How do you change what's displayed on your Apple Watch during a Workout? Easily!
By default, your best Apple Watch will show you several different metrics during a workout. Things like duration, heart rate, distance, calories burned, and more can all be displayed. If you want to change what metrics you see during your workouts, you can head over to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and customize it to your liking.
Whether you plan to get the Apple Watch Series 7, or you just are continuing to use your current Apple Watch, here's how to customize Workouts for Apple Watch.
How to show a metric in workouts for Apple Watch
Each preset workout will have a default setting for what metrics appear on screen, and some of them will even have options you can add.
Important note: You can only have a max of five metrics displayed on your Apple Watch during a workout, so if you already have five, you'll need to hide a metric first.
Launch the Apple Watch app from the Home screen of your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab if you're not already there.
Tap Workout. You'll need to scroll down a bit.
Tap Workout View.
Tap the workout you want to customize.
Tap Edit. It's located in the top right corner of your screen.
Tap the Add button next to the metric you want to include.
Tap Done
Now that metric will be displayed on the screen of your Apple Watch whenever you select that type of workout.
How to hide a metric in workouts for Apple Watch
Launch the Apple Watch app from the Home screen of your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab if you're not already there.
Tap Workout. You'll need to scroll down a bit.
Tap Workout View.
Tap the workout you want to customize.
Tap Edit. It's located in the top right corner of your screen.
Tap the Remove button next to the metric you want to hide.
Tap Remove
Tap Done
How to reorder metrics in workouts for Apple Watch
If you want to change which order the metrics appear on your Apple Watch, follow these steps.
Launch the Apple Watch app from the Home screen of your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab if you're not already there.
Tap Workout. You'll need to scroll down a bit.
Tap Workout View.
Tap the workout you want to customize.
Tap Edit. It's located in the top right corner of your screen.
Tap and hold the reorder button next to the metric you want to move.
Drag the metric to your desired location.
Tap Done.
How to view a single metric for Apple Watch
If you prefer a more straightforward interface to look at during workouts, you can only choose to show one metric.
Launch the Apple Watch app from the Home screen of your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab if you're not already there.
Tap Workout. You'll need to scroll down a bit.
Tap Workout View.
Tap Single Metric.
Questions?
If you want to know anything more about changing your workout metrics, let us know in the comments below.
Updated September 2021: Updated for the latest versions of watchOS8 and iOS 15.
Apple TV+ has shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming basketball show Swagger.
The new show is inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant.
The show's first season premieres on October 29.
Looking good!
Apple TV+ today shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming basketball show Swagger. The show, which is inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant, will debut on Apple's streaming service on October 29.
Created by from Reggie Rock Bythewood, Kevin Durant, and Brian Grazer, the first three episodes of Swagger will be available on day one, with a new episode arriving every Friday through the season's conclusion.
Inspired by Durant's experiences, "Swagger" explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it's like to grow up in America.
The new series is led by an ensemble cast of stars including O'Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Tristan Mack Wilds.
And here's that teaser:
Inspired by the experiences of Kevin Durant, Swagger slams into the world of youth basketball, the families it builds, and the fine line between dreams and making it. #Swagger premieres October 29 on Apple TV+ pic.twitter.com/lpT1PDMcZG
This is definitely one show I'm keen to check out in a month's time!
Apple TV+ continues to go from strength to strength, picking up new content at an almost constant rate. Last week saw the arrival of Foundation and the hits just keep on coming.
If you want to enjoy Swagger in style, be sure to check out our list of the best Apple TV deals on the market today. This is definitely one show you don't want to be watching in low quality because your streaming kit is sub-par!
100% exclusive content for the price of a cup of coffee.
With TV+, you can watch well-produced, big-budget TV shows from famed directors, and starring award-winning actors and actresses across all your Apple devices and with up to six members of your Family Sharing group.
While some places may be returning to some sense of normalcy, there are still a lot of people who are working remotely or studying from home, and thus the demand for the best Mac webcams remains high. That's because a lot of communication is now done virtually through video calls, whether it's on Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, or whatever else. But webcams can do more than just video chats — people also use them for business meetings, distance learning, streaming content, and much more. A webcam has become a necessity for everyone, and there are plenty of options out there. For those who want a great all-around webcam, you can't go wrong with the Logitech C922 series. Streamers should consider the Logitech StreamCam, while gamers should look at the Razer Kiyo. But no matter who you are or what you're doing, there's a webcam for everyone.
Note: While these are our picks for the best webcams for Mac and PC, some of the more popular models sell out constantly due to high demand. If you need one right now, no matter what, you can search places like Amazon to see what is available right this moment.
What are the best Mac webcams you can buy right now?
Finding the best webcam for Mac and PC is a harder question to answer right now, during a pandemic, than it ever has been before. The Logitech C922 Pro HD Stream is the best all-around webcam because it has a 1080p camera, built-in microphone, autofocus, lighting correction, and comes at a good price.
The Logitech Brio is the 4K webcam everyone is talking about and is an excellent webcam if you have a YouTube channel. The problem is that most video services and social networking sites don't support 4K, so you won't be able to take advantage of the more expensive technology if you're just looking for video chats or daily Stories.
If you need your webcam to fulfill your basic needs and don't want to spend a lot, the Wansview 1080p Webcam is a remarkably good webcam for its price, which is remarkably low.
