Apple has started preorders for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro

The new iPhone 13 Pro

Apple on Friday began accepting preorders for its latest flagship handsets, with early-bird buyers due to receive their device of choice on September 24. Preorders in China have already outpaced those of the iPhone 12 in 2020.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options, with color choices pink, blue, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED. The iPhone 13 starts at $799 for a model with 128GB of storage, while a 128GB version of the smaller iPhone 13 mini comes in at $699.

Highlights include a 6.1- or 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR with peak brightness of 1,200 nits and outdoor brightness of 800 nits. Apple has reduced the size of iPhone's TrueDepth "notch" by 20%, making the Face ID and front-camera system less obtrusive.

A new A15 Bionic processor with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU powers both the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, with early benchmarks showing an approximately 21% bump in multi-core CPU performance. Graphics capabilities are less impressive at a 14% increase over last year's model.

Camera improvements across the line

As usual, Apple put a focus on improving iPhone 13's camera system, which is now arranged in a diagonal configuration to fit a sensor-shift stabilized f/1.6 wide angle module with larger sensor for increased low-light performance. The ultra-wide sensor is faster and features an f/2.4 aperture for better light gathering capabilities.

New camera software features include "Cinematic mode" for automatic focusing on subjects in a scene. The technology can anticipate when another subject enters the frame and automatically shift focus to the new player. Users can manually adjust focus after footage is shot. "Photographic Styles" is another new feature that allows users to set pre-defined image adjustments that are applied to iPhone's processing pipeline.

Apple's iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple's top-tier iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are also available today in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. The devices come in Graphite, gold, silver and Sierra Blue, and prices start at $999 for a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro and $1,099 for a 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Enhancements to "Pro" series devices include ProMotion variable refresh rate technology, which is applied to both 6.1- and 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR displays. The feature dynamically adjusts refresh rates based on content and user activity, providing smoother graphics while saving battery life.

Apple's best camera systems receive new hardware including an enlarged wide angle sensor with f/1.8 aperture that boasts an up to 2.2x improvement in low-light situations. A 77mm equivalent telephoto lenser with f/2.8 aperture provides up to 3x optical zoom, while an ultra-wide f/1.8 camera gets autofocus and a faster sensor.

Powering the iPhone 13 Pro series is an A15 Bionic chip with five GPU cores, good enough for a 55% increase in Metal benchmarking compared to iPhone 12 Pro.

Apple is launching the flagship iPhones initially in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the U.S. and more than 30 other countries and regions. The handsets will be available in Turkey starting October 1, and in Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand and nearly 10 other countries and regions on October 8.

First US preorders are schedule to arrive at customer doorsteps on September 24, the same day that Apple Stores are expected to receive launch day supplies.