MacRumors

Apple's highly anticipated "California Streaming" event on Tuesday had an interesting mix of expected and unexpected news, including the iPhone 13 lineup that largely followed expectations and the Apple Watch Series 7 that didn't get the expected flat-sided redesign but otherwise matched up with rumors pretty well.

On the more unexpected front, we got updates to the iPad mini and entry-level iPad, something most people weren't expecting until a second autumn event in October or November. We also didn't get the third-generation AirPods, which were rumored but fairly uncertain about heading into the event.

For a look at Tuesday's biggest announcements, check out our 7-minute recap video and associated article that links out to all of our coverage from event day.

Apple Announces iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini With Smaller Notch, Repositioned Rear Cameras, and More

Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, both featuring a smaller notch, repositioned rear cameras, improved performance, and more while maintaining the same 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch sizes of their respective iPhone 12 predecessors.

As rumored, the new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini include a 20% smaller notch, allowing for more display area. Inside, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are powered by the brand new A15 Bionic chip, while a more advanced dual-camera system on the rear delivers better photos and video than ever.

Pre-orders are now underway ahead of a launch on Friday, September 24, although shipping times for many models and some Apple Card users experienced difficulties trying to place orders as they went live.

Apple Unveils iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max With ProMotion Displays and Up to 1TB Storage

In additon to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, Apple on Tuesday also announced the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max, featuring brighter Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion, improved rear cameras, a more powerful variant of the A15 Bionic chip, up to 1TB of storage, a new Sierra Blue color option, and more.

Both devices sport the A15 Bionic chip with a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU for a significant performance improvement. This variant of the A15 chip contains one extra GPU core than the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini and ‌iPhone 13‌'s A15 chip.

Pre-orders for the Pro models are also underway ahead of their September 24 launch, and if you're having trouble deciding which model to get, we have a buyer's guide comparing the regular and Pro lineups.

Apple Unveils Apple Watch Series 7 Featuring Larger Screen Sizes From $399

As expected, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 7 at Tuesday's event, delivering the expected larger display size thanks to thinner bezels and slightly larger casings.

What we didn't expect is that the design is quite similar to the Series 6 and other recent models, with smooth, rounded edges rather than the flat-edged redesign that had been rumored by several prominent sources.

You'll also have to wait a while to get your hands on the new Apple Watch, as Apple has said only that it will be available "later this fall." Recent reports indicated that Apple was having trouble ramping up mass production of the new models, and that's almost certainly the reason for Apple's vague launch timeframe.

Apple Introduces Redesigned Sixth-Generation iPad Mini With Touch ID, USB-C Port, 5G, and More

We heard a number of rumors about a redesign for the iPad mini that would bring it more in line with the iPad Air, and that's exactly what we got Tuesday with the sixth-generation model.

The new iPad mini features a larger 8.3-inch display that largely covers the front of the device, Touch ID on the power button rather than having a Home button, a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Orders for the new iPad mini are available now, with a launch coming on Friday, September 24.

Apple Announces New 9th-Generation iPad With A13 Chip, True Tone Display, and More

While it didn't see as big an overhaul as its smaller sibling, the entry-level 10.2-inch iPad did receive an update on Tuesday, upgrading to an A13 Bionic chip offering up to 20% faster performance, a True Tone display, an improved front camera, and more.

The new ‌iPad‌ features an upgraded 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage, which uses machine learning to automatically detect people in the frame, panning and zooming to keep them in view during FaceTime calls. The feature recognizes when other people join or exit a call, adjusting the camera position to fit everyone in.

Orders for the new iPad are available now, with a launch coming next week on Friday, September 24.

iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 Will Be Released on September 20

Apple's big software update launch will take place next Monday, September 20, with Apple releasing iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 on that date.

We haven't yet received an official launch date for macOS Monterey, but it appears likely we'll have a Mac-focused media event in about a month or so, and we'll likely hear more about Monterey then, if not sooner.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iMazing to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max with up to 1TB of storage and a copy of the iMazing software, which is ideal for iPhone backups and management.

