

When it comes to special modes, Portrait Mode from the S22 Ultra yields more detail, which is not always necessarily what you want in a portrait - the comparable iPhone shot is arguably more flattering and pleasing to the eye. 

Low light performance is good from both. It seems that the standard lens from the iPhone puts in the better performance, but the ultra wide is just a little better from the Samsung. Taking a look at our sample images will help you make your own conclusions on this front. 

Of course, the Samsung S22 Ultra has more flexibility when it comes to zoom. Particularly useful is the second telephoto lens, which is only matched by the iPhone digitally. As such, the results at this focal length are much better. The Samsung S22 Ultra also offers 30x and 100x digital zoom, which while impressive on a specs sheet, generally result in reasonably low-quality images that are unlikely to appeal to most.

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Video

Both the S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro have specifications which make them appealing to video and content creators.

That means for the iPhone 13 you get 4K 60p video, as well as specific video modes such as Cinematic Mode (which gives you the option to create shallow depth of field effects - but is in Full HD only), and ProRes video - a professional quality video format, but which is only available if you opt for the 256GB capacity model or above. Sensor-shift optical image stabilization (which can’t be turned off) is used to keep video footage smooth.

Video sample iPhone 13 Pro - 4K at 60fps

Video sample Samsung S22 Ultra - 4K at 60fps

Meanwhile, the S22 Ultra goes one step beyond that by offering up to 8K video recording, though its image stabilization system, “Super Steady System” is only available when recording in Full HD - and you can choose to switch it off if you don’t want to use it. If you switch it on, you’ll see that the resulting video features a fairly heavy crop, so it’s worth switching if off if you’re steadying the device somehow. It also has a shallow depth of field video option, known as “Portrait Video”, but it seems to work reasonably well with other subjects (such as dogs). 

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Shooting modes and native camera app

Apple has become somewhat known for the simplicity of its native camera app. With it, you get a straightforward shooting experience with relatively little control over settings. That said, there have been some decent tweaks to the native app in recent years, such as giving you the option to shoot in Apple’s ProRAW format, Portrait mode and add Picture Styles.

Other modes aren’t really modes at all, but rather automatic settings which activate when the phone detects certain situations - such as Night mode and Deep Fusion for low light shooting. A macro mode was a big new feature for the iPhone 13 Pro, which again automatically activates when you get close to a subject. At launch there was no control over it, but now you have option to switch it off on a shot-by-shot basis if you don’t want to use it.

By contrast, Samsung’s native app offers a vastly more complex set of controls. By default, it launches in a standard Photo mode, but there’s also some interesting options to choose from such as Night Mode, Portrait and a Pro mode. With this latter mode you can take full control over settings such as white balance, shutter speed and exposure compensation (aperture is fixed), and it’s in this mode that you can shoot in raw format. There’s also a separate ExpertRAW app which you can download that enables raw capture and editing directly in the phone.

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Screen and design 

Whether or not you want a large screen largely comes down to personal preference. On the one hand, a large screen means you can display your images and video in the best possible way. On the other, they’re rather cumbersome to use and may be difficult to fit into your pocket. 

The iPhone 13 Pro is available in two sizes, depending on what you prioritize. You’ve got the smaller Pro, which has a 6.1” Super Retina XDR screen with a 2532x1180-pixel resolution, or the larger iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its 6.7” Super Retina XDR display with a 2778x1224-pixel resolution. Both sizes offer a 120Hz refresh rate.

You don’t a choice with the Samsung S22 Ultra, which is bigger than both the 13 Pro and the 13 Pro Max. It features a 6.8” Dynamic AMOLED QHD+ screen (3200x1400 resolution). If you’re happy with this size it’s the clear winner of the two, and makes for a stunning way to view your images and video. 

When it comes to design, the iPhone is boxier, while the Samsung is sleeker - which you prefer is down to personal preference. The Samsung S22 Ultra is the largest overall too, measuring in at 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9mm, compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s size of 78.1 x 160.8 x 7.65mm - the iPhone is ever so slightly wider than the Samsung, but is shorter and thinner. 

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Battery life and storage

Apple had a bad reputation for poor battery life for its iPhone series for some time. It’s made decent progress with its recent models, with them generally lasting a least a full day with reasonably average use. The larger iPhone 13 Pro Max has a longer battery life - although Apple doesn’t release its full battery specs. If you’re likely to be producing a lot of 4K video content in one day it’s worth packing a battery pack if you’ll need to charge on the go.

With its 5000 mAh battery life, you’ll likely fare better with the Samsung S22 Ultra - fairly average usage should see it last two days before you need to give it a charge. Again, if you’re likely to be creating a lot of 4K (or even 8K) content, investing in a battery pack for on-the-go power boosts is probably a good idea.

When it comes to storage options, both the Samsung and the Apple give you choices between 128GB and 1TB. Neither offer the ability to expand your storage via MicroSD card, while both have limitations if you opt for the minimum storage - with the Samsung it’s that you get less RAM, and with the iPhone, you lose out on the ability to create ProRes video. Opting for the 256GB option or above for either device is likely to be the most sensible option for serious content creators.

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Accessories

Both the iPhone and the Samsung offer the ability to charge wirelessly, with the iPhone also being compatible with ultra-fast MagSafe chargers (sold separately).

It’s also worth noting that the Samsung S22 Ultra comes with an “S Pen”. This is something which has been brought across from Samsung’s “Note” series, and can be used to trigger the shutter remotely - making it very useful for selfies, group shots and even subjects such as low light where you might want to avoid touching the phone to take the picture. 

iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Value for money

It’s safe to say that neither the iPhone 13 Pro or the Samsung S22 Ultra are low-cost phones, but that doesn’t mean they don’t represent value for money if you want the best of the best.

You’ll need to pay £949/$999 for the cheapest iPhone 13 Pro model (128GB), or $1099/£1049 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. If you want the maximum 1TB storage, be prepared to pay $1499/£1449 or $1599/£1549 for the 13 Pro and the 13 Pro Max respectively.

The Samsung S22 Ultra is a little more expensive - but it’s also a little newer. The 128GB version will set you back $1199 / £1149. This rises to $1599 / £1499 for the 1TB version. 

Which represents the best value for money pretty much comes down to what you need. Arguably however you get more for your money from the Samsung, with its extra lens, bigger and higher resolution screen and accessories such as the S Pen.

 iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung S22 Ultra: Verdict

Choosing between these two high-end smartphones is by no means an easy task. Both the Samsung S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro / Max have their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re both reasonably similarly priced. 

If we were take it on the specs sheet alone, the Samsung would probably be the obvious winner. With its extra lens, larger screen, more options in the native camera app, 8K video and a long-lasting battery, to many people it will be a clear winner. However, if you consider that a very large phone won’t be appealing to all customers, while the more straightforward shooting experience is also a potential winner, then things become a little bit more muddied.

If we look at the results from both cameras, they’re both excellent, and both are capable of producing high-quality images and video in a range of different situations. That means the good news is that whatever you choose to buy, you’ll be getting something that performs extremely well. 

What it may likely come down to is your own preferences when it comes to iOS vs Android. Most people have their loyalties, and switching to another one usually only happens when something seriously tempting comes along. 

For those rare people who don’t mind either way, if pushed we’d have to pick the Samsung S22 Ultra as the best smartphone for photographers - but it’s certainly a very close run thing.

Read more:
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• Best iPhone for photography
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• Best 5G phone
• Best phablets
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• Best phablets

When it comes to choosing the best smartphone for photography, we’re a little spoiled for choice at the moment. 

There’s lots of models on the market which claim to be the ideal smartphone for photographers, with companies expending a lot of energy and marketing budget on trying to convince you of their respective photographic prowesses. 

Given its name, the Google Pixel 6 Pro is one such phone, and is the latest in Google’s line of photography-friendly devices. For the first time in its history, it now includes three lenses, and comes blended with its usual mix of clever AI and machine learning technology. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro is also packed with three different lenses, and similarly makes big claims about its own on-board features. 

In this piece we’ll be looking at how the Google Pixel 6 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro (as well as the iPhone 13 Pro Max - as both use the same cameras) stack up against each other to help you decide which one you might go for.

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Price

One of the key things about Google’s offerings compared with the iPhone, is the better value for money you get. 

Between the two most basic offerings - the 128GB iPhone 13 Pro and the Pixel 6 Pro there is $100/£100 saving to be had by plumping for the Pixel 6 Pro. Compare that to the 13 Pro Max - which offers the same size screen, and the saving jumps to $200/£200. 

The most expensive iPhone (the 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max) will set you back $1,599/£1,549, but there’s no equivalent Pixel to compare it against here. The 256GB iPhone 13 Pro will cost you $1,099/£1,149 compared to $899/£949 for the Pixel 6 Pro’s 256GB version. 

Deals my vary on contracts and the like, so it pays to shop around.

Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Cameras/Lenses

Both the iPhone 13 Pro and the Google Pixel 6 Pro feature a triple-lens camera array on their backs, giving you three different focal lengths to choose from. Both also offer standard lenses, ultra-wide lenses and telephoto lenses - so far so similar. 

There are some crucial differences however. The Pixel 6 Pro’s main camera is a 50 megapixel device, paired with an f/1.85 lens. The iPhone 13 Pro’s main camera is a more understated 12 megapixel device but with an f/1.5 lens. The ultra wide angle lens for the Pixel 6 Pro is 12 megapixels, and has an f/2.2 lens - the iPhone 13 Pro’s meanwhile is also 12 megapixels, but boasts an f/1.8 lens. Lastly, the Pixel’s telephoto optic has a 48 megapixel sensor behind it, with a 4x, f/3.5 lens. All three of the iPhone’s sensors are 12 megapixels, this time with a 3x, f/2.8 telephoto lens. 

