If you've had your iPhone set up to unlock with your Apple Watch and recently upgraded to an iPhone 13, a software bug may have prevented you from continuing to use this. Thankfully, a fix is here and once you install it, you shouldn't have to resort to Face ID (or worse, typing in your passcode) anymore. The latest iOS 15 update (iOS 15.0.1) is here and according to the changelog, it brings bug fixes "including an issue where some users could not unlock iPhone 13 models with Apple Watch."
Apple added the unlock with Watch feature in watchOS 7.4 earlier this year to make it easier to get into your iPhone while you're out and masked up. This feature later got broken with a subsequent iOS and update and required another over-the-air package to fix. Apple recently acknowledged that this was also not working on some iPhone 13 models, and said it would roll out a solution soon. The iPhone 13 only started being available on September 24th, so this issue was at least caught early. Though it's nice that the update is here days later, it's interesting to see the trouble the company has had with this feature in the last few months.
This week, Cherlynn and Devindra go over the news from Amazon’s devices and services event, especially its intriguing Astro robot for the home. With the company’s history with data collection and security cameras in mind, we discuss the questionable merits of such a device. Then, we delve into the news from Google’s Search On event (also this week) and Facebook’s own slides about research that said Instagram is detrimental to teens.
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Producer: Ben Ellman Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos, Owen Davidoff, Luke Brooks Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
There are many places in the world that don't have an address system, which can restrict the opportunities available for people who live and work in those areas. Without an address, you can't get mail or packages, nor can you vote or sign up for bank accounts, for example. Emergency responders can't even find you easily if you don't have an address. Google's open-source Plus Codes system has been around since 2015 to help assign addresses to places, matching a series of letters and numbers to a set of latitude and longitude coordinates.
But, according to Google, "previously, creating addresses for an entire town or village could take years." The company is releasing a new tool today called Address Maker that would make mass generation of these codes easier for governments and organizations. Google said that governments and non-government organizations (NGOs) in Kenya, India, South African and the US are already using Address Maker, "with more partners on the way."
Anyone can enter one of these codes, which look like "P2J5+7C," into Google Maps and see where that place is or get directions. For people who already have existing addresses that are long or complicated, these could be helpful in making sure your contacts find you at the correct spot. If you've ever tried to send a package to an industrial area in a country you're not familiar with, you'll probably find Plus Codes helpful, too.
Google
Address Maker is a free Android app and shorted the previously years-long process to a few weeks, Google said. Based on an animated render, it appears you can outline segments on a map and add addresses for multiple structures within the area at once. You can check out Google's page for more help, especially if you're part of a local government or NGO.
As Amazon’s executives took the stage one after another yesterday to introduce the world to the company’s “next big leaps forward,” a sense of deja vu crept up on me. It only grew stronger as the event progressed, with many new Amazon products seeming incredibly familiar. The company has been criticized in the past for borrowing designs of popular goods and selling them for a lot cheaper.
That’s not an uncommon practice of course — massive retailers all over America like Walmart and Costco have offered lower-cost store-brand lines forever. But none of them stage flashy keynotes to tout their products as “innovations.” While Amazon has indeed brought certain unique technologies to the world in the past, this year the company’s “innovations” seemed to be more of it doing what it does best: undercutting the rest.
Halo View: Twinning with Fitbit
With the Halo View, Amazon is essentially adding a display to its existing screenless health-tracking band. But the View’s shape and style are so similar to Fitbit’s Charge series it’s hard to differentiate the two. Sure, there are only so many ways you can stick a rectangular display on a wristband, but Amazon’s mimicry doesn’t stop there. It also introduced new Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition services today that will offer guides on working out and eating better.
Amazon
That’s basically Fitbit Premium, which offers guides on working out and eating better. Oh and Fitbit’s $10-a-month service also provides tips on meditating and sleep. Amazon’s subscription costs just $4 per month after a trial period, though, and the $80 Halo View is $100 cheaper than the new Charge 5. The View probably won’t do as much as Fitbit’s trackers, which are quite sophisticated. Still, considering the price, Amazon will likely sell a lot of them.
Amazon Smart Thermostat: Lose the frills for a fraction of the price
Amazon teamed up with existing thermostat brand Honeywell to make a Smart Thermostat that will work with most existing 24V HVACs (most common for residential HVAC systems). You can control it with a separate Alexa-enabled device and set custom routines for heating and cooling. The company hasn’t released much more information about its thermostat yet, but from what we can see, the device has the rounded-rectangle shape of an ecobee smart thermostat with the color scheme of a Google Nest product.
Lots of existing smart thermostats by brands like ecobee, Sensibo and Google’s Nest do more things, but Amazon is seriously undercutting the competition by selling its version for just $60. The Nest Thermostat that was launched last year costs $130, while an ecobee 3 Lite goes for $170.
Blink cameras: Competing with Google for much cheaper
Competition in the security camera space is pretty stiff, so it isn’t very surprising that Amazon and Google both borrow a lot from each other. Amazon unveiled a new $50 Blink video doorbell camera today, alongside a set of outdoor cameras. One of these is the $40 floodlight camera mount that calls to mind Google’s Nest Cam with integrated floodlight. To be fair, though, Google did only introduce a wireless, battery-powered doorbell camera after Blink, so it appears the borrowing is mutual here.
The difference, however, is once again in pricing. Blink’s video doorbell is less than a third of the price of the $180 Nest Doorbell. Google’s floodlight-cum-security camera is $280, while Amazon’s mount (with a camera) is half that at $140.
