First Impressions From New iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Owners

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

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....

Top Rated Comments

tgwaste Avatar
55 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)
Joe_ Avatar
55 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
55 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)
JGWolven Avatar
55 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
55 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)
severe Avatar
55 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)