If you're unfamiliar with iMazing, it's Mac and Windows software that provides a range of handy tools for iOS device management, and it offers more versatility than Apple's Finder-based iPhone management system on the Mac and iTunes on Windows.

iMazing allows for hassle-free Time Machine-like wireless backups with multiple backup versions available. With iCloud and Apple's Mac/Windows backup tools older backups are overwritten rather than being saved, making it more difficult to get to the backup that you might prefer. With iMazing, you can also do your backups on a set schedule so you never forget to save your data.

You can browse through all of your backup snapshots to see your saved data, with backups able to be saved for weeks, months, and longer. Backups can also be encrypted for privacy, and iMazing backups are useful for device-to-device transfers like when you upgrade your iPhone.

If you need to transfer photos from an iOS device to a Mac, there's a simple drag and drop option that lets you move your images from one device to another. You can keep what you need and delete what you don't want, and iMazing is able to load HEIF, RAW, and PNG, and JPG files so you can see what's what. There's also a built-in EXIF viewer that provides information on file type, size, and location.

iMazing is also useful for saving backups of your iMessages or your WhatsApp messages. You can save all of the content of your messages, like photos, videos, contacts, and links, and export that content later if it's needed.

For those who download their own music, iMazing can be used to transfer songs from an iOS device to a computer and vice versa. This can be particularly handy if you have an old iPhone or iPod and no other way to get the music off of it. Data remains local, with nothing uploaded to the cloud when you're working with iMazing.

If you want to see what makes iOS tick, you can also dig into system files, find logs, access a real-time device console, and check device diagnostics, including information on the iPhone's battery. Configuration and supervision tools are available for small businesses, making it easier for them to manage multiple devices.

App management features are helpful for those who miss the app access that iTunes used to provide on the Mac. iMazing supports bulk deleting apps, backing up and restoring app data, and downloading apps to the iMazing app library so they can be reinstalled if an app is deleted from the App Store.

iMazing gets regular updates, and some of the newest features include spyware detection and a podcast management feature. iMazing is compatible with iOS 15 and the upcoming macOS Monterey update. Those who want to purchase iMazing can do so from the iMazing website, and we have a 30 percent off discount for MacRumors readers. Just check out with the promo code MACRUMORS21 to get it.

We have one iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max to give away to a lucky MacRumors reader. The winner will be able to choose their preferred device, including storage space and color.

To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (September 17) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 24. The winner will be chosen randomly on September 24 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with iMazing. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

During Tuesday's media event, Greg Joswiak noted that Apple has redesigned the packaging for the iPhone 13 lineup to eliminate the traditional outer plastic wrap on the box, a change that will avoid creating 600 metric tons of plastic waste.

As shared in a tweet by leaker DuanRui earlier today, it appears that Apple's solution is one already used on many Apple accessories, involving a sticker with a tear-off strip that secures the box until it's ready to be opened.

Apple is not the only company making changes to its packaging for sustainability reasons as part of the ‌iPhone 13‌ launch, with Belkin today announcing that its new lineup of screen protectors for the ‌iPhone 13‌ family will arrive in packaging made entirely of recycled plastic water bottles and forest certified paper.

In addition to the packaging change, which is part of a broader internal and external sustainability initiative at the company, Belkin says the Screen Protector Applicator kits made available to retail stores to assist with installation will also transition to more sustainable materials including kraft paper, plant-based plastic liners, and soy-based ink.

Belkin's Anti-Glare Screen Protectors for all ‌iPhone 13‌ models are available from Apple for $19.95, while the UltraGlass Screen Protectors with double ion-exchange strengthened lithium aluminosilicate glass are priced at $39.95.

Starting next month, Apple is ramping up COVID-19 testing requirements for employees. According to The Verge's Zoe Schiffer, unvaccinated employees will be required to get frequent COVID-19 tests, while vaccinated employees will receive infrequent tests if going into an office or store.

Unlike other tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, Apple has not mandated vaccines for its employees and still does not require workers to get vaccinated to remain at Apple. Prior to the upcoming testing mandate, testing was encouraged, but not required.

Apple earlier this month began asking employees to provide details on their vaccination status, and it has been pushing vaccines through an internal vaccination campaign.

Apple offers vouchers to get employees vaccinated through Walgreens along with on-site vaccinations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin. Paid time off is available for vaccine appointments, as is paid sick leave for those who experience side effects.