With the breadth of devices Amazon offers, too, the sheer amount of data it could collect purely for the sake of selling you stuff is huge. With the smart thermostat, it could detect a dip in temperature in your region and suggest you buy from its in-house brand of winter wear. Or maybe your child’s been reading a book on a Kindle, and the company later serves ads for collectibles from that title on its new kid-centric Glow video-calling device. Or how about a subsidized version of the Astro robot that roams your house or follows you around with an ad on its face? Amazon also talked about a “vision of ambient intelligence” — which sounds very similar to the concept of “ambient computing” expounded by Google for years. But because Amazon’s products are so much cheaper, it could succeed at stuffing Alexa in so many more places in our lives.
Plus, with all the data it’s gathering from your shopping habits, whether it’s on one of its devices or the Amazon app, the company can afford to sell you something at a lower profit margin. The company said in its privacy notice that it’s “not in the business of selling our customers' personal information to others.” But it’s presumably using that data to understand the types of things you’re more likely to buy and put that stuff in front of you. It’ll probably make more off of you in the long run if you’re using the cheap Fire tablet to browse its store.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that everything Amazon unveiled today was a cutrate version of something else. We got an update on the Ring Always Home Cam, which was first announced last year. You’ll soon be able to sign up to test it out. The home security device is a little drone that can fly around your property at your command to see if anything’s amiss. No mainstream tech giant has launched something similar yet, though, so Amazon isn’t undercutting anyone on this.
Still, it seems like the company’s strategy for its flagship products is similar to that of its Basics line: Take a good idea, tweak it and sell it for loads cheaper. It’s not terrible; We could always use affordable, reliable devices. But Amazon is not innovating: It’s the Costco of consumer tech.
Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!
Amazon is expanding its wearables portfolio, after introducing the screenless Halo fitness bandlast year. Today, the company announced a new version with a screen called the Halo View and it costs just $80 — cheaper than the original. It also announced new programs called Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition as additions to the existing Halo subscription program.
The new Halo View looks very similar to Fitbit's Charge series, with an AMOLED color screen and haptic feedback. It will display your activity history, live workout tracking, sleep scores, blood oxygen levels and, according to Amazon, "text and move notifications."
The device has an optical heart rate monitor, skin temperature sensor and accelerometer, and is swim-proof. Amazon said it should last up to seven days and a full charge will take "under 90 minutes." While we don't have a complete spec sheet yet, the company's press release currently doesn't mention an onboard microphone. Not only does this mean you might not be able to use a voice assistant or dictate any replies to messages, it also indicates the company's controversial Tone feature might not be supported.
As a refresher, Tone was launched with the original Halo, and, with your permission, used that band's mics to listen to you throughout the day. It would then detect the way you're speaking and tell you if you sound stressed, angry, happy, excited and more. The idea was that your tone of voice was a better indicator of your mental health and how much distress you might be experiencing.
But not only did the idea of Amazon policing the way you speak sound dystopian, in practice it also wasn't very useful. I tested the Halo's Tone feature and it wasn't always accurate, especially since I couldn't recall every single instance it logged, and the system doesn't record snippets of audio to remind you, either (for better or worse).
I've reached out to Amazon to confirm if the Halo View has onboard mics, and will update this post when we hear back. Meanwhile, the View is available in three colors, green and lavender, though you can also swap the bands out for something you prefer.
Like the original, the Halo View will not only cost you some money for the hardware, but you'll also have to spend an additional $4 a month to use many of its features. Body composition, activity intensity and scores, movement health guides, sleep scores and stages are things you won't get without paying the fee.
This story is developing, please refresh for updates.
Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!
A phone can be endowed with the fastest processor in the world, but if it’s saddled with a slow screen, it could still feel sluggish — especially when compared to a similarly equipped device with a faster panel. That’s why the iPhone 13 Pro’s most important new feature is its ProMotion display.
But ProMotion is only included on the Pro and Pro Max models this year, making it one of the features that differentiate them from the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, not to mention last year’s 12 Pro. For an extra $200 to $300, the Pro series also offers an additional telephoto camera, a new macro photography mode, as well as more power and endurance. But are the iPhone 13 Pro’s new cameras and screens worth the extra money?
Design
Before we get into those features, though, there’s one thing you should consider: weight. At 204 grams (7.19 ounces), the 6.1-inch 13 Pro is heavier than both the 12 Pro and the iPhone 13. The 13 Pro Max, which has a 6.7-inch screen, outweighs last year’s Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra. While I didn’t mind the regular Pro, it was uncomfortable to use Apple’s biggest flagship one-handed for more than a few minutes at a time.
David Imel for Engadget
In addition to being heavier than last year's models, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are a bit thicker, too. They also have larger rear camera modules and slightly smaller display notches. Otherwise, Apple hasn’t strayed far from the 12 Pro’s design. These phones have similar stainless steel enclosures with glass coverings, and are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
Even the colors available are familiar: The typical trio of graphite, gold and silver are now accompanied by Sierra Blue. Personally, I prefer this paler shade to the Pacific Blue offered on the last generation.
Display and audio
I realized something when I started testing the iPhone 13 series last week: Basically everything I do on a phone requires scrolling. That includes browsing social feeds, looking for the right component on a spec sheet, reading through old conversations, creeping on my Instagram viewers and reading articles, to give you a non-exhaustive list.
This is why Apple’s new ProMotion screen on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is a big deal, and also why it’s kind of annoying that it took the company so long to adopt this technology in the first place. Google was already a little behind when it added 90Hz panels to the Pixel 4, after companies like ASUS and OnePlus had already introduced higher refresh rates. Nowadays, this tech isn't just for premium, top-tier Android devices either.
