Image via Apple
I’ve spent a significant amount of time scrolling lately, and I’ve got the screen time analytics to prove it. Considering the volume of time we’re all spending on our phones, every interaction and process that is slightly snappier makes a huge difference when you start to add all that time over the period of a year.
At first glance, Apple’s iPhone 13 has a lot of the same aesthetics as the iPhone 12, but there are some new features under the hood that may be intriguing to people with an 8, X, or 11. For those wondering if they should take the plunge, going to break down everything new with the iPhone 13 lineup. The Cinema Mode, new cameras, the screens, and the battery life, so that you can have the info that will help make a choice on what to do about the new iPhone 13.
Things that have stayed the same
Last year, the iPhone 12 made waves with its flat design. It was a great throwback to the iPhone 4, and since then we’ve been seeing that general look pop up in the iPad Air, Pro, Mini, and arguably in the M1 iMac. This year’s iPhone 13 looks very similar to the iPhone 12, which isn’t uncommon for Apple. Typically after a design refresh, it’s normal to see two-to-four years of models that have very similar style. This isn’t a bad thing, but at a glance, it may be hard to tell the different generations of iPhones apart. The obvious differences are the new colors, and the new angled camera placements on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, which allow for larger camera sensors.
Image via Complex
Other features such as MagSafe, ceramic shield, 5G, and size and shape are all still here. There is one note when it comes to the point of the size, the iPhone 13 is marginally bigger and heavier, which allows for a larger battery, and better battery life. The trade-off is worth it, and that extra battery life is especially welcomed in the iPhone 13 mini, where the added power addresses a major gripe of many consumers and reviewers when it came out. The tiny phone was great then, and it’s slightly better now. As a side note, one of the biggest standouts for this year’s keynote was the iPad mini. If you find yourself using an iPad often, you could potentially want a smaller iPhone, because each device would begin to be tailored to their individual use cases.
Cinema Mode
Cinema mode, simply put, allows the user to switch focus from one subject and/or object to another quickly, and adjust what is in focus later in post, if necessary. I sat down with Apple’s Johnnie Manzari, a Human Interface Designer at Apple, and Kaiann Drance, Vice President of iPhone Marketing, to talk about it.
If you were explaining at a dinner party what you do to somebody that has no idea what you do, what would that sound like?
Manzari: I’m a designer on the Apple design team, which is an amazing job to have, and my area of focus is camera experiences.
Nice, that totally makes sense. Cinema Mode looks dope. Correct me if I’m misunderstanding this, but basically is this how it works…? The iPhone 13 is getting a flat image, and everything is in focus, and then using machine learning, the iPhone is able to understand depth and where edges are, and then pull focus from there? I know that’s not really a question, but could you explain to me vaguely how it works?
Manzari: Yeah. I think I can go into a little bit more detail. It’s really something we think is complicated for us in designing and building, but easy for the customers and that’s what’s got us so excited. Basically, if we go back to where this all started, the key insight that we had was doing this is hard. So, doing shallow depth of field with video is today for skilled professionals. You have to be a skilled professional to even get into this. Because even small mistakes, like being off by a few inches, if you’re focusing on the ear and not the person’s eye, makes the footage unusable. This was the kind of challenge that we think Apple tackles best because it’s transforming something that’s difficult, conventionally hard to learn, into something automatic and simple. But to your question, there were some very specific capabilities we had to get right, in order for this to work. And they were very challenging technical problems.
One of these, and it sounds so simple but is very hard, it’s holding focus while the camera and subject are in motion. So you identify the subject, you hold focus on them while they are potentially moving, and then identify the moment when you need to shift or rack focus to another subject in order to redirect attention.
The other thing we identified in all of this, it’s not just about the subjects themselves, but we noticed that the role of gaze was really important because sometimes even though you are the subject based on your body motion and gaze, you are giving us cues that what’s important in the scene is actually something else. And I think that was a really amazing insight from cinema that we were able to bring in.