Both devices feature optical image stabilization for the main and telephoto lenses, with the iPhone also including sensor-shift image stabilization on its main lens too. 

On paper, the two devices here are fairly evenly matched - with benefits from each outweighing the negatives of the other. It may come down to what it is you prioritize - if it’s a high pixel count, then it’s the Pixel 6 Pro which delivers better, but if it’s a wider / brighter lens, then the iPhone 13 Pro is the winner.

In real-world usage, results from both are excellent, and in fact very similar. It’s quite difficult to pull apart major differences between the two in good, everyday conditions. In low light, again, the two are reasonably evenly matched, with perhaps a little more detail being visible in shots taken with the Pixel 6 Pro if you examine closely. On the flip side, this extra detail is also visible in Portrait Mode - which is not necessarily the most flattering of effects. 

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: camera features

Both devices are packed with a host of different features which are designed to tempt photographers - and again, there’s quite a few similarities too. 

For example, both have a well-performing low light mode (called Night Sight for the Google and simply Night Mode for the iPhone). Both also have a portrait mode for creating shallow depth of field effects, particularly of people. 

There are some features which are unique to the Pixel - such as Motion Autofocus (which you can use to recreate the effects of a long exposure or panning shot without the need for a tripod) and Magic Eraser, which gives you the option to erase unwanted artefacts from your images. But by the same token, there are also features which are unique to the iPhone here too - such as the ability to shoot extremely close up with a macro focusing option. Which is more important to you likely comes down to personal preferences - though we’d probably guess that macro focusing is more useful to more photographers.

Both have the ability to create raw format (DNG) imagery, while both have fairly simple and straightforward native camera apps.  The Pixel 6 Pro gives you a little more control than the iPhone, but neither has a dedicated “advanced” or “pro” shooting mode - which is a little disappointing. Both Android and iOS offer a huge number of third-party photography apps which can be used for better control if you need it though. 

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Video

4K video recording at up to 60fps is available on both the Pixel 6 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro.

Both also offer video stabilization - with the Pixel 6 Pro switching on stabilization will result in a crop, which you can switch off if you prefer. The iPhone 13 Pro’s stabilization can’t be switched off. Both stabilization systems do a pretty good job of keeping your video shots smooth and steady.

Google Pixel 6 Pro 4k sample video - 60fps Uncropped

Google Pixel 6 Pro 4k sample video - 60fps cropped

Apple iPhone 13 Pro 4k sample video - 60fps

The iPhone 13 Pro benefits from Dolby Vision HDR, but as that’s only something that you can see on other Apple devices, it’s not so easy to compare the two side by side (as you can’t take away screen differences). Another benefit of the Apple device however is the ability to shoot in Apple ProRes, something which advanced videographers may want to take advantage of. 

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Screen and Design

With its very large 6.7” (170mm) screen, the Pixel 6 Pro is very much in “phablet” territory. By contrast, the iPhone 13 Pro has a much smaller 6.1” screen. It’s therefore perhaps fairer to compare the Pixel 6 Pro with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which also has a 6.7” screen.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro features an LTPO OLED QHD+ (1440 x 3120 pixels) device at 512ppi, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s screen is a Super Retina XDR (2532 x 1170 pixels) device at 458ppi. If you do stick with the smaller iPhone 13 Pro, you’ll also get a Super Retina XDR (2532 x 1170 pixels) device at 460ppi. All three devices offer a 120Hz refresh rate.

All of the devices are lovely and bright, showing off your photos and videos very well, especially when viewed in isolation. However, it’s probably the Pixel 6 Pro which is just about the best - but it’s only particularly evident when you place them all next to each other. 

In terms of the size of the devices, the Pixel 6 Pro measures in at 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm. Those opting for the smaller iPhone 13 Pro will get a 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm device. Again, sizing is very much dependent on personal preference - the smallest device of the three is easier to hold and use than the other two, but for displaying your photos (and other apps), bigger is arguably better.

Corning Gorilla Glass Victus is used for the Pixel 6 Pro, while the iPhone 13 Pro has a CeramicShield front - so both should be good for resisting at least fairly light scratches.

The colors available for the phone’s finish are a bit more fun with the Pixel 6 Pro. With the iPhone 13 Pro you get relatively reserved color options (Graphite - Black, Gold, Silver and Sierra Blue), compared to the Pixel’s brighter Sorta Sunny, Cloudy White and Stormy Black.

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: battery and processor

The Pixel 6 Pro has a 5003mAh battery, which offers fast charging and wireless charging. Google claims that it will last beyond 24 hours, and in real-world testing that seems to be true so long as you’re not hammering the battery by recording hours of 4K video for example. 

Apple doesn’t disclose its exact battery specs, but it does claim that the iPhone 13 Pro’s video playback capability is 22 hours, or 28 hours for the Max version. Again, in real-world usage, the iPhone 13 Pro doesn’t need to be charged up before the end of a day so long as you’re using it relatively “normally.”

Google is using its newly-developed Tensor processor for the Pixel 6 series, which helps with some of its camera features, including Motion Autofocus and Magic Eraser. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro features an A15 Bionic Chip, which the company says is its faster chip ever. Again, certain camera features draw their power from this chip, such as Deep Fusion and Smart HDR.

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: memory and storage

If extensive storage is what you require, then the Pixel 6 Pro is a little bit of a disappointment. The maximum you can get here is 256GB storage, with an 128GB option also available. The iPhone 13 Pro has more storage options, maxing out at 1TB, with 512, 256 and 128GB options also available - it’s worth noting that you’ll need at least 256GB if you want to take advantage of Apple’s ProRes video at 4K. Neither offer the ability to expand the inbuilt storage via MicroSD cards or similar.

Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Conclusion

The Pixel 6 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro are very evenly matched in many respects - so it’s not a straightforward decision when it comes to choosing which is best. 

It’s hard to deny that the Pixel 6 Pro is better value for money, being at the very least $100/£100 cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro, but arguably being more like $100/£200 cheaper when you look at the two more comparable devices (iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pixel 6 Pro). That said, not having to compromise on camera quality if you don’t want a very large phone is a big bonus for the iPhone 13 Pro series. 

As both are excellent smartphones for photography, in the end it will likely come down to which type of system you prefer, and or perhaps which you’re already embedded in. If you’re a dedicated iOS user, there’s probably not quite enough to tempt you over to the Android side with the Pixel 6 Pro - and vice versa. 

If you’re a little more on the fence, it’s likely to be a combination of price, how big a phone you want, or maybe your storage needs, that will swing the decision one way or another.

Read more:

Best camera phones
Best iPhone for photography
Apple iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13
Google Pixel 6 vs Pixel 6 Pro
Best phablets
best budget camera phones?

This year’s iPhone 13 range features four different models. We think it’s very likely that most photographers will be primarily drawn towards those with “Pro” in the title - the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max (both of which have the same camera set up). However, the iPhone 13 offers many of the same specifications, inside a device which is the same size and shape as the iPhone 13 Pro but without quite such a hefty price tag. 

So, does that mean you can easily save yourself some cash buying the latest of the iPhone generations but still enjoy a very well-performing smartphone camera? In this piece, we’ll be aiming to find out. 

One of the basic differences is a double lens set up (iPhone 13) vs a triple lens set up (iPhone 13 Pro), but there are some other differences between the two which are worth considering before you commit yourself to buying either phone. 

Let’s discover how the two measure up…

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Cameras

While the iPhone 13 Pro has a triple lens set up offering a standard (26mm, equivalent), ultra wide (13mm) and telephoto (78mm) lens, those opting for the iPhone 13 will miss out on the telephoto lens. 

Despite having the same focal lengths, there’s also some differences between the two lenses which you might think are the same. Both share the same larger sensors, but the standard lens on the iPhone 13 Pro has an aperture which is a touch wider at f/1.5 than the f/1.6 aperture of the iPhone 13’s standard lens. The difference is even bigger with the ultra-wide lens, with the 13mm lens on the more expensive model having an f/1.8 aperture, compared to the f/2.4 aperture of the cheaper option.

Read also: Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro

Another major difference between the lenses is the ability of the iPhone 13 Pro to focus extremely close-up, which the iPhone 13 simply doesn’t have. You also can’t record in Apple’s ProRAW format (DNG), so there’s not quite the same scope for adjusting images after the fact in editing software such as Photoshop. How much you are bothered by this is likely to be down to personal preference, but it’s a clear indicator of the more beginner-type audience Apple expects to be interested in the iPhone 13. 

The LiDAR Scanner found in the iPhone 13 Pro is not seen in the iPhone 13. You can see this by flipping both models over and playing spot the difference around the camera modules - only the iPhone 13 Pro has the large black circle which indicates the scanner. As this is designed to improve autofocusing speeds particularly in low light, we should expect a better performance from the more expensive model. 

A new addition for both models is Photographic Styles, allowing you to add a certain look to your images at the point of capture. There’s a few different options, which can also be further customized if you require

Both of the iPhones here have the A15 Bionic chip, but only the iPhone 13 Pro has the 5-core GPU which means that Apple claims it to be the “fastest chip ever” for iPhones. The iPhone 13 has a 4-core GPU which it still claims to be “faster than the competition”.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Night mode and low-light shooting 

Both the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 have a low-light Night mode that automatically activates when the phone detected that light levels are on the low side. Both models also have Deep Fusion, which is designed to improve the appearance of low-light shots. 

