Apple iPhone 13, iPad, Apple Watch news

Ready for more Apple? The tech giant has just revealed its gadget plans, showing off the upgraded iPhone 13 series, updated AirPods 3 earphones, and yet another smartwatch chock full of fitness features.

Streaming live from Cupertino, California, head honcho Tim Cook announced the latest line-up amongst the blossoming flowers of Apple Park, hinting at a wonderful time where the pandemic doesn’t rule our outdoor photo-snapping.

Related: Apple iPhone 12 buying guide – which new iPhone should you buy?

As we’ve come to expect from these events, we got to see three new handsets following on from the impressive iPhone 12 (2020) in increasing sizes of the Mini, Pro model and the Pro Max edition.

Back with a better camera, a longer battery, even more processing power and the introduction of 120Hz refresh-rate displays, the new devices look like worthy successors and well worth investing in if you’re coming to the end of your contract.

Alongside the new smartphones, we also saw the Apple Watch Series 7, updates to the iPad and iPad mini, and a sneak peak at what to expect from Apple TV+. Read on to find out all that was revealed and where you can pre-order.

Apple iPhone 13 release date, price, and specs

As has now become routine for these Apple events, we are expecting several new devices. The iPhone 13 is the basic, standard model, but we also have the smaller, affordable iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro for better photographs and a slightly bigger display, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is the largest, phablet-sized device.

On the iPhone 13 front, Apple opened up with the display which is a brighter, super retina display capable of Dolby Vision, so games and content should look suitably glorious.

Processor-wise, you’ll now find an A15 Bionic chip, which continues on the trend of just adding a single digit to the last edition. It’s supposedly more efficient and manages your tasks better so you can fly between apps. All this also means that your Apple Maps app will update quicker and be more responsive, and your text-to-speech capabilities will be better and faster.

Now for cameras. The iPhone 13 has a new 12MP wide rear-facing lens which has enhanced sensors to draw out colour and detail even in low-lights. It will use the same processing tech from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to enhance your pictures even further without having to pay for the pricier models.

For amateur video-makers, Apple revealed plans to release a new feature that automatically readjusts the focus of your lens in real time, switching focus from the fore to background without having to cut or edit. This will all be, of course, in 4K resolution with 30FPS capabilities.

5G data connections remain on all versions of the handset if you’ve already got a new SIM card or you’re thinking about making the jump. This is especially good news as lots of UK networks are improving coverage areas across the country so you don’t have to put up with slower speeds.

iPhone 13 mini will have a 1.5 hour longer battery than iPhone 12 mini (which should mean you’ll get around nine hours), and iPhone 13 will get 2.5 hours more than the iPhone 12 (or around 11 hours).

iPhone 13 mini – From £28.29 per month, or £679 (128GB version).

iPhone 13 – From £32.45/month, or £779 (128GB version).

Five colour options – Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, (Product)Red

The iPhone 13 Pro is the slightly larger model that focuses on camera improvements and a generally better display and battery life.

The OLED panel should make your Netflix shows look great, especially with the enhanced ProMotion feature which speeds up the frame rate to 120Hz. This basically makes everything look smoother and more responsive, particularly when playing games on Apple Arcade.

This feature has been on some of the latest Samsung devices for a while, but is very exciting to see on Apple’s new models, and is a welcome update to an already impressive display.

The display will come in two sizes, either 6.9 or 6.1,inchesm, which will be the first time Apple has split screen sizes within the same phone.

The A15 processor also features in this device, helping you game, scroll, and search online quickly. It will also help with pictures and filming, which is what you’re buying this phone for.

You get three lenses on the back similarly to the iPhone 12. There’s a wide, ultra-wide and telephoto camera that can work individually to get detail at range, or in tandem to improve low-light snaps and make your footage look as clean as possible, particularly with Dolby Vision HDR to draw out as much colour as possible.

The battery should last around 11 hours on a single charge, though you also get USB-C charging and MagSafe charging to make sure you get your juice back quickly.

We really like the new colour scheme, which includes graphite, gold, silver, and particularly the sierra blue option.

Finally, the iPhone Pro Max is the one to go for if you love big handsets. The same camera setup is available with enhanced 4K filming and a wealth of settings to make your at-home videos look crisp.

iPhone 13 Pro – From £39.54/month, or £949
iPhone 13 Pro Max – From £43.70/month, or £1,049

You’ll be able to pre-order both handsets from Friday, September 17, with devices releasing to the UK on September 24.

We will have a pre-order article up to help you decide which network to go for, but you should expect all the major companies to be getting involved. We have already had confirmation that EE, Sky Mobile, Three, O2, Mobiles.co.uk will be running offers, though we don’t have exact prices yet.

If you want to pre-register interest, check out each of the networks here:

Apple Watch 7 release date, price, and specs

Now to the Apple Watch 7, which is bigger, brighter and wider so you can see the display face a little easier. Great if you’re glancing down during a workout.

The shape has been refined, with softer, rounded corners that look marginally different to the older models and a bit more subtle in our opinion.



Apple

The bigger display means you’ll get more text on-screen when reading messages and interactive buttons will be bigger, making it easier to navigate menus and respond to notifications.

It gets upgrades to IPX7 dust resistance, which if you don’t know is one of the highest protective ratings available.

On the battery front, it’s the same old story, giving you around 18 hours on one charge, though the charging has been bolstered by the inclusion of a USB-C cable, which speeds it up by up to 33% over the older Series 6 model.



Apple

We get five colours – 5 new aluminium editions and three stainless steel colours – and a new range of straps to keep your customisation options varied.

The Watch Series 7 will be available to order later on in the year, and will start at £399.

New iPad 2021 release date, price, and specs

A bit of a surprise announcement included a brand new iPad and an update to the iPad mini. The former is a more affordable, smaller option for at-home working and learning, while the latter is a large-scale overall upgrade to a beloved device.

It has the A13 chipset which makes your apps lightning quick and keeps things running smoothly, and a significant improvement to the front-facing camera. We get a 12MP ultra-wide selfie camera which is even better for video calls. There’s also the Centre Stage feature from the iPad Pro series, which allows the lens to “follow you” around the room to keep you in focus at all times.



Apple

New iPad prices:

• 64GB WiFi – from £319
• WiFi + Cellular – from £439
• 256GB WiFi – from £459
• WiFi + Cellular – from £579

You can pre-order it right now, and it should be shipping in the UK after September 20.

The iPad mini gets a big boost under the hood, with the latest editions of the processor chip and GPU. This should mean the performance is almost as comparable to the iPad 2020 edition, making it faster and better at editing photos or videos.

It has USB-C cable support so you can get faster charging and data transfer. Alongside that, we now have 5G data connections so you can get faster download speeds when away from the WiFi.

On the camera front, both lenses are significantly better, particularly if you want better selfies. Now you get a rear-facing 12MP wide with TrueTone flash, and a 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera with the Centre Stage feature.

iPad mini prices:

• 64GB WiFi – from £479
• WiFi + Cellular – from £619
• 256GB WiFi – from £619.
• WiFi + Cellular – from £759

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