Apple rolls out its latest, with improvements around the edges

It is a story that now happens just about every September: Apple introduced new gadgets that have slightly bigger screens, faster speeds and better cameras — but no new major advances.

On Tuesday, Apple held its annual fall event in which it unveiled the newest versions of its old devices. In a prerecorded infomercial, Apple executives framed the improvements in the new iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch as significant innovations, though the devices looked much like the products that the company has touted in previous years.

Apple said its new iPhone 13 models have a brighter screen, slightly longer battery life and more powerful cameras and computer processors. Having already pushed the iPhone’s display nearly to the edge of the device, Apple slightly increased its size by reducing the small notch at the top of the screen.

As in past years, Apple unveiled two separate versions of the new iPhone: the entry-level iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini and the more expensive and advanced iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Read | Apple unveils iPhone 13, 13 Pro series with upgraded camera; India price, availability details

The price of the iPhone 13 will begin at $800 and the iPhone 13 Mini will start at $700, the same as the entry-level iPhones last year. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will start at $1,000 and $1,100, also the same as last year’s premium versions.

Apple spent much of its advertisement showing off the iPhone’s new “cinematic mode,” a camera technology that can automatically follow and focus on a subject.

The new Apple Watch Series 7 is roughly the same size as last year’s model, but its screen has been stretched to the edges of the glass to make the display area 20% larger. The company left the prices of the devices unchanged from last year’s models, with a starting cost of $400.

Apple also introduced new versions of its entry-level iPad, with a 10.2-inch screen, and its iPad Mini, with a 8.3-inch display. Apple made the biggest improvements to the iPad Mini, giving it a new design and a larger, brighter screen.

The new iPad Mini starts at $500, up from a $400 starting price for the most recent iPad Mini from 2019 — the only price jump announced at the event. The entry-level iPad starts at $330, the same as last fall’s version.