Evolution Archive
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Archive chapter

2013

What changed across Apple in 2013: ecosystem turning points, hardware launches, software releases and the support boundaries that moved with them.

Software history

Operating systems moved too.

Verified public releases in 2013, including major-version milestones, maintenance updates and products that lost major-version support.

Major releases
3
Point updates
19
Products dropped
2

iPhone OS / iOS

iOS 7

10 public releases in this major line · 9 point updates

  • Redesigned interface updates the entire system and every built-in app

    Redesigned interface updates the entire system and every built-in app

  • Subtle motion and animation

    Subtle motion and animation; layers and translucency provide depth

  • Elegant new color palette and refined typography

    Elegant new color palette and refined typography

  • Updated system sounds and ringtones

    Updated system sounds and ringtones

  • Control Center

    Control Center

  • Quick access to commonly used controls and apps with a swipe up from the bott…

    Quick access to commonly used controls and apps with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen

  • Turn on & off Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb

    Turn on & off Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb; adjust screen brightness; access media controls; turn on AirPlay and AirDrop

  • Quickly access flashlight, timer, calculator, camera and music controls

    Quickly access flashlight, timer, calculator, camera and music controls

Major-version support ended

Open OS record → Apple feature source ↗

Apple TV Software / tvOS

Apple TV Software 6

7 public releases in this major line · 6 point updates

  • iTunes Radio on Apple TV

    Apple announced iTunes Radio as a personalized music experience directly on Apple TV for the fall 2013 software era.

  • Broader streaming-service catalog

    The platform expanded with additional internet video services including HBO GO and WatchESPN.

Open OS record → Apple feature source ↗

Mac OS X / OS X / macOS

OS X Mavericks

6 public releases in this major line · 5 point updates

  • iBooks and Maps come to the Mac

    Mavericks brought iBooks and Apple Maps to the Mac, extending services that had already become central on iPhone and iPad.

  • Safari redesign and performance

    Safari gained a redesigned Top Sites experience, a new Sidebar for shared links and reading lists, and substantial JavaScript and energy-efficiency improvements.

  • Better multiple-display support

    Menus and Docks became available across displays, windows could span multiple displays more naturally, and an HDTV could act as a full-power display through AirPlay.

  • Finder Tabs and Tags

    Finder Tabs reduced window clutter while Tags made files easier to organize and find across local storage and iCloud.

  • Efficiency technologies

    Timer Coalescing, App Nap and Compressed Memory were introduced to reduce energy use and improve responsiveness under memory pressure.

Open OS record → Apple feature source ↗

Public release history

Updates shipped during the year.

19 public point updates are recorded for this year. Expand a platform to inspect the version-by-version release dates.

iPhone OS / iOS10 updatesLatest this year: 7.0.4
  1. 6.1
  2. 6.1.1
  3. 6.1.2
  4. 6.1.3
  5. 6.1.4
  6. 7.0.1
  7. 7.0.2
  8. 7.0.3
  9. 6.1.5
  10. 7.0.4
Mac OS X / OS X / macOS4 updatesLatest this year: 10.9.1
  1. 10.8.3
  2. 10.8.4
  3. 10.8.5
  4. 10.9.1
Apple TV Software / tvOS5 updatesLatest this year: 6.0.2
  1. 5.2
  2. 5.2.1
  3. 5.3
  4. 6.0.1
  5. 6.0.2

Hardware releases

Products announced this year.

Filters below affect the hardware list only. Product relationships and generation deltas still come from the canonical lineage catalog.

5 catalogued products

  1. Mac · Mac Pro

    Mac Pro (Late 2013)

    The late-2013 Mac Pro reorganized Apple’s professional desktop around a compact cylindrical enclosure and a unified thermal core.

    • IntroducedUnified thermal core supporting Intel Xeon processors and dual workstation-class GPUs

      Unified thermal core supporting Intel Xeon processors and dual workstation-class GPUs.

    • IntroducedSix Thunderbolt 2 ports and PCIe-based flash storage

      Six Thunderbolt 2 ports and PCIe-based flash storage.