David Imel for Engadget
This is hardly the first time Apple is late to adopt a new technology. But it is worth emphasizing that the faster screens on the iPhones make a real difference. Like many Android phones, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max adjust their refresh rates depending on what you’re doing. They can go as low as 10Hz when you’re looking at a static image, or up to 120Hz for scrolling and compatible games.
The benefits might not be obvious at first, but when you go back to a slower screen, you’ll quickly notice the jagged artifacts they produce.
Aside from ProMotion, the iPhone 13 Pro’s OLED displays are also 25 percent brighter than their predecessors, which is nice for outdoor reading. But without a side-by-side comparison, the difference is subtle at best.
Regardless, I enjoyed watching the visual perfection that is Doja Cat’s Kiss Me More music video on the iPhone 13 Pro’s True Tone display. The rosy, cotton-candy hues looked vibrant and her individual lashes were clear. The stereo speakers also did a respectable job of delivering crisp audio with adequate bass. Other things like voices and instrumental background music in videos and games all came through clearly as well.
Cameras
Apple says the iPhone 13 Pro’s rear cameras have received the “biggest upgrade ever,” touting “next-level hardware that captures so much more detail.” The triple 12-megapixel setup includes a primary sensor with a large f/1.5 aperture, a 77mm telephoto lens and an ultra-wide option with a 120-degree field of view. Night mode is now supported on all three of the cameras, so you don’t have to compromise on wide-angle or close up shots in low light. There’s also a new macro photography feature thanks to the updated ultra-wide lens, along with software like Photographic Styles and Cinematic Mode.
Those two modes are also offered on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, and you can read my review of those phones for more details. In short, Photographic Styles lets you easily customize and set a sort of default for the contrast levels and color temperature of your images. Meanwhile, Cinematic Mode is good at identifying faces and people in a scene and blurring out everything surrounding a subject, but it struggled when I tried to change the focal point. The system is also a little wonky at outlining individuals, and stray body parts like thumbs and ears can get eaten up in the artificial blur. I found that adjusting the intensity via the f-stop setting helped keep this problem at bay, but the trade-off was less of a DSLR-like look in the final video.
David Imel for Engadget
One feature the Pros have over the regular 13 is macro photography. With this generation, you can get as close as two centimeters away from your subject and not lose focus. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t offer a way to manually enable a macro mode; the system automatically switches to the close-up camera when you get all up in something’s face.
The iPhone 13 Pro was generally accurate at detecting when I was trying to get a tight shot, but it kept changing back and forth between macro and regular views. Sometimes it would continually focus and refocus on the flowers behind the buds I was trying to shoot. The latter is a more understandable issue; every little hand tremor is magnified when a camera is zoomed that far in, making it hard to latch on to a subject. Not to mention something in motion, like a leaf in the wind. But that’s all the more reason to give users manual control.
Apple has said it will be releasing a software update soon that should prevent the camera from switching in and out of macro mode, which I of course can't vouch for yet.
When it worked as expected, macro mode delivered surprisingly great results. My shots of a closed flower bud and the vein system on a leaf’s surface were impressively detailed, showing individual hairs on the stem and petals. Close-ups of a fried fish clearly rendered the oil oozing out of the batter.
You need to make sure to let enough light shine on your subject, though, because my shots of a bee inside a flower were dark and splotchy. But that’s basically Photography 101; it’s not an issue specific to macro mode.
In general, the iPhone 13 Pro took sharp, colorful photos rivaling my sample shots from the Pixel 5 and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Apple’s default treatment renders pictures that are typically brighter and sometimes more saturated, but with Photographic Styles you can pick a look that you like and stick with it. I’m not a fan of the iPhone’s aggressive HDR effects compared to the Pixels’ more neutral landscapes, but frankly we’re at a point where Samsung, Google and Apple are generally on par in terms of sheer quality.
The iPhone 13 Pro’s upgraded sensors also really improved low light performance. I took photos of the moon peeking through some clouds in the middle of Manhattan skyscrapers with the S21 Ultra, Pixel 5 and iPhone 13 Pro, and they were all clean and sharp. They differed a bit in color temperature, but it’s not noticeable without a direct comparison. Google still retains an advantage with Night Sight, though; it produces photos that are significantly cleaner, brighter and richer in detail.
David Imel for Engadget
As for the 13 Pro’s front camera, it’s pretty much the same as the iPhone 13’s, and that’s not a bad thing. You’ll still get Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles via the 12-megapixel True Depth sensor, and though selfies were a little soft in low light, they were otherwise sharp.
Because these are Pro-series phones, Apple also threw in support for ProRes videos in addition to its ProRAW format for stills... or at least it will eventually. ProRes won’t be available until a future iOS 15 update arrives at an unspecified date, but it promises to preserve colors at high quality. And, thanks to the A15’s hardware acceleration plus video encoders and decoders, you’ll be able to record in the format at up to 4K resolution (1080p for the base 128GB model) and 30 frames per second.
iOS 15
Speaking of, the iPhone 13 series runs iOS 15 out of the box, and I was able to test most of the new features when I tested the beta version. Focus modes, for example, let you set custom home pages and notification profiles based on your location or time of day. It’s one of my favorite new features on any smartphone platform in recent years because it allows people without a separate work device to switch off from work when they please.
David Imel for Engadget
Since most of iOS 15’s new features will be coming to older iPhones, though, they’re unlikely to sway your decision on whether to upgrade. We’ll have a more in-depth review of iOS 15, but suffice to say I appreciate the level of control it offers. I’m especially looking forward to testing out SharePlay, which hasn't rolled out yet, but will let you watch shows with or stream your phone screen to friends over FaceTime.
