First Impressions From New iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Owners - MacRumors
Skip to Content

First Impressions From New iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Owners

by

It's already Friday, September 24 in Australia and New Zealand, and customers who purchased a new iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, or iPhone 13 Pro Max already have their new devices in hand. We've seen reviews of the new iPhone 13 models from media sites, but now first impressions from everyday Apple users are available.

iphone 13 pro hayden

Image via MacRumors Reader Hindsy

New iPhone 13 and 13 Pro owners are sharing their opinions on the MacRumors forums, and for those awaiting their own new iPhones or considering a purchase, impressions from average consumers provide useful insight.

MacRumors reader Hindsy, who shared several photos of his new Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro, said that the 120Hz display is "definitely noticeable" even for "an amateur like me."

MacRumors reader Chris got iPhone 13 models in pink and blue. The pink is "gorgeous" and a must-see in person, and the blue is lighter in person too. Cinematic Mode is "incredibly fluid and fast."


Chris also shared a great video demoing the live wallpapers on the new iPhones.


Boardiesboi, who shares his opinions on new iPhone models every year, said that the new iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn't feel heavier in the hands than the 12 Pro Max, even though there is a slight difference in weight. MagSafe does not appear to be stronger than last year.

iphone 13 pro max boardiesboi
He also said that the smaller notch is not that noticeable, and that the Sierra Blue color is "absolutely stunning" in person and looks quite different in different lighting situations.

Boardiesboi also shared a nice photo of the Sierra Blue color vs. the Pacific Blue color from last year for those who are interested in seeing the difference side-by-side.

iphone 13 12 pro max color comparison boardiesboi

Other impressions from new iPhone owners:

  • The iPhone 13 Pro display appears to be cooler than the iPhone 12 Pro display
  • The stainless steel edges of the Pro and Pro Max still show fingerprints
  • If you're used to the old notch, you can tell the new one is a little bit taller. But it still disappears into the background as you use the phone.

Have a new ‌iPhone 13 or 13 Pro? Let us know your thoughts and we'll add it to our impressions article.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features

Friday April 24, 2026 10:32 am PDT by
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a...
Read Full Article • 116 comments
Apple TV Thumb 3

Here's What's Coming in the 2026 Apple TV

Thursday April 23, 2026 12:08 pm PDT by
There are a lot of folks waiting for a new version of the Apple TV because the set-top box hasn't been updated since 2022. There is an update coming this year, but people will need to wait a bit longer because Apple is holding the next Apple TV until the new version of Siri comes out this fall. Design Apple TV design updates don't happen often, and that's not changing in 2026. The next...
Read Full Article • 157 comments
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Monday April 20, 2026 7:13 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Read Full Article • 48 comments

Top Rated Comments

tgwaste Avatar
tgwaste
60 months ago
The fact that you have to touch the screen to get the wallpaper animation to work is one of the most hilariously ridiculous things Apple has ever done. Its up there with the lightning connector on the Pencil.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
Joe_
60 months ago
We don’t need a new outside design every single year. It’s the inside that counts.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
cmaier
60 months ago

Does not take much to get these guys excited about dropping a grand on a new iPhone 13
Exterior colors and bright wallpaper.

I hear it's not much different from the 12.

Just some camera upgrades. a bigger battery and catchup on the 120 screen.
So you assume we all are upgrading from 12s and not older phones?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
JGWolven
60 months ago

It’s nice. Extremely feminine as I saw it in person. The graphite is darker and very nice.
comments like these always make me lololol. Isn’t that such a random thing to say? Of all adjectives you could come up with you use “feminine”? Sierra Blue is the gateway to drag I guess!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BradLA Avatar
BradLA
60 months ago

Since Apple finally got a 120hz screen in the pros, and the cameras seem to be much improved, I almost want one even though I’ve been super super critical of Apple lately. However, these colors just ruin it for me, I’ve been waiting for an actual black phone since the iPhone 7! The rumors said Apple was finally going to give us a black color to choose from, and instead we got a bunch of hideous pastels, gaudy gold, “silver” which looks like a dirty off white, and some color that looks like a kid colored it in with a pencil.

ironically, the non-pro iPhones actually come in black! I can’t think of any tool in the professional world, no matter what it may be that’s Barbie blue, nada. I wouldn’t care if they came in hot pink with purple polka dots as long as they also have options for those of us who don’t want a Barbie phone. The only one that looks decent is the silver, but again that isn’t black, so…

Apple needs to seriously fire its designers, what do they actually design anyways? The template they use was done by Jobs and Ive anyways, all they do is select the colors during pre-production. They need to hire someone like me, or anyone else that has some actual taste. 99.999% of people aren’t here on this forum and don’t care about pretending everything Apple does is the best thing ever. I hate to keep harping on it but if websites like this are going to push this narrative on us that these colors are “gorgeous” than there has to be some push back from the real world.

There’s simply no excuse for not having a black when even the iPhone mini comes in black!!

Gotta run, UPS just showed up with my new Snap-On pry bar set, got pastel blue to match my baby blue impact gun and socket set!!🦄
All this because there isn't a black iPhone 13 Pro? Holy ****.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
severe
60 months ago

It’s the inside that counts.
This is what my mother's always told me. Still not sure how to interpret it. 🤷‍♂️
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments