KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The queues, the party-like atmosphere at Apple Stores, sure iPhone Day might feel ridiculous to anyone not buying into the Apple ecosystem but there's a reason why it's still a big deal.

iPhones are still a big deal.

The question that needs answering, though, are the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini less special because they don't have the "Pro” features?

I would say no. You probably won't need to shoot or edit in the ProRes video format, Apple still thinks optical zoom is the devil (3x? Really?) and if you don't have big hands the Pro Max is "the phone you will drop a lot.”

There's that Pro models-only ProMotion display, some would say, but unless you watch video a lot on your phone it's still a feature that I would say is nice but not necessary and even on iPads, it's only available on the Pro models.

Day(s) with the iPhone 13

Phone reviews are fun for me ― they're a nice excuse to go on short trips, hang out at cafes or go to nice places for dinner or bully my friends into letting me take their picture.

The pandemic made it trickier but I am happy to report that unless you're doing massively ambitious iPhone videos you can take whatever photos you want with the iPhone 13 or mini.

What I noticed most of all was that photos are so much sharper; I'd attribute it to the improved image stabilisation ― Apple has added sensor-shit optical image stabilisation to the main or wide camera on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini.

Both phones also have bigger sensors so in addition to your photos falling victim less often to shaky hands, you get brighter pictures overall.

Those big sensors are also why you can't reuse the iPhone 12 cases but that is not a terrible tradeoff.

I found the rear cameras did very well in dim lighting ― which unfortunately seems to be a feature at nicer dinner establishments.

Unless they were macro shots, most wide or ultrawide camera shots from the iPhone 13 and 13 mini were near-indistinguishable from the Pro models.

There's nothing to phone home about the iPhone 13 front cameras. They work, yes, and with a lot of light, the Portrait mode is decent but if you want the best photos the rear cameras will still be the better choice.

Everyday use

Here is where size does matter ― the iPhone 13 mini's smaller battery means it does run out faster. With light usage (surfing, texting, the odd picture of lunch) it can handle around six hours before you need charging but a lot earlier if you game a lot or watch videos.

The iPhone 13 lasts quite a few more hours longer so if you don't fancy always needing to have a power bank on you, the iPhone 13 might be a better daily workhorse.

I like how the mini feels in hand and how much less awkward it feels taking photos one-handed than with a bigger phone so if you're more a guerilla, street photography kind of snapper the mini makes taking spontaneous photos so much easier.

The iPhone 13 cameras are still very good and perform well in lowlight.

As for the screen, while the mini is small it's not too small to read texts or surf though maybe some games might suffer especially if you have older eyes.

The iPhone 13 in the hand is a bit heavier than last year's model which I don't think is too bad ― especially when you have improved cameras and battery life.

However, you still need a case despite Apple saying the phones are tougher and not so easy to shatter.

Glass, ceramic shield or not, is still more prone to damage than plastic or aluminium and I'm rather aggrieved that despite wrapping the phones in separate pouches on my photo excursions, I still managed to scratch the back of the iPhone 13 mini.

They're not entirely shatterproof (and no I have no intention of testing that) and the back glass is a lot harder to replace than the front so for the love of all electronics: get a case.

Power? Yes

Here's one thing you always need to remember ― it's the same processor powering all the iPhone 13 models. Sure maybe the Pro phones will get a bit more RAM but considering the insanity of Apple's chips you will still be using some of, if not the fastest phones in the market.

The iPhone 13 models I had were less buggy out of the box than the Pro models ― I'd experienced weird "shifts” when switching cameras while the 13 models didn't but then they did only have two sensors to the Pro models' three.

With the iPhones, it's not like Apple "took away” anything from the 13 and 13 mini ― but more like they tacked on extras to the Pro.

In most aspects, the 13 handles games and more resource-intensive apps with aplomb and with the bonus of a wallet-friendlier price tag.

Take into account that you will be assured software updates for at least another four years or more even, if you're into iPhones there's no reason not to get the 13s if you need an upgrade unless you want to save yourself some cash by getting a 12 series instead.

So, which iPhone?

If you need a bigger battery and screen, the iPhone 13 will be a capable, reliable companion.

You can live with carrying a power bank so long as you have a lighter, smaller phone? The iPhone 13 is all your pocket dreams come true.

You still have an iPhone 12 series phone? The iPhone 13 phones are great but I don't think they're that great you should upgrade.

Good news is that unlike the Pro versions, you should be able to get an iPhone 13 or 13 mini if you walk into your nearest Apple reseller or telco and shipping on the official Apple website has an estimate of 5-7 days.

Pricing starts from RM3,399 for the iPhone 13 mini and RM3,899 for the iPhone 13.