Performance and battery life
The main difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro’s processors is that the latter uses a beefier 5-core GPU. This means that graphics-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing should be executed more quickly. I made a trailer in iMovie and while I had to wait 51 seconds for it to finish exporting on the iPhone 13, it took a mere 15 seconds on the Pro.
The iPhone 13 Pro’s A15 Bionic chip is similarly powerful in less-intensive tasks. I played rounds of Catan, watched various YouTube videos, chatted with friends, played music and snapped photos in rapid succession — all without any delay. And I know I’ve already said this a lot, but I have to stress again that the faster screens here just make most tasks feel more responsive.
In the week or so that I’ve had the iPhone 13 Pros, I’ve only needed to charge them twice. Granted, I spent most of the first few days focusing on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, using the Pros predominantly when I was doing intensive camera testing. But when I switched over to the more-premium devices, the iPhone 13 Pro lasted almost a full two days before needing a charge. Battery levels dipped more quickly when I was playing games and exporting videos, but not so much that I had to worry about running out of juice.
Considering its higher refresh rate, that’s an impressive runtime. I’m still running battery tests across the iPhone 13 lineup, and will update this review with more empirical results as soon as that’s done. For now, though, it’s clear that despite the ProMotion displays, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max can last longer than a day.
David Imel for Engadget
Wrap-up
With faster screens, superb performance and long-lasting batteries, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are excellent phones. If you’re on a device older than a 12 Pro, you should consider upgrading just for the new ProMotion displays. Though the cameras also got a noteworthy improvement, I’m not sure they’re going to be the biggest draw. It’s honestly hard to spot the difference in quality between photos taken by Apple’s recent flagships.
Features like Cinematic Mode, Photographic Styles and macro cameras are nice to have, but won’t define your iPhone 13 Pro experience. And though Apple was playing catch up to Android flagships by finally introducing 120Hz screens to its phones, there are now fewer things that Samsung and Google offer that the iPhones don’t. But for basically anyone who uses iOS, the iPhone 13 Pro (and Pro Max, if you don’t mind its weight) is a worthy upgrade.
Key specs (iPhone 13 Pro)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB or 1TB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion up to 120Hz
Display resolution: 2,532 x 1,170 (460 ppi)
Rear triple cameras: 12MP f/1.5 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV); 12MP f/2.8 77mm telephoto camera
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 22 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches; 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm
Weight: 7.19 ounces; 204 grams
Fingerprint sensor: No
Waterproofing: IP68
NFC: Yes
Headphone jack: No
Key specs (iPhone 13 Pro Max)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB or 1TB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion up to 120Hz
Display resolution: 2,778 x 1,284 (458 ppi)
Rear triple cameras: 12MP f/1.5 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV); 12MP f/2.8 77mm telephoto camera
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 28 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches; 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65 mm
At its annual hardware event today, Microsoft unveiled a new family of Surface devices ahead of Windows 11’s launch on October 5th. Refreshes of the Surface Pro and Surface Go aren’t surprising, and the company did show off the latest in both of those series. But the Surface Laptop Studio is the most intriguing. It’s meant to replace the Surface Book, which was a detachable 2-in-1 laptop. The Laptop Studio, meanwhile, is more like Microsoft’s Surface Studio all-in-one desktop, in that it features a pull-forward screen that can lay flat on top of a table or be propped up at a slant. It also has a 120Hz display, as does the new Surface Pro 8, which got a sleek redesign.
I was able to check out the Laptop Studio, Surface Pro X and a slew of new Surface devices at a recent (COVID-safe) demo event in New York and I have to say, these Windows 11 PCs are looking very promising.
Surface Laptop Studio hands-on
Let’s start with the Laptop Studio, which a Microsoft rep told me at the event will replace the Surface Book line. Like I mentioned, its new easel-style design is similar not only to its namesake Surface Studio, but also to notebooks from Acer and HP. I was very impressed with how thin the Laptop Studio’s 14.4-inch screen is, and it popped out of its frame without much force. The hinge connecting the display to the keyboard is sturdy, and kept the screen up at a variety of angles in laptop mode.
When I flipped the screen to face outwards, though, I had trouble trying to push the lid away from me to get it to stand at a gentler angle as the panel popped out of the frame. But in every other configuration, such as a conventional laptop mode or laid down flat like a tablet (which Microsoft calls Studio mode), the Surface Laptop Studio behaved as expected.
When the screen is pulled forward and propped up in front of the keyboard in what the company calls Stage mode, it’s great for digital artists. It’s easier to draw on, and you can use the new Slim Pen 2 to create your masterpieces. The new stylus offers haptic feedback with an onboard motor and also mimics the resistance you’d get with pen on paper. I did feel a sort of drag across the Laptop Studio’s screen when I started doodling on it with the Slim Pen 2. It felt odd at first, as I’m accustomed to other styli like Samsung’s S Pen. But I got used to it quite quickly, and kind of liked feeling the mild vibrations that served as an indicator that something had been enabled.
The Laptop Studio has a magnetic strip under the keyboard that lets the Slim Pen 2 attach easily and remain flush with the rest of the machine. The magnets were strong enough that I only had to roughly place the stylus along the edge and it flipped into place. I don’t feel like I’d need to worry about losing the accessory with this setup, which is nice.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Microsoft also offers a 120Hz screen on the Laptop Studio, and a company representative told me at the demo that the touch sampling rate is 100Hz. This should make for a smooth drawing experience, but also make scrolling and animations look super buttery. There’s no adaptive refresh rate available in the system — you’ll just get the option to choose between 120Hz or 60Hz in settings.
