iPhone 16 Series Review: Closer than Ever

 

iPhone 13: The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are Apple's new mid-tier flagship iPhones.

 

At a Glance

• Apple's newest iPhones with updated cameras, new colors, smaller notches, and faster A15 chip. Launched September 24, 2021.

Features

• 5.4 and 6.1-inch sizes
• Similar to iPhone 12 lineup
• Smaller notch
• New colors
• Camera improvements
• A15 Chip
• 5G
• Pre-order September 17

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini

Introduced on September 14, 2021, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are Apple's newest flagship iPhones at the more affordable end, and are being sold alongside the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are ideal for those who don't need pro-level camera features.

The 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini is the successor to the iPhone 12 mini, while the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 is the replacement for the iPhone 12. Both of the new iPhone 13 models are nearly identical in design to the iPhone 12 models, featuring flat edges, an aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure, a glass back, and a slight increase in thickness (7.65mm). The iPhone 13 models are available in Pink, Blue, Midnight (black), Starlight (silver/gold), and (PRODUCT)RED.

Both of the new models feature Super Retina XDR Displays that are 28 percent brighter. The iPhone 13 mini has a 2340x1080 resolution with 476 pixels per inch, while the iPhone 13 has a 2532x1170 

resolution with 460 pixels per inch. Both iPhones feature 1200 nits max brightness for HDR, along with True Tone to match the color temperature of the display to the ambient light, Wide Color for rich, vivid hues, and Haptic Touch for feedback. 

The front-facing TrueDepth camera system has been updated and the Face ID notch is now smaller, taking up less overall space. Like last year's models, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini feature a Ceramic Shield cover glass that is infused with nano-ceramic crystals for better protection from drops. IP68 water and dust resistance is included, and the new iPhones can hold up to submersion in 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

An upgraded A15 Bionic Chip powers the new iPhones. It features a 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, a 4-core GPU (one less GPU core than the Pro models), and a 16-core Neural Engine.

There's a new diagonal dual-lens rear camera with 12 megapixel Wide and Ultra Wide cameras. The Wide camera features an improved f/1.6 aperture that lets in 47 percent more light and Sensor-Shift Stabilization, while the Ultra Wide camera features an improved f/2.4 aperture for improved low light performance.

Along with the standard Portrait Mode, Night Mode, Time-Lapse and other photographic capabilities, the iPhone 13 models gain Cinematic Mode, a feature that uses rack focus to seamlessly shift focus from one subject to another, artfully blurring the background and creating movie-quality depth effects. Cinematic mode shoots in Dolby HDR and the depth of field and blur can be adjusted using the iPhone's camera app. The iPhone 13 models also support 4K video recording at up to 60 fps.

Smart HDR 4 recognizes up to four people in a photo and optimizes contrast, lighting, and skin tones for each one, and Deep Fusion, a carry over from iPhone 12, activates in mid to low-light scenes to bring out texture and detail.

Photographic Styles are an upgraded kind of filter that applies selectively to an image, muting colors or boosting vividness without impacting skin tones. There are Vibrant, Rich Contrast, Warm, and Cool options, along with settings for Tone and Warmth for customization and refining.

Apple's iPhone 13 and 13 mini can be unlocked with the Face ID facial recognition system, which works with the 12-megapixel front-facing camera that supports Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion, Night Mode, Cinematic Mode, Night Mode Selfies, and more. 

5G connectivity is included for better quality video streaming, higher-definition FaceTime calls, and improved gaming, but the super fast mmWave speeds are again limited to major cities in the United States. Slower sub-6GHz 5G speeds are available in more rural areas in the U.S. and in other countries, and there's support for more 5G bands for 5G connectivity in more places.

The iPhone 13 and 13 mini support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, plus they include a U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness.

Gigabit LTE is supported when 5G isn't available, and to preserve battery life when using 5G, a Smart Data Mode reverts to an LTE connection when 5G speeds aren't necessary. The new iPhone 13 models offer dual eSIM support and don't come with a physical SIM by default, but there's still a nano-SIM slot. 

 

 

Battery life has improved significantly thanks to larger batteries and the more efficient A15 chip. The iPhone 13 mini offers up to 1.5 hours more battery life than the iPhone 12 mini, and the iPhone 13 offers up to 2.5 hours more battery life than the iPhone 12.

