iPhone 13 is here, and Apple upgraded the battery, storage and cameras

After nearly a year of rumors and leaks, the iPhone 13 is official. During a virtual event on Tuesday, Apple announced the follow-up to last year's iPhone 12 with four new models: the iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. The new phones run iOS 15, come with a larger battery, more storage, a new A15 Bionic processor, a smaller notch and an abundance of new camera features. The base model of the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are available in five colors: pink, blue, midnight (black), starlight (white) and Product Red. And the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max get a giant camera upgrade as well as a new display with 120Hz high refresh-rate display.

Without a carrier discount, the iPhone 13 starts at $829 (£779, AU$1,349) for 128GB, which is twice the storage the iPhone 12 started with. The iPhone 13 Mini starts at $729 (£679, AU$1,199) for the same 128GB of storage. Like the iPhone 12, if you buy an iPhone 13 or 13 Mini tied to a US carrier, you'll receive a $30 discount.

The iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 (£949, AU$1,699) and the 13 Pro Max at $1,099 (£1,049, AU$1,849) for 128GB of storage. For the first time, you have the option to get 1TB of storage on an iPhone. The extra storage is only available on the Pro models and pushes the price of an iPhone 13 Pro Max to $1,599. Below is a breakdown of prices (without a carrier discount) and storage options.

The iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max get a bigger battery
Probably the most welcomed feature announced is a bigger battery. Apple didn't share the size, but claims that the new battery along with iOS 15, the A15 chip and updated display adds two-and-a-half hours more battery life to the iPhone 13 compared to the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 Mini should get an hour-and-a-half more than the iPhone 12 Mini. That's a significant increase. The battery life on the iPhone 12 Mini was a compromise some people weren't willing to make. So it's exciting to see the new Mini get such a big bump in just a year.

Apple says that the Pro models should see a similar increase in battery life with the iPhone 13 Pro getting two-and-a-half more hours and the 13 Pro Max getting an additional hour and a half.

The iPhone 13 brings new cameras and cinematic mode
The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini gets an updated camera system, which is apparent from the new diagonal orientation of the two rear cameras. In fact, Apple says the new orientation is a result of making more room for a new sensor-based stabilization system which previously was only found on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. (The cameras on the iPhone 12 were stacked vertically.) All four models get an improved 12-megapixel main camera and a better ultrawide lens and sensor. The new hardware along with the new A15 Bionic chip means a handful of improvements and new features, including being able to capture 47% more light.

There is a new cinematic mode to make your videos appear more filmlike. When using the mode, the camera can lock onto your subject to keep them in focus whether they are standing still or moving. The iPhone can even anticipate when your subject comes into the frame. Another neat effect is the ability to pull focus from one subject to another.

The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will also gain the ability to capture ProRes videos, which optimizes videos and is especially useful for people who color grade or use editing software like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro. ProRes video files take up more space than a regular h.264/h.265 video that, up to now, most iPhones have shot. ProRes support won't be on the iPhone at launch but is expected to be added later this year.