1. Logitech C922 Pro HD Stream
Best Mac webcam for most users
Resolution: Full HD 1080p/HD 720p | FPS: Full HD 30/HD 60 | Built-in Mic: Stereo | Field of View: 78-degree | Connector Type: USB-A
Pros:
1080p at 30FPS or 720p HD at 60FPS
Plug-and-play
Universal clip
Autofocus
Comes with tripod
Cons:
Mic quality is just OK
A tad pricey
The Logitech C922 Pro HD Stream webcam is one of the more popular Mac webcams, and is pretty much a successor to the now-discontinued Logitech C920 Pro that we've highly recommended in the past. The C922 Pro HD offers max resolution of 1080p at 30FPS or super HD at 720p at 60FPS. In today's high-definition world, everyone's webcam should at least have a 1080p camera, but unfortunately, most of the Mac lineup only has standard definition 720p iSight cameras. You're going to appreciate this spec bump.
It also has autofocus and light correction, so you're always going to be the center of attention. The 78-degree field of view offers a great perspective. While the C922 Pro HD Stream is designed for streaming, it gives you incredible clarity for all of your other video calls as well.
While the C922 Pro HD Stream is pretty much plug-and-play with your Mac, it does take advantage of some special software for additional features. You can download and use Logitech's Capture app to create, record, and even customize the settings on your webcam and stream, making it a one-stop shop. It also comes with three free months of XSplit, a popular live streaming and recording application.
While the C922 Pro HD Stream does have a built-in stereo microphone with range of up to three feet, the sound quality is still subpar. It's fine if you just want to chat with friends and family, but if you want to sound better and more professional, then it's highly recommended to check out some of the best USB microphones for Mac to get the job done. Of course, no built-in mic on a webcam is going to be great, so you should be using a standalone mic or even a headphone mic, such as AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.
On Amazon, you'll notice that the product is called the C922x instead of just the C922. That's because this version is exclusive to Amazon, and you get a six month trial for XSplit instead of three. However, the regular version of the C922 that you can purchase elsewhere includes a free tripod, which you won't get if you purchase from Amazon. Instead, you basically get another three months of XSplit instead.
Logitech C922 Pro HD Stream
This is our top pick for anyone looking for the best webcams for Mac. It's all-around, easy to set up and use, and works great right out of the box.
Resolution: 1080p | FPS: 30 | Built-in Mic: Dual omni-directional | Field of View: 90-degree | Connector Type: USB 2.0
Pros:
Support for more video services
Easy setup
Manual zoom (4x)
H.264 video compression
Cons:
Software is confusing
The 930e is Logitech's business webcam with certified compatibility for some of the most popular video services, like Skype for Business and Cisco. It also has built-in enhanced integration with BlueJeans, Vidyo, Zoom, LifeSize Cloud, Broadsoft, and Zoom. It's easy to set up: all you have to do is plug it into a USB-A connector on your computer. It uses USB 2.0 but is compatible with USB 3.0.
With the Camera Settings app from Logitech, you can manually control zoom and pan. You can zoom up to 4x, which is nice if you're trying to hide the cluttered corner of your living room.
Though it has its own settings app, the software experience can be confusing. It isn't compatible with older Windows and Mac software and can sometimes act weird if you try to plug it into a USB 3.0 port. Luckily, the Camera Settings app is optional. If the software isn't compatible with your PC, you can just use the webcam without zoom or pan (autofocus still works, though!).
The 930e also uses H.264 video compression, so you're less likely to experience lag or video skips while on your conference call. It features UVC 1.5 encoding to keep resource usage to a minimum.
Logitech C930e 1080p HD Video Webcam - Black
With full support for your most-used business video chat services, the 930e is perfect for those long, boring useful work meetings. It's our pick for the best webcam for PC.
Resolution: 1080p | FPS: 30 | Built-in Mic: Noise-canceling | Field of View: 90-degree | Connector Type: USB 2.0
Pros:
Very inexpensive
Mic works up to 20 feet away
Great picture quality
Cons:
No auto-focus
Wide-angle rounds the edges
Though the saying, "you get what you pay for," is great advice most of the time, this budget model proves not all of the best webcams for Mac are expensive. It's pretty darn good for its price. It has 1080p support with a crisp, clear picture, including darker rooms.
The microphone has subject recognition, so even if you're on the other side of a room while you're talking, it will pick up on your voice while blocking out the sound of the dog barking outside.
I realize I mentioned this already, but the picture quality is remarkably clear, crisp, and bright, especially for a webcam that costs about half of what other popular brands offer.
This webcam has an adjustable lens for focusing, but that doesn't mean it has autofocus, so you're going to want to set up your camera before joining that video call. I think it also uses software to create a wider field of view, which results in rounded corners at the edges of your view. If your camera is set up with a wall or other background set close behind you, it won't be noticeable, but you may see curves in the door frame or bookshelf if you're not sitting right in front of it.
It's not going to be perfect for such a low price, but this Wansview webcam is pretty impressive. Plus, you can often find Amazon coupons for it to bring the price down even further. With that in mind, you simply can't beat the quality for the price!
Wansview 1080p Webcam
For such a low price, and for something that's usually in stock, you're getting your money's worth, and then some.
Resolution: 1080p/720p | FPS: 30/60 | Built-in Mic: Integrated | Field of View: 81.6-degree | Connector Type: USB 2.0
Pros:
Built-in ring light
60 FPS (at 720p)
Easy to use
Regular firmware updates
Cons:
Special functions don't work on Mac
Gaming live streams have become more popular than ever over the past few months. If you were already a game streamer, good on you for getting in early. If you're starting, this is a great starter webcam for a couple of reasons.
