News hardware iPhone 13, iPad mini, Apple Watch Series 7 … Everything you need to know about Apple’s announcements

A conference of almost 1:30, busy and mainly dedicated to new “products”: Apple did not disappoint for its traditional meeting in September and presented (almost) everything that was expected and hoped for. We are therefore surprised at the absence, once again, of new AirPods and AirPods Pro headphones. Two flagship audio products that we may see at the next keynote. In the meantime, let’s find out everything that was announced on September 14th.

iPhone 13: a smooth evolution

The most awaited announcement of this conference was of course that of the iPhone 13. Or rather iPhone 13. As usual, Apple offers its new smartphone in 4 models: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Most of the rumors and leaks in recent weeks were right: the iPhone 13 is a smooth evolution from the iPhone 12 and uses the same design inaugurated in 2020, with one detail: the notch at the top of the screen is indeed smaller than before. The company claims to have worked on its “True Depth” camera which allows Face ID to work, making it just as effective, but less bulky. The internal design of the device has also been revised, including the addition of a larger battery. Apple thus announces a gain of 2.5 hours of lifespan compared to the iPhone 12.

Better autonomy also made possible by the presence of a new “A15 Bionic” chip, which therefore takes over from the A14 Bionic chip. As every year, Apple boasts of integrating a SoC much more efficient than what we find in the competition, without giving details, except that the 6-core CPU part of the A15 Bionic chip would be 30 % faster. The GPU part is equipped with 4 cores and is announced as 80% more efficient.

On the screen side, we keep the same characteristics as last year, namely 6.1-inch OLED for the iPhone 13 and 5.4 inches for the iPhone 13 mini. That being said, these two screens would be brighter (up to 28%). Refresh rate remains at 60Hz

Finally, on the photo side, there are two 12-megapixel sensors, this time positioned diagonally at the back of the camera, which have seen several improvements: a more efficient low-light mode and especially the arrival of a “Cinematic Mode ”which allows you to switch from one focus to another on the image very smoothly, even after capturing. The option is interesting and the result looks impressive. Whether it will actually be used remains to be seen.

IPhone 13 Pro wins 120 Hz

As for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max (6.1 and 6.7 inches respectively), they benefit from a design close to the iPhone 13, however with a chassis with a more pronounced “metal” effect. Big news on these two models: the arrival, finally, of the ProMotion technology inherited from the iPad Pro, which allows the screen to go up to 120 Hz in refresh rate, which gives a better impression of fluidity. Too bad this feature, widely used on high-end Android smartphones, is not offered on the iPhone 13.

Last interesting point: storage. Apple has chosen to remove the 64 GB versions of its iPhones, to start them at 128 GB. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini can also go up to 512 GB, while the iPhone 13 Pro goes up to 1 TB.

IPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro price and release date

The new iPhone 13s will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 17, for availability on Friday, September 24. The prices remain unchanged:

• iPhone 13 mini: from 809 euros (128 GB)
• iPhone 13: from 909 euros (128 GB)
• iPhone 13 Pro: from 1159 euros (128 GB)
• iPhone 13 Pro Max: from 1259 euros (128 GB)

A bigger screen for the Apple Watch Series 7

Another highly anticipated product at this conference: the new Apple Watch, called “Series 7. The famous connected watch has undergone quite a few changes this year, starting with a slightly larger screen (around 20%) without that the object is larger. This is due to a nice optimization of the borders and a slightly more rounded format. This new Apple Watch is now resistant to dust, thanks to the arrival of an IP6X certification. Apple also announces a faster charge, with a change from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes. The “always on” mode has also been improved and is now 70% brighter compared to the Watch Series 6.

Apple Watch Series 7 price and release date

The Apple Watch Series 7 will be available from $ 399 (the price in euros is not yet known) in the fall.

Two new iPads, including a completely revised iPad mini

It is not one, but two new iPads that have been presented by Apple. The first is a technical update to the entry-level iPad. We therefore find the same design, with relatively wide edges and a physical button “touch id” in the lower part, but the technical sheet evolves: we thus go from an A12 Bionic chip (the same as on the iPhone XS) to an A13 Bionic chip, the same as on the iPhone 11. This new iPad also has a 12-megapixel “wide-angle” front camera with the “Center Stage” function. The latter allows the objective to follow one or more people during a videoconference. Apart from these two novelties, we note the arrival of the “True Tone” function for the screen, already present on the more high-end iPads, which adapts the colorimetry of the screen according to the environment.

The rest is a priori identical to the previous iPad. We therefore find compatibility with the “Smart Keyboard”, with the 1st generation Apple Pencil stylus, as well as a lightning connector for charging.

iPad mini: a small iPad Air

But the big news is indeed the new iPad mini, which finally benefits from a new design inherited from the iPad Air and the iPad Pro. The physical button has therefore disappeared, the edges are much thinner and the screen goes from 7.9 to 8.3 inches, without the dimensions of the device being changed. There is also the “Touch ID” function directly on the ignition button (as on the iPad Air), as well as a USB-C connection. You can therefore connect many external devices, such as a hard drive or an SSD.

On the power side, the new iPad mini seems well off, since we find the brand new A15 Bionic chip, recently announced in the iPhone 13. It is therefore a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU that make it run, this which should offer an excellent level of performance, especially in games. The format of the iPad mini also seems ideal for playing comfortably.

Among the other novelties of the iPad mini we note, in bulk: a 5G compatibility (optional), the possibility of filming in 4K, compatibility with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, or the presence of WiFi 6.

IPad and iPad Mini price and release date

• The iPad will be available from 389 euros for 64 GB. The release date is scheduled for September 24.

• The iPad mini will be available from 559 euros in 64 GB version. It will be available on September 24.