That said, however, given the contrasting light gathering capabilities between the two phones lenses, we can see a clearly marked difference between the two in real-world situations, particularly between the two ultra-wide-angle lenses. As we’d expect, the iPhone 13 Pro puts in a much better performance here - so if you’re consistently shooting in low light, it’s something to consider. 

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Portrait mode

Portrait mode is available on both phones, but as the iPhone 13 does not have a telephoto lens, you only get afford one focal length to choose from when using it. 

With the iPhone 13, all you can take is “environmental” type shots, which show the subject quite clearly in their context, albeit with a nicely blurred background. With the iPhone 13 Pro you can do this, but you can also tap the 3x zoom button to create more traditional style (closer) portraits too. 

Another noticeable difference is the ability to use Night Mode and Portrait mode in combination with the iPhone 13 Pro, something which the iPhone 13 isn’t capable of doing. If you like taking lots of shots of friends and family in a variety of lighting conditions, the iPhone 13 Pro is the much better option.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Video

iPhone 13: 4K video sample

iPhone 13 Pro: 4K video sample

Both the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro offer the ability to record in resolutions up to 4K, while an interesting new feature shared across both phones is “Cinematic Mode”.

This essentially creates a shallow depth of field effect for moving images, rather than just stills. When you’re using this, you can only record in Full HD (rather than 4K), but it’s still a fun option to use to create a more polished look for certain subjects. 

It seems to work equally well on both models, but again, like Portrait mode, you get the option to shoot at 3x with the iPhone 13 Pro as well as 1x, which is the only option with the iPhone 13. 

The iPhone 13 Pro is going to have the ability to record in “ProRes” (Apple’s professional format) later in the year, something that the iPhone 13 won’t offer at all. It’s worth noting that only iPhone 13 Pro devices with at least 256GB memory will be allow you to record in 4K due to the size of the files created by ProRes. 

Both models are good for video, but for vloggers and those looking for as much flexibility as possible when it comes to moving imagery, the iPhone 13 Pro is perhaps the wiser investment.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Screen & Design

In terms of size and shape, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro are exactly the same. The exact measurements are 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, but the iPhone 13 Pro is a little bit heavier at 203g (compared to 173g). 

Both models feature a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with a 2353 x 1170 pixel / 460 psi resolution. The iPhone 13 Pro is a little brighter (1000 nits vs 800 nits), while it also comes with Pro Motion Technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. In theory this should make the iPhone 13 Pro smoother to look at, but in practice, it’s very hard to spot a huge amount of difference, even when looking at the two phones side to side.

A ceramic shield front is used for both models, good news for the clumsy among us, while the other difference is that the iPhone 13 Pro uses surgical grade stainless steel, while the iPhone 13 uses aerospace grade aluminum. Given that steel is harder than aluminum, we can expect that the iPhone 13 Pro will withstand scrapes a bit better than the iPhone 13 - but this isn’t something we’ve tested extensively.

In terms of splash, water and dust-proofing, both models offer an IP68 rating, meaning you can dunk them in water as deep as 6 metres and for as long as 30 minutes.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Battery & Capacity 

Although Apple keeps specific battery-capacities to itself, we can use information such as maximum playback time to gauge the battery life of either model.

The iPhone 13 Pro offers 22 hours, while the iPhone 13 offers 19 hours. Given both devices are the same size and virtually the same weight, it seems fairly likely that both are using the same battery, but the faster processor of the iPhone 13 Pro probably gives the more expensive model the edge when it comes to performance.

You shouldn’t be overly worried either way, as we’ve found that in general / average usage, both models last until the end of the day, with it only running low if you’re having a particularly snap-happy day.

Both of the models only come with a cable (and no charging block), as Apple assumes that you will already have one of these. If you have a 20W adapter, you can fast charge both phones up to 50% in just 30 minutes. 

MagSafe accessories are also compatible with both models, which includes a fast wireless charger. You can charge either phone wirelessly with other types of wireless chargers, they just won’t be as fast.

Both the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro offer a base-level capacity of 128GB, but only the iPhone 13 Pro is available with 1TB of storage space - the iPhone 13 maxes out at 512GB.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Price

Here’s the big difference that most people will be interested in - the price.

You may be surprised to discover that the difference in price isn’t as huge as you might imagine, and given that you get a lot of extra capability for the additional outlay, you may consider it worth it. 

The 128GB iPhone 13 will set you back $799 / £779, compared to $999 / £949 for the 128GB iPhone 128GB, a difference of $200 / £170. If have another iPhone to trade in, or you’re looking at phones available as part of a contract, the prices may well be different. 

Colors are also different between the two different devices, with the iPhone 13 Pro’s color options being perhaps a little more on the “serious” side, with Graphite (Black), Silver, Gold and Sierra Blue. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13’s options are a little more fun with Pink, Blue, Midnight (Black), Starlight (Silvery white) and Red.

iPhone 13 Pro vs iPhone 13: Conclusion 

If you’re trying to decide between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro, you may want to consider exactly how much you use the on-board camera of either device. 

For those who consider the photographic capabilities of their smartphone to be of utmost importance, it’s definitely worth spending the extra money to get the better performing smartphone - and arguably, having to pay less than £200 to get all you do get from the Pro version is well worth it for that type of user. 

To summarize, you get an extra lens (telephoto), raw format shooting, the ability to focus close-up, a better performing Portrait mode and better video and low-light capability. Once you start adding all of those together, you can see that the iPhone 13 Pro is quite significantly the better option. 

Other device specifications show less of a contrast. Both offer 5G connectivity, both have a body and screen design which is pretty similar, and both offer extensive battery life. The iPhone 13 Pro’s chassis is a little bit tougher, which may pique the interest of the clumsy among us. 

Overall, if you’re an enthusiast photographer, it’s the iPhone 13 Pro which you should get if budget allows, but you’ll still be left with a nicely performing model if you opt for the iPhone 13. 

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The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the biggest and best of Apple’s new-generation iPhones. There are four in total, including the pint-sized iPhone 13 Mini, the regular iPhone 13, the regular iPhone 13 Pro and this one. The 13 Pro has the same cameras and tech as the Pro Max, but the Pro Max has the biggest screen, at 6.7 inches versus 6.1 inches, and a slightly longer battery life of up to 28hrs video playback versus up to 22 hours on the smaller phone.

Apple would have to drop the ball in a really big way for the iPhone 13 Pro Max not to instantly become one of the best camera phones you can buy. And if that price tag does make you quake (we're all quaking a little), you can also check out our guides to the best budget camera phones or best burner phones instead.

Both iPhone 13 Pro cameras share the same spectacular three-camera array, and spectacular it is, both in its capabilities, its clever shooting modes and computational imaging tricks, and in the sheer quality of the results.

You only get the full suite of camera features with the Pro models, but they are the same for each, so the real decision is how much you want (or need) the bigger screen of the Pro Max.

Specifications

Rear cameras: 12MP 13mm f/1.8 Ultra Wide camera, 12MP 26mm f/1.5 Wide camera, 12MP 77mm f/2.8 telephoto camera
Zoom range: 6x optical
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth
Display: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED (2778x1284 at 458ppi)
Chip: A15 Bionic, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Image stabilization: Dual OIS (Telephoto and Wide), sensor shift (Wide)
Max video resolution: 4K 60p
Waterproof: Yes (IP68 – down to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes)
Touch ID: No
Face ID: Yes
5G: Yes
Capacity: 128 / 256 / 512GB / 1TB
Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65mm
Weight: 240g
Charger: Lightning (adapter not included)

See also: Best iPhone 13 Pro Max cases

iPhone 13 Pro Max camera features

So let’s start with the iPhone 13 Pro camera system. Apple says this is its biggest upgrade yet, and while Apple says this every year, and while the changes might appear incremental rather than revolutionary at first glance, there’s a lot to talk about.

First, the new 13mm equivalent Ultra Wide camera has a wider f/1.8 aperture, all-new autofocus and a ‘faster’ sensor. Overall, Apple says, it can capture 92% more light. More than that, it has a new 2cm macro mode which engages automatically as you move up close to your subject and can capture tiny objects at a magnification that would previously have needed a clip-on macro lens. The macro mode works for video, too.

The regular Wide camera has a faster f/1.5 aperture and a larger sensor which incorporates sensor-shift image stabilization. Apple says this new camera captures 2.2x more light than its predecessor, and uses the iPhone’s LiDAR Scanner for Night mode portraits.

The telephoto camera has a longer 77mm equivalent focal length than before to offer a 3x telephoto effect relative to the regular Wide lens. Factor in the 0.5x Ultra Wide camera, and you have an overall focal length range of 6x – which seems to have been muddled up with a ‘6x zoom’ by some. To clarify, the 77mm telephoto camera offers 3x magnification, which is not the same as a 3x ‘zoom’ lens.

This camera array, in conjunction with the iPhone’s Camera app, iOS 15 and the might of the A15 processor, offers some terrific shooting modes.

• See also Best iPhone 13 Pro Max cases

The macro mode, as already mentioned, kicks in automatically if you move the phone close enough to your subject – if you’re looking for it you can see the phone switch cameras at a certain distance (it’s the Ultra Wide camera that takes care of Macro shots). Interestingly, the phone maintains a very similar magnification and angle of view when it switches cameras, so we suspect it’s using some crafty computational trickery (digital zooming, in other words).

With Smart HDR 4, the iPhone 13 Pro can now pick out and optimise individuals in outdoor shots, and Portrait mode is as effective as ever at blurring backgrounds in people shots.

