iPhone 13

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Apple is having an event on Tuesday 9/14. iPhone 13 and Watch series 7 are widely rumored to be announced.

I’m happy with my iPhone 11, but I have a new hardware incentive from work burning a hole in my pocket. I’m tempted to upgrade to the iPhone Pro model if only because the cost would be almost nothing.

I’m not much of a photographer. Most of the photos I take are of receipts and parking spots. Does anyone out there use the iPhone Pro models? What do you like about it? Are there non-photography benefits?
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Apple has a handy comparison tool on its website:

https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

I have an 11 Pro. At the time it had a better screen in addition to the extra camera lens. Considering how much I use my phone, and use has escalated dramatically throughout the PHE, that was worth it for me. YMMV. The 12 and 12 Pro actually have almost identical screens but the 12 Pro can be slightly brighter. The difference between the models seems to have narrowed and cost difference seems to be the camera and storage space (base 12 Pro has more). No idea what the difference will be between the 13 and 13 Pro but the non-Pro models tend to still be really good.
 

canderson

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I have a Xs and plan to get the 13 Pro. Probably the Max - I have terrible vision and might try to trade readability for it being a giant pain.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Is it expected that the prices on iPhone 12s will drop when the 13 comes out?
Yes. You’ll also likely see more 12s available in the refurbished section of Apple.com. Refurbs bought on Apple.com are good as new.

Related question: What is the typical timeline between announcement and going on sale?
No idea, really. Sometimes it’s a couple weeks. Sometimes it’s “one more thing... It’s available today.“ But nothing about right now is typical. There are worldwide chip shortages that are impacting everything. Cars and video game consoles are impossible to get. Apple can mitigate some of that, but no one knows how much.
 

NortheasternPJ

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I hope this is a decent update. I have an XR and really didn't see much need to get an 11 or 12. The always on screen would be nice.
 

canderson

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I hope this is a decent update. I have an XR and really didn't see much need to get an 11 or 12. The always on screen would be nice.
My wife go the 12 Pro last year and the jump between my Xs and hers is pretty stark. Definite performance improvements, much better batter life and the camera is infinitely better.
 
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GoJeff!

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The most intriguing rumor for me is sat-based texting. Sounds unlikely for the 13, but that would be an immediate upgrade for me. I currently use a sat texter for emergencies out of cell range and would love to have that feature in the iPhone.
 

ColdSoxPack

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I have a 12 pro and the photo and video quality is excellent, a good substitute for my Nikon if I don't feel like lugging it around. What I do not like is it takes the standard lightning connector and not the latest which in the C connector that all other new Apple stuff takes. So I still have to keep some lightning cables around.
 

McBride11

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Yes. You’ll also likely see more 12s available in the refurbished section of Apple.com. Refurbs bought on Apple.com are good as new.



No idea, really. Sometimes it’s a couple weeks. Sometimes it’s “one more thing... It’s available today.“ But nothing about right now is typical. There are worldwide chip shortages that are impacting everything. Cars and video game consoles are impossible to get. Apple can mitigate some of that, but no one knows how much.
That was gonna be me questions. Chips are short everywhere. Apple rolling tens of millions of iPhones in short order seems a Herculean effort. Unless they have their chip production and protected supply chains or something.
 

tmracht

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That was gonna be me questions. Chips are short everywhere. Apple rolling tens of millions of iPhones in short order seems a Herculean effort. Unless they have their chip production and protected supply chains or something.
Could easily have bonded agreements.
 

tmracht

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What does that mean? Factory only sells to Apple ?
You can setup with suppliers to reserve a certain amount of components and whether you use them or not you would pay for them at the end of the year. We have them at our robotics company with a few of the chip and cable component companies.
 

IpswichSox

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I used to upgrade each year, but lately I've been on an every-other-year upgrade cycle. I got the 12 last year because my X's battery was going and the lightening connector port was failing. I don't really have any complaints about the 12 now and its battery health is still solid, so unless there's some cool new feature announced that hasn't leaked yet, I probably won't dive in this year. (My employer's modest $150 subsidy is only every two years, so that's another incentive to wait it out.) But I'm also interested in the always-on feature and what the higher refresh rate looks like. I don't play games on my phone or don't frequently watch videos/movies on the phone, so I'm not sure the refresh rate change would matter, at least to me.

Edit: I would probably get a 13 if button-less Touch ID were included, now that masks are back and probably here to stay for a while. But Touch ID doesn't appear to be a likely, based on reported rumors.
 
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McBride11

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You can setup with suppliers to reserve a certain amount of components and whether you use them or not you would pay for them at the end of the year. We have them at our robotics company with a few of the chip and cable component companies.
Gotcha thanks. Don't deal a lot with that type of thing in medicine.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Yawn.