For all the detailed specs on the Laptop Studio, like its new Full HD webcam, its screen resolution, dimensions, processor and memory configuration options, I encourage you to check out our news post. For this hands-on article, I’d like to focus on my initial impressions of the devices I got to try out. On that note, the last thing I’ll say about my experience with the Laptop Studio is that its keyboard and trackpad were spacious, and though its buttons were cushy and responsive, I prefer the keys on the Surface Laptop 4. For things like battery life, performance and other real-world observations, though, we’ll need to wait till we can test out a review unit.
Surface Pro 8 hands-on
Another device that got a visual overhaul this year is the Surface Pro 8. It’s not the only new Surface Pro unveiled today — there’s also the Surface Pro 7 Plus, which received a typical minor processor upgrade and looks very similar to older Microsoft tablets. The Pro 8, meanwhile, looks a lot like the ARM-based Pro X. But it uses 11th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 chips and is therefore noticeably heavier. It also has a different ventilation design around its sides compared to the X, which was sealed.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Still, the Pro 8 is impressively thin, with a 0.37-inch profile, and its built-in kickstand is even sharper. Its 13-inch screen is surrounded by an attractively thin bezel as opposed to the approximately inch-wide border around the Pro 7 Plus. The Pro 8 also features the same 120Hz refresh rate as the Laptop Studio, running at a 2,880 x 1,920 resolution.
Out of the box, though, the Pro 8 runs at 60Hz, and you can go into settings to bump this up to the higher rate. Meanwhile, the Laptop Studio refreshes at 120Hz by default. This difference is because the Pro 8 is designed to be a more portable device, and Microsoft expects people to want more battery life on the go. If your priority is smooth scrolling and inking (Slim Pen 2 is also supported here), then by all means go faster. But if you’re trying to squeeze every last minute out of the Pro 8, you might prefer to stick to the lower rate.
When you’re out of juice, you can charge the Pro 8 back up with Microsoft’s own connector or through one of the pair of USB-C ports. These support USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4, and can stream out up to two 4K displays at once. We weren’t able to test this during the limited time at our preview, and I can only really tell you that in general the Surface Pro 8 felt very much like a heavier Pro X. They use the same Signature Type Cover with the same comfortable keys and responsive trackpad, as well as onboard slot that holds and charges the Slim Pen 2.
Of all the other Surfaces Microsoft announced today — the Go 3, the new Pro X, the Pro 7 Plus and the Duo 2, only the last one is different in a significant way. The rest of the systems basically got incremental updates while maintaining a similar look to their predecessors.
Surface Adaptive Kit
I did want to call out the new Surface Adaptive Kit, though. It’s a set of labels and stickers that are designed to make Surfaces easier for people with different needs to use. There are translucent keycap labels to make buttons identifiable by touch, bump labels that add visual and tactile cues to keys or ports, as well as colorful indicators with matching cable wraps to make it more obvious which wires go into which sockets.
The colors I saw at the demo area were neon peach hued and I’m not sure if they’ll be appreciated by people with certain visual impairments (a pattern might be better for those who can’t distinguish between colors). But at least the keycap labels I saw came in different shapes and overall I appreciate the effort here.
Microsoft led the way for accessibility tech in gaming with the Xbox Adaptive Controller years ago and though the Surface Adaptive Kit seems like a small product, it shows that the company is thinking in meaningful ways how to cater to people with different needs.
Though most of the new Surfaces that were unveiled today feel like incremental updates, the Laptop Studio, Duo 2 and Pro 8 at least bring a low-key level of excitement. Plus, these machines (Duo 2 aside) will all run Windows 11, which is already bringing new life to a stagnating PC industry. As always, we’ll need to test all these devices out for ourselves to see if they’re worth spending your money on, but you can already pre-order all of them today.
As we continue to wait for Microsoft to release the Surface Neo, the company is already unveiling the second generation of its dual-screen Android phone. The Surface Duo 2 is a $1,500 device that’s slightly thinner than its predecessor and brings some serious camera improvements. Specifically, it now has three sensors instead of the lone 11-megapixel camera used in the last-gen setup. I had a chance to check out the Duo 2 briefly at a (COVID-safe) demo in New York, and I’m so far cautiously impressed by its updates.
Microsoft’s demo area wasn’t the best place to take memorable photos, but I did try out the Duo 2’s triple lenses on an Xbox controller. I easily switched from the main camera to the ultrawide and telephoto options, and also gave Portrait mode a go. I can’t judge the quality of these photos yet, since I could only view them on the Duo 2’s screens, but I already feel like the bugginess I experienced with the original Surface Duo is mostly gone.
That’s not surprising, since one of the biggest issues plaguing the Duo’s camera software was that it only had one camera that sat above the screen. You had to flip the phone so that the correct side was facing you when you wanted to take a selfie, and have the camera side face out for other shots. This meant the device needed to know which screen to activate based on how you were holding it.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
With the triple cameras sitting on the Duo 2’s back/outside and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, there’s no longer a need to figure that out. It’s a shame, though: There’s also no longer a way to take photos without having the Duo 2 opened up; if you’re shooting with the rear cameras, you must use the device with both screens facing you.
The bulky camera bump also prevents you from flipping one of the screens all the way over to have both displays lay evenly back to back. I never really cared to do that with the original Duo since it was too wide to use as a makeshift phone, but it’s still disappointing that with this change, the Duo 2 will really mostly be used in Book mode. It’s no longer a phone-tablet hybrid.
