According to leaker Max Weinbach, Apple’s next-gen iPhone 13 is going to feature a new type of coating designed to reduce the incidence of fingerprints and smudges. While fingerprints aren’t exactly a huge issue, it can sometimes be something of a letdown when you spend upwards of a grand on a new iPhone only to see it littered with smudges a few days later.
Now before you get too excited, Weinbach adds that the special coating in question will be exclusive to Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro models. All in all, this isn’t too surprising given that Apple historically reserves some of its newer materials and technologies for its higher-margined devices. In a similar vein, the rumored 120Hz ProMotion display coming to the iPhone 13 will also be exclusive to the Pro models.
Weinbach’s scoop was originally posted to the EverythingApplePro YouTube channel a few days ago.
“There’s also a new and improved coating on the stainless steel borders of the Pro models,” the video says in part. “This will make smudges and fingerprints stand out far less, something which Max says is desperately needed on the Gold color of the iPhone 12 Pro series.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzWEEYkZjn0
Incidentally, Weinbach is the same source who claims that there will be an iPhone 13 Pro model that features a texturized matte black that should make the device easier to hold.
“The matte back is getting refined,” EverythingApplePro reported last month. “So in the 2021 iPhones, I’m sure Max is referring to the Pro models, they’ll have a slightly more grippy texturized back. He says they’ll be slightly more comfortable and he assumes it’ll be like a soft matte, like on the Pixel series.”
Other iPhone 13 Pro features — aside from the aforementioned new coating, matte back, and 120Hz ProMotion display — include Portrait mode for video recording, possible new colors, improved sensor-Shift optical image stabilization, and improved low-light camera performance.
While the overall iPhone 13 models should look about the same as Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup with respect to the overall form factor, the upcoming iPhone 13 will feature a slight design change insofar that the notch on the device will be distinctively smaller.
Over the weekend, dummy mockups of the iPhone 13 surfaced online and show what the iPhone 13 notch looks like compared to the iPhone 12 notch.
The new notch will reportedly be 26.8mm long compared to the 34.83mm notch on the iPhone 12. Incidentally, the iPhone 13 notch will be a tad bigger height-