iPhone 13 Pro first impressions and New Orleans camera test

9to5Mac By Zac Hall September 28, 2021

[{"selector":"#anim-8d2d0ae6-b243-4343-843b-4e2cad32436d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Over the years, my iPhone upgrade ritual has developed a few patterns. My routine involves talking myself out of pre-ordering, driving to whatever far-away retail store has launch day inventory, and ending up in New Orleans to try out the new camera system.

[{"selector":"#anim-8e453f7f-cd16-4104-9d54-7d5794fb942b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] This year is no exception. I sold my silver 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max to a local buyer who thought I was joking when I said the charging brick no longer comes in the box. Then I traveled 90 minutes to a Best Buy that had a Sierra blue 256GB iPhone 13 Pro ready for pickup.

[{"selector":"#anim-09d1d0c7-2df8-4fc6-9385-d5bc0b76d0fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Apple Store was an option, and I’m sure the reservation system is great for both customers and employees, but it wasn’t as flexible for me as driving up to a designated parking spot and having someone bring out the iPhone.

[{"selector":"#anim-3055c44b-3151-4caa-b0ec-779c3033b5ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The new wrapper-free packaging paired with someone walking to my car to hand it off does create such a casual buying experience that it almost feels like buying someone’s iPhone off Facebook or something. If only opening CD packaging in the late ’90s was this easy…

[{"selector":"#anim-2cc74d74-297e-4292-90b6-d3f6153a53e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Any-who, a few first impressions: • iPhone 13 Pro feels compact and dense when used as a camera (like a nice camera should) • Sierra blue is impossibly hard to perceive online or in photos and videos; I wasn’t confident I would like it but it’s darker than I expected • iPhone 12 Pro Max had slightly higher camera specs than iPhone 12 Pro; it’s nice that both Pro models have the same camera system this year, even if the camera plateau is comically disproportionate to the body size on the smaller phone

[{"selector":"#anim-63cd5db7-c701-4e21-af3d-5dd1591de026","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] • ProMotion, Apple’s variable refresh rate screen technology that can lower or even double refresh rate, is a fantastic feature for year-over-year upgraders who can see it and invisible for those who can’t; fortunately I’m in the former camp but have demoed to people in the latter camp as well • Photographic Styles, which lets you adjust tone and warmth of your camera , may be my favorite feature; I’ve been switching between vibrant and high contrast so far (but who thinks this won’t come to iPhone 12 eventually?)

[{"selector":"#anim-ede53795-573e-4455-9774-4e3f870ac755","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Macro photography and Cinematic Mode video are two things I haven’t spent enough time with to evaluate yet, so more on those features in the future. For now, I’ll share a few photos that surprised me from my walk around New Orleans.