I’m surprised at this functional shift, since one of the refinements Microsoft made with the Duo 2 is narrowing the device’s overall width. Each panel now measures 5.8 inches instead of 5.6 inches on the original, for a combined 8.3-inch screen as opposed to an 8.1-inch canvas. But they’re also taller, with resolutions of 1,344 x 1,892 instead of the older 1,350 x 1,800. This would have made the Duo 2 slightly more phone-like in shape, but in person I frankly couldn’t tell that it had changed in size at all.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Speaking of, Microsoft claims that this is the thinnest 5G mobile device on the market. Indeed, at 5.5mm (or 0.21 inches) thick, the Duo 2 is certainly sleek. The company also introduced a slight curve on the inner edges of each screen — an effect that’s reminiscent of pages in an open book. This could potentially make it easier to drag apps across screens, which I was able to do quickly during my demo.
Another new feature that makes the Duo 2 feel faster than the original is its higher refresh rate. Both panels now run at 90Hz and are supposed to be in sync, too. I loaded up Engadget’s website and expanded it across the two displays, scrolling frenetically up and down on an article, and the two halves of the page did indeed keep pace with each other. I’m used to a 90Hz screen by now, thanks to long-term use of the Pixel 5, but it’s certainly a nice feature to see.
Microsoft also added support for its new Slim Pen 2, which offers haptic feedback so doodlers or artists can feel a vibration when they put the stylus to the screen. It also tries to mimic the feel and resistance of pen on paper, and I spent more time with this on the new Surface Laptop Studio than on the Duo 2.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Frankly, the fact that I encountered so few hiccups with the Duo 2 surprised me. The original Duo was riddled with bugs, and even simple things like expanding an app to span both displays were difficult. During my preview, this went smoothly. Admittedly, I didn’t spend much time with the Duo 2, so I’m still cautious about the seemingly improved software, but Microsoft has indeed been working on fixing past issues.
That responsiveness could also be attributed to the beefy Snapdragon 888 processor that powers the Duo 2, though we’ll have to perform real-world testing to be sure. We’ll also need to run our own battery test to see how long the Duo 2’s 4,449mAh cell lasts, as well as how successful Microsoft was at fixing the flaws of the original. I’m curious to see if the new triple camera system and the problems it introduces are a bane or boon to the Duo series, but for now I’m cautiously optimistic about the second Duo. You can pre-order it now starting at $1,500, and it’ll be available on October 21st. That said, I suggest you wait until we can review one before spending any money on a device that’s still so novel.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
On paper, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini aren't much to get excited about. Apple's subtle refinement on the iPhone 12 models will be familiar if you've paid attention to developments in the Android world. Some of the changes are impressive, like bringing the iPhone 12 Pro Max's excellent camera hardware to smaller phones and lower price points. Others, like a slightly smaller notch, bigger batteries, brighter displays, faster chips and expanded 5G support feel incremental. Still, they add up to make the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 feel like worthwhile upgrades, especially to those looking to upgrade from older iPhones.
Design
If you’re coming from an iPhone 12 or 12 mini, you might not notice a huge difference in this year’s models. The physical refinements include a smaller notch, a rearranged camera module that protrudes slightly further than before along with a new pink color option. I adore this hue — it’s similar to the “Not Pink” shade Google used on the Pixel 3, but because of the glass covering the iPhone, it looks paler and more iridescent.
Apple shaved 20 percent off the front camera notch, which is nice, but it’s still significantly larger than the punch-hole designs over in Android land. The smaller size also didn’t make a huge difference in daily use. Of course, that notch houses hardware for Face ID, which is more sophisticated than any punch-hole camera at the moment. Given there isn’t a fingerprint sensor on current iPhones, a beefier face-recognition system is warranted and I guess we’ll just have to put up with the notch until Apple can figure out a better approach.
David Imel for Engadget
The main way to tell the iPhone 13 and its predecessor apart is by looking at the camera module. Instead of stacking the pair of lenses vertically, Apple laid them diagonally. The bump is also a little bigger and thicker and the extra wobbling this causes is mildly annoying. Also, this does mean your old iPhone 12 cases won’t fit.
Otherwise, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini are physically very similar to last year’s models. They both feature anodized aluminum and glass frames with flat edges with what Apple calls its “ceramic shield” covering the front.
Both the iPhone 13 and 13 mini are a hair heavier and thicker and have the same display sizes as before at 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch respectively. The iPhone 13 is heavier than the Galaxy S21, too, despite having a smaller screen. Though, its density, glass covering and shiny metal edges do make it feel more premium.
Display and audio
Unlike the iPhone 13 Pros, which have faster 120Hz screens, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini have similar displays to their predecessors. Apple says the panels are 28-percent brighter. When I set the iPhone 12 and 13 to max brightness and held them up on a cloudy day, I did notice the newer phone had a teensy bit of an edge. But the difference isn’t big enough that you’d know without having them side by side.
David Imel for Engadget
Besides that, the iPhone 13’s screens haven’t changed much. The thing is that just about everywhere else you look, though, phone displays are faster. I had been using the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 before reviewing the iPhone 13, and even Google’s 90Hz panels make browsing Twitter and Reddit feel smoother.
If you’ve only used a 60Hz screen so far, you might not feel like you’re missing much — the iPhone 13’s display is still vibrant and crisp. You’ll enjoy watching Instagram or TikTok videos, for sure. But as someone who’s experienced the good stuff, I can tell you that you’re missing out.
As for the iPhone 13’s speakers, they’re basically unchanged and are good enough to hear the voices in your favorite creators’ clips or the background music of YouTube videos. In a pinch, they’ll even do a decent job streaming your favorite songs, offering clear vocals and adequate bass. As expected, though, the bigger iPhone is louder and has a fuller sound than the mini.
Cameras
The bulk of the iPhone 13 and 13 mini’s upgrades are around photography and video. Apple improved both the rear sensors here and the ultrawide lens is supposed to let in more light than before. Sadly, a lot of the notable additions are contingent on the A15 chipsets, meaning things like Cinematic Mode won’t be coming to older iPhones.