Speaking from the experience of someone who live streams regularly, a good light source is vital for proper brightness, and a light ring is perfect for getting that brightness you need right on your face. The Kiyo comes with a built-in light ring right around the camera's lens, so you're going to be well-lit whenever you're facing the camera.
The Kiyo also streams in either 30FPS or 60PFS, depending on the pixel quality. If you want a crisp, sharp image, you'll use 1080p at 30FPS, but if you want to show the speed and agility of your avatar as you blast through 100 unsuspecting builders, you can reduce the resolution to 720p and ramp up the frames-per-second to 60. This is why the Kiyo is a game streamer's webcam. It'll catch all of the action without stutter, lag, or skips.
Razer does a good job of keeping the Kiyo up to date. Since it launched, it's had several major updates to improve performance, so you know you're investing with a company that takes care of its customers.
The Kiyo, unfortunately, does not have full support for Mac. It does work as a basic webcam with a light ring, but the software needed to adjust the settings doesn't work with Mac, so the Kiyo is more of a "plug and go" type webcam on the Mac.
Razer Kiyo
With a built-in ring light, you're always going to be plenty well-lit when you stream or video chat, and with 60FPS (at 720p), your fans can see every jump, punch, and shot.
Resolution: 1080p | FPS: 60 | Built-in Mic: Dual omnidirectional mic | Field of View: 78-degree | Connector Type: USB-C
Pros:
Support for OBS
Vertical Video support
1080p at 60FPS
Companion software for content creators
Cons:
Only 78-degree FoV
Doesn't work well with USB-A adapters
The StreamCam has everything a YouTube influencer would need from a webcam. It is optimized for Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), StreamLabs, XSplit, and more, making streaming to the most popular social platforms, like Twitch and YouTube, easy. It uses USB-C for faster video transfer speeds, so you won't experience lag or stutter from the camera. While the StreamCam is one of the best Mac webcams for streaming, like the C920 Pro, it often sells out quickly, so if you see it in stock, do not hesitate to pick it up! If it is unavailable at your preferred retailer, I recommend signing up for in-stock email notifications to make sure you don't miss out when they restock.
Because the USB-C connecter is permanently fixed to the camera, PCs that don't have a USB-C port will need to use an adapter, which can cause friction with performance. If you don't have a USB-C port on your computer, I'd recommend checking out the C922 Pro instead.
The StreamCam supports vertical video, which is a huge bonus for influencers whose main platform is Instagram or Twitter. You no longer have to use just your iPhone 13 Pro to record your streams. Set up the StreamCam in vertical mode for high-quality 1080p streams in 60FPS.
The companion software, Logitech Capture, offers a multitude of tools designed specifically for content creators. You can record from two webcams and combine them into a single scene, add text overlays, customize your webcam settings, add transitions, and more.
This camera is designed for close-up, so it only has a 78-degree field of view (FoV). That's a great positioning view for most situations, but it'll be more difficult for you to fit in a second person or a particularly well-designed living room in the background. There's no wide-angle here.
The StreamCam is a webcam with a microphone designed to capture your voice while you talk, so if you don't yet have an external mic set up, you can just plug this in and run with it, no extra hardware needed.
Logitech StreamCam
With support for vertical video, 1080p at 60FPS, and special software designed for content creators, this is the perfect webcam for influencers.
Resolution: 1080p | FPS: 30 | Built-in Mic: Noise reduction | Field of View: 110-degree | Connector Type: USB 2.0
Pros:
Includes privacy cover
Includes desktop tripod
Inexpensive
Cons:
Poor mic quality
Edge distortion
Sometimes, 90 degrees is just not enough of a field of view. If you want to fit a group of people into your video chat, you may need something wider, and that's where this ultra-wide-angle webcam comes in. With the widest viewing angle at 110 degrees, you can video chat with the whole family and room to spare for the dog.
This Hrayzan webcam comes with a privacy cover, which is very comforting when you hear about how webcams can be hacked. It also comes with a desktop tripod if you don't want to mount it on your computer. However, it uses a magnetic mount so you don't have to worry about permanent fixation.
Though this is a webcam with a microphone, the quality of the mic is muffled. With the video output, you may notice some edge distortion due to the wide-angle's extra stretching.
This is relatively inexpensive for having a 1080p ultra-wide-angle lens, and it is regularly in stock.
Hrayzan 1080p Webcam
This webcam will fit you and your family in a single frame with an ultra-wide-angle and simple setup. It's also useful for large room video conferencing.
Resolution: 4K | FPS: 30 | Built-in Mic: Dual omni-directional | Field of View: 90-degree | Connector Type: USB 3.0
Pros:
4K resolution
Works with Windows Hello
5X digital zoom
USB 3.0 interface
Cons:
USB 3.0 required for 4K
The Brio is considered one of the best Mac webcams (though it will also work on a PC) because of its 4K camera. There aren't many webcams on the market that support 4K, as it's still a somewhat niche market. Video chat services like Skype don't support 4K. A 4K webcam makes more sense for live-streaming or recording video that you later upload somewhere.
The Brios camera system includes optical and infrared sensors for facial recognition, which works with Windows Hello to secure your Windows-based computer.
With the companion Camera Settings software, you can manually adjust the field of view from 65, 78, or 90 degrees. You can also adjust the frame rate and resolution and manually zoom up to 5x.
The Brio is set up to be future-proof with a USB 3.0 interface. It does work with USB 2.0 ports, but the only way you'll be able to record the full 4K is with a USB 3.0 port, so make sure your Mac or PC meets these minimum requirements for 4K video recording.