Many corporate employees are still working from home at this point and will not be returning to the office until January at the earliest, but Apple also has a large retail workforce.

The details on Apple's testing plans came from today's company-wide town hall meeting, where Cook also spoke on plans for a hybrid work model going forward. "We learned as a company what it means for everyone to come in everyday because we did that before," he said. "We know what it's like when hardly anyone comes in. We don't really know about the middle range. We need to learn."

Cook said that Apple is committed to learning and tweaking its plans going forward, and he said that Apple plans to give everyone an extra three days off next quarter. In the U.S., employees will receive this time off on Thanksgiving week.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple this week expanded the option to extend an expiring AppleCare+ plan for iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch to additional countries, including France, Italy, and Spain.

Prior to now, extended ‌AppleCare‌+ coverage options for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Apple Watch were limited to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Japan. The three new countries have been added in an updated version of Apple's ‌AppleCare‌+ support document.

In all eligible countries, if you paid upfront for an ‌AppleCare‌+ plan for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Apple Watch, you may be eligible to purchase new coverage that renews monthly.

Apple says that new coverage must be purchased within 30 days of when the original coverage ends, and customers can find out if they're eligible for extended coverage by going to mysupport.apple.com and following the on-screen instructions. The new coverage plan will automatically renew until it is canceled.

Except in places where local law requires it, Apple will not provide notifications that an ‌AppleCare‌+ plan is about to expire, so customers must check themselves.

Apple has a separate renewal plan for customers in mainland China, who can pay annually for continued ‌AppleCare‌+ coverage once their original plans expire.

‌AppleCare‌+ provides device coverage beyond the initial warranty period, plus it covers two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months, with customers paying a small deductible for repairs or replacements.

Update 7:10 p.m.: Based on Apple's support document, this article originally indicated that annual renewals of ‌AppleCare‌+ for Mac were now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Apple has, however, updated its support document again to note that Mac renewals remain exclusive to the U.S., and this article has been revised accordingly.

Apple today published a seven minute video positioned as a tour of the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, with the walkthrough coinciding with the pre-orders that are now live.

Filmed at the Tower Theater Apple Store in Los Angeles, the tour highlights the four available sizes, camera technology like Cinematic Mode and improved low-light performance, the Ceramic Shield display and IP68 water resistance, battery life, ProMotion Display, and more.

Apple suggests the video will help users choose the iPhone that's the right fit for them.

Find the right iPhone for you. Let's walk through the new iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max as we explore the incredible new features, sizes, and colors available.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ and 13 Pro models are available for purchase as of today, and pricing starts at $699 for the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini and goes up to a $1099 starting price for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Customers who pre-order today can expect to get their devices starting on Friday, September 24.

Apple is planning to use an LTPS OLED display for at least one of the four models planned for the iPhone 14 series next year, according to Korean website The Elec, meaning that at least one iPhone 14 model would still have a 60Hz display.

The report lines up with information previously shared by display industry consultant Ross Young, who accurately claimed that the new iPad mini would feature an 8.3-inch display.

The new iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max unveiled this week feature ProMotion displays with a variable refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, resulting in smoother appearing content when watching video, gaming, or scrolling text. The devices are able to offer this feature because they are equipped with lower-power LTPO OLED displays, whereas the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have LTPS OLED displays without support for ProMotion.

The lack of ProMotion on at least one iPhone 14 model wouldn't be too surprising, as Apple may keep the feature limited to the Pro models next year to maintain differentiation with the standard iPhone 14 models. Rumors suggest Apple plans to launch four iPhone 14 models next year, including a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, with no iPhone 14 mini.

The report adds that LG Display is aiming to start supplying Apple with LTPO OLED displays in 2022, which would give Apple another supplier of ProMotion displays for iPhones beyond Samsung, which is currently its exclusive supplier.

In the past, The Elec accurately reported that Apple would launch a new iPad Pro with a LiDAR Scanner in March 2020.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro pre-orders started today, and while many customers have successfully placed their pre-orders, some have experienced issues when attempting to complete their purchase with an Apple Card or Apple Pay.

