Review of Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini smartphones

The appearance of both models is very close to what it was a year ago. To say more: the feeling of novelty is absent, although there are some minor changes.

In fact, the "notch" on the top edge has primarily changed. It has become slightly smaller, and the speaker for phone calls has moved to the very edge of the device. Accordingly, the placement of the front camera and Face ID sensors has also been adjusted. But it is unlikely that the user will be able to feel this.

We wouldn't say that with the new "notch" the device has become more beautiful. If Apple had completely removed it — that would be another matter. But there is probably no fundamental difference between what is now and what was before. Accordingly, it is a matter of taste, nothing more.

And, of course, the main visual difference is the different arrangement of the two cameras on the back. Previously, they were strictly one above the other, now they are spread out horizontally. This innovation, as we know, has spawned a multitude of jokes and memes. Perhaps it even has some technical justification. But the general public sees only one meaning in this: to make it clear that you have a new iPhone, not an old one.

In the iPhone 13 mini, the camera block looks the same as in the main version, and in size, it is identical, so it is perceived as larger on the smaller body. But again, this is a matter of taste.

The slight change in thickness and weight is hardly noticeable. However, it is worth mentioning the colors. The iPhone 13 arrived in a pink version, and although the pink shade is indeed present, as noted by everyone we showed it to, it is essentially more of a beige-cream color. The impression it gives is specific: it seems neither white nor clearly defined.

Perhaps this is good in its own way — straightforward colors evoke associations with something cheap. Here, the color is complex and interesting. On the other hand, we highly recommend that when choosing this option, you find an opportunity to see it live and take your time to listen to your feelings. Photographs do not convey it at all.

As for the iPhone 13 mini, everything is simpler here: we tested the product(Red) variant, with a very rich, almost cherry color.

Overall, the design of the iPhone 13 and 13 mini does not evoke strong emotions: neither positive nor negative. The changes compared to last year's versions are cosmetic.

Screen

The front surface of the screen is made of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, we provide a photograph in which white surfaces are reflected on the turned-off screens (on the left — Nexus 7, on the right — Apple iPhone 13, which can be distinguished by size):

The screen on the Apple iPhone 13 is slightly darker (brightness in the photographs 98 against 102 in the Nexus 7). The two reflected objects on the Apple iPhone 13 screen are very faint, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (specifically between the outer glass and the surface of the matrix). Due to the fewer boundaries (type glass/air) with significantly different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, as the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special lyophobic (oil-repellent) coating (effective, slightly better than in the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when displaying a white field on the entire screen, the maximum long-term brightness value was about 800 cd/m² (claimed up to 800 cd/m² in normal mode and up to 1200 cd/m² in HDR mode), the minimum was 1.8 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and considering the excellent anti-glare properties, reading even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a good level. In the dark, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness adjustment is available via the light sensor (located below the front speaker grille in the notch area), which is enabled by default. In automatic mode, with changes in external lighting conditions, the screen brightness increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness slider: the user sets the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If nothing is changed, then in complete darkness, the brightness decreases to 1.8 cd/m² (very dark), in conditions of artificially lit office (about 550 lx) the screen brightness is set to 115-120 cd/m² (acceptable), in very bright surroundings (illumination over 20,000 lx) it rises to 800 cd/m² (to the maximum, as needed). The result did not completely satisfy us, so in the dark we slightly moved the brightness slider up (in the quick access menu), and for the three specified conditions, we obtained 15, 105-120, and 800 cd/m² (perfect). It turns out that the auto-brightness adjustment function works adequately, and the brightness change can be adjusted to the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is modulation at a frequency of 480 Hz.