The pro-focused camera improvements for photos and videos might be enough for the ‘ette to switch from Android to iPhone, but even with my employer’s discount I don’t see anything that compels me to upgrade. I’ll hang on to the 11 and save the upgrade for if the device breaks.

Center Stage on the $329 iPad is really compelling (especially if your life is video calls and your loved ones use FaceTime) but I don’t need an upgrade there either. The iPad has always been my go-to web browser in bed or on a plane, and that’s it really.

I think I’m all in for next year: Blood pressure monitoring (better than wrist-based?) would get me to upgrade my Watch from a series 4. A notch-less phone would get me to upgrade the iPhone, but for now I’ll stand pat.
 
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canderson

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The camera and battery is enough to get me to go from my Xs to the 13 Pro (Max maybe, will run into a store this week to hold in my hand to see if it's too large). Replacing phones every year like back in the day, or really even 2 years, doesn't make too much sense anymore since changes are mostly incremental year to year.

The iPad Mini improvements are badass though. Will buy one for my wife who's current Mini barely can load a webpage now.
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

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Yawn indeed. It's not even worth being called a 12s, let alone a 13.

Almost none of the rumored upgrades made it into this model. And people are still stuck with lightning.

This reminds me of the meme when Apple first introduced lightning and featured it as special because there was no top or bottom to the connector. And the audience clapped.

Such an annoying company.
 

jon abbey

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Think we're going to upgrade from our 7 and 8 Plus respectively with 13 Pros, whoo.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

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I have the 12 Pro Max and love it, but cannot really find any reason to upgrade to the 13 Pro Max. Slightly better battery, slightly improved camera, and a 120Hz screen which Android has had for years (and honestly I did not even notice switching from Galaxy to the current iPhone I have)

Am I missing anything, besides the lighter shade of blue?
 

canderson

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I have the 12 Pro Max and love it, but cannot really find any reason to upgrade to the 13 Pro Max. Slightly better battery, slightly improved camera, and a 120Hz screen which Android has had for years (and honestly I did not even notice switching from Galaxy to the current iPhone I have)

Am I missing anything, besides the lighter shade of blue?
No. There is really no reason for anyone with the 12 Pro/Pro Max to upgrade (the battery will be better but a battery replacement is a fraction of the cost of the new phone) unless you are obsessed with photography/video and use them in a real professional setting (not printing out at CVS, texting mom, etc like nearly every other human).

Cell phones IMO quit being yearly replaceable items years - many - ago.
 
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B H Kim

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The Apple MagSafe charger that comes with it is the best thing going, IMO. I'd wait until you see how you like that before you buy anything else.
I agree that the Apple MagSafe charger is the best, but it doesn't come with the phone and is ridiculously overpriced ($58 for the charger and the power adaptor).
 

VORP Speed

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I agree that the Apple MagSafe charger is the best, but it doesn't come with the phone and is ridiculously overpriced ($58 for the charger and the power adaptor).
I guess that shows how much I'm paying attention to Apple bleeding me for all their new gadgets. And I thought I'd be getting a spare with my new 13!

In any case you should get one. It works with any USB-C adapter, so you don't need to buy that if you already have one. They're on sale for $27 on Amazon right now. You should jump on that. I just bought 2!
 

jon abbey

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OK, good to know. I rarely leave the house (this was true well before Covid) so my old 8 Plus is only having battery issues recently, and I use a charging pad with that too.
 

luckysox

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Think we're going to upgrade from our 7 and 8 Plus respectively with 13 Pros, whoo.
I'm upgrading from my 7 with the 13...I'm distressed about losing the home button, stupid as it sounds. Gettin' old, don't like the change! Regardless, I'm pretty excited for a new gadget, and I feel like I got a great run out of the 7. Battery still over 80% on that puppy, never really had many issues with it. Hopefully I can ride the 13 at least the same distance.
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

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I'm upgrading from my 7 with the 13...I'm distressed about losing the home button, stupid as it sounds. Gettin' old, don't like the change! Regardless, I'm pretty excited for a new gadget, and I feel like I got a great run out of the 7. Battery still over 80% on that puppy, never really had many issues with it. Hopefully I can ride the 13 at least the same distance.
I finally upgraded from a 6s to a 12 pro max last year, and I also was hesitant about losing the home button. But after about a day of getting used to it, I couldn't imagine ever going back. I still have one on my iPad and I now hate it.
 

