Pre-orders for the new iPhone 13 series are open, so whether you're interested in any of the new Apple smartphones, from the pipsqueak iPhone 13 mini to the giant iPhone 13 Pro Max, you can already put your money down to receive one when they officially release.
But not everyone is an uber Apple fan, and some people might be on the fence as to whether the iPhone 13 is definitely right for them or not. Does it fit with your home decor? Does it match your style? Is it the right size or not?
Normally you'd go to a phone shop to see, but with the Covid-19 pandemic still ticking along, many people might prefer to remain safe and away from public spaces like that. Who knows who's sneezed on the phone you've got in your hand?
Thankfully, Apple has a solution, as you can actually play around with the phone in augmented reality (AR) from the comfort of your own home. If you're interested but not totally sold on the new phones, it's a great way of getting a bit more acquainted with them - and here's how to do it.
How to test the iPhone 13 using AR
We should point out that to test out the iPhone 13 phones using AR, you have to be on an iPhone or iPad. Unfortunately this doesn't work on your PC or on an Android device.
Next, you're going to need to head to the product page on Apple's website for which phone you want to see. Click here for the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, and click here for the Pro and Pro Max.
These pages are long - Apple likes its waffle - so swipe down quickly until you hit the bottom of the page. Now, scroll up a small way, past the listing for accessories like AirPods and AirTags, until you get to a small section headlined 'Check it out.'
Here you can choose which color of the device you want to see in AR, and which device specifically - for the image at the top of this article, we picked the Gold version of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Just press the name of the phone below the colors, and the AR application will pop up.
You'll need to move your iPhone or iPad around so the AR can find a flat surface to show the phone on, and make sure the area is sufficiently lit. If you don't have a flat surface or good lighting, press Object at the top - this will let you see the phone, and swipe and pinch to change how you look at it.
Using the proper AR tool, you can 'place' the object, so it stays in place in the world. Then you can move your iPhone or iPad closer or further to get scale, and even move around the device to see both sides. You can put your hand by the phone to see how big it would be in your mitts, or put it on your furniture to see if the blue tones match your cushions.
The iPhone 13 AR tool isn't quite a substitute for testing out the phone, but it's close, and even if you're not tempted to buy the handset, it's fun to play about with for a bit.