But now this background blurring/bokeh effect appears in the iPhone’s new Cinematic mode, which gives the appearance of shallow depth of field  that you get with much larger sensors –  the ‘cinematic’ look. The clever part is that this is done digitally, so the iPhone can automatically recognise people entering the frame, for example, and switch ‘focus’. Because it’s being done with processing not lens focusing, this means the iPhone can pull off the uncanny trick of offering focus adjustment AFTER you’ve captured your clip. Don’t like where it focused, or the speed of its pull-focus transition – then change it!

The iPhone 13’s video capabilities will take a further step forward when Apple adds ProRes video support in a future update ‘coming soon’.

The iPhone 13 Pro already offers the Apple ProRaw format for stills, which is essentially a generic linear DNG format that can in principle be opened by any raw software for shadow and highlight recovery, white balance adjustment and more control and quality overall.

iPhone 13 Pro Max: other features

Camera array aside, the other dominant feature of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is its 6.7-inch display or, to give it its full name, its Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. Apple says it’s up to 25% brighter outdoors and quotes a high-speed 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth swiping movements and acceleration/deceleration to match your finger’s scrolling speed. The actual refresh rate will depend on what you’re doing and the apps you’re running, but it could make gameplay super-smooth.

Apple says the A15 Bionic processor incorporates an all-new 5-core GPU for up to 50% faster graphics performance than any other smartphone chip.

The body is made using ‘surgical grade’ stainless steel, its Ceramic Shield iii tougher than any smartphone glass, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max has IP68 water resistance, which means (says Wikipedia) that it is “dust resistant” and can be “immersed in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes”.

You can get the iPhone 13 Pro Max with storage from 126GB right up to 1TB, and it comes in Sierra Blue, Silver, Gold, and Graphite.

One word of warning: iPhones don't have memory card slots for extra storage and you can't upgrade the in-built memory later, so you have to make sure you get one with enough memory. Try to work out how much you think you will need... and then double it. It will make your phone even more expensive, but you almost certainly regret it later on if you scrimp on in-built storage.

Build and handling

This a big phone. Not just big, but heavy-feeling. The 240g weight doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s packed into a pretty slim device, so it feels particularly dense and ‘weighty’.

When you’ve paid this much for a phone, you’ll probably want a decent case to protect it. We’d suggest something nice made of leather – our sample came with a utilitarian clear plastic Apple case which doesn’t look great and makes the 13 Pro Max pretty slippery to pick up from a flat surface.

Operation and handling are otherwise superb. You may not immediately notice the improved responsiveness of the screen, but iPhones have always been so good in this respect there’s not a lot of room for improvement.

You will need to use the in-built Camera app to get the full range of photo and video features. Other apps like Lightroom won’t have access to all of the things the hardware and OS can do.

For everyday practicality, we’d be tempted to stick to the regular iPhone 13 Pro. The photography and filmmaking features are the same, but while the 6.1-inch screen size doesn’t sound a lot on paper, there’s a very noticeable physical difference. The Pro Max is a great phone to keep on your desk or have by your armchair, but the regular Pro slips much more nicely into a trouser pocket.

But if you intend using the iPhone 13 as series content capture tool, the bigger screen of the Pro Max will be more important than its extra size and weight.

Performance

The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s performance is brilliant but not perfect. The fact is, it’s easy to forget that this is just a phone, and start applying regular camera standards to its stills and video performance – which is both pretty unreasonable, but also an indication of just how good phones have now become.

The still image resolution is ‘just’ 12 megapixels, and video capture tops out at 4K 60p, but the quality that Apple has produced within these limits is pretty extraordinary.

Below is a selection of 3-image galleries which show the angle of view of the iPhone 13 Pro's three camera:

Still images are crisp and clear with almost none of the small sensor ‘smoothing’ of fine detail that afflicts a lot of rivals, and the standard Wide camera lens is sharp from edge to edge. Apple’s HDR imaging is very, very good, and the provision of ProRaw format promises higher quality still.

If the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a weakness, it’s the Ultra Wide lens. On one hand, this is an exceptionally useful feature we should be pleased to have at all… but on the other, the edge sharpness isn’t as good as the regular Wide camera’s, and Apple’s digital jiggery pokery with the automatic macro mode switching doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in macro shots unless you switch to the Ultra Wide lens first, so that you know there’s no digital zooming going on.

Regardless, the still image quality and the scope of this 3-camera array is pretty extraordinary – and if the still image quality is good, the video capture from this phone is better still. Apple already has an amazingly effective stabilisation system, so that the steady-handed video shooter might decide not to bother with a gimbal, but the new Cinematic mode is just amazing. Apple’s faux-bokeh effect might not stand ultra-close scrutiny compared to real bokeh, but the immediate visual effect is just stunning.

Verdict

It might be tempting to pick the iPhone Pro Max over the regular Pro model just to get ‘the best of everything’. The regular Pro costs enough, so why not take that last step and get the bigger screen?

Well, it does change the handling dynamics somewhat. As a serious video camera (yes, we are serious) on a rig or a gimbal or a grip, the Pro Max’s size is not an issue and the bigger screen is an advantage. But if what you want is a stellar camera phone that’s also practical AS A PHONE, the regular iPhone 13 Pro might be your best choice.

And before anyone complains about the price, can we just mention the Sony Xperia Pro, which costs twice as much as the iPhone 13 Pro Max? It’s a different kind of device for a different kind of user, but who knew that one day Apple would offer a cheap alternative to Sony?

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Apple has introduced four new iPhone models in the iPhone 13 series, with each designed to appeal to a particular type of user. The iPhone 13 sits squarely in the middle, offering a little less than the more advanced (and more expensive) iPhone 13 Pro/ iPhone Pro 13 Max and a little more than the basic iPhone 13 Mini.

With this model, you get a double-lens camera set up, with the phone featuring two of the same focal lengths as the iPhone 13 Pro - but you lose out on the telephoto lens.

There are other differences between the two when it comes to camera functionality, mostly down to software differences, but arguably, unless you’re using your smartphone as your primary camera, the iPhone 13 makes a lot of sense from a budgetary standpoint. 

Let’s take a closer look at how the specs stack up… 

iPhone 13 Key features

As already mentioned, the iPhone 13 uses a double-lens set up, giving you a 13mm (equivalent) / 0.5x ultra-wide optic and a 26mm (equivalent), but they are not exactly the same as those found in the iPhone 13 Pro. While the sensor sizes have increased (accommodated by the cameras appearing in a diagonal formation on the back of the phone, as opposed to a straight line like we saw on the iPhone 12), the lenses themselves have the same apertures of f/1.6 for the standard lens, and f/2.4 for the ultra-wide, making them a little less impressive than the f/1.5 and f/1.8 for the same lenses on the iPhone 13 Pro. 

That said, the iPhone 13 benefits from the addition of sensor-shift optical image stabilization, a feature which previously only found in the iPhone 12 Pro Max and is now available across all iPhone 13 series models. Overall, with a larger sensor and better stabilization, the iPhone 13 should provide better low-light performance than its immediate predecessor.

The iPhone 13 is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip, but with its 4-core GPU it’s not quite as fast as the iPhone 13 Pro’s 5-core GPU - but, says Apple, it is still “faster than the competition”. 

Other new additions include Cinematic Style for video recording, which creates a shallow depth of field effect for movies, Photographic Styles and HDR 4. Among the camera/photography specifications coming over from the iPhone 13 we have 4K video recording, Night mode, Deep Fusion (both for better low-light recording) and Portrait mode.

Interestingly, what we don’t have for the iPhone 13 is the ability to record in raw format, Night mode portraits, or the LiDAR Scanner for faster autofocusing in low light. It’s clear that Apple isn’t intending the straight 13 model to be the one which appeals to advanced-level or enthusiast photographers in the same way that its Pro model does. The iPhone 13 also won’t have the ability to record ProRes video, Apple’s professional video format which is coming to the Pro series later in the year.

Both the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro share roughly the same body design, and other shared features include 5G connectivity, and compatibility with MagSafe accessories and wireless chargers.

At launch, the iPhone 13 is priced at $799 / £779 for the 128GB version - the base level storage is now twice the base level of the iPhone 12, which started at 64GB. If you want more storage, the price goes up to $899 / £879 for the 256GB version, or $1099 / £1079 for the 512GB. Unlike the iPhone 13 Pro series, there’s no 1TB option for the standard 13.

As with the iPhone 13 Pro, a battery charger doesn’t come provided in the box, you only get a cable. Apple assumes that most people will already have a USB adapter available, but if you don’t, make sure to add one to your basket before checkout. Speaking of battery however, the battery life has been improved when compared to the 12 Pro, but given that the physical size of the two devices is roughly equal, this is likely down to the faster / more efficient chip rather than any physical battery size changes.

Build & handling

The iPhone 13 is exactly the same size and shape as the iPhone 13 Pro, being only very marginally different from the iPhone 12. For exactness, the iPhone 13’s measurements are 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, compared to 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm for the iPhone 12. If you’ve got an iPhone 12, you’re annoyingly probably going to need a new case.

Measuring 6.1-inches in diameter, the screen is a Super Retina XDR Display - the same as found with the iPhone 12 (and indeed the iPhone 13 Pro). It’s slightly brighter than its predecessor, but otherwise the two are very similar. You don’t get the ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates as found in the iPhone 13 Pro, though. 

The same level of splash, water and dust resistance (IP68) appears for the iPhone 13, with a Ceramic Shield front and Aerospace-grade aluminum (which sounds impressive if nothing else). It’s designed to be tough and resistant to damage from being dropped and scratches. 

Apple has been using pretty much the same native camera app since it launched the original iPhone, with just a few tweaks along the way. If you’ve ever used one before, then you’ll be very familiar here. You can access it by long pressing the camera icon on the lock screen. The app launches in the standard “Photo” mode which is likely what you’ll take most of your photos using. 

From this mode you can switch between the two different lenses, and make adjustments to other settings such as activating Picture Styles or switching off Live Photos. You can also adjust exposure compensation and aspect ratio, which is about the extent of it when it comes to advanced camera controls. There’s no ability to shoot in raw format here as you’ll find on models like the iPhone 12 Pro or the iPhone 13 Pro. The new Photo Styles give you the option to choose between “Rich Contrast,” “Vibrant,” “Warm, and “Cool”, with each also being customizable by adjusting sliders for Tone and Warmth. 

Night Mode is not a directly selectable mode, but rather something which will automatically activate when light levels are detected as being low. One thing to note is that you can’t combine Night and Portrait mode as you can in the Pro series models. You’ll also not be able to focus extremely close up by simply moving closer to the subject as you can with the iPhone 13 Pro - but of course there has to be some noticeable differences between the models.

Aside from the standard “Photo” mode, there’s a host of other shooting modes which you can use, which includes Portrait, for creating blurred backgrounds regardless of the subject, Video, Slo-Mo and Pano, which are all pretty self-explanatory. The new Cinematic Video mode is also available, enabling you to create shallow depth of field effects for moving images. You can adjust the simulated aperture to give a greater or lesser effect, too.

iPhone 13 Performance

Just like there’s relatively little difference in the iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro photo contest, the same can be said here between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 - particularly depending on the type of shot you take, or the type of conditions you shoot in. The iPhone 12 was already an impressive mid-range performer, so by increasing the sensor size and providing a few other tweaks, we’ve got something a little better, but by no means revolutionary. It also compares reasonably well to the iPhone 13 Pro in some situations, so if you’re on the fence about spending the extra cash for the more advanced version, you’ll likely still be reasonably happy with the compromise.

The iPhone 13 produces excellent results in a variety of situations, with pleasing vibrant colors and plenty of detail. It’s a shame not to have a telephoto option, but the ultra wide-angle arguably comes in more useful in many situations as it’s usually easier to move closer to a subject than to create more space in a scene to shoot widely.

Video sample shot in 4K

Video sample with Cinematic Mode

Video mode is impressive, with Dolby HDR producing excellent results, especially when viewed on the screen of the iPhone itself. Cinematic Mode is a nice addition for the iPhone 13’s video capability, with the only drawback being that it only records in Full HD rather than 4K. Still, for the average user it’s a fun new mode that works impressively well - even if we have seen other similar modes implemented elsewhere from other manufacturers before.

Apple’s Night Mode puts in a pretty good performance here, but if you compare it to that from the iPhone 13 Pro there is a clear disadvantage thanks to the smaller aperture, particularly of the ultra wide angle lens. The difference is less noticeable when you look at images in isolation, and it may not be too much of an issue for you if you don’t tend to shoot frequently in very low light situations.

iPhone 13 Verdict

The iPhone 13 is Apple’s mid-range offering, and as such, it’s only fair to expect a mid-range performance - and that’s especially true of the on-board camera.

While it puts in an admirable performance in good light, and has some fun new additions such as the Cinematic Mode for video and Picture Styles for stills, if you truly want the best photographic performance you’ll get much better from the iPhone 13 Pro (but you’ll pay the price for it).

It’s also true that this isn’t a huge evolution from the iPhone 12, so if you’re still in possession of one of those, an upgrade here is probably even less worth it than that from the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 13 Pro. 

That’s not to say that the iPhone 13 isn’t a very good, very accomplished piece of kit, but there are some significant sacrifices to be made for the cut in price - but if you’re working to a tight budget, it’s a very good option indeed. If your budget is even tighter, given that you can still buy the iPhone 12 very easily (including directly from Apple for £679 - £100 cheaper than its successor), it’s worth considering whether you even need this latest mid-range offering.

Overall the camera on board the iPhone 13 does a very good job at a variety of different subjects, but enthusiast photographers will almost certainly crave the higher power and extra benefits the Pro version offers.

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• Looking for the best budget camera phones? Try these!

The iPhone 13 Mini does exactly what it says on the tin: gives you the same functions and firepower as the iPhone 13, in a more svelte form factor and with a smaller price tag to match. 

Unlike the iPhone SE, which achieves a lower price point by sacrificing specs (including, most notably, battery life), the iPhone 13 Mini squeezes the raw power of the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 13 into a 5.4-inch handset. 

What it doesn't squeeze in is the ProRaw or ProRes power of the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max models. So if you want the best camera phone that Apple offers, the latest Pro and Pro Max give you those, along with a 78mm telephoto lens, ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, Macro mode and Night mode for portraits.

While those may be important to power users, the standard iPhone 13s are still among the very best iPhones for photography – and if you want a heavyweight punch in a cruiserweight frame, the iPhone 13 Mini is for you. 

iPhone 13 Mini: Specifications

Rear cameras: 12MP, 26mm f/1.6 (wide), 12MP, 13mm f/2.4 (ultra wide)
Zoom: 5x optical
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth
Display: 5.4-inch OLED Super Retina XDR (2340 x 1080 at 476 ppi)
Chip: A15 Bionic
Image stabilization: OIS (all), sensor shift (wide only)
Max video resolution: 4K 60p
Waterproof: Yes (IP68 – down to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes)
Touch ID: No
Face ID: Yes
5G: Yes
Capacity: 128 / 256 / 512GB
Dimensions: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm
Weight: 140g
Charger: Lightning (adapter not included)

iPhone 13 Mini: Key features

Obviously the primary selling point of the iPhone 13 Mini is its size, with a 5.4-inch screen and a diminutive 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm, 140g body. That's compared to the 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm and 173g "heft" of the comparatively chunky standard issue iPhone 13. 

Other than that, the Mini has all the same tricks as its bigger brother. A dual 12MP rear camera array with a 26mm f/1.6 and 13mm f/2.4 shooting options, the former offering sensor-based image stabilization with a 5x optical zoom, and both packing optical stabilization. On the front sits a single 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera. 

In addition to better low light performance, the cameras also up the ante on portrait mode features by introducing Cinematic mode – which uses depth calculation to simulate a shallow depth of field effect on video footage, which can be captured up to 4K 60p (with dedicated slow-mo options offering up to 240fps in 1080p). 

It's not just the cameras that are better, as the battery life has been improved as well – thanks in part to a physically larger cell, as well as the power-saving wizardry of the new A15 Bionic chip, which offers more than enough oomph to run even intense games, apps and editing software with ease. 

As with all iPhone 13s (and 12s) the Mini is a 5G phone, and also boasts Apple's MagSafe technology for wireless charging and magnetic mounting of cases and other accessories. The base capacity has been doubled from 64GB to 128GB, and it comes in (Product)Red, Starlight (white), Midnight (black/dark blue), Blue and Pink gloss finishes that will leave your fingerprints all over them.

iPhone 13 Mini: Build & handling

While it looks the same as the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 13 Mini has minute differences in its design – mainly when it comes to the camera module, so you'll almost certainly need to get a new case if you're upgrading from last year's model.

Otherwise, you probably know what to expect here: this is a 5.4-inch phone that slips into pockets far more easily than its larger siblings and handles better if you have smaller hands or reduced range of motion in your digits.  

If you haven't upgraded your iPhone for a while, or you're coming from an Android phone, you'll probably lament the lack of traditional headphone jack – though there are obviously a wide range of wireless earbuds to choose from. The familiar Apple Lightning connector is still here for now – though following an EU ruling, iPhones will likely have a standard USB-C connection starting next year.

The handset retains the IP68-rated splash, water and dust resistance that enables you to submerge the phone down to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes – though anyone who has used a wet phone will attest that wet screens aren't the most responsive, so it's not going to replace the best waterproof cameras. 

The 'grammar' of the Mini will be familiar to Apple users, with the same swipes and gestures, the volume button activating the camera shutter, and a left swipe or depress of the icon on the lock screen giving you quick access to the camera. 

iPhone 13 Mini: Performance

While the specs mostly offer incremental updates over the iPhone 12 Mini, in practice the beefed-up cameras make a notable difference. The superior low light performance is especially welcome, particularly without the additional Night mode of the Pro models, and combined with the sensor stabilization of the main camera result in tangibly better image quality. 

Apple's default camera app may feel a bit remedial to advanced shooters, but there are still some options to play with. Exposure compensation can be adjusted, Photo Styles (Standard, Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, Cool) can be adjusted, and filters (Original, Vivid, Vivid Warm, Vivid Cool, Dramatic, Dramatic Warm, Dramatic Cool, Mono, Silvertone, Noir) applied. 

Portrait mode enables you to adjust the artificial depth of field from f/1.4 to f/16, with optional simulated lighting effects should you want to add dimension to flat, unflattering illumination. 

The new Cinematic mode (see video below) takes the magic of Portrait mode and applies it to video, enabling you to shoot footage – and perform film-like rack focusing – with a simulated depth of field powered by lock-on AF tracking. 

Watch video: Apple's new Cinematic mode

This is a largely brilliant feature, and one that will have content creators in a tizzy. Not only can you select your preferred f-stop and adjust exposure compensation when you film, you can actually post produce the footage and adjust the amount of blur – and which subject is in focus – after you've shot your scene. 

Which can be handy if you're not filming human subjects, as the generally intelligent AF tracking system doesn't always behave if you tell it to track a non-recognizable face (or, in our case, a Baby Yoda).

Of course, you can always use third-party photo and video apps for greater control – Halide, for example, is a brilliant photography app that gives you full manual control of the camera. 