Some customers have turned to Twitter to express their frustration with the pre-ordering process, sharing screenshots of errors that they received, such as "there was a problem with the card details you entered" or "something went wrong." Apple's system status page does not yet reflect any widespread issues with the Apple Card or Apple Pay, but it's clear that quite a few customers have been impacted by the issues this morning.

In the U.S. and the U.K., some affected customers are trying to place their pre-order through the iPhone Upgrade Program, but this is not always the case.

There isn't a clear-cut solution to the issues for now beyond switching to a different payment method, but for Apple Card holders, this could mean missing out on 3% Daily Cash. The pre-ordering issues have also resulted in some customers missing out on securing their preferred iPhone 13 configuration for launch day delivery on September 24, as delivery estimates have already started slipping into October for some models.

Update: Apple has since acknowledged the issues on its system status page, noting that "some Apple Card customers are not able to make iPhone Upgrade Program purchases." Apple said it will update the page when the issue is resolved.

This month, Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro as the successors to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, featuring a smaller notch, the A15 Bionic chip, longer battery life, improved cameras, and new color options across the lineup.

The iPhone 13 starts at $799, while the iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999. As Apple's latest iPhones share a large number of features, should you consider purchasing the lower-cost model to save money, or opt for the high-end Pro model? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.

Comparing the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro

The ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ share a majority of features, such as display size, processor, and 5G connectivity. Apple lists these same features of the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌:

Similarities

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi, featuring HDR, True Tone, P3 Wide Color, and Haptic Touch
• 20 percent smaller notch
• Face ID authentication
• A15 Bionic chip and new 16-core Neural Engine
• Sub-6GHz 5G connectivity (and mmWave in the U.S.)
• 12MP Ultra Wide and Wide cameras with sensor-shift optical image stabilization and 2x optical zoom out
• Photography features including Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, and more
• Videography features including Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30fps, Dolby Vision HDR video recording in 4K at 60fps, Night mode Time-lapse, and more
• 12MP front-facing TrueDepth camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture and features including Retina Flash, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, Night mode, Smart HDR 4, Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision in 4K at 60fps, and more
• Ceramic Shield front
• IP68 dust and water resistant up to a depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes
• Compatible with MagSafe accessories and wireless chargers
• Available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options
• Lightning connector

Apple's breakdown shows that the iPhones share a large number of important features, but there are some key differences between the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌, including the ProMotion display, LiDAR Scanner, and Telephoto Lens.

Differences

Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see what exactly both iPhones have to offer.

Design and Colors

The ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ both have the same squared-off industrial design with a flat band around the sides that was first introduced with the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup. The most noticeable visual difference between the two devices is their different use of materials and finishes.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ uses aerospace-grade anodized aluminum on the edges and a single piece of polished glass on the rear, while the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ uses surgical-grade polished stainless steel on the edges and a single piece of matte, frosted glass on the rear. The dimensions of both devices are the same, but the ‌iPhone 13‌ is 30 grams lighter due to its use of aluminum rather than the much heavier stainless steel.

The two devices also use completely different color palettes. The ‌iPhone 13‌ is available in PRODUCT(RED), Starlight, Midnight, Blue, and Pink, while the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is available in Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Sierra Blue.

The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ espouses a more luxurious appearance and heavier, tactile feel in the hand, but the ‌iPhone 13‌ still looks like a premium device with a more diverse range of color options. As the designs are similar, and only vary in terms of color options, materials, and rear camera configurations, preference for the ‌iPhone 13‌ or the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ will come down to personal taste.

ProMotion Display

The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ features the ProMotion technology that Apple initially introduced with the iPad Pro in 2017, offering an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 10Hz to 120Hz. This means that the refresh rate of the display changes based on what is on the screen. The display of the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is also able to get 200 nits brighter than the ‌iPhone 13‌ in typical, non-HDR use.

When viewing a website that is static, the device will use a lower refresh rate, but while playing a game, watching sports, or scrolling through content, the refresh rate will increase to provide a smoother and more responsive experience. ProMotion technology is even able to accelerate and decelerate the frame rate to match the speed of a user's scrolling on the screen.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ does not have ProMotion, but it is not an essential feature for most users. The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is the first iPhone to feature the technology, with all other iPhones to date having a display with a non-variable and lower maximum refresh rate. This means that the ‌iPhone 13‌'s display still provides a good, familiar experience, and those who have not enjoyed a 120Hz display on a device in the past will likely not feel that they are missing out.