For example, the faster image signal processor (ISP) on the chip means things like nighttime photos won’t take as long. I certainly didn’t have to hold the iPhone 13 still for as many seconds as the iPhone 12 when I used both of them to shoot a candlelit globe in a super dark room. The difference was probably about one second, which sounds insignificant, but can feel like forever when you’re struggling to remain motionless.
The ultrawide photos I shot with the new phone were actually darker than the iPhone 12’s, but they were better exposed overall. Buildings against the night sky had cleaner lines, less noise and a more neutral tone than those from the iPhone 12. Google’s Night Sight on the Pixel 5 still rendered more details in the shadows, though, and I preferred the cooler images it produced.
David Imel for Engadget
I used to prefer photos from Pixels because Apple’s pictures had a yellowish tinge. But with the iPhone 13s, Apple is introducing a way to better match users’ individual preferences called Photographic Styles. It’ll let you choose from one of five profiles: Standard, Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm and Cool, which differ in contrast levels and color temperature.
You can tweak these modes to your preference, too. But at their original settings, my favorite Style was Vibrant. Unlike filters, this felt more like a set-and-forget kind of thing — nice for people like me who have never been into Apple’s default treatment. Overall, the iPhone 13 took colorful and crisp shots, though compared to Google’s images they were needlessly brighter with obvious HDR effects.
In addition to the hardware and software improvements I’ve already mentioned, the company also updated its HDR algorithm to better accommodate every person in the scene. It also worked to enhance video quality, promising better dynamic range, details and highlights. Plus, you can now record in Dolby Vision in 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second.
But the most intriguing new video feature (and arguably of all the camera updates) is Cinematic Mode. Using the A15 chip’s neural engine, the iPhone 13 can create a Portrait mode-like effect in your clips, keeping your selected subjects in focus while blurring out the rest of the scene. You can tap on parts of your viewfinder to change focal points as you shoot or let the iPhone decide for you by analyzing who and what’s in the scene.
David Imel for Engadget
On its own, Apple’s system is pretty clever. The iPhone 13 did a great job of identifying faces (both human and canine) in my shots, and yellow or white boxes appeared to indicate potential things to focus on. As my subjects turned toward and away from the camera, they became clearer and blurrier respectively. But when I tried to exert more control and adjust the focal point, the system struggled. Sometimes, my intended subject remained blurry even after I tapped on its rectangle. Other times, the iPhone didn’t follow the person I selected after they walked behind an obstruction, though that’s a reasonable situation.
When it did perform as expected, Cinematic Mode produced a pleasant effect that gave videos a professional air. But at the default intensity, the blurriness looked strange or artificial. The outline of my colleague’s head was stark against the softened background and I had to adjust the F-stop to the highest (f/16) to get a more natural feel.
It’s worth noting that Cinematic Mode only works in 1080p at 30 frames per second, even if you’ve set your camera to record at a higher quality.
Cinematic mode is also available via the 12-megapixel selfie camera, which offers Photographic Styles too, and both features were just as effective via the front sensors as through the rear.
In low light, the iPhone 13 took selfies that were slightly blurry compared to the Pixel 5 and Galaxy S21, but when I was well lit, Apple’s camera delivered images that were just as sharp as the competition. It even had a more neutral tone than the other two, with a more accurate white balance (though Samsung was pretty close).
iOS 15
I covered most of the changes coming via iOS 15 when I tested the beta, including things like Focus modes and SharePlay. Focus modes, which lets you set custom home pages and notification profiles based on your location or time of day, is still one of the most useful new features on any smartphone platform in recent years. Meanwhile, SharePlay won’t be available until a later release.
David Imel for Engadget
Each time you open a relevant app, like Photos or Tips, Apple shows you what’s new this time around — like Memories set to tunes from the company’s Music library. Safari also had a redesign (and a few tweaks during the beta window), primarily making it easier to browse and organize your tabs.
I’ve never been a big Safari user, preferring Chrome for its convenience, but it’s nice to see Apple update its interface for easier navigation with one hand. Chrome and Safari are pretty similar on iOS, although Google sadly still has its address and search bar at the top of the screen. If you prefer, you can also go back to the traditional layout in Safari.
Other noteworthy iOS updates include Live Text in Photos, which makes finding specific pictures from the Spotlight search much easier. The Maps and Weather apps also received a refresh, while Shared With You in Messages makes it slightly easier to find things you and your friends chatted about. Since most of these will be coming to older iPhones, though, iOS 15 features are unlikely to sway your decision on whether to upgrade this year.
We’ll have a more in-depth review of Apple’s latest OS soon, but for now, I’m pleased with the level of control iOS 15 offers and look forward to testing out a stable version of SharePlay.
Performance and in use
There are some annual updates that we take for granted nowadays, like imperceptibly faster processors and incrementally improved battery life. Though it’s not obvious, Apple says one of the iPhone 13’s key updates is an internal redesign that allows for a bigger battery, among other things. Also new in the A15 are the GPU, ISP and video encoder and decoder, which made using the camera super snappy. Oh, and it’s worth pointing out that Apple doubled the storage of the base iPhone 13, so you now get 128GB at the entry-level. Finally.
I spent most of my time on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini shooting pictures and video, browsing my feeds, shopping for completely unnecessary things, messaging my friends and completing round after round on the New York Times Crossword app. Every now and then, I had to wait for a page to load on the mini, while the bigger phone rarely lagged. I can’t tell if the delays I encountered had to do with my internet connection or if the smaller device was actually slower. Their scores on Geekbench 5 are about the same, so I suspect it was the former. Overall, though, both the iPhone 13s sped through tasks like launching and switching between multiple apps, snapping photos in rapid succession and uploading Instagram posts.