Dollar

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I finally upgraded from a 6s to a 12 pro max last year, and I also was hesitant about losing the home button. But after about a day of getting used to it, I couldn't imagine ever going back. I still have one on my iPad and I now hate it.
How has the difference in size worked out for you? I'm still hanging onto a 6S and I keep going back and forth about whether I want a Mini, regular, or Max for my next phone.
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

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How has the difference in size worked out for you? I'm still hanging onto a 6S and I keep going back and forth about whether I want a Mini, regular, or Max for my next phone.
My old one was actually the 6s+, so the physical size increase was negligible (I think the dimensions are about on par), but the extra screen real estate on the new one is nice. Ironically, the thing that I noticed right away was that the 12 pro max was a bit heavier due to the materials. I am trying to preserve as much of my eyesight as possible so I always go for the biggest screen available. Prior to the 6s+ I had the 5s, and that bump up in size was a gamechanger. I can't fathom how I could have gotten by with a smaller screen in the past (once in a while I look at my old 4s for fun).
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Conversely, I went from iPhone SE (original) to iPhone 8+ and I HATED it. I bought the phone sight unseen. I needed one the next day and it’s all I could get. I went from iPhone 8+ to 11 and I love the form factor. The actual screen real estate is about the same, but it’s so much more comfortable for me to hold and read in portrait mode. It’s also much more comfortable in my pocket.

My advice: hold each phone. Pocket it. The new size might work for you, but don’t do what I did and buy without trying.
 

jon abbey

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New phones (13 Pros) arrived much earlier than expected, they said end of October but they shipped yesterday and just got here. Whoo!
 

Rudi Fingers

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New phones (13 Pros) arrived much earlier than expected, they said end of October but they shipped yesterday and just got here. Whoo!
Same for me - arrived today :)

I used to upgrade each year, but lately I've been on an every-other-year upgrade cycle. I got the 12 last year because my X's battery was going and the lightening connector port was failing. I don't really have any complaints about the 12 now and its battery health is still solid, so unless there's some cool new feature announced that hasn't leaked yet, I probably won't dive in this year. (My employer's modest $150 subsidy is only every two years, so that's another incentive to wait it out.) But I'm also interested in the always-on feature and what the higher refresh rate looks like. I don't play games on my phone or don't frequently watch videos/movies on the phone, so I'm not sure the refresh rate change would matter, at least to me.

Edit: I would probably get a 13 if button-less Touch ID were included, now that masks are back and probably here to stay for a while. But Touch ID doesn't appear to be a likely, based on reported rumors.
@IpswichSox - if you are using your phone with a mask a lot, you can't beat the ability to unlock with an Apple Watch. Even the base Series 3 watch (the $199 one) will do the trick of unlocking your iPhone 12 (or any FaceID phone) while wearing a mask. Extra bonus - that watch will also unlock your Mac if you use one. I'm not saying you should buy a watch just to unlock your phone, but if you are on the fence, it should push you over.
 

swiftaw

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Except the ability to use your watch to unlock your phone when masked seems to be broken in iOS 15. A fix is supposedly coming.
 

Zomp

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Wife and I traded in our cracked screen iPhone XR and XS, and I cashed in $280 in Verizon up credits, and we walked out with the 13 Mini for me and the 13 pro for the cost of the tax on the phone and an upgrade fee of $35 per phone. I think it was around $200 total. Monthly plan cost stayed the same.

pretty sweet deal. Her 13 pro arrives mid October. I’m typing this on the 13 mini. I love the size. But man this thing is light.
 

Dan Murfman

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I went into TMobile yesterday and was able to trade in my XR and pickup 13 Pro for an extra $8 for 2 years. It’s been fun to playing with it. My only small complaint is the no charger. I knew it didn’t come with one but assumed I could use one of my many chargers I have accumulated over the years but nope.

Never mind just use and old cable not the one that came in the box.
 

luckiestman

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Wife and I traded in our cracked screen iPhone XR and XS, and I cashed in $280 in Verizon up credits, and we walked out with the 13 Mini for me and the 13 pro for the cost of the tax on the phone and an upgrade fee of $35 per phone. I think it was around $200 total. Monthly plan cost stayed the same.

pretty sweet deal. Her 13 pro arrives mid October. I’m typing this on the 13 mini. I love the size. But man this thing is light.
My wife is trying to do the same and I’m sitting here wondering what is the catch. We have 2 XR and turning in for 13 Pro and Verizon is saying $6 a months per phone or something. Sounds like bullshit but I’m letting the luckiestwoman handle it.
 

theapportioner

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Not necessarily iPhone 13 specific, but anyone here have Google Fi with their iPhone? I've been thinking about making the switch from Pixel but I wonder how functional it would be.
 