Cameras and LiDAR

The main difference between the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is their rear camera setups. The ‌iPhone 13‌ has a dual 12MP camera system with Ultra Wide and Wide lenses. On the other hand, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ has a triple camera setup that adds a Telephoto lens. The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is also able to optically zoom three times in due to its Telephoto lens, which the ‌iPhone 13‌ lacks entirely. It is also able to digitally zoom in ten times further than the ‌iPhone 13‌.

Each lens of the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ features a larger aperture than on the ‌iPhone 13‌ to allow more light in, with an ƒ/1.8 Ultra Wide and ƒ/1.5 Wide compared to the ƒ/2.4 Ultra Wide and ƒ/1.6 Wide cameras of the ‌iPhone 13‌, which should make for better image quality.

The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is also able to take photos in Apple ProRaw and record video in 4K ProRes at 30 fps, file formats that take full advantage of the device's rear cameras. These features are aimed at professional photographers and videographers, so users with workflows that can make good use of these formats should get the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌. For the vast majority of users, ProRAW and ProRes will likely not be used at all, making the ‌iPhone 13‌ a more fitting option.

In addition, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ has a LiDAR Scanner in the rear camera array to accurately map the environment and depth. This allows the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ to take Night mode portrait photos and offers enhanced AR experiences.

‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ clearly provides a more capable, pro-oriented, and fully-featured camera experience, so users who prioritize maximum quality and a range of photo and video capabilities should get the more expensive device. However, beyond the telephoto lens, many of these features, such as ProRAW, ProRes, and LiDAR, will not be important to the majority of users. For most people, the ‌iPhone 13‌'s camera setup will be more than sufficient to take excellent photos and videos, and it still offers a range of practical, easy-to-use camera features such as Night mode, Portrait mode, and Deep Fusion.

A15 Bionic Chip

Both the ‌iPhone 13‌ and the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ contains Apple's latest A15 Bionic chip, which offers moderate performance improvements over last year's A14 chip. While the chips in both iPhones are the same, the GPU in the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ contains one additional core. Users can therefore expect slightly better performance from the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ when performing activities such as gaming or video editing.

The A15 in the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is also paired with 2GB more RAM than the standard ‌iPhone 13‌, meaning that it should be able to keep more browser tabs and background tabs active at any given time.

Battery Life

When playing back video, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ offers three extra hours of battery life compared to the ‌iPhone 13‌, and it can provide five extra hours when streaming video. The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ has a clear advantage over the ‌iPhone 13‌ in terms of battery life, and those users who need the absolute maximum available battery life in this form factor should choose the higher-end model as a result.

Storage Options

The ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ are both available with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage, but the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is also available with a 1TB storage option for $1,499.

Users who already easily fill up smaller storage capacities with music, apps, and movies, may prefer to get the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ since it offers a much larger maximum storage option. The 1TB capacity is likely more aimed at professionals who intend to store large ProRes files, but could be useful to anyone with large enough libraries of podcasts, photos, or games.

Other iPhone Options

It is worth noting that the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini provides the same feature set as the ‌iPhone 13‌ for $699, simply with a more compact design, a 5.4-inch display, and a slightly shorter 17 hours of battery life (during video playback). Likewise, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max mirrors the feature set of the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌, but with a larger design, a 6.7-inch display, and a longer 28 hours of battery life (during video playback) starting at $1,099.

If you feel that the ‌iPhone 13‌ is slightly out of your budget and you do not need the latest A15 chip or the most advanced cameras, you may wish to consider the ‌iPhone 12‌. The ‌iPhone 12‌ broadly uses the same design as the ‌iPhone 13‌, has the same 6.1-inch display size, and starts at $599. The ‌iPhone 12‌'s A14 Bionic chip, 17-hour battery life, and dual-camera setup are still highly capable for everyday use, and the device shares an overwhelming majority of the ‌iPhone 13‌'s most versatile features, such as 5G connectivity, Night mode, ‌MagSafe‌, and IP68 water resistance.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ offers clear advancements over the ‌iPhone 13‌, particularly in terms of its materials, display, and rear cameras. The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ is $200 more than the ‌iPhone 13‌, and many people will find it difficult to justify the additional cost simply for display, camera, battery, and design improvements that do not significantly change the day-to-day use of the device. Those opting for the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ will be seeking the most premium and full-featured ‌iPhone‌ that offers the best possible experience and capabilities in all areas, or be interested in specific features such as ProMotion, the Telephoto lens, or shooting video in ProRes.