And thanks to the power of the A15 Bionic chip, you can make all the adjustments you want to in dedicated editing software (such as Adobe's offerings) or even Apple's own Photos app, which gives you a surprising degree of control – especially over Cinematic video. 

iPhone 13 Mini: Sample images & video

iPhone 13 Mini: Verdict

The iPhone 13 Mini is a brilliant proposition if you don't already own the iPhone 12 Mini, but less so if you do. For owners of older iPhones, particularly those looking for a smaller handset, it's a no-brainer: the photo and video quality is superb, with Cinematic mode adding a new tool to your filmmaking arsenal. 

If you bought the Mini last year then there's not much incentive to upgrade to the 13, other than improved cameras and battery life – so if you're happy with your phone, sit tight until 2022. 

And if you're mulling over whether to get the Mini (or the standard iPhone 13) rather than one of the Pro models, remember that you won't get ProRaw, ProRes, a telephoto lens or Macro mode – but if you don't need those, then the iPhone 13 Mini is fantastic camera phone. 

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The iPhone 13 range features four different models, each tailored towards a different kind of user. There’s the basic / entry-level models: the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Mini, and there’s the more advanced (and more expensive) iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models.

In this review, we’ll be looking at the iPhone 13 Pro. Unlike last year’s iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the cameras are the same on both models, so the major difference comes down primarily to the handling and the size of the screen. Both the 13 Pro and the 13 Pro are the ones that are likely to appeal most strongly to photographers - with it being personal choice which size screen you go for this time around.

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Key Features

Once again Apple has gone for a triple lens set up on the iPhone 13 Pro models, giving us a standard, ultra wide and telephoto lens. We have the same focal lengths for the 26mm (equivalent) standard lens, and 13mm (0.5x) ultra-wide optic, but the telephoto lens has been extended to a 3x (78mm) offering, compared with the iPhone 12 Pro’s 2x lens, or the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 2.5x lens.

There have been further improvements to the other lenses/cameras too, with the standard lens now having an f/1.5 aperture (compared to f/1.6) and the same large sensor that was previously only available on the Pro Max model. The ultra wide lens also now has an f/1.8 aperture, in contrast to the f/2.4 aperture of the iPhone 12 Pro’s ultra wide lens, so it should be much more adept at light gathering.

• See also iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro

We also have the same sensor-shift optical image stabilization as seen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, rather than the Dual optical image stabilization as seen as the iPhone 12 Pro. In theory, that should make the iPhone 13 Pro better at keeping shots steady and sharp than its direct predecessor.

Not only that, but one of the big highlights of the iPhone 13 Pro series (it’s not available on the standard 13) is the ability to focus ultra closely with the ultra-wide angle lens (which the iPhone will switch to when it detects you’re very close to your subject).

Brought over from the iPhone 12 Pro series is the LiDAR scanner, which is used to measure distance and improve autofocusing speed. The iPhone 13 Pro also uses the iPhone’s fastest ever chip, the A15 Bionic, which should be good news for overall speed and performance.

Unsurprisingly Apple’s ProRAW format remains in place, giving you the opportunity to record shots in the more flexible DNG, rather than either JPEG or HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format). The ability to change “Picture Styles” has been added to the native camera app, which is something which is available for the iPhone 13 too. Since this is something which presumably can be added via firmware, we might also see these come to iPhone 12 series and earlier phones at some point.

Video capability remains roughly the same, with movie capabilities topping out at 4K 60p, using the Dolby Vision HDR we saw on the 12 Pro. However, a new addition is “Cinematic” mode, which essentially creates a shallow depth of field effect for your moving images. It's something we’ve seen from other manufacturers - particularly Samsung, so it’s not surprising to finally see it make it to iPhone.

Other non-photographic specifications also remain roughly the same for this update. There’s still 5G, the size and shape of the device is almost identical (more on that in a moment), and the minimum storage capacity is 128GB. There’s a new maximum 1TB capacity phone, which wasn’t available for 12 Pro, though.

The launch price of the iPhone 13 Pro is £949, making it slightly cheaper than its predecessor. Continuing with the notion that iPhone users don't need new chargers every time they buy a new iPhone, one doesn’t come supplied in the box (just the cable). If you don’t have a USB connector available, you might want to pop one in your basket before checkout. The new iPhone 13 Pro series is compatible with wireless charging as before, as well as the MagSafe chargers and accessories that were introduced with the 12 series. Battery life has improved, though given that the device is the same size as its predecessor, this is presumably due to the faster and more efficient chip.

Build and Handling

The iPhone 13 Pro is almost exactly the same size as the iPhone 12 Pro, being the same height and width (146.7 x 71.5mm) but being fractionally deeper (7.65mm vs 7.4mm). You could be annoyed that it’ll mean you’ll need a brand new case for what seems like a marginal difference, but flip to the back and you’ll also see that the camera modules are significantly larger too - so a new case is very definitely needed.

Apple has stuck with the squared off edges design that it introduced with the 12 Pro series so if you place the two models next to each other it’s quite difficult to spot the difference.

Just like the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, but it has been improved slightly with the addition of ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates, and a slightly brighter appearance too. It’s the kind of difference that is more obvious when you place them side by side, but in isolation is difficult to spot.

You get the same level of splash, water and dust resistance (IP68), which means you can take the phone down to depths of 6 metres for up to 30 minutes - or just outside in the rain - and it uses a Ceramic Shield front which is designed to resist damage and scratches as much as possible.

There will be those that prefer the smaller size of the iPhone 13 Pro compared to the Pro Max. For most people it’s likely to be more comfortable to hold and use, while it fits into pockets and bags with much more ease than its larger sibling. If you want to view your photos and videos in the best possible light, then the Pro Max might be a better option. It might also be a better option if you're into gaming, too. It’s good however that the cameras are shared across both devices, meaning you can choose the size of device you prefer most without having to potentially compromise on the quality of the on-board camera.

Not much has changed with the native camera app since iPhone first launched, with it being a relatively simple and straightforward affair. This is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view - it’s easy to use, but it can be frustrating for advanced photographers who might crave the ability to change more settings than they can (such as you can with most Android models).

You can access the standard camera app directly from the lock screen by long pressing the camera icon. It’s likely that you’ll stick with the “Photo” mode for most of your shots. From here you can switch between the three different lenses, switch raw format shooting on and off, enable “Live” photos and tap around the screen to focus.

By swiping up from the composition window, you’ll also see a few additional options, such as the ability to adjust exposure compensation, or change the aspect ratio. Also here is the new Photo Styles option. Here you can choose between “Rich Contrast”, “Vibrant”, “Warm” and “Cool”, while each of these can be further customised by adjusting sliders for Tone and Warmth.

It's in the standard Photo mode that you’ll be able to use both Night Mode and Macro Mode. They’re both automatic options that will be triggered when the phone senses it’s appropriate to do so - when light is low enough for Night mode, or when the subject is close enough for Macro mode. In fact, for Macro mode, the phone actually switches from the main lens to the ultra-wide angle lens. Although this is almost seamless, because of the different position of the lenses, it can mean that the composition is thrown off ever so slightly and you might find you need to recompose once close-up focusing has been triggered. There’s also no way to stop close-focusing from being triggered, but Apple has suggested it will add this ability at some point down the line.

As we’ve seen before, you can see what’s going on outside the frame when shooting with either the standard or telephoto lens. At the top and bottom (or left and right if you're holding the phone in horizontal format) of the screen, you’ll be able to see outside the frame, which is very useful for composing precisely in certain scenarios such as street photography.

Heading outside of the “Photo” mode, there’s a set of other shooting modes, most of which will be familiar to anyone who has used an iPhone before. This includes Portrait mode (which can be used on any subject that you want to isolate from the background), Video, Slo-Mo and Pano. A new addition here is the Cinematic Video mode which is pretty simple, giving you pretty much only the option to adjust the “aperture” (or the computer simulation thereof).

Performance

Apple has been seriously impressing with the quality of its on board cameras for as long as we can remember, and it’s no different for the iPhone 13 Pro - but, given just how good the iPhone 12 Pro was, it’s a fairly incremental upgrade or gentle evolution that can stand to be skipped if you don’t want to spend money to upgrade just yet. If you're coming from an older model, such as the iPhone 11 Pro, you will likely notice much more of an improvement or difference.

Taken in isolation by itself, the iPhone 13 Pro captures some beautiful imagery, with a great amount of detail and lovely vibrant colours. The new macro mode does a fantastic job of getting nice and close to a subject, but, it doesn’t stand up amazingly well to the kind of close scrutiny that some pixel peepers might subject it to (your DSLR and mirrorless cameras are safe for now).

Low light shooting is once again very good, with the Night mode putting in an excellent performance, particularly if you’re generally only viewing the images on the iPhone screen itself. We can see a marked improvement when using the ultra-wide camera in conjunction with Night mode, when compared with the iPhone 12 Pro, but, despite the larger sensor for the main camera, the differences are a little more subtle there. The telephoto camera puts in a decent performance, though we’d probably avoid using it in very low light if you’re looking for the best possible quality.

Video continues to be impressive for the iPhone 13 Pro, with the new Cinematic mode being a worthy addition that works well, particularly with reasonably well-defined subjects. Dolby HDR video looks at its most impressive when displayed on something such as the iPhone itself.

iPhone 13 Pro: Sample images

iPhone 13 Pro: sample videos

1080p at 60fps

4K at 60fps

Cinematic Video mode

Verdict

It seems likely that Apple expects at least a significant number of its customers to skip generations of its phones, given that upgrades each time are generally fairly modest. That means that from iPhone to iPhone the differences are somewhat minimal, but if you’ve missed a generation, you’ll notice a bigger improvement. Such is the case here which builds on an already impressive model and adds some excellent new tweaks, but doesn’t add up to something particularly transformative.

