Earlier this year rumours swirled that Apple would skip the iPhone 13 due to superstition surrounding the world’s unluckiest number. Such a decision would have been warranted: in a sign that triskaidekaphobia is alive and well, one survey of 3,000 consumers revealed that nearly three-quarters would rather the new phone’s name didn’t include the spooky integer.
Nonetheless the Cupertino giant held firm and has launched a quartet of iPhone 13s – the regular; Mini; Pro; and Pro Max – whose jacked-up cameras and battery life have enough oomph between them to swat away any bad juju.
The new 13 isn’t pushing the limits of a smartphone’s form
The looks won’t wow you. I’m trialling the Pro – which is nearly £200 more than the £779 regular model and comes with numerous additional features – and, like its counterparts, it’s a perfectly elegant slice of polished metal and glass whose flat edges sit neatly in the palm of your hand. But this aesthetic hasn’t really moved on from the 12 series, which has led some in the Twittersphere to describe the new iPhones as “boring”. Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3, whose screen bends in half like a yogi, the new 13 isn’t pushing the limits of a smartphone’s form.