Since the two phones share a large majority of features, including design, an OLED Super Retina XDR display, 5G connectivity, the A15 Bionic chip, and ‌MagSafe‌, it is difficult to actively recommend the more expensive model. As the improvements of the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ are specific and do not hugely change daily interaction with the device, most people should get the ‌iPhone 13‌.

Coinciding with the start of iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro pre-orders, Apple today started offering 0% financing for an extended 24 months on new iPhone purchases in Canada through financing partner PayBright, up from six months previously.

For example, customers with approved credit can now pay for the iPhone 13 Pro with 128GB of storage for 24 equal monthly payments of $58.29, with zero interest applied over those two years. Taxes must be paid in full upfront at the time of purchase. The financing option is available through Apple's website, retail stores, or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE.

With the lack of an iPhone Upgrade Program or the Apple Card with Monthly Installments in Canada, this financing offer from PayBright finally provides Canadians with a way to finance an iPhone purchase directly from Apple over two years.

Update: PayBright has been experiencing issues today with the iPhone 13 pre-order process, according to complaints on Twitter.

iPhone 13, ‌iPhone 13‌ mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max pre-orders went live on Apple.com earlier today, and now you can also pre-order the newest Apple smartphones across many carriers and retailers in the United States. Carriers typically offer numerous deals and bonuses to ordering through them instead of Apple, and that's no different for the ‌iPhone 13‌ launch.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AT&T

At AT&T, you can get up to $1,000 off a new iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max, if you purchase the new device on an eligible installment agreement, pay a $30 activation/upgrade fee, and trade in an eligible smartphone.

To get the maximum $1,000 off the new iPhone, you'll need to trade in an iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, or XS Max. A few Android devices are also eligible, and all must be in good working condition.

If you trade in an ‌iPhone‌ X, XR, or XS you'll get $700 credit to put towards the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌, and an ‌iPhone‌ 7, 7 Plus, SE, 8, or 8 Plus will get you $350 credit. Credits start within three billing cycles after trade in is completed.

Shoppers should note that this offer is not an early upgrade program, and the trade in device can not be on an existing installment plan on AT&T. For existing customers looking to upgrade their ‌iPhone‌, you can get up to $500 off the ‌iPhone 13‌ or ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌.

T-Mobile/Sprint

T-Mobile has introduced a new "Forever Upgrade" offer this year, allowing users to get ongoing discounts on new iPhones every two years. Specifically, if you trade in an eligible smartphone you'll get up to $1,000 off ‌iPhone 13‌ or 13 Pro on the Magenta MAX or Sprint MAX plans.

Then, in two years you can get up to $800 off the newest ‌iPhone‌ and every two years after that. T-Mobile says that customers will be able to access this $800 credit every two years "forever."

Additionally, if you're on another T-Mobile plan, you can get up to half off the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ via 30 monthly bill credits, or up to $500 off the ‌iPhone 13‌. Both of these deals require an eligible trade in.

You can also buy one ‌iPhone 13‌ or iPhone 12 and get a second one free (up to $800 credit) with 30 monthly bill credits. This requires you to add a qualifying line on any T-Mobile plan.

Verizon

At Verizon, current and new customers can get up to $800 off the iPhone 13 lineup with select trade in offers and on select unlimited plans. If you're switching to Verizon, you can get up to $500 to help cover the cost of switching, for a total of up to $1,300 off new models.

If you purchase an ‌iPhone 13‌ on a Verizon device payment plan, you can get up to $250 off select iPads or $150 off select Apple Watches. Apple Music is also included in the Get More Unlimited Plan, while all other plans have six months of ‌Apple Music‌ at no cost.

Visible

Visible won't have the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ available to order until launch day on September 24. But once they do, if you port in your number to Visible and buy an ‌iPhone 13‌, you'll get a $200 digital gift card and a free HomePod mini.

