I know, I know. I don’t need the iPhone 13. I didn’t need the iPhone 12 Pro either. Or the iPhone 11 Pro, or the iPhone X, or the iPhone 8 Plus, or the iPhone 7… all the way back to the very first one, for which I queued in a chilly car park for a phone that didn’t even do 3G.
But I never, ever regretted any of those purchases and from what's leaked so far and what we know about Apple in general, I know I won’t regret the iPhone 13 either. Here’s why.
1. It'll be better in ways that actually matter
The more you can do, the more you realise that you want to do – and I’ve found that with the most recent iPhones in particular, their ever more impressive camera capabilities mean I’m doing much more with my photography than ever before.
We know the iPhone 13 and its Pro and Pro Max variants are going to have not just a better camera system but a better processor and probably sensor too, and I know that about three weeks into using it I’ll wonder how I ever managed without it.
2. I need better battery life
The downside of doing more with your phone, of course, is that you demand more from its battery. I’m shooting more, filming more, browsing more, streaming more, and as a result the places where I work and play are dotted with wireless and wired chargers so my iPhone doesn’t quit before I do.
Better battery usage from a new processor and more efficient 5G chip will help, and the rumours of a bigger battery too are a really big deal for me.
3. It'll look and sound even better
I gave up on tiny speakers a decade ago, but the current iPhone 12 speakers have changed my mind: they punch way above their weight, and they’re surprisingly loud and beefy too. It's nice to be able to just chuck out some tunes or a podcast any time in good quality.
The rumours suggest the top speaker on the iPhone is moving from the reduced-size notch to the top of the device, which means stereo should sound even more convincing: I’m already amazed by the width of the iPhone’s sound field so I’m excited to hear this, and it’ll go nicely with the faster, smoother screen.
4. COVID-19 is still very much A Thing
It might not make it into the iPhone 13, but Apple is reportedly working on an always-on display as well as sensor for Touch ID that’ll sit behind the screen.
I hope it is, and that at least the sensor makes it into this year’s iPhone, because I’m still masking in public and expect to be doing so for quite a long time. Unlocking via Apple Watch or using Pay With Passcode in the Wallet app just isn’t as convenient as Touch ID would be.
5. Apple has made upgrading less stressful
I’ve traded in many iPhones via assorted hives of villainy, but last year I did it via Apple’s own service, which was a revelation: no faff, no fuss, no email pretending that my iPhone had somehow been attacked by ninjas en route and reducing the trade-in value to 20p.
6. It might come in pink
A bright pink iPhone 13 would annoy all the right people, although sadly that colour appears to be a renderer’s wishful thinking rather than an actual leak. Still, Sunset Gold will look pretty great for the 10 seconds before I put it in a case to protect its trade-in value. After all, we know I'll be buying the iPhone 14…