    • IntroducedCylindrical enclosure measuring 9.9 inches tall

      Cylindrical enclosure measuring 9.9 inches tall.

    Open product

  2. iPhone · Color / value

    iPhone 5c

    A colorful polycarbonate branch repackages the iPhone 5 platform.

    • ChangedColorful polycarbonate enclosure

      The iPhone 5 platform moved into a seamless hard-coated polycarbonate enclosure in five colors.

    Open product

  3. iPhone · Standard

    iPhone 5s

    Touch ID and the 64-bit A7 add foundational platform capabilities inside the iPhone 5 form.

    Touch ID
    • IntroducedTouch ID

      Fingerprint authentication moved secure unlocking into the Home button.

    • Changed64-bit A7

      A7 introduced 64-bit desktop-class architecture to smartphones.

    Open productCompare with predecessor

  4. iPad · Air

    iPad Air (1st generation)

    A radical industrial redesign cutting weight to one pound while introducing 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 silicon, M7 coprocessor, and MIMO Wi-Fi.

    • IntroducedOne-pound iPad Air industrial design

      Re-engineered chassis that was 20% thinner (7.5 mm vs 9.4 mm), 28% lighter (469 g / 1.0 lb vs 652 g), and had 43% narrower side bezels, reducing overall device volume by 24%.

    • Introduced64-bit Apple A7 SoC and M7 coprocessor

      Desktop-class 64-bit ARMv8 Cyclone architecture with over 1 billion transistors, doubling CPU and graphics performance compared to the A6X; accompanied by the M7 motion coprocessor offloading sensor data processing.

    • IntroducedMIMO 802.11n Wi-Fi

      Dual-antenna multiple-input multiple-output Wi-Fi technology enabling data transfer rates up to 300 Mbps (2x prior generation).

    • IntroducedDual microphones

      Dual mic array providing active background noise reduction for FaceTime calls and cleaner audio capture.

    • IntroducedExpanded global LTE bands

      Single cellular hardware architecture supporting expanded international LTE bands across global carriers.

    • IntroducedSpace Gray finish

      Replaced the previous Slate finish with Space Gray alongside Silver.

    • ChangedDownsized high-efficiency battery

      Battery capacity reduced from 42.5 Wh to 32.4 Wh (24% reduction in physical size) enabled by the energy efficiency of the 28nm A7 chip, while preserving the full 10-hour battery life benchmark.

    • ChangedNano-SIM on 9.7-inch chassis

      Transitioned the 9.7-inch cellular model from micro-SIM to nano-SIM.

    Open productCompare with predecessor

  5. iPad · mini

    iPad mini 2

    Full technical parity with the 9.7-inch iPad Air in a 7.9-inch format, packing a 326 ppi Retina display and 64-bit Apple A7 processor.

    Retina display
    • IntroducedRetina display on iPad mini

      7.9-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with 2048-by-1536 resolution at 326 ppi (3.1 million pixels, 4x pixel density of original iPad mini), delivering razor-sharp typography and image rendering.

    • Introduced64-bit Apple A7 SoC and M7 coprocessor

      Desktop-class 64-bit Cyclone architecture delivering up to 4x CPU speed and up to 8x graphics performance compared to the prior generation's A5 chip, alongside dedicated motion coprocessing.

    • IntroducedMIMO 802.11n Wi-Fi

      Dual-antenna MIMO technology enabling up to 300 Mbps Wi-Fi data speeds.

    • IntroducedDual microphones

      Added dual microphones for ambient noise suppression and enhanced FaceTime audio clarity.

    • Introduced128GB storage configuration

      Added 128GB top-tier capacity alongside 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options.

    • IntroducedSpace Gray finish

      Replaced the Slate anodized finish with Space Gray alongside Silver.

    • ChangedChassis thickness and weight increase

      Thickness slightly increased from 7.2 mm to 7.5 mm (+0.3 mm) and weight rose from 308 g to 331 g (Wi-Fi) to accommodate a 23.8 Wh battery pack (+46% capacity increase) necessary for driving the Retina panel.

    Open productCompare with predecessor