It’s hard to deny that the camera produces excellent results, and the new macro mode is a great bonus, as is the improvement to low light shooting with the ultra-wide camera. The new picture styles are worth experimenting with. Lastly, the Cinematic video mode is a nice-to-have, rather than an absolute must-have, but if you add all four of these together then you have enough of an upgrade to make the jump worthwhile for some.

If you’re working to a tight budget and are coming from an older model than the 12 Pro, however, you’d do well to save some cash and plump for the year-old version - you’ll be treated to very similar image quality in most situations.

There are fewer “general” upgrades as well for this phone, with it using more or less the same body design, 5G connectivity and so on. There’s a small improvement to battery life, but otherwise, it’s fairly modest across the board.

Overall, the iPhone 13 Pro is without question the best iPhone for photographers to date (exactly what we’d expect) and it produces some fantastic images and video, but it’s not for those who are particularly budget conscious, especially if you’re already in possession of a 12 Pro.

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In a strenuous battery test involving social media, gaming and camera use, the iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved an enormous 9 hours and 52 minutes of continuous usage – becoming the phone with the longest battery life ever stress tested by noted YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss.

The other models in the iPhone 13 family didn’t do too badly, either. The 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini achieved a battery life of 6 hours and 26 minutes, beating the iPhone 12 by 30 minutes. The standard iPhone 13, which has a screen size of 6.1 inches, lasted for 7 hours and 45 minutes, while the iPhone 13 Pro achieves a battery life 8 hours and 17 minutes. 

• Read more: Best camera phones

"This is not just the highest score I've ever recorded, it is miles ahead of anything else," concludes Mrwhosetheboss, noting that it smashes the previous record of 8 hours 41 minutes. "It is far enough ahead that I can safely say, this is the king."

The tests (which you can watch below) may have shown the iPhone 13 Pro Max came out on top, but its extra battery life comes at a cost. You can pick the iPhone 13 Pro Max up from $1,099 / £1,049 compared to the iPhone 13 Mini, which is available from $699 / £679.

Besides screen size and battery life capabilities, there are a few significant differences between certain models of the iPhone Pro Max and iPhone 13 Mini. For example, you can get the Pro Max with up to 1TB of memory whereas the Mini only goes up to 512GB – though that's still twice as much memory as the iPhone 12. 

The other big difference is their camera capabilities. While the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with three cameras (a telephoto at f/2.0, a wide at f/1.5 and an ultra-wide at f/1.8) the iPhone 13 Mini has just two cameras (a wide-angle lens at f/1.6 and an ultra-wide lens at f/2.4).

They both have the same weatherproof rating of IP68, making them splash, dust and water resistant at a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes, and they use the same A15 Bionic Chip. 

If you're after a phone that you know will last all day, regardless of how much you use it, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the undisputed king… if you have the extra money to spend. However, many of the technical specs are pretty similar to other iPhone 13 models – so you could save yourself a pretty penny if you can compromise on battery life. 

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Ahead of the iPhone 13 release tomorrow, a couple of new photography features have been introduced in the new version of iOS – and therefore in the new family of phones (along with other iPhones capable of running it).

Users of iOS 15, including new owners of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, are going to get an update to the native Photos app that incorporates a subject recognition system based on machine-learning, meaning the more you use it, the better it’ll get.

• Read more: iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12

Apple Insider spoke to iOS developer Frederico Viticci, who used the example of a picture of a golden retriever. The phone was able to recognize this subject, and bring up information about the breed via Siri, as well as searching for images of similar subjects on the web.

The other photo-related update to iOS 15 is that it will enable users to view and edit EXIF data in the native Apple Photos app. Viticci showed off the metadata viewer, which shows all the information you’d expect – file size, shutter speed, aperture setting, ISO, focal length and so on. Users can also tweak the time and date of the photo manually in the viewer, if they so desire.

Some of the non-photo updates to iOS 15 include a built-in password authenticator, the ability to designate a contact as your Account Recovery Contact, and more minor fixes and additions. 

The physical updates to the base iPhone 13’s camera are fairly minor across the board, though both the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini inherit the 1.7 micron-pixel sensor from the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which in turn means that both models will gain sensor-shift optical image stabilization.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are gaining more substantial camera updates, with new wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras being featured. Low light performance is being boosted, too, with a new 1.9 micron-pixel sensor and a bright f/1.5 aperture. 

In a first for iPhones, the ultra-wide camera is also capable of macro photography. The telephoto camera, meanwhile, gains a 3x optical zoom, further showing how the best camera phones are closing the gap with the best compact cameras.

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The long-awaited announcement of the iPhone 13 has finally happened, with the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max available to pre-order from Friday and set to be released on 24 September. Yesterday's Apple event saw the company announce a whole new roster of features for the iPhone 13 family, including the new Cinematic Mode and some fresh updates to the rear camera modules. 

To help you decide which one will be right for you, we've rounded up each new iPhone 13 model below, from the pocket rocket iPhone 13 Mini, to the powerhouse iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

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iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini

Build and design

The iPhone 13 comes in five colors, including Product Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue and Pink. The base iPhone 13 features a 6.1" OLED Super Retina XDR display with rounded corners and a curved design. It weighs 173 grams (6.10 ounces) and has a depth of 7.65mm. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Mini features a 5.4" OLED Super Retina XDR display and weighs 140 grams.

Both models also include True Tone, Haptic Touch, a HDR display and is capable of up to 1200 nits maximum brightness. Just as the iPhone 12 before it, all of the iPhone 13 models are rated IP68 for splash, water and dust resistance. 

Under the hood is where the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Mini really get exciting. They both feature the brand new A15 Bionic chip, which has a new six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores. It also has a new four-core GPU, which enables 30% faster graphics than "the leading competition". Meanwhile, the new 16-core Neural Engine is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second. This will enable faster machine learning, giving the iPhone 13 improved Siri and Live Text in Camera performance. 

Camera

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini both feature a similar dual 12MP camera system with a wide and ultra wide camera as the iPhone 12, so there are no major updates for the base iPhone 13 models. However, it's worth noting that the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini's main wide camera sensor have been upgraded, inheriting the iPhone 12 Pro Max's larger 1.7-micron pixel sensor.

There are a few other incremental changes that users will be able to enjoy. This includes the addition of sensor-shift optical image stabilization (a feature that was previously available on the iPhone 12 Pro Max) to the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini's wide angle camera. This technology, as suggested by the name, shifts the sensor to counteract the effects of camera shake and provide smoother footage and sharper photos. 

All iPhone 13 models models will also have the new Photographic Styles feature, which will essentially enable users to customize their images from the point of capture with a set of filter-like styles. We also saw the introduction of the new Cinematic Mode yesterday – and you can read our full explainer to this video capture mode here.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Build and design

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models come in four shades, including Graphite, Gold, Silver and the brand new Sierra Blue. Both handsets feature a Ceramic Shield front and a textured matte glass back and stainless steel design. The iPhone 13 Pro features a 6.1" OLED Super Retina XDR display, weighing 203 grams and with a depth of 7.65mm. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a larger 6.7" OLED Super Retina XDR display and weighs 238 grams. 

Both models now include ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz. This means that if you're playing a graphics–intensive game, then the refresh rate will be higher to ensure a buttery-smooth experience. However, if you're simply scrolling through your phone, then the iPhone 13 Pro models will automatically reduce the refresh rate to help save battery life. 

Both iPhone 13 Pro models also feature the same A15 Bionic chip that the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini use as well. 

Camera

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max both feature significant camera upgrades, with all–new Wide, Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras. While the Pro models feature the same Photographic Styles and Cinematic Mode upgrades as the base iPhone 13 models, there are also some interesting physical changes as well.

The brand new Wide angle camera features up to 2.2x improved low light performance thanks to the new larger sensor that has a 1.9–micron pixel sensor, which is the largest ever on an iPhone. This enables less noise and faster shutter speeds in darker lighting conditions. Combined with the new wider f/1.5 aperture, it looks like we'll see a significant improvement in low light shooting. 

Meanwhile the new Ultra Wide camera features a much wider f/1.8 aperture and a new autofocus system. According to Apple, this brings an incredible 92% improvement in low light environments. Excitingly, the Ultra Wide camera is now capable of macro photography for the first time ever on an iPhone (see an example of the iPhone 13 Pro models' macro capabilities below). 

The final physical upgrade concerns the new 77mm Telephoto camera, which offers 3x optical zoom. This is definitely a welcome upgrade from the iPhone 12 Pro's 2x optical zoom – although it still doesn't quite compete with the 10x optical zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra!

Other camera upgrades include Night Mode now being available on all cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro models, including the Telephoto camera. We'll also be seeing Apple ProRes support coming to the iPhone 13 Pro models – but this won't be until later this year. 

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models haven't been the biggest upgrade from the iPhone 12 series, but we still saw some interesting updates. If you're wondering which iPhone 13 model you should choose, the biggest differences really come down to the 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and the upgraded cameras on the Pro models. 

If you're not a super keen smartphone snapper (the iPhone 13 models still feature a fantastic camera array – you'll just miss out on the upgraded sensors and the macro and telephoto capabilities) and you don't often play games or watch movies on your handset, then you might feel that the base iPhone 13 models might suit you better. Plus, if you prefer a phone that fits nicely in your pocket, the deceivingly diminutive iPhone 13 Mini could be the one for you. 

The iPhone 13 Mini will start from $699 and the iPhone 13 will start from $799, with the base models featuring 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro will start at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max will start at $1,099 with storage options including 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and a brand new 1TB option.

