The iPhone 13 family of phones has finally launched, with Apple lifting the lid on the line of flagships at its September 2021 digital livestream event.
And while there are plenty of things to get excited about, the iPhone 13 still has a few missing features we would like to see in a future version.
Here are the four biggest features we want Apple to add to its flagship phone line-up in 2014.
A variable refresh rate screen on every model
Variable refresh rate screens are an increasingly common sight on most flagship phones spec sheets, and we’re all for the trend.
Based on our experience using top-end phones, such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, OnePlus 9 Pro and Oppo Find X3 Pro the tech offers a number of awesome benefits. Chief of which are improved general scrolling, smoother gaming and improved battery life.
This is why we were happy to see Apple finally adopt it. The downside? It’s only available on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Considering the fact the tech’s already started trickling down to the mid-range Android market this makes it feel like a key omission for Apple’s cheaper iPhone 13s.
Hopefully the firm will address this on the iPhone 14, and load every version, including the non-Pro models with VRR screens.
Ditch the notch
The other big disappointment? Despite Android phone makers experimenting with a number of inventive designs to remove the notch camera housing, Apple’s chosen to keep the design.
Instead of trying a hole punch, underscreen or Asus-style flip up front camera design, Apple has kept a big, chunky notch at the top of every iPhone, taking up valuable screen real estate it really doesn’t need to, in today’s day and age. It might be around 20% smaller than previous notches, but it’s still there.
USB C
It may not be the most obvious development, but the widespread adoption of USB C as the common standard for everything from phones to tablets and laptops is one of the best things to happen in consumer tech for quite some time. It just makes things simple, removing the need to horde a stash of proprietary cables and chargers.
This is why it is so annoying, outside of its MacBook’s and premium iPads, Apple has refused to adopt the standard for its phones. Despite the obvious benefits to customers, it’s still loading its phones, including the iPhone 13-line, with its proprietary Lighting port.
Hopefully Apple changes with the iPhone 14 and finally moves to the infinitely more convenient USB standard. However this feels unlikely, especially with rumours of a completely portless iPhone.
Better zoom capabilities
Camera tech is the current battleground in the world of smartphones, with every company trying to earn a place as the best camera phone, year-on-year.
This year Apple’s chosen to focus on improving the iPhone 13’s videography powers in this endeavour using a new Cinematic Video mode. While that’s awesome for any young TikToker or vlogger, for us Apple would have been better off going in a different direction, specifically improving the phones’ zoom capabilities.
The iPhone 13 Pro currently offers 3x optical zoom, which is a slight improvement over the iPhone 12 Pro. This puts it far behind key rivals, such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which uses a periscope lens to seriously improve zoom shots.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