Frankly, the main thing holding both models back is the display. As mentioned, pretty much every other flagship phone has a faster screen now, and even the Pixel 5’s 90Hz panel feels noticeably faster. Whenever I reflexively started scrolling my list of Instagram Story viewers or Twitter timeline or pretty much anything on the internet, it felt like a drag on the new iPhones. I went right back to the Pixel 5 or iPhone 13 Pro any time I knew I was going to spend a long time scrolling.
Battery life
Despite their brighter screens, Apple said the iPhone 13 and 13 mini should last up to 2.5 and 1.5 hours longer than their predecessors respectively. While the 13 mini did beat the 12 mini by sticking around almost a whole day on light use, the 13 hours and 19 minutes score on our video rundown test is still shorter than the average smartphone. It’s a pity; I love the size of the iPhone 13 mini — it’s just so much easier to use with one hand. But the greatest drawback of any modern phone this small is a lack of endurance.
David Imel for Engadget
The iPhone 13, meanwhile, outlasted its predecessor and generally hung around for almost two days. The Pixel 5 and Galaxy S21 also clocked similar runtimes — it’s nice that most flagships these days have fairly long-lasting batteries. I'm still running our full battery tests across all of the new iPhones, including the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, and will update this review with comparative figures shortly.
Wrap up
This is a story we’ve told over and over again, each time with the same conclusion: While this year’s iPhones aren’t major improvements over their predecessors, they offer just enough changes that might tempt you to upgrade, particularly if you’re still on an iPhone 11 or older. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini feel like they should have been called the 12s and 12s mini, thanks to a largely similar design and few major upgrades from the previous models. If you have an iPhone 12, you need to decide if the longer battery life and photography updates are worth however much the upgrade will cost you. Our review of the 13 Pro and Pro Max is coming later this week, so you can check that out to see if things like the faster displays and macro photography features would be worth picking up one of those.
As for how Apple’s latest compare to recent Android flagships, you’ll find they’re all almost on par when it comes to hardware. The biggest difference is the faster screens on Androids, and those who prefer fingerprint sensors to Face ID will only find them on non-Apple phones. Those are good reasons to stick with Android. But on software, Apple’s thoughtful approach with Focus modes and privacy on iOS makes it appealing to those who want greater control over how much of their lives they want to give up to their phones. Switching ecosystems will always be a struggle, and with the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, Apple has yet to give people a compelling reason to do so. But, as expected, they’re excellent phones with little to complain about.
Key specs (iPhone 13)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR
Display resolution: 2,532 x 1,170 (460 ppi)
Rear dual cameras: 12MP f/1.6 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV)
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 19 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches; 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm
Weight: 174 grams; 6.14oz
Fingerprint sensor: No
Waterproofing: IP68
NFC: Yes
Headphone jack: No
Key specs (iPhone 13 mini)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR
Display resolution: 2,340 x 1,080 (476 ppi)
Rear dual cameras: 12MP f/1.6 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV)
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 17 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.30 inches; 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm
As we expected, Apple unveiled its new iPhone 13 series at its "California Streaming" event today, and they include a pair of more-premium Pro flagships. Tim Cook called the series the "most Pro iPhone ever," and the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have larger, faster screens, smaller notches and new designs.
Most significantly, Apple is bringing a new Super Retina XDR display with 1,000 nits of brightness for better outdoor reading. The company said this is the brightest screen on iPhone ever, and it's 25 percent higher than before. It's also the first time the company's ProMotion is available on iPhone, bringing adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz to the Pro series. Most phones in the market with similar refresh rates also use adopt adaptive displays to increase speeds for smoother scrolling when you're doing things that benefit from it more, like scrolling or playing games. When you're just looking at static images, the refresh rates drop to as low as 10Hz.
Like the regular and mini iPhone 13s, the Pro series also use the company's new A15 Bionic chipset that brings improved graphics and neural processing, as well as new video encoder and decoders. With the updated CPU, Apple also added camera features like a Cinematic Mode for video capture, which is powered by machine learning for intelligent focusing on the fly.
Apple
The company also upgraded the Pro's camera system, bringing better hardware like a new 77mm telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, as well as a new ultrawide setup with autofocus and a larger f/1.8 aperture. This will yield a 92-percent improvement in low light, Apple said. As for the primary "wide" camera, it now features a f/1.5 aperture and 1.9-micron pixels, for what the company said is its largest sensor yet.
Combined with improved image signal processing through the A15 Bionic chipset, the iPhone 13 Pro cameras can shoot at up to 6x optical zoom with macro photography support as well. For the first time, too, Apple's ProRes for full-resolution editing will be supported on the iPhone on this year's Pro models.
The iPhone 13 Pro series also features "the most pro design," according to the company, and comes in four colors, including a new Sierra Blue hue. Its front has a 20 percent smaller camera system, and stainless steel trim that surrounds the sapphire crystal lenses on the rear triple sensors. It's also rated IP68 for water resistant, while the internals have been redesigned, like the regular iPhones.
The A15 Bionic chip is also supposed to bring better battery performance, and the company promised the iPhone 13 Pro Max will last 2.5 hours more than last year's model, making it the longest-lasting iPhone ever. The iPhone 13 Pro is supposed to see a 1.5 hour boost compared to the iPhone 12 Pro. As for the specifics: the iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen while the Pro Max sports a 6.7-inch display, and they start at $999. The new phones will be available on September 24th, with pre-orders starting Friday the 17th.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