Best Buy

In addition to carriers, a few retailers have also opened up pre-orders on the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌. Starting with Best Buy, you can save up to $720 on ‌iPhone 13‌ and up to $1,000 on ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ deal requires qualified activation and trade in of an ‌iPhone‌ 8 or newer, while the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ deal requires qualified activation and trade in of an ‌iPhone 11‌ or newer. These deals will run through September 23 and you'll have to trade in your old ‌iPhone‌ in a Best Buy store to see the offer.

Walmart

At Walmart, you can get $100 off the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. This offer is valid only on purchases made with valid installment plans. The retailer also has up to $1,000 off the new iPhones with eligible trade ins on participating carriers. Check here for more details about Walmart's offers.

Apple today opened pre-orders for all four iPhone 13 models through its website and the Apple Store app, and estimated delivery times are already slipping into October for Pro models with the all-new 1TB storage option in the U.S. and select other countries.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available with up to 1TB of storage, which is the largest storage capacity ever offered in an iPhone. The storage option is not cheap, with prices reaching up to $1,599 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max with 1TB in the United States. 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options are also available, with many configurations still available for September 24 launch day delivery as of writing.

The standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini models are likewise available with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage, but there is no 1TB option for those devices.

Key features across the iPhone 13 lineup include a faster A15 Bionic chip, camera improvements, longer battery life, and a smaller notch. The two Pro models also feature a ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. All four iPhone 13 models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Friday, September 24.

Update: In the time since this story was published, certain other iPhone 13 models, storage capacities, and color combinations have started facing extended delivery estimates into October. Discuss your pre-order in the MacRumors forums.

Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 13, ‌iPhone 13‌ mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max through its online storefront and through the Apple Store app.

Pre-orders are available in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. Those who used the "Get Ready" feature to prepare for pre-orders will just need to hit a button to get their orders in.

This year's iPhones are similar in design to last year's models, but feature upgraded camera capabilities, a smaller front notch, faster A15 chips, improved battery life, 128GB starting storage, and ProMotion technology for the Pro models.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ mini is the most affordable of the new iPhones, priced at $699, while the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini is priced at $799. These iPhones are Apple's less expensive flagship devices, featuring a diagonal dual-lens camera setup and lacking some of the bells and whistles of the Pro models. You can get the ‌iPhone 13‌ and 13 mini in Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED.

For those who want the best possible technology regardless of price, Apple offers the $999 ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ and the $1099 ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max. The upgraded models feature stainless steel frames, triple-lens camera setups with improvements to the Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto lenses, ProMotion, A15 chips with a faster 5-core GPU, and up to 1TB storage. The ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ and Pro Max come in Silver, Gold, Sierra Blue, and Graphite.

We haven't heard rumors of significant supply shortages this year, but it's always a good idea to pre-order right away just in case. Some colors, such as Sierra Blue, are likely to be highly popular and could sell out.

Major U.S. carriers including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are also accepting pre-orders for new devices, as are other carriers worldwide. Retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart also have pre-orders available.

Alongside the new iPhones, Apple is offering new iPhone cases and accessories, and for those unaware, the iPad mini 6 is also available for purchase at this time. The Apple Watch Series 7 is not coming until later this fall and cannot be pre-ordered alongside the new iPhones.

In the United States, customers can purchase the new iPhones from the four major carriers using Apple's site or ‌‌Apple Store‌‌ app, or choose a SIM-Free version. Purchase options include carrier payment plans, the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program, Apple Card Monthly Installments, or paying in full.

Customers who pre-order one of the new ‌iPhone‌ models can expect to begin receiving their devices on Friday, September 24, which is the official release date for the ‌iPhone 13‌ lineup.

In June, we reported that starting with iPadOS 15, Apple is giving developers the ability to allocate their apps more RAM, allowing apps to use more of the available memory in the iPad to run faster and smoother.

Via an entitlement, Apple is giving developers the ability to let iPadOS know that certain functions of their apps may perform better if they have access to more system memory. Currently, Apple caps the amount of memory an app can use, mainly to ensure that a single app does not utilize all of a device's memory, impacting other core system functions.

