The iPhone 13 is now available, providing the biggest design overhaul for the smartphone series since the iPhone X.

If you're still on the fence about getting one, or if you've ordered one and are seeking a little reassurance, consider this: the iPhone 13 is going to be absolutely brilliant for gaming.

Here's why.

Top level power

It might not be a Pro model, but the iPhone 13 still comes with the exact same A15 Bionic chip as its more expensive brothers.

Apple calls the A15 "the fastest chip in a smartphone", and the chances are this is no hyperbole. Apple has consistently created the fastest mobile chips on the market, going back a number of years.

Much like its predecessor, the iPhone 12, it uses 5-nanometer technology, which means that the transistors are more closely spaced than ever. This leads to a faster, cooler, more efficient chip.

The chip's CPU and GPU are said to be up to 50 and 30 percent faster than the opposition. When it comes to gaming performance, nothing even comes close to the iPhone 13 family.

Future-proof connectivity

Apple placed a big emphasis on the iPhone 13's 5G connectivity during the launch event. And this is also something that will affect games too, particularly in multiplayer titles.

Multiplayer offerings will benefit from 5G's high speeds and (more crucially) low latency, enabling you to stay competitive even when you're away from Wi-Fi.

You'll need to have 5G in your area for that to be a practical reality, of course, but you can expect 5G uptake to accelerate over the coming months and years. The very fact that the iPhone 13 is 5G-ready will lend fresh impetus to the industry.

Even if you don't have 5G in your area right now, the iPhone 13 will be ready for the day that you do.

More vibrant display

The iPhone 13's screen will represent an upgrade for an awful lot of existing iPhone users.

If you're coming from an iPhone X, iPhone XS, or even iPhone 11 Pro, then the iPhone 13's 6.1-inch OLED display will be even bigger and just as vibrant as before. 

Upgrading from an iPhone XR or iPhone 11? The iPhone 13 screen is just as big but way more contrasty and with a much sharper 2532 x 1170 resolution. Needless to say, if you're coming from an iPhone 6, iPhone 7, or iPhone 8, the difference will be huge.

What this means is that the vast majority of people upgrading to the iPhone 13 will enjoy a much better gaming canvass.

Stereo speakers

The iPhone line has had stereo speakers for some time now, but it's still a nice feature to have. In fact, it's arguable even more important at a time when most people are buying true wireless earphones (AirPods and other brands) for their personal audio.

We can't always game with headphones on, of course. But even when we can, there's a disconcerting latency issue with most wireless 'buds. This means that the sound of an on-screen action can take a split second to beam into your ears.

For this reason alone, having some form of immersive directional audio when gaming in landscape is a very welcome feature.

It's where all the games are

The single biggest gaming advantage that iPhones possess has nothing to do with hardware. It's Apple's App Store.

This storefront plays host to a peerless range of brilliant mobile games, all optimised for Apple's streamlined smartphone range. Put simply, the best games come to iOS first.

Then there's Apple Arcade, which is Apple's very own game subscription service. Games that release here have that extra layer of polish and prestige, and they won't be launching on Android.

Needless to say, Apple's latest phone is the best possible way to experience this vast collection of brilliant games.