As a journalist, it’s my job to weed through the PR spin and marketing fluff, to highlight a gimmick and call it for what it is. But Apple has defeated me. Its new green iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max (iPhones green if you will), are wonderful because they’re green.
Apple in September unveiled the iPhone 13 range. This comprised the iPhone 13 and mini in Midnight (black), Starlight (white), blue, pink and Product Red colours and the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max in graphite, gold, silver and Sierra Blue colours.
Earlier this month, it added another colour to each range. Green and Alpine green (so, another green).
It’s the most Apple thing Apple could do and I really, really like these new colours. The phones themselves behave the same as their non-green siblings. But let’s take a bit of a refresher.
iPhone 13 and 13 mini
As I just said, the new iPhone 13 and 13 mini in green both behave like their non-green siblings. The 13 range debuted the brand new A15 Bionic Chip. The A15 Bionic chip has a 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, which is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, according to Apple.
They received a Super Retina XDR display, which is 28 per cent brighter than the iPhone 12, and the Pro Motion Display will refresh as low as 10Hz and as high as 120Hz and will respond dynamically as you scroll.
The cameras are also schmick. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini have the same 12MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide cameras. The wide has an aperture of 1.6 and the ultra-wide camera’s is 2.4. The cameras – now mounted horizontally – have lenses that are larger, basically allowing for more light to land and night mode also now engages at a lower level, meaning you can hold it still for less time. The selfie cam is also 12MP.
In my review of the 13 and 13 mini, I said I really dislike calling the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini ‘base models’ because they’re actually great devices. The camera is fine, unless you’re an absolute camera nut, then the 13 Pro or Pro Max is worth the extra $$$.
iPhone 13 mini, but make it green
I received the iPhone 13 mini in green, standard green, not Alpine green or that mint green the 12 came in. The finish is a shiny, deep green that has a similar colour to my monstera plant. The size of the phone is too small, for me at least, not for Zac. It measures 131.5 mm x 64.2 mm, with a 5.4-inch screen (Super Retina XDR OLED display), and boasts an all-screen OLED display with 2340 x 1080 resolution at 476 ppi.
You get 128GB/256GB/512GB storage options with the mini and at max, 17 hours of battery life on video playback. In realistic terms, you can expect to charge your green iPhone 13 mini overnight and not have to plug it back in until you go to bed again.
I’m still not sold on an iPhone mini, but if I were to head down the small path, I’d probably opt for an iPhone SE 5G because it’s only $719 (spare change when you compare it to what Apple wants for the iPhone 13 mini in green). That brings me to….
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 13 and 13 mini in green are both available now.
- iPhone 13 mini: the 128GB model will set you back $1,199, the 256GB version is $1,369 and the 512GB iPhone 13 mini in green is $1,719.
- iPhone 13: 128GB green iPhone 13 is $1,349, 256GB is $1,519 and for $1,869, you can grab the 512GB model.
This pricing is the same for the non-green models, btw.
iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 13 Pro weighs in at 204 grams and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 240 grams. The iPhone 13 Pro is 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.65mm and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a whopping 160.8mm x 78.1mm x 7.65mm. Both devices are thicker and weigh more than their immediate predecessors. But both devices are exceptional.
Every year, the iPhone gets a better camera, and this year is no different. The entire 13 lineup has improved lenses that shoot better photos in low light, and all four new iPhones offer a new cinematic video mode that’s like portrait mode for videos. Like the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, the 13 Pro and Pro Max stand apart from the cheaper 13 and 13 mini with a trio of lenses, including a telephoto lens and this is of course the same for the green models. Standouts are the ability to shoot up to 3x optical zoom and the new macrophotography feature that lets you capture incredible detail at close range. In addition to highlighting the almost perfect camera in my review of the 13 Pro and Pro Max, I praised the battery life and both the responsiveness of the phone and the kick-ass display.
A fancy Alpine Green for the iPhone 13 Pro Max
My everyday phone is the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro Max. Performance wise, I love it. The camera? I love it. The battery lasts at least all day and everything about it is just supreme. The only thing stopping me from swapping it out for the Alpine Green model is the fact I want to see how the battery life on the 13 Pro Max shapes up a year after release, with constant use.
If I was setting out to buy a new iPhone 13 Pro Max, I’d opt for the Alpine Green model. But I’m looking at a price that is on-par with the value of my car to replace it for the 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max in Alpine Green.
Pricing and availability
The Alpine Green iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are available now.
- iPhone 13 Pro: for the Alpine Green Pro, you’re looking at $1,699 for the 128GB model, $1,869 for 256GB, $2,219 for 512GB and for 1TB you will pay $2,569.
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: the 128GB model will set you back $1,849, 256GB is $2,019, 512GB is $2,369 and for 1TB of storage, you’re looking at $2,719.
As is the case for the 13 and 13 mini, the Pro and Pro Max pricing is the same as for the non-green models.
Green iPhone 13, the verdict
The iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are all exceptional phones, adding green gives us another colour to choose from. It’s as simple as that. If you’ve held off getting an iPhone 13, I’m not sure a green model will make you jump ship, but god damn, are they pretty in green.