Dan Murfman

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My wife is trying to do the same and I’m sitting here wondering what is the catch. We have 2 XR and turning in for 13 Pro and Verizon is saying $6 a months per phone or something. Sounds like bullshit but I’m letting the luckiestwoman handle it.
I think the catch is you have to be on one of their higher data plans. And also its like $40 a month for the phone for 2 years and then you get $34 in a monthly credit for 2 years. If you decide to leave Verizon you have payoff the balance phone immediately but lose the credits. They are basically locking you in for 2 years.
 

hatchibombotar

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Not necessarily iPhone 13 specific, but anyone here have Google Fi with their iPhone? I've been thinking about making the switch from Pixel but I wonder how functional it would be.
I'm on Fi and switched from Pixel to an iPhone 12 Pro. It works fine. Only differences I see are that you access voicemail messages through the Fi app instead of directly on the phone, and you don't get a reassuring little text when you arrive in a new country, although the easy international roaming is still there (probably the most important Fi perk for me, aside from the overall pricing).
 

Bongorific

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Any case recommendations? I use an otter box commuter but even that my wife thinks is too thick. She wants something slim that will still give decent protection.

How important is it these days anyway? I don’t know how shatter proof they are at this point.

Same with screen protectors. She has always had them on her 7. Still necessary?
 

luckiestman

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Any case recommendations? I use an otter box commuter but even that my wife thinks is too thick. She wants something slim that will still give decent protection.

yeah well, I’d tried to be cool with one of the slim cases and….my screen is broke. Curious if anyone recommends a good one
 

TrotWaddles

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Any case recommendations? I use an otter box commuter but even that my wife thinks is too thick. She wants something slim that will still give decent protection.

How important is it these days anyway? I don’t know how shatter proof they are at this point.

Same with screen protectors. She has always had them on her 7. Still necessary?
Take a look at the tech21 cases. You might find something you are looking for there. I haven't used a screen protector for the last couple of iterations but some people swear by them.
 

Bunt4aTriple

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Any case recommendations? I use an otter box commuter but even that my wife thinks is too thick. She wants something slim that will still give decent protection.

How important is it these days anyway? I don’t know how shatter proof they are at this point.

Same with screen protectors. She has always had them on her 7. Still necessary?
yeah well, I’d tried to be cool with one of the slim cases and….my screen is broke. Curious if anyone recommends a good one
I bought a wicked fancy, $75 slim case based on someone's recommendation here for my then-brand new 11 two years ago. The screen shattered immediately (as in, I was still waiting for the screen protector to show up). I then reverted to my old standby, spigen, and picked up their case with a card holder slot. It fits two cards easily. You can squeeze in a third card or a couple of bills if need be. I don't use it often, but it's really nice to have and I don't feel like it's too thick. No issues in two years, likely several hundred drops.

I think the trick is to have a case whose edges are raised up above the screen. I use a tempered glass screen protector as well. it's basically bomb proof.

Here's the version for the 13. Obviously with the move to a rectangular shape on the newer iPhones it's not apples to apples, but I will definitely be ordering this when I upgrade.
View: https://www.amazon.com/Spigen-Slim-Armor-Designed-iPhone/dp/B096HG9FNP/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=spigen%2Biphone%2B13%2Bcase%2Bcard%2Bholder&qid=1634304345&sr=8-3&th=1
 

Bongorific

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yeah well, I’d tried to be cool with one of the slim cases and….my screen is broke. Curious if anyone recommends a good one
Take a look at the tech21 cases. You might find something you are looking for there. I haven't used a screen protector for the last couple of iterations but some people swear by them.
I bought a wicked fancy, $75 slim case based on someone's recommendation here for my then-brand new 11 two years ago. The screen shattered immediately (as in, I was still waiting for the screen protector to show up). I then reverted to my old standby, spigen, and picked up their case with a card holder slot. It fits two cards easily. You can squeeze in a third card or a couple of bills if need be. I don't use it often, but it's really nice to have and I don't feel like it's too thick. No issues in two years, likely several hundred drops.

I think the trick is to have a case whose edges are raised up above the screen. I use a tempered glass screen protector as well. it's basically bomb proof.

Here's the version for the 13. Obviously with the move to a rectangular shape on the newer iPhones it's not apples to apples, but I will definitely be ordering this when I upgrade.
View: https://www.amazon.com/Spigen-Slim-Armor-Designed-iPhone/dp/B096HG9FNP/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=spigen%2Biphone%2B13%2Bcase%2Bcard%2Bholder&qid=1634304345&sr=8-3&th=1
Thanks very much for suggestions. Agreed, we’ve had the most luck on prior phones/cases where the case rises higher than the screen.