Explainer | What to expect from Apple's new iPhone 13, iPads and Apple Watch Series 7?

Apple unveiled its next iPhone line-up, including a model that offers twice the storage available in earlier versions and other modest upgrades to last year's editions that proved to be a big hit among consumers devouring the latest technology during the pandemic.

The pre-recorded video event streamed Tuesday gave Apple a chance to present a polished story following a turbulent few weeks. The recent bumps included a hastily patched security vulnerability that could let hackers secretly take control of iPhones and other Apple devices; a backlash to the company's plans to scan iPhones for images of child sex abuse and a federal judge's ruling that chipped away further at the competitive barrier Apple built around its app store, which generates billions of dollars in profits each year.

A quartet of new iPhones

Arguably, the highlight of Apple's September event was a slew of new smartphones: the iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max, all with changes that were more routine than revolutionary.

Like last year's model, the new iPhone 13 will come in four different designs, with prices starting from US$700 to US$1,100. They're scheduled to be in stores on Sept. 24.

As ordinary as some of these updates seem, one feature found in all of these phones is worth celebrating: improved battery life. Compared to last year's models, each of Apple's new iPhone 13s should last at least an hour and a half longer on a single charge.

Possibly the most notable change in the latest high-end iPhone 13 will be an option for a full terabyte of storage — that's 1,000 gigabytes — on the device, up from its previous maximum of 512 gigabytes. That's enough storage to accommodate roughly 250,000 photos, or about 500 hours of high definition video.

Apple's cheapest tablets get upgrades

One of the biggest surprises during the special event was the new, US$499 iPad mini, which received its first major redesign in years.

Now, Apple's smallest slate looks like a pint-sized version of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, albeit with an 8.3-inch screen. The company's redesign brought 5G to the mini for the first time, as well as a USB-C port for connecting accessories like keyboards, monitors and external hard drives in addition to charging. And despite its small stature, the iPad mini might actually be more powerful than the iPad Air released last year, thanks to its new A15 processor.

Apple Watch 7 gets a larger screen

The Apple Watch is getting its biggest redesign in years, but you'll have to look closely to see it. The screen on the Series 7 watch is 20 percent larger than last year's model — and 50 percent larger than the third-generation model, thanks to shrinking borders. So what would a larger screen do for you? Apple says it redesigned a lot of buttons to make them bigger and can fit 50 percent more text on the screen. There's even now a full keyboard available for pecking out texts and emails.

Other changes are minimal. There's a more durable, dust-resistant screen, and it should charge 33 percent faster — though Apple said nothing about improving the battery life. Apple didn't add any new health or body sensors like it did last year.

These kinds of incremental upgrades have become routine for Apple and other device makers in recent years as the pace of smartphone innovation slowed, even while prices for some phones have climbed above US$1,000. That trend has prompted more consumers to hold on to their older smartphones for longer periods.

Apple's shares dipped 1% Tuesday in a sign that investors weren't excited by what they saw in the new iPhones.

(With inputs from AP, The Washington Post)