Logitech Brio
While most people don't need a 4K webcam, many jobs depend on the advanced resolution, and the Brio is the most advanced webcam you can get before upgrading to a DSLR.
We've listed the cream of the crop for the best webcams for Mac, PC, and streaming, but there is more to a webcam than just the camera itself. Lighting, positioning, and audio are also important to get the best quality video. You don't have to be a pro to look like one, and you don't necessarily need to spend money like a pro to look like you have.
Do you need a webcam tripod?
All of the webcams on our list, and most webcams of any brand, come with their own mount that you can put directly onto your computer, whether it's a laptop or a desktop. So you don't need a tripod. There are, however, some reasons why you may want a tripod for your webcam. If that's the case, don't miss out on the best webcam tripods.
Positioning is key to good framing with a webcam. When you mount your webcam to your computer, you don't have a lot of flexibility in how high or which direction it faces. You may have already noticed that many people in video chats look like they're looking down at something instead of directly at the screen. That's because their webcam is sitting up high at the top of a large-screen computer, way above eye level. Or, you may have also noticed that you're always looking up the nose of your video chat mate. That's because they're using a laptop (probably on their lap) with the camera below their chin.
Ideally, you'd have your webcam positioned directly in front of your face with about two feet between you and the camera (webcams with zoom make it even easier to adjust the closeness). You also want to have your head take up more of the screen than you realize. You don't want your background to be the main focus. When possible, get the top of your head to sit about an inch or two below the top of the screen.
Sometimes, just a minor adjustment to the left or right will enhance your angle. A webcam lets you make these small rotations, as well as angle up or down.
Do you need special webcam lighting?
If you're having Zoom, Skype, or Hangouts meetings with friends, family, or coworkers, you can make use of the natural lighting around you instead of spending the extra money on special lighting. Though some webcams, like the Razer Kiyo, have built-in lighting. The key is to have a window that lets in light in front of you. The natural sunlight will give you nice lighting without being too bright. A window off to the side will work, too. But ideally, it should be in front of you. Don't video chat or stream with your back to bright light; this will turn you into a shadow.
If you're doing more than video conferencing with friends, family, or coworkers, you may want to consider some of the best lighting accessories for webcam streaming. A ring light is a standard amongst video podcasters and streamers. It provides a nice bright light directly on your face to keep you from having weird shadows in places like under your eyes or nose, which aren't very flattering.
Be aware, however, that with a ring light comes some additional lighting needs. Depending on the type of ring light you use, you may end up washed out in your dimly lit room. So, if you don't have a decent amount of natural light surrounding your room, you should look into a panel light or two, or at least place a desk lamp or two behind your webcam, reflecting off of a wall to create ambient lighting.
We could go much deeper into lighting for webcams, but that's a story for a different article.
Do you need a webcam with a microphone?
Every webcam on this list and most webcams come with a built-in microphone, but most of them have subpar mics. Again, if you're chatting with friends and family or sitting in on a meeting, the microphone in your webcam is probably good enough, but it might be a little muffled or underwater-sounding.
I don't ever use the built-in microphone on any webcam, but I do use the best headphones. Any headphones with a microphone will work just fine with your computer and webcam. There's no special driver needed. Just connect your headphones to your computer, and when you start up your video chat or streaming program, just check the settings to make sure it's connected to your headphones or earbuds for audio input.
If, however, you're trying to get your brand recognized, you should definitely spend the extra money on a quality microphone. Audio quality is just as important, and I would even argue more important than video quality. You should have an external microphone connected directly to the device you record audio, too. The best podcasting microphone should have frequency adjustors and noise reduction. You should also get a microphone mount to protect against accidental table bumps.
Pay close attention when buying a microphone for your computer. If it isn't natively a USB microphone, you're also going to need to get an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Christine Romero-Chan is a senior writer and editor at iMore who is always checking out the latest accessories to go with the Mac. She may be camera-shy, but when she needs a webcam, she wants to make sure it's a good one.
Lory Gil is the former managing editor of iMore, the co-host of the iMore Show podcast, and MacBreak Weekly. She's been using webcams since before they were popular and knows what's important when finding the best webcam for Mac, PC, and streaming.
Shift Keyboard 5 is available for download from the App Store now.
This update includes new smart autocorrect and suggestions algorithms for easier text entry.
An improved swipe keyboard is part of the new update.
Not just Apple Watch Series 7, unlike someone else's keyboard I won't mention.
Launching a big update to your Apple Watch keyboard in the days of Apple Watch Series 7 might not seem like the best thing to do, but that's the situation developer Adam Foot finds himself in with Shift Keyboard 5. And while Apple has added its own keyboard to Apple Watch Series 7, that's the only place it will be. Shift Keyboard, by contrast, works everywhere. And you should give it a try right now.
Designed to make it easier and faster to type on your Apple Watch, Shift Keyboard now supports the latest watchOS 8 features while also building on functionality that was already there. This new update includes new smart autocorrect and suggestions algorithms for easier text entry, for example. An improved layout means those with smaller watches will be able to type more easily, and more accurately, too.
Going back to those watchOS 8 features for a moment, Foot says that Shift Keyboard now dims itself instead of just showing the time when you move your wrist.
watchOS 8 added the ability for developers to hide content in their app when an Apple Watch is facing down and the app is still open, instead of just showing the time as per watchOS 7. Shift Keyboard takes advantage of this by hiding the current typed message when the Apple Watch is dimmed.
There are a bunch more changes, too.
Improved swipe keyboard that will more accurately accept swipes and predict what you were typing.