The other piece of this is not just understanding where to put the focus, but how you transition. The focus is something that we put a lot of care and thought into. It was really critical to have smooth transitions like you see in cinema where the rack focus is deliberate and it’s natural and it’s considered, and it takes advantage of the realistic optical characteristics that come from our depth information. Because, kind of like you were saying, the easy way to do it is you put a mask around somebody and you blur everything else. And then another person comes in and you snap the mask and blur everything else, but that’s not cinema, and that’s not storytelling. You strip the nuance and beauty out of it.
In the analogue world, this was another incentive we had working with some cinematographers. You have the focus puller using a wheel, and when you see them do this, I mean it’s almost like an amazing pianist or athlete, people who are the best at their craft. When you see them perform their craft they make it look effortless and easy, and it just seems very simple. But, as you study what they’re doing and go, “My God, this person is so good.” And we tried to replicate in algorithms, the feel and how they do this. You know, Further distances should take longer, the easing, and everything. And so we’re really proud of what we’re able to do.
Kaiann: You can see from what Johnnie is telling you, it’s a ton of machine learning, a lot of neural networks, a lot of training and understanding. We are also using the multiple cameras for stereo disparity, so there’s an additional hardware benefit that we’re also bringing across the line from that.
The Rack Focus seems to be great and works within the iPhone, are there any plans to transition any of those features into a final cut workflow?
Kaiann: We talked about the ability to be able to edit the depth effect, [and] you can do that editing in a number of places. You can do it on your iPhone, right in the Photos app. You can do that in clips and in iMovie, which will be a part of iOS 15, and later this year, we’re bringing an update for Mac so you can do that in photos on the Mac and iMovie and final cut pro.
It’s called Cinema Mode. Technically speaking, the frame rate that’s synonymous with cinema is 23.98. What went into cinema mode being 1080p at 30 fps?
Manzari: So 1080p 30fps is our video default as well, and it’s really a popular format. It’s great for social media. It’s great for everyday videos. We think it’s a really great sweet spot, and so that’s where we wanted to start with Cinema Mode.
Cinema Mode is cool, and it’s a feature typically reserved for a much larger production. In our workflows, we’re doing a lot of end-to-end phone work for social and that workflow describes a lot of people whether it be TikTok influencers or kids picking up a phone and doing cool things. How can Cinema Mode be an entry point for cinematography, and how can it be used for people that just want to make videos with their friends?
Kaiann: We think this is going to be fantastic for that. As Johnnie talked about, Apple’s really good at taking a complex problem with multiple outcomes and distilling it down to something that’s simple and intuitive. So on one hand, of course, we think it’s going to be a fantastic tool for pro filmmakers, but for someone who’s just picking up the phone for the first time, all they have to do is pop into Cinema Mode and start filming. And we’re going to automatically add these dynamic focus transitions in a way that mirrors what we’ve studied with real cinematography. It also works on the front cameras, on the true depth selfies. So you can imagine there are a lot of creative opportunities for people. Let’s say you could hide someone inside a blur and then they could pop up and surprise you and come into focus. You could do it on inanimate objects. You could do it on pets. So we think just from that, you know, experimental, fun, creative social world, there’s a lot of potential because it’s so accessible.
I didn’t realize cinema mode worked on the selfie cam, too. TikTok is going to go nuts.
Manzari: I did have a little bit of extra detail. We developed these entirely new sets of algorithms for Cinema Mode to intelligently replicate the transitions of a focus puller. As we were talking about, it uses this combination of machine learning and the hardware-based camera disparity, that runs on A15 bionic. We run those algorithms on the full sensor. And when you record video, we have these overscan pixels that we use for stabilization. And what we realized is that by running on the entire sensor, we can do things like anticipating when a subject’s about to enter the frame and then smoothly rack focus to them even before they’re fully in the frame, because basically we can see outside of the frame, which was a really powerful idea. So just going back to your question about creators, it’s just so fun and they’ll have these phones, the minute inspiration strikes, and they’ll have these phones, the minute inspiration strikes, and they’ll be able to capture things. It goes beyond traditional cameras because with anything you’ve shot, you can change both where the focus is and aperture level, after the fact to affect the intensity of the kind of depth effect, and it gives you the opportunity to be creative and flexible in a way that could have never happened before. And the other thing that I think people will learn, which we’re just really excited about, is how these decisions change the narrative and change the story and change the emotion. People are going to learn what rack focus is and experiment with it, and try things. And I think that’s exciting because you have the pros who have another powerful tool in their arsenal, in terms of iPhone filmmaking, but you have these other people who never thought of themselves as filmmakers, but then all of a sudden they start using this and they’re going to, I think, unlock the creative side of themselves, and we’re really excited about that.
