Upgraded to the iPhone 13 Pro when I found out I could trade my 12 Mini back to Verizon and get full value.
I miss the form factor of the Mini. It did its intended job, making me use the phone less because frankly? It was hard to read all that small type.
But after seeing a few friends remark on the phenomenal new camera(s), I felt it was time to make the swap. Plus my eyes keep degrading.
The cameras are indeed exceptional and the macro feature is the most fun advancement. Though there’s a sharpness or painterly fakeness / super HDR that seems to emerge from mobile phone cameras, and it’s present on these new iPhones.
It gives me pause but I also recognize this is a very specific moment in photography. Just like the advancement of film cameras, the foray into instant, the blip of APS film and the introduction of digital photography—every era has a vibe.
I need to relearn how to use mobile phone cameras. I’ve been skating by the default camera app and need to jump ship to something like Halide and make shots more intentional.