You'll be able to pre-order all four iPhone 13 models this Friday, available from 24 September.

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If you've been eagerly awaiting the launch of the iPhone 13, then today is (probably!) your lucky day! While there have been no official confirmations of the iPhone 13's arrival, all the rumors point to the launch of the iPhone 13 series. This is set to include four new handsets, including the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

However, Apple doesn't like to do anything by halves. We're also expecting to see the Apple Watch 7 and the AirPods 3 launched – and there's even a rumor that we could be seeing a new iPad, iPad mini, Apple Watch SE and even a new MacBook Pro as well (although these are all less likely). 

The Apple event begins at 10AM PDT / 1PM EDT / 6PM BST / 10:30PM IST on 14 September, so make sure to tune in below to watch the livestream. Alternatively, follow along our liveblog as we report on the latest reveals from Apple.

Our Apple event round–ups:

• What is Apple's new Cinematic Mode?

• iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro

Welcome to the live blog! We'll be covering today's Apple event and all of the exciting tech we're expecting to see. We've been covering all of the rumors surrounding the iPhone 13 for months now – and today is finally the expected announcement date. We're definitely interested to see how many of the rumors turn out to have legs – and how many end up being wishful thinking! There are some interesting leaks that have sprung over the past month or so, which we'll be rounding up in the countdown to the event. 

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One of the latest rumors we've seen for the iPhone 13 regards improvements to Face ID. Apparently, the updated Face ID function could be so advanced that it might even be able to unlock the handset when the user is wearing both a mask and glasses.

Apple employees were reportedly testing the new and improved Face ID through a special case that attached to their own iPhone 12 handsets. As reported by GSMArena, Apple was apparently asking its employees to register their face with the iPhone 13 Face ID as normal. However, it was then asking them to unlock their phone while wearing masks and glasses. 

Meanwhile, a recent article from Bloomberg had some interesting insights on these upcoming handsets, suggesting that we will be seeing at least three new major camera and video features. One of the most exciting new features will be a video version of the iPhone's already-popular Portrait mode. This will give users the ability to mimic the silky-smooth bokeh that professional video cameras can produce. 

Users will also be able to take advantage of shooting video footage in ProRes, which will give higher quality video and enable editors to have more control during post-production. This follows the introduction of Apple ProRaw to the iPhone 12 Pro models last year, which gave users more flexibility when editing their photos. 

The final big camera update will give users the ability to better control the colors and exposure in their images. Apparently, we'll be seeing more filters for users to choose from, including "one for showing colors at either a warmer or cooler temperature while keeping whites neutral".

Selfie camera notches are a weirdly controversial aspect of smartphone technology, so it's been interesting to see some rumors suggesting that we'll be seeing a different (possibly smaller) notch in the iPhone 13 models.

An older report from DigiTimes (via PetaPixel) suggests that Apple is planning to shrink the size of its FaceID sensor chip, enabling them to scale down the front-facing notch that houses the selfie camera. By scaling down the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) chips that are used in the FaceID scanner, Apple will reportedly be able to reduce production costs and produce more chips on a single wafer. 

The iPhone 12 series was originally due to feature a 120Hz refresh rate, but it appeared that manufacturing issues possibly caused by the pandemic caused Apple to have to choose between a high refresh rate screen or including 5G. Thankfully, this time round, the rumors point to at least two iPhone 13 handsets (the Pro and the Pro Max) with 120Hz displays.

We're officially under 10 minutes away from the Apple Keynote beginning! As we near the start of the event, we're wondering whether we will indeed see the new iPhone models be named the iPhone 13 (as their unofficial moniker until now has been). The number 13 is seen as an unlucky number in many countries, so some have wondered whether we'll see the reintroduction of the 's' format (i.e. the iPhone 12s), or whether Apple will skip 13 and go straight to iPhone 14. 

It looks like we're starting! Hang fire for the first official announcement…

We're starting off with covering Apple TV Plus, including some promo footage for upcoming shows including Ted Lasso (a personal favorite of ours!), The Morning Show and more. 

Now we're onto the products, kicking off with the new iPad. Packing the A13 Bionic chip and featuring a CPU, GPU and Neural Engine that's 20% faster. Plus, the iPad 2021 has an upgraded image processor that means that the rear camera will have better autofocus capabilities in low light. Meanwhile, the front-facing camera has been upgraded to a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with 122º field of view. The iPad 2021 will also borrow the Center Stage function from iPad Pro – a FaceTime feature that follows the user around the frame as they move. 

Starting at $329 for 64GB ($299 for students), the iPad 2021 is available to pre-order today and will ship next week.

Apple has also announced a new iPad Mini with a new design featuring stylish rounded corners and four colors. It also features a Liquid Retina display and a new 8.3" display with 500 nits of brightness without changing the physical footprint of the device. The Touch ID sensor has been moved to the power button, giving the screen more space. The new iPad Mini has 80% faster GPU performance and an improved Neural Engine that has 2x faster machine learning. Interestingly, the iPad Mini will now have 5G internet as well, with speeds of up to 3.5 Gbps. 

The camera functionality has been upgraded, with a 12MP rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture. Meanwhile, the front facing camera is the same 12MP Ultra Wide camera as the iPad Pro and the (just announced) iPad 2021. This means that we're also seeing the Center Stage function in the iPad Mini as well. 

The iPad Mini will start from $499 in both Wi-Fi and cellular connections, available to pre-order from today and will start shipping next week.

Now we're onto the Apple Watch 7! The new Retina Display has 20% more screen area with 40% thinner borders than the Apple Watch 6, including softer curved corners. It's also up to 70% brighter too. The durability has also been improved, with the most crack resistant front screen and the first Apple Watch to have IP6X dust resistance and WR50 water resistance. 

The 18 hour battery life has remained the same. However, it can charge up to 33% faster than the Apple Watch 6, taking just 45 minutes to charge up to 80%. 

The Apple Series 7 will be available starting from $399, available to order later this fall. 

It looks like we're starting on the new iPhones!

The iPhone 13 is here (that answers the question of whether Apple was going to skip the number 13 or not)! iPhone 13 features a new look with the lenses placed diagonally and five new colors. The selfie camera system has been redesigned so that the notch can be 20% smaller. iPhone 13 has been rearchitected under the hood, including a bigger battery. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini both feature a 28% brighter screen that has improved power efficiency. 

The new chip inside is called the A15 Bionic, which features 15 billion transistors and a 6-core CPU that's 50% faster than the top competitor. It also has a 4-core GPU, which delivers 30% faster graphics than the leading competition (no word on what exactly this competition is meant to be, but we're possibly assuming the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?). 

Meanwhile, the camera system has been upgraded to the most advanced dual-camera system from Apple. Interestingly, the new 12MP sensor features the same Sensor Shift iOS from the iPhone 12 Pro Max. 

Apple is focusing heavily on the new Cinematic Mode, which looks like it could be a bit of game-changer for smartphone content creators. It essentially looks as though users will be able to mimic a shallow depth-of-field from professional cinema cameras, shifting the focus from subject to subject. 

The iPhone 13 also has an upgraded battery life (thankfully!). The iPhone 13 mini's battery will give 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Mini, while the iPhone 13 will feature 2.5 hours longer battery life than the iPhone 12. 

The iPhone 13 Mini will start from $699 and the iPhone 13 will start from $799, with the base models featuring 128GB storage. Meanwhile, 256GB and 512GB variants will also be available. 

It looks like we're onto the Pro models now!

The iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max come in four metallic finishes with a stainless steel band around the sides, including a new light blue color. It has the new A15 Bionic chip, giving it what Apple are billing as the fastest graphics performance in any smartphone. 

The iPhone 13 Pro models have a brand new Super Retina XDR display, which features 1,000 nits peak outdoor brightness. ProMotion has also come to iPhone with the 13 Pro – finally giving iPhone a 120Hz screen! The adaptive frame rate means that the handsets will automatically adjust the frame rate depending on what the user is doing – if you're slowly scrolling then it might be around 30Hz, but if you're using a graphics-intensive game, then it could go up to 120Hz. This is a great way to save battery life. 

The iPhone 13 Pro models will feature an all-new camera system – billed as Apple's "biggest camera advancement ever". The telephoto lens now features 3x magnification and the new ultra-wide camera will enable macro photography for the first time on iPhone, magnifying subjects with a minimum close focusing distance of 2cm. All of the cameras will also now have Night Mode, made possible through advanced computational photography. 

The iPhone 13 Pro models will also have Smart HDR 4 and new Photographic Styles (also available in the vanilla iPhone 13 models), which means you can set your own individual preferences. This is very interesting, as the computational photography all smartphones do is usually conducted behind-the-scenes. However, you can now shoot in your own set style straight out of 'camera', adjusting aspects such as Warmth. 

ProRes video will also be coming to the iPhone 13 Pro models later this year (no word on when exactly this will be). This means you'll be able to record up to 4K 30fps in Apple ProRes or DolbyVision. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro's battery lasts 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max's battery lasts 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max's. 

The iPhone 13 Pro will start at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max will start at $1099. The storage options include 128GB / 256GB / 512GB and a brand new 1TB option.

You'll be able to pre-order all four iPhone 13 models this Friday, available from 24 September.

It looks like we're wrapping up now! This was definitely a jam-packed Apple event, with two new iPad models, the new Apple Watch Series 7 and the four new iPhone 13 models. We're most excited about the new iPhone 13 series, as the new camera module on the iPhone 13 Pro models look like they could be genuinely brilliant. We're also really interested in the new Cinematic Mode, so once we get our hands on a model for review we'll be taking a closer look. 

Thanks for joining us and have a good night!