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Anecdotally, from my perspective, Cinema mode seems far more developed than Portrait mode was when it first launched. When these types of tools are given to creators, the potential for sparking a new generation of filmmakers is huge. When I was a ki, making videos on DV cameras with my friends, I would have loved to have such a powerful camera in my pocket. It’s cool to see Apple’s design team so passionate about creating a new feature.
I also go to speak with a creator named Aundre Larrow that experimented with creating a film using the iPhone 13 Pro’s Cinema Mode. “Where I grew up,” Larrow says, “I couldn’t make a movie at 15. If I wanted to, I just couldn’t afford it. On some level we have to acknowledge the entire visual industry, particularly in photography, and videography is unbelievably expensive, and that we continue to tell similar stories from similar people.
“The idea is that with a small amount of money and a lot of energy,” Larrow continues, “you can make something that tells a story you have available. Someone in your two-block radius of your neighborhood or your church will have this thing you can use to make even a 90-second thing, which I’m trying to do about something very simple.”
Cameras
Digital cameras are basically computers with sensors and lenses. The size and quality of the sensor matters. The quality and type of the lenses matters as well. But arguably one of the most important things determining image quality on a smartphone is how the photo is processed. The iPhone is a very powerful device, and there is quite a bit of technology that goes into automating that your photo comes out great.
That being said, the camera lenses and sensors have seen some improvements. The new iPhone 13 and mini have a new Wide and Ultra Wide Lens with larger sensors. The Ultra Wide in particular has a visible improvement in the quality of images taken. The 13 and 13 Pro also have the Sensor shifting technology, which was introduced in the 12 Pro Max last year which allows for better image stabilization. Overall this means better image quality, a reduction in noise, and better low-light response.
The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, have improved Cameras and features as well. The Wide, Ultra Wide, and telephoto lenses have larger sensors. The lenses also have a larger aperture which results in a 2.2x improvement in image quality over the 12 Pro Max in low light situations. The Ultra Wide camera in particular has 92% improvements for low-light situations.
Image via Complex
The feature I’m most excited about is the macro mode. I can think of a time or two where I just wanted to get a detail or texture in focus and had to settle with backing up and cropping later. Now with the Macro features, the iPhone 13 Pro has more ability to get detailed shots.
Colors
It’s another year and another set of colors. The iPhone 13 Pro is available in sierra blue, silver, gold, and graphite. The iPhone 13 is available in pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED. The iPhone 13’s colors feel very saturated, minus the light pink outlier. On the other hand, iPhone 13 Pro’s colors have a more air-y quality to them. All of them are worth seeing in person before you make that one-to-three-year phone choice, but they are all good colors.
Personally, I tend to favor blue, especially because I find it fascinating how each line of Apple products tends to have a slightly different shade of blue. This year’s Sierra blue is very light, and I like it. When you see it in person, this particular shade of blue seems darker than it appears in pictures, but would still be classified in the “sky blue” family. It’s a vibe, it reminds me of summer, winter, and spring, but I suppose It’ll just have to contrast against my darker fall fits this year. The blue on the 13 and mini is a bit darker and reminds me of the Pacific Blue seen in the previous years iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Battery
The iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max, all have improved battery life over their iPhone 12 counterparts. The iPhone 13 has 2.5 more hours, 1.5 more hours on Mini, 1.5 hours for the Pro, and a huge 2.5 hours for the Max. That being said, the average consumer may not be upgrading from 12 to 13, so expect those numbers to be more substantial as compared to older models of iPhones. More importantly, battery power may begin to become a thing you just don’t worry about at all when it comes to the iPhone 13 because they just have such excellent battery life.
Image via Apple
The larger batteries and the software optimizations are at the heart of this improved battery life. Modern upgrades such as 120 Hz screens and 5G can drink a battery. The iPhone 13 has several software and hardware upgrades that help your phone to understand when and where it makes the most sense to use 5G or LTE. Rarely is your phone running on 100 percent full blast. I find myself no longer worrying about battery life. The video playback on these new models is immense. Thirteen hours of streamed video playback for the iPhone 13 mini, 15 for the iPhone 13 In terms of battery, 20 for the pro, and 25 for the Pro Max, and two-to-four hours longer per phone if the video isn’t streaming. I really haven’t felt this way since before I had a smartphone. While I’m not holding my breath for Nokia levels of week-long battery life, I can say it’s refreshing to just have a giant battery.
Screen
Let’s start off with the Notch. It’s still there, but it’s a bit smaller. And while we’re all waiting for the day when that Notch is gone, today is not that day. The iPhone 13 and Mini have a nice screen, with better contrast than the iPhone 12 and a brighter screen as well, which helps when you are using your phone outdoors.
The display on the iPhone 13 Pro is a huge improvement with the ProMotion Display at 120 Hz. Basically, that means the screen is capable of displaying up to 120 Frames Per Second (fps). The more fps the smoother the motion. Here are some point of references for frame rate:
- Flip Book: 5-10 fps
- Saturday Morning Cartoons: 12 fps
- Movies: 23.98 fps
- Network Television Sitcoms: 30 fps
- Console Video Games: 30 – 60 fps
- High End Computer Games: 60 – 120 fps
Currently, this will make things such as menus, scrolling, and animations, appear super smooth and responsive. As time goes on and app and game developers take advantage of the higher frame rates, it will be possible to have much smoother games and experiences. Using the phone is a pleasant and smooth experience, but it will still be hard to illustrate exactly what 120 Hz will do for the average consumer until there are more apps and games that take advantage of it.
Telling just the story of 120 Hz is only half the story because the adaptive can actually display from 10 – 120 Hz. For example, say you were watching a movie, that movie is playing at 23.98 fps, which is what it was shot and captured in. This reduced frame rate will actually use up less battery overall, and is a part of the reason the iPhone has such crazy long video playback.
The storage has been upgraded on the Pro, starting at 128 GB and going all the way up to 1 TB. You should at least get the 256 GB iPhone 13 Pro, because the 128 GB model doesn’t support 4K ProRes. While that won’t really matter to a large part of the audience, it’s just something to keep in mind.
IOS 15 is out as well. There are many features that are being introduced with this latest update, so I won’t go into too much detail because many of these are available on older phones. Some of the stand-out features are better voice isolation, different focus modes to help you stay on task, notification summaries to allow you to get all your notifications when you want to. If you’re a habitual tabber, Group Tabs will allow you to have different group tabs for different workflows. A new feature allows you to select text in photos. There are tons of great applications for this, but a simple example is for when you’re trying to remember a phone number, but not trying to write it down, or when you need to screencap the Zoom chat because it won’t let you copy and paste. Facetime is also opened up to anybody on any computer (Windows or Mac), and Android phones as well. Another cool feature is photographic styles, which saves presents and preferences. Think of it as your own personal Instagram filter!
The iPhone 13 and Pro is another good iPhone, but with some of these new features it’s slowly creeping into a realm where it could be considered a decent option to making a film with Cinema Mode. There will be some people that are disappointed, I think many users were hoping for five-to-six mind-blowing new features, which is a tall order, but something worth expecting from a powerhouse like Apple. Instead of something big and flashy you may find that all the small improvements add up to a nice iPhone 13 and an overall better package. For those people that have iPhone 11s and older, there are more than enough reasons to justify the purchase of this new iPhone.
The iPhone 13 is available now. The iPhone 13 mini is available for $699, with the iPhone 13 going for $799, the iPhone 13 Pro going for $999, and iPhone Pro Max available for $1099. You should be checking with your carrier about what they are offering for trade-in on your old phone because many retailers are offering huge trade-in bonuses. If you have an iPhone 12 and are already happy with your battery and image quality—and DON’T see yourself using Cinema Mode—then you may want to wait a bit.