Apple Introduces iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 has improved the screen, the battery life and the camera. One notable difference is that the famous notch, the bulge on the screen where the facial recognition sensors are located; among other things, it has gotten smaller.
The device comes in three different sizes (Mini, Pro, and Pro Max).
Prices:
iPhone 13 mini: from 800 usd with 128 GB of storage
iPhone 13: from 900 usd with 128 GB of storage
iPhone 13 Pro: from 1100 usd with 128 GB of storage
iPhone 13 Pro Max: from 1200 usd with 128 GB of storage
Only the Pro Max model with 1 terabyte (TB) of storage, a first for the Apple brand, costs the sum of 1,800 usd. The Pro with the same capacity will cost you 1,700 usd.
The iPhone 13 will be available from September 24.
The Apple Watch 7 was a bigger surprise. The new smartwatch is rumored to resemble the latest iPhones and iPads in terms of design, but it doesn't. The truth is that the screen is larger, without the outside of the watch growing much.
Also, the entry-level iPad has been updated with a faster processor and a better front camera. The iPad Mini, the smallest model of Apple's tablet, has been further redesigned and now resembles the iPad Air and iPad Pro, among others. This model also has a better screen, a faster processor, and better cameras.
"What a spectacular series of announcements," welcomed Chief Tim Cook at the end of the annual marketing event broadcast online due to the pandemic.
But unlike last year, with the addition of 5G, the technical improvements to the new generation of Apple-branded devices do not include fundamental changes.
"Another annual update event without many surprises," tweeted Gene Munster of Loup Funds.
The 5G capacity of iPhones should be expanded to more than 200 phone carriers in 60 countries and regions by the end of the year, said Kaiann Drance, vice president responsible for iPhone.
He also recalled the most recent measures taken to protect the confidentiality of consumer data, one of the main selling points of the brand.
Even if Apple just wiped out several weeks of controversy over its new tools to combat child pornography on its iPhone and iPad. The measures sparked an uproar among advocates of online privacy.
The firm assured that these new algorithms did not make its system less secure or less confidential, but nevertheless decided in early September to delay its implementation.
Pegasus Spyware Crash Fixed
Apple had to urgently repair a computer flaw that the controversial Pegasus software was able to exploit to infect iPhones despite the vigilance of users, proving that no company, however technologically advanced, is immune.
Spyware from Israeli company NSO has successfully hacked Apple-branded devices without resorting to deceptive links or buttons, the commonly used technique.
The flaw was spotted last week by Citizen Lab researchers, who discovered that a Saudi activist's iPhone had been infected via iMessage, Apple's messaging system.
According to this cybersecurity organization at the University of Toronto, Pegasus has been using this vulnerability "since at least February 2021."
"After identifying this flaw, Apple quickly developed and implemented a patch in iOS 14.8 to protect our users," said Ivan Krstic, Apple's director of security systems.
The Californian group praised Citizen Lab for its work, noting that such "ultra-sophisticated" attacks "cost millions of dollars, don't last long, and are used to target specific people."
Therefore, "they are not a threat to the vast majority of our users," said Ivan Krstic. "But we continue to work tirelessly to defend all of our clients."