Apple iPhone 13: What you need to know about the tech giant’s latest smartphone

The most popular smartphone in Australia is getting an overhaul but not all the rumours about its new features have proved to be true.

Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones at its September 15 event.

Better cameras, brighter screens, more storage, and longer battery life: Apple unveiled four new iPhones in the early hours of Wednesday morning that are set to arrive in Australia next week.

But the Cupertino tech giant also surprised viewers by also taking the wraps off two new iPads and a redesigned smartwatch.

And not all the rumoured features became real as some devices did not launch as expected. This is what you need to know about Apple’s latest product launch.

SURPRISE! IT’S AN IPAD EVENT

Everyone was expecting to hear about iPhones at Apple’s ‘California streaming’ event but chief executive Tim Cook instead kicked off with big hardware updates for the company’s tablet line-up.

“The iPad business has never been stronger. We’ve grown by over 40 per cent this past year,” Mr Cook said.

“We have great line-up today with industry-leading customer satisfaction and it’s about to get even stronger.”

Apple’s September 14 promised ‘California streaming’. Picture: Supplied

Apple’s cheapest and most popular iPad, the 10.2-inch model, received the first update with a 12-megapixel front-facing camera and Centre Stage feature for keeping users in the frame during video calls, as well as a chip that promises to be 20 per cent faster and double the storage of the last model. The new model will cost $499 when it arrives in Australia on September 24.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed big updates for two iPads at the company’s streaming event.

Apple’s smallest tablet, the iPad Mini, also received a long overdue major update with a leap to an 8.3-inch screen and the removal of its Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

The new Mini will arrive in a redesigned metal body, will feature a front-facign camera with Centre Stage, a fingerprint scanner on the side of the device, a 5G connection, and the ability to work with Apple Pencil that can be attached to its side magnetically. Prices for the smallest iPad will start at $749.

APPLE WATCH SERIES 7

The rumours were right about Apple’s Watch: there is a new model coming and it’s arriving with a small but important redesign.

Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams said the Apple Watch Series 7 “takes all of the great features of Apple Watch and combines them with our largest and most advanced display ever”.

Apple Watch Series 7. Picture: Supplied.

The new models feature brighter, Retina displays that promise to be 20 per cent larger thanks to thinner borders, as well as more “crack-resistant” crystal faces and IP6X rating for dust-resistance.

The new Watches will also be launched in five new aluminium colours, with a full keyboard for on-screen replies, and with a fast-charging feature.

However, in a move flagged before the event, the Watch won’t be launched immediately. It will instead arrive in stores later this spring and its price has yet to be revealed.

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the Watch Series 7.

THE IPHONE 13

After unveiling new iPads, TV shows, and a smartwatch, Mr Cook finally got around to what the most dedicated Australian Apple fans woke to see: the iPhone 13.

The company’s newest smartphone will feature a noticeable exterior makeover this year, with a Super Retina XDR screen that promises 20 per cent more brightness, and a smaller “notch” at the top of the display for the first time since the black bar was introduced in the iPhone X.

The Apple iPhone 13 was unveiled in a streaming event. Picture: Supplied.

Cameras inside the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini will also get a significant update this year, gaining the larger image sensor used in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, sensor-shift stabilisation, better lowlight capabilities with Night Mode, and an improved ultra wide angle lens.

Apple will also introduce a new video style called Cinematic Mode that automatically switches focus between subjects as they turn their face to the camera, as you might see in a movie or a soap opera.

Apple iPhone 13. Picture: Supplied

The new handsets will also come with a new A15 Bionic chip that promises a speed and battery boost.

iPhone 13 handsets will launch in Australia on September 24, with pre-orders starting on Friday, September 17, and prices starting at $1199 for the Mini and $1349 for the iPhone 13.

Apple iPhone 13 in four colours. Picture: Supplied

RETURN OF THE MAX

All four sizes of the iPhone will get a refresh this year, from the 6.7-inch Pro Max to the 5.5-inch Mini.

But the biggest improvements will debut inside what Apple curiously called its “most Pro iPhone ever”.

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled iPhone 13 handsets during the company’s streaming event.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will receive the widely rumoured screen upgrades with OLED backing and a 120Hz refresh rate that will deliver smoother scrolling and fast action scenes during games.

All three lenses — wide, ultra wide, and telephoto — on the back of these smartphones will also be updated for better lowlight capture with wider apertures.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro models will get a big update to their cameras. Picture: Supplied.

Its ultra wide lens also promises to capture macro photography at just 2cm from its subject, and a new feature called Photographic Styles will allow photographers to set their preferences before they shoot.

Video recording will also get a boost in the iPhone 13 Pro models with Cinematic Mode for automatic focus switching, as well as long rumoured ProRes video capture that will let users record 4K video at 30 frames per second. ProRes video capture won’t be immediately available when the smartphone launches, however, instead coming in a later software update.

The new Pro iPhones will be available with more storage of up to one terabyte for the first time, pushing the price of the top model as high as $2719.

WHAT WAS MISSING?

Not all Apple rumours became real-world features during the big streaming event.

The company did not reveal new AirPods as widely expected, nor did it make any changes to the way users charge iPhones, like swapping Lightning for USB-C.

Rumours about sending messages using low Earth orbit satellites also proved wrong, or early, and there will be no in-screen fingerprint scanners in the new smartphones to accommodate life with masks.