Storage space starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB at the high end. There's a built-in three-axis gyro, an accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and barometer. 

 

Like last year's iPhones, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have built-in magnets and are compatible with MagSafe accessories, charging at up to 15W with Apple's MagSafe Charger. The iPhones also support fast charging, which provides 50 percent charge in 30 minutes with a 20W power adapter.

There is no power adapter or EarPods included with the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, and these accessories must be purchased separately. They do ship with a USB-C to Lightning cable for charging purposes.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing on the iPhone 13 mini starts at $699, while pricing on the iPhone 13 starts at $799, and there were no increases in prices in 2021. Pre-orders for the new iPhone 13 models started on Friday, September 17 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the first devices arriving to customers on Friday, September 24.  

Reviews:

Reviewers have been impressed with the iPhone 13's battery life improvements, but generally felt that it is only an iterative refresh over last year's iPhone 12.

The Verge's Dieter Bohn said that battery life this year is "excellent," pointing to real-world tests. On the smaller iPhone 13 mini, Engadget said that while it is improved, it is "still shorter than the average smartphone."

With regard to the camera, Bohn said that "details are sharp and accurate, colors are rich without being oversaturated, focusing is fast and reliable, portrait mode is good enough to use day to day, and low light and night sight are both exceptional." The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern says that while the camera improvements with the iPhone 13 are welcome, they alone are not sufficient enough to convince an iPhone 12 user to upgrade.

CNET said that performance and battery life are solid and that the iPhone 13 will be a reliable option for the majority of people.

 Courtesy: MacRumors Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winners’ Pastor Afolabi Samuel Jailed For Stealing Church’s $90,000, N4.5m

 A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced a pastor of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, Afolabi Samuel, to three years’ imprisonment for stealing $90,000 and N4.5m belonging to the registered trustees of the church.

Samuel, who is an accountant and the church’s treasurer, was arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on two counts of conspiracy and stealing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

According to the EFCC, the pastor and one Blessing Kolawole, an employee of the Covenant University, who is currently at large, conspired and dishonestly stole the money and converted the same to their personal uses.

The anti-graft agency said Samuel, who was employed in the accounting department of the church to maintain proper records of funds, connived with Kolawole and others to take advantage of their position as the church’s treasurer and worker at the university, respectively.

The offences contravened sections 278, 285 and 490 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Dada found Samuel guilty of the charges.

Counsel for the convict, Rotimi Ogunwuyi, who noted that his client’s action did not only embarrass him but also his family, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

Ogunwuyi stated that the convict had realised his mistakes, which made him to change his plea from not guilty to guilty, and that Samuel was responsible for his children’s education and care for his aged parents.

The counsel’s allocutus made the judge grant the convict an option of fine of N1m and ordered him to refund the sum of $90,000 and N2,358,000 to the church.

Courtesy: Nairaland (link below)

https://www.nairaland.com/6404983/winners-pastor-afolabi-samuel-jailed

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: what's different between Apple’s best phones?

 Battle of the Pros, as Apple’s shiny flagships go head to head

(Image credit: Apple)

After several years of incremental updates, the sharp-edged iPhone 12 family has successfully cut through our smartphone apathy with a bold new outlook.

Right at the top of this bulging roster sits the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro, two lean and speedy apex predators ready to pounce on their rotund rivals.

But how do they square up to one another? Which is more worthy of the ‘Pro’ title? And, most importantly, which is the better phone? Let’s take a closer look.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max price and availability 

The 128GB iPhone 12 Pro hit shops on October 23, 2020, with prices starting from $999/£999/AU$1,699 for the 128GB model. If you want 256GB, you’ll need to stump up $1,099/ £1,099/AU$1,899, while a range-topping 512GB model costs $1,299/ £1,299/AU$2,219.

There was a slight delay in the iPhone 12 Pro Max hitting stops, courtesy of the Covid–19 outbreak hitting supply chains hard. It finally landed on 13 November, 2020 at a cost of $1,099/ £1,099/AU$1,849 for 128GB of storage, rising to $1,199/£1,199/AU$2,019 for 256GB, and $1,399/£1,399/AU$2,369 for 512GB.