Added the ability to add your own custom words to the dictionary.
Devices running watchOS 8 or higher and have an Always-On display, will have their current message blurred out when their wrist is down.
Improved corrections picker when you turn the Digital Crown.
Improved access to numbers, symbols and global characters.
Improved accessibility for visually impaired users who rely on VoiceOver.
Shift Keyboard is now localised in additional languages including British English, Hebrew, Korean, Romanian & Vietnamese.
That isn't all of it, either. Newly updated complications fit existing watch faces better and even the app icon has changed. More importantly, Shift Keyboard works on any Apple Watch running watchOS 7 or newer, so you can use it on your old Apple Watch. The new watch might be the best Apple Watch ever, but you don't need it if you want a keyboard, that's for sure.
Investing in one of the greatest fitness trackers is a great choice if you're trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. They're excellent tools for keeping tabs on all-day activity, recording workout stats, and improving overall wellness. Whether you're trying to lose weight, sleep better, or move more, it's a good idea to start using one if you aren't already. These are the best fitness trackers so far, and why we're sure you'll love them.
Excellent value
Fitbit Charge 5
Staff Pick
Fitbit Charge 5 hosts exciting new features like ECG to stay on top of heart health, and EDA scans to help you manage stress. It features a Daily Readiness Score which uses your sleep, exercise, and heart rate variability to optimize your energy throughout the day. It will tell you if you're ready for a workout, need to take it easy, or prioritize recovery. It offers up to seven days of battery depending on usage.
Fitbit Charge 4 features a built-in GPS, Active Zone Minutes for heart-based training, and workout intensity maps so you can see how your heart rate changes along workout routes. It offers all-day activity and sleep tracking, as well as Sp02 monitoring. It delivers up to seven days of battery life on a full charge, and five hours in full GPS mode.
Garmin Vivosmart 4 features a slim profile and bright, easy-to-read display. It features all-day activity, advanced sleep, and Pulse Ox monitoring. Additionally, it offers tress tracking, breathing timers, V02 max, and body battery to help optimize your energy. It delievers up to seven days of battery life.
Garmin Vivofit 4 is a budget friendly activity tracker that has you covered when it comes to the basics. It tracks steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, and provides a personalized daily step goal to get you moving. It's water-resistant, so it's safe to wear in the shower and pool; plus it offers 1+ years of battery life — no charging necessary.
Fitbit Luxe doubles as a timeless accessory and activity tracker. It features a vibrant color display, all-day activity, and sleep tracking. Plus, you get Active Zone Minutes which give your wrist a buzz when you reach target heart rate zones, and you can view heart rate variability in your workout intensity maps in the Fitbit app. It offers up to five days of battery life.
Coros Pace 2 is a feather-light, GPS sport watch. It only weighs 29 grams. It features all-day activity tracking, sleep monitoring, 24/7 heart rate, always-on altimeter, and a thermometer. It offers up to 20 days of battery life if you're simply all-day activity tracking and up to 30 hours in GPS mode.
Looking for a classic aesthetic? Withings Steel HR is a hybrid watch that has the design of a normal watch, but is capable of full fitness tracking. Its battery can last up to 25 days on a full charge. It can track over 30 different exercises, and can be submerged up to 50 meters in water. There's also a heart-rate monitor and it works with Amazon Alexa.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a great value. You're not going to get the smart features you would with a smartwatch, but you will get the basics like all-day activity tracking, sleep monitoring, and 24/7 heart rate monitoring. Plus, it delivers an impressive battery life of up to 10 days.
Samsung Galaxy Active 2 features built-in pace coaching to help you get more out of every mile and reach your fitness goals. It has a classic, lightweight profile and offers all-day activity tracking, stress monitoring, heart rate, and sleep tracking. It delivers two to three days of battery life.
This budget-friendly band features all-day activity and sleep tracking. It will track the intensity and duration of your daily movement, plus sedentary time. Sleep tracking analyzes sleep patterns throughout the night. It works with Amazon Alexa and can give insight on your body composition, energy levels, and even your vocal tone for better communication.
Amazfit Band 5 is a budget-friendly tracker that features Amazon Alexa built-in so you can set alarms, ask questions, or control your smart home devices. It also offers all-day activity, Sp02, 24/7 heart, and sleep tracking. You'll get 15 days of battery life with a full charge on this tracker.
We're all trying to keep tabs on our health and fitness, but have different needs when it comes to the perfect fitness tracker. Whether you're an outdoor adventurer, athlete, or just beginning a healthier lifestyle, we've found the best fitness tracker for you.
Our favorite is Fitbit Charge 5 because it's Fitbit's most feature-heavy tracker to date and it's an excellent value. It offers ECG, EDA, and Daily Readiness Scores to help optimize your energy throughout the day. It has earned its place as one of the best Fitbit available.
If you're someone who hates constantly charging your wearables, Coros Pace 2 offers an impressive battery life of 20 days of activity tracking, and 30 hours in full GPS mode.
Or maybe something more budget-friendly is what you're looking for? Amazfit Band 5 offers Amazon Alexa built-in on top of all-day activity, sleep, and Sp02 monitoring. Whatever you're looking for in your wearable, we've found your perfect match on this list of the best fitness trackers of the year.
The beauty of the iPhone 13 is more than skin deep.
It's easy to look at the iPhone 13 on paper and see an incremental update to last year's iPhone 12. And indeed, that would seem to be true in several aspects, at least at first glance. You won't really be going through your email any faster, the design is essentially the same as last year's phone, and seriously, who really needs 5G?