Till now, we had limited information regarding specific details of this entitlement, including exactly how much RAM an app can request. However, with ‌iPadOS 15‌ launching on September 20, we now know that on the highest-end M1 iPad Pro, apps can use up to double the amount of RAM that was previously allowed.

The new details were shared by the developers behind the graphic design app Artstudio Pro, and according to their findings, on the highest-end ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌, which features 16GB of RAM, apps can request through the entitlement to use up to 12GB of that available memory. On the other ‌M1‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which feature only 8GB of RAM, apps can request up to 6GB.

In both cases, even if an app informs iPadOS that additional memory is needed, iPadOS still allocates a 2GB buffer for the app, on top of the 4GB available for 16GB ‌iPad Pro‌ models, and the 2GB free for the other models.

The new change is likely to be most beneficial to graphically intensive apps, such as those for drawing, modeling, and photo and video editing. While the added RAM allocation is welcomed, some users may continue to argue that iPadOS is not taking full advantage of the hardware within ‌iPad‌, especially with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch ‌iPad‌ Pros powered by the ‌M1‌ chip.

Apple says the new entitlement will be available on "supported devices," and at this point, which devices are supported beyond the new ‌iPad‌ Pros is unknown. For example, this week, Apple released a new iPad mini and a new baseline ninth-generation ‌iPad‌, with 4GB and 3GB of RAM respectively. For these new models, Apple is unlikely to allow apps to request RAM above the system limit, as it may impact core functions of iPadOS.

‌iPadOS 15‌, which includes the ability to place widgets anywhere on the Home Screen, an improved multitasking experience, Live Text, and more, will launch alongside iOS 15, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 on Monday, September 20.

Alongside iOS 15, Apple introduced an iCloud+ service that adds new features to its paid ‌‌iCloud‌‌ plans. One of these features is ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Private Relay, which is designed to encrypt all of the traffic leaving your device so no one can intercept it or read it.

According to Apple, "regulatory reasons" prevent the company from launching Private Relay in China, Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines.

Apple mentioned these country limitations in June, but it seems that Private Relay will not be available in Russia either, after Apple apparently disabled the feature there over the last day or so.

Based on reports from Twitter users and as reported by iPhones.ru, the feature was previously available to use in Russia via beta versions of ‌iOS 15‌ and iPadOS 15, but now when they try to enable it, those same users are met with the message "Private Relay is not supported in this region."

Private Relay works by sending web traffic to a server that is maintained by Apple to strip the IP address. Once IP info has been removed, Apple sends the traffic to a second server maintained by a third-party company that assigns a temporary IP address and then sends the traffic to its destination, a process that prevents your IP address, location, and browsing activity from being used to create a profile about you.

Involving an outside party in the relay system is an intentional move that Apple says was designed to prevent anyone, including Apple, from knowing a user's identity and the website the user is visiting.

Why Apple has apparently disabled Private Relay in Russia only recently isn't entirely clear, but the company has bowed to demands from the Russian authorities in the past, so there's good reason to presume this is down to another regulatory issue.

‌iOS 15‌, ‌iPadOS 15‌, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 will be released on Monday, September 20.

Apple has made much of its iPhone 13 battery life improvements, noting for example that the 13 Pro Max offers the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. However, when you look at Apple's own battery comparisons versus the iPhone 12 lineup, it's the streaming video performance that the company has eked out of its new smartphones that really stands out.

The iPhone 13 lineup features new low-power displays, a more efficient A15 chip, larger batteries, and more power-efficient components, all of which make for dramatic improvements when streaming, as the numbers above show.

For example, Apple claims that when streaming video, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max last nine hours and 13 hours longer than last year's equivalent models, respectively. Taking the same metric, the battery in the iPhone 13 mini manages 13 hours, which is longer than even the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

With video streaming services so ubiquitous these days, not to mention Apple TV+ (and obliquely, Fitness+), Apple has clearly factored the computations involved into the power optimizations that it has achieved through the tight integration of its hardware and software.

Of course, battery life varies by use case and many other factors, so actual results will vary, but if they're anything near what Apple is claiming, binge-watching your favorite show should be a cinch on these latest devices.

(H/T to Jack for pointing this out!)