The above prices are those stated on Apple’s own official store, but you won’t tend to find major savings from third-party retailers. Apple gear holds its value, and we’re still relatively early in the iPhone 12 range’s lifespan.

Design

Apple really reset the design clock with the iPhone 12 family. A new angular approach stands in stark contrast to the rounded, softened efforts of the past six years.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are just 7.4mm thick, and sport dead-flat surfaces on all four edges. Only the tightly rounded corners betray any hint of curvature, much as they did with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 years prior.

If you didn’t have anything to provide a sense of scale, you’d find these two young Pros to be identical. Both are available in the same range of four finishes – Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue – and each comes with the same shiny fingerprint-attracting stainless steel rim.

The reason the iPhone 12 Pro Max is so big, of course, is that it has a whopping 6.7-inch screen, dwarfing the iPhone 12 Pro’s 6.1-inch alternative.

Size aside, though, these displays are remarkably similar. We’re looking at a pair of Super Retina XDR OLEDs, with roughly the same 460ppi(ish) pixel density, the same HDR10 credentials, and the exact same brightness specifications (800 nits typical, 1200 nits peak).

They’re stunning screens, capable of outputting bold yet accurate colors and deep blacks. But they also share the same glaring flaw – the lack of a fast refresh rate.

Neither screen can accelerate beyond 60Hz, just like their predecessors. With their Android rivals hitting 90Hz or even 120Hz as a matter of course, this is a bit of an oversight.

Especially when Apple set the standard for Pro-themed 120Hz display technology with ProMotion, which made its debut in the 2017 iPad Pro. It should really have made its way into these two Pro phones, too, maybe as a point of difference to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

Besides this downer, we found both screens to be among the best out there at rendering images and video.

Camera

So far so similar, but we’ve now reached one of the key differences between the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro – at least on paper.

While both phones have a trio of 12-megapixel sensors covering wide, ultrawide, and telephoto angles, and a LiDAR sensor to improve low-light autofocus, there are a couple of key differences.

First and foremost among these is a 47% larger image sensor for the main wide camera. This explains the reason the Max’s camera module is noticeably bigger, but it also has the simple benefit of letting in way more light than its little sibling.

As a result, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the low-light king, even in an iPhone 12 range packing a uniformly brilliant Night mode. The larger phone’s telephoto lens also goes to a longer 2.5X, compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 2X, although both succeed in getting closer to the wide sensor in tone and quality than before.

The reason the iPhone 12 Pro Max is so big, of course, is that it has a whopping 6.7-inch screen, dwarfing the iPhone 12 Pro’s 6.1-inch alternative.

Size aside, though, these displays are remarkably similar. We’re looking at a pair of Super Retina XDR OLEDs, with roughly the same 460ppi(ish) pixel density, the same HDR10 credentials, and the exact same brightness specifications (800 nits typical, 1200 nits peak).

They’re stunning screens, capable of outputting bold yet accurate colors and deep blacks. But they also share the same glaring flaw – the lack of a fast refresh rate.

Neither screen can accelerate beyond 60Hz, just like their predecessors. With their Android rivals hitting 90Hz or even 120Hz as a matter of course, this is a bit of an oversight.

Especially when Apple set the standard for Pro-themed 120Hz display technology with ProMotion, which made its debut in the 2017 iPad Pro. It should really have made its way into these two Pro phones, too, maybe as a point of difference to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

Besides this downer, we found both screens to be among the best out there at rendering images and video.

Camera

So far so similar, but we’ve now reached one of the key differences between the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Pro – at least on paper.

While both phones have a trio of 12-megapixel sensors covering wide, ultrawide, and telephoto angles, and a LiDAR sensor to improve low-light autofocus, there are a couple of key differences.

First and foremost among these is a 47% larger image sensor for the main wide camera. This explains the reason the Max’s camera module is noticeably bigger, but it also has the simple benefit of letting in way more light than its little sibling.

As a result, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the low-light king, even in an iPhone 12 range packing a uniformly brilliant Night mode. The larger phone’s telephoto lens also goes to a longer 2.5X, compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 2X, although both succeed in getting closer to the wide sensor in tone and quality than before.

iPhone 12 Pro Max (Image credit: Future)

These hardware differences aside, we were surprised by the similarities in the quality of most shots between the two. This suggests that much of Apple’s photographic special sauce lies with its computational algorithms and its image processing – which are, of course, identical on both phones.

To that end, both phones have access to advanced Apple features such as Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion, which smartly select and combine exposures for more crisp, contrasty shots. Both also get to utilize the new ProRAW standard, which combines the data-packed raw format with the auto-adjusting computational improvements of JPEG.

Both phones have the notable ability to shoot Night mode shots across all four cameras – selfie cam included. That’s pretty darned impressive.

And on the video front, both Pros get to shoot Dolby Vision-enhanced video at 4K and 60fps, something their non-Pro brothers can’t quite stretch to.

In short, then, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the better camera of the two, but the difference isn’t as marked as we’d expected.

Specs and performance

iPhones have become so fast that there’s almost no point to talking about Apple’s year-on-year improvements. Both the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are way faster than their Android rivals, and a healthy 20% faster than last year’s Apple models.

When pitched against one another, however, there’s virtually no difference to speak of. Both phones pack Apple’s new A14 Bionic chip and 6GB of RAM, which are nigh-on identical in both benchmarks and our real-world experience

There isn’t a 3D game on the App Store that can make either handset break a sweat, with the same true for intensive tasks such as multitasking and photo editing. These phones are as fast as it gets right now, and probably will be until the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max hit the market in late 2021.

We’re happy to see that Apple has finally upped its storage game with the two Pro models. Both now feature 128GB as standard, rather than the paltry 64GB of prior Pros. This can be upped to 256GB or 512GB at the checkout – at a steep price, of course.

Apple’s big selling point for the entire iPhone 12 range is 5G. Both the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max offer the ability to connect to the next-gen network, where available. And that really isn’t very many places at the time of writing.

We’d love to get more excited about 5G, but it’s still something for the future for the majority of people. It’s a good feature to have in the bank for when network operators get into a 5G rollout groove, though.

Battery life

iPhone 12 Pro (Image credit: Future)

The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s larger chassis has enabled Apple to include a huge battery – by Apple standards, at least. At 3,687mAh, the Max cell dwarfs its 2,815mAh brother.

It’s a little disappointing to realise that Apple has actually shrunken both batteries compared to their direct predecessors. That’s by more than 200mAh for the 12 Pro, and by almost 300mAh in the case of the Max.

When it comes to direct comparisons, though, the iPhone 12 Pro Max battery wins out comfortably, despite having to drive that larger display. It’s the longest-lasting member of the iPhone 12 range, and is the only phone of the four that will last through a full day of intensive use away from a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Use of 5G will inevitably see your battery level drop more dramatically, but as we’ve already discussed, this won’t be an issue for most people right now.

Apple has put its old MagSafe branding to a new magnetized accessory standard that benefits both phones. You can clip a wireless charger to the back of the phone, which works similarly to a Qi wireless charger, but is more secure.

Unfortunately, this MagSafe charger isn’t bundled into either box. Nor is any kind of charging plug, for that matter. All you get with both Pros is a USB-C-to-Lightning cable. If you want to take advantage of Apple’s new 20W fast charging, then you’ll need to spend $19/£19/AU$29 on the appropriate accessory.

Takeaway

 

The iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro (Image credit: TechRadar)

The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are cut from the same cloth. It’s just that the latter uses a larger outline.

If you’re a fan of larger phones, the Max is the obvious choice. But if portability and one-handed use are more of a priority, then the Pro is the better pick. That’s the simplified conclusion that can be drawn from our comparison, but there are a couple of added points of nuance that tilt the scales a little.

Despite the similarities, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the better phone overall. It comes with a superior camera that captures brighter, sharper low-light shots, and it also benefits from significantly longer battery life.

Committed photography buffs and power users should seriously consider the Max. It’s quite simply the best of the best, while the iPhone 12 Pro has much of its thunder stolen by the cheaper iPhone 12.

iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 Pro: what are the key differences?

Courtesy: Jon Mundy from techradar.

iPhone 12 Pro (Image credit: Apple)

iPhone 12 Pro Max (Image credit: Apple)Both phones are similarly tough, too, with a front-mounted Ceramic Shield supposedly providing four times the drop-protection of regular display glass. That said, we found quite early in our testing that both phones were still susceptible to picking up small nicks and scratches, j