I've seen a lot of sentiment lamenting the iPhone 13 as "really an iPhone 12s," and apart from being a ridiculous statement (it's never mattered what Apple called the phones), it also ignores that some of the iPhone's most exciting and important updates have been in 's' years. Siri arrived with the iPhone 4s. The iPhone 5s was the first iPhone with Touch ID, and the first phone with a 64-bit processor. The iPhone 6s was the first iPhone with a 12-megapixel camera. A lot goes on in 's' years.
While I'm not certain if this is an update on any of those levels, Apple's done a lot of work to provide the iPhone 13 with some interesting upgrades in performance, cameras, and battery life. But in many ways, these enhancements arrive in more subtle forms that work together to create a compelling new package, rather than each being potentially the thing that will drive you to buy this phone.
iPhone 13
Bottom line: With excellent new cameras, improvements to battery life, and a nice selection of colors, Apple's mainstream flagship is the best iPhone for most people.
The Good
Excellent cameras
Battery life is much improved over iPhone 12
Photographic Styles put a personal touch on your photos
The iPhone 13 mini once again sits at the bottom of the flagship pricing ladder, starting at $699 for 128GB. You can also get the iPhone 13 mini with 256GB of storage for $799, and 512GB for $999. The iPhone 13 comes in the same storage configurations for $100 more each, so 128GB costs $799, 256GB costs $899, and 512GB costs $1,099. Of course, if those price tags are a little steep, you can save some money with the best iPhone 13 deals even now as the phones launch.
You can order your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini now directly from Apple and other online retailers, and phones arrived in stores on Friday, September 24.
iPhone 13: Hardware and design
If you're familiar with the iPhone 12 design, you know what to expect with the iPhone 13, except for the camera module, but more on that later. The same is true with the iPhone 13 mini. If you loved the iPhone 12, you'll feel the same about the iPhone 13.
It's the same flat aluminum edges with rounded corners. Same Ceramic Shield-coated display glass. Same glossy back with matte camera module. If you were hoping for a revolutionary design, this isn't your year.
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
Fast wired charging over Lightning with 20W power adapter
Water Resistance
IP68
Dimensions
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g (iPhone 13)
131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm, 141g (iPhone 13 mini)
Colors
Starlight
Midnight
Blue
Pink
(PRODUCT)Red
Apple has refreshed its color palette this year. The blue is a little more gray, and the red a little deeper. But there are three new colors on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini: pink, Midnight, and Starlight. Starlight is not a color I've seen in person, but it seems to be a sort of beige/silver combination. The pink on my iPhone 13 review unit is extremely light, and it's easy for me to mistake it for white at some points.
My iPhone 13 mini review unit comes in Midnight, and this is a color to which Apple's photos do a great disservice. Midnight isn't black, nor is it space gray. The best way to describe it that I've found is it looks like someone dripped dark blue into the black paint they were going to use for this phone. There's a slight blue tint to it that's really slick.
The glossy back of the iPhone 13 is still a fingerprint magnet
While I've been a fan of this design overall, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini have the same major materials flaw as last year's iPhones, and that the glossy glass on the back. It loves fingerprints. Absolutely loves them. You need to either accept that, slap a case on your phone, or be prepared to carry a cloth around with you because there is no avoiding the fingerprint issue.
I do want to take some time to talk about the notch, but in all honestly, I don't really notice much of a difference. Yes, the notch on the front of the iPhone, which houses the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID, is narrower this year. But we don't get a lot for that additional space. It's just a little more screen. One thing you will notice, though, if you use the new iOS 15 Focus feature, is that the icon for your current focus will appear next to the clock in the upper-left corner.
One of the major points of divergence between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro this year is the display. Both are still beautiful OLED displays, but where the iPhone 13 sports the same 60Hz refresh rate that the iPhone always has, the iPhone 13 Pro lineup has a ProMotion display that has variable refresh rates as high as 120Hz. While I have some things to say about the ProMotion display in another review, the iPhone 13's display is another matter.
The truth is, there's not a lot to say here apart from this: it's the best display on an iPhone limited to 60Hz that Apple's made yet. Colors are beautiful, scrolling is relatively smooth, and it's reasonably bright in sunlight. HDR content also plays wonderfully on this screen, hitting the kinds of brights and darks that OLED is famous for. It's not an exciting display, but it is an excellent one when accounting for its limitations versus ProMotion.
iPhone 13: Software and performance
The software story on the iPhone 13 is all about iOS 15. While packed with some exciting features of its own, it doesn't represent a radical upgrade over iOS 14. It's a system that runs as well on the iPhone 13 as it does on the iPhone 12, maybe a little better thanks to the A15 Bionic chip.
The A15 Bionic is once again a 6-core system-on-a-chip that combines the CPU, GPU, memory, and neural engine onto a single die. The CPU features four high-efficiency cores for lower-power tasks, and two high-performance cores to that take over for more intensive tasks. Benchmarks place the A15 CPU performance at about 15-20% better than the A14, a similar year-over-year jump to what we've seen in recent Apple chip updates. Apple's neural engine, the part of the chip that powers machine learning functions on the iPhone, is new. It still has 16 cores, but is now capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, resulting in fast on-device machine learning task completion.
The biggest performance boosts come from the GPU, which Apple claims is up to 30% faster than the GPU on competing chips, though it hasn't specified which chips this means. For any games that are already pushing the limits of the A14's graphics processing, this should result in better and more efficient performance, while apps and games that update to specifically take advantage of the A15 should see substantially improved performance down the road.
But that's a lot of numbers and jargon. What does that actually mean? Well, for most people, probably not a lot, at least not in everyday use. If you're someone who mostly uses your phone to check email, take some photos, listen to music, or browse the web, then, especially coming from an iPhone 12, you probably won't notice much of a difference. iOS 15 runs well, even on phones that are a few years old, so you might not notice a change in your everyday task speed, even jumping from, say, an iPhone XS. It'll be more apparent if you're coming from an older iPhone, though, and if you are, you're in for a treat.
While I'll talk about these features more in the camera section, I think a lot of the power of the A15 chip can be seen in the new camera capabilities. This includes Cinematic Mode, but also Photographic Styles. These are Apple's take on filters, but leverage the A15's Neural Engine to intelligently boost, or mute colors based on the style you select, while keeping skin tones looking natural. Adjustments are applied selectively to the right areas of an image thanks to that intelligence, allowing for a more powerful than a filter.
While everyday tasks probably won't feel faster, anything that engages the performance cores, GPU, or Neural Engine should feel fairly snappy, from editing photos to playing the latest hit game on the App Store.
iPhone 13: Battery
This is one of the more interesting aspects of the iPhone 13's story. During the announcement, Apple claimed that the iPhone 13 mini would see as much as 1.5 hours of additional battery life over the iPhone 12 mini, while the iPhone 13 would see as much as 2.5 hours over the iPhone 12.
It's going to take longer-term testing to really get a sense of it, but so far, those claims have held up. Compared to the iPhone 12 mini I've been using since April, the iPhone 13 mini definitely holds on to a charge longer, especially when it's in standby. Having the screen on for long stretches certainly drains the battery faster than the standard iPhone 13, but it's holding on better than the 12 mini did. In fact, I would go so far to say that the mini holds up favorably compared to my iPhone 12 Pro. In almost a week of use, the mini is usually down to about 30% of battery power by the time it hits the charger at around 11:00 p.m., or about 14 hours after it came off the charger. That's a little lower than I'd expect from my iPhone 12 Pro over the same amount of time.
As for the standard iPhone 13, the claim of an additional 2.5 hours does seem to be holding up. It's been handily beating the iPhone 12 Pro's times, ending most days at over 50% charge. Unsurprisingly, it still trounces its mini counterpart.
Keep in mind, however, that this is with normal use. If you're using your phone a lot, then we have a different story. Your battery should still last longer than last year's phones, but in my short time with the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, heavy use has drained the battery at only a slightly slower rate than last year's phones.
iPhone 13: Cameras
A primary reason that I'm fine moving to the iPhone 13 mini for my personal phone this year after so long using Apple's Pro phones is that, aside from loving the size, I'm just not a big iPhone photographer. It's not that I don't take photos with my phone, but it's not my favored camera. The photos for the review, for instance, were not taken using an iPhone camera.
But that's not to say the cameras aren't good. In fact, the cameras on the iPhone 13 are probably the best the iPhone cameras have ever been outside the Pro line. A good thing they are, too, because the iPhone 13 has an entirely new setup, both in the wide and the ultra-wide cameras.
The photos you get with this new setup are excellent, with the wide camera, of course, being the standout.
One of the interesting updates I've noticed comes with Night mode. The photos above were taken in Night mode, one on the iPhone 12 Pro's wide camera (left) and one on the iPhone 13's wide camera (right). While the iPhone 12 Pro's photo is brighter overall, this is because of the brightness added to the photo by an additional second of Night Mode exposure, where the iPhone 13 needed one second less to grab its shot. The result is a more accurate and sharper photo from the iPhone 13.
That Night Mode performance is indicative of Apple's upgrade to this camera system, starting with an entirely new wide-angle camera, what many would refer to as the iPhone's 'standard' camera. While still a 12-megapixel sensor, that sensor now features bigger pixels (1.7 microns versus last year's 1.4), which capture 47% more light compared to last year's iPhone camera. And in photography, light's the name of the game. We're still looking at an f/1.6 maximum aperture, so in bright sunlight, you might not notice much difference between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 if they're both very steadily held.
But the reason I bring that up is the other major upgrade in the iPhone 13: Sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which debuted with the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year. Where previous iPhones stabilized the camera lens, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini stabilize the sensor directly, allowing the iPhone to deal better with the small movements your hands make while taking a photo with your iPhone. Between sensor shift and the additional light on the sensor, your images will be clearer than they've ever been.
But the iPhone's camera story is never only about the hardware. Apple's also giving you more control over your photography this year with the introduction of photographic styles, which work a lot like filters, except they apply a specific style, which you can modify, to your photos as you're taking them. Photographic Styles become an important part of the image capture pipeline and play a major role in how an image resolves, which is why you can't change an image's style after it's been taken (you can still make normal edits, of course). Photographic styles don't simply layer color and contrast choices over your image, either, but rather do things like preserve skin tone.
Then there's Cinematic Mode. While Apple spent a while demonstrating the admittedly impressive capabilities that this mode brings to the table, it's not going to be for everyone. In addition to being "Portrait mode for video," Cinematic Mode uses machine learning to know when to shift focus in a scene between two different people. But what's most impressive, at least to me, comes in the editing process. You can change the focus of a shot that was taken in Cinematic Mode, no matter what was captured in the moment.
But it's limited, at least right now. Aspiring moviemakers will need to settle for capturing their Cinematic Mode footage in 1080p at 30fps. If that style of shooting appeals to you more than any particular resolution and frame rate, it's definitely an exciting new tool in your belt — just know its limitations going in.
The iPhone 13 cameras might lack some neat tricks of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max like macro mode and a dedicated telephoto camera, but if you don't need those features, you won't be disappointed by what the iPhone 13 can do.
iPhone 13: Competition
The world is full to bursting with smartphones that compete with the iPhone 13, and that starts with Apple's own products. First, there's the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, still on sale from Apple following the introduction of the iPhone 13 lineup. The iPhone 12's battery, camera, and overall performance aren't as good as the iPhone 13 (and the iPhone 12 mini's battery life leaves a lot to be desired), but if you want to save a little money while still getting a great phone, a new iPhone 12 will have life in it for years to come.
Of course, you could always opt for going to the higher end of things. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max offer even better cameras, battery, and performance. The A15 chips in the Pro line of phones feature enhancements, including higher clock speeds and an additional GPU core. If you want those cameras, or in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, want the biggest phone Apple sells, you need to go Pro.
Then we come to the Android phones. I'm of the opinion that one of the first decisions you should make is whether you want to buy an iPhone or Android device. While the two systems often have many of the same features, things can differ significantly phone-to-phone.
Starting with Google itself, you have the flagship Google Pixel 5. Admittedly, this phone is on its way out, but it's still a capable device that shows off Google's vision for what Android is supposed to be. As always, Google puts a lot of emphasis on the Pixel's cameras, and the Pixel 5 has a 12.2MP camera backed by Google's impressive image processing software, with an emphasis on creating photos that are overall warmer and with less noise than its predecessors. It shipped with Android 11, and will support Android 12 when it launches later this year.
But the Pixel 5 is getting harder and harder to find. If you want the latest flagship phone from Google, you'll want to hang on a bit longer for the launch of the Google Pixel 6, set to debut at some point this fall. One of this phone's more exciting aspects is the inclusion of Google's custom Tensor chip.
But in smartphones, Apple's chief rival isn't Google, but Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S21, launched earlier this year by the Korean electronics giant, comes in at $799. As with most flagship smartphones, including the iPhone, Samsung has placed a big bet on cameras, and offers three cameras to the iPhone 13's two: a wide, and ultra-wide, and a 3x telephoto, the same basic setup found in the iPhone 13 Pro. Like the iPhone 13, both the wide and ultra-wide cameras on the Galaxy S21 sport 12-megapixel sensors, while the telephoto camera features a 64-megapixel sensor, though at the expense of the amount of light it can capture, thanks to smaller pixels.
If you're looking for an iPhone 13 rival in the Android world at the same price point, and you're fine with Samsung's One UI customizations, then the Galaxy S21 might be the phone to get.
iPhone 13: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
You have an iPhone XR or older
While those with an iPhone 11 will almost certainly notice some performance jump, most people hold on to iPhones for three or four years now, and for good reason: they hold up fairly well. But if you're on 2018's iPhone XR, XS, or something older, you'll really benefit from the updated battery, cameras, and overall performance of the iPhone 13.
Cameras aren't your highest priority
The iPhone 13's cameras are great, but they're not on quite the same level as the iPhone 13 Pro. Not only are you missing a telephoto camera, but the iPhone 13 will also miss out on ProRes video when it arrives for the iPhone 13 Pro later this year. The wide camera on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is also slightly better, with even bigger pixels and a wider lens aperture.
You love a colorful phone
Another year, another round of insistence from Apple that color isn't for "Pros." Apple's mainstream phone lineup has always had more interesting and varied color options than the Pro line, and this year is no exception.
You should not buy this if ...
You need the best cameras out there
The iPhone 13 Pro has better cameras than the iPhone 13. It has a better wide camera, as well as a telephoto lens (an improved one over last year, at that). The iPhone 13 Pro also has macro mode, which lets you get really close to a subject. As I previously mentioned, the iPhone 13 Pro will also get the ProRes video shooting later this year, which the regular iPhone 13 won't get.
You want a higher-refresh display
The ProMotion display on the iPhone 13 Pro line is slick. Quick and smooth, it feels like a genuine leap when viewed next to the locked 60Hz of the iPhone 13. If that smoothness is something you want, you'll want to go Pro. The thing about ProMotion is that it's not just 120Hz, it has a variable refresh rate, meaning that it slows way down to preserve battery life when it doesn't need the quick motion, making it a better option than many high-refresh displays from Apple's rivals.
The people who should buy the iPhone 13 are those who are looking for the best iPhone available that don't want to go Pro. You want excellent cameras, a better battery, improved performance, but you don't need the absolute best that Apple has to offer and the price tag that comes with it. This is the iPhone most people looking to get one should buy.
4.5out of 5
The iPhone 13 is the best iPhone in its class because, of course, it is. There hasn't been a year since the iPhone debuted where Apple has regressed in overall phone quality year-over-year. If you already have an iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 probably won't wow you, but it won't disappoint you, either. It's just an iPhone, and everything that entails. You won't miss a lot if you decide to skip it, but you're sure to enjoy your experience if you elect to pick one up.
If you have an iPhone 11 or older, the iPhone 13 is more exciting. It'll feel that much faster, the cameras that much better. The design will also be fresh to you, and your screen will now be protected by Ceramic Shield. It's still not a quantum leap, but a solid upgrade. And at the end of the day, people with the iPhone 11 and older are who Apple's aiming for.
iPhone 13
Bottom line: The iPhone 13 is the best iPhone for most people, with impressive new cameras and notable improvements to battery life. Without all the bells and whistles of the Pro line, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are still powerhouses that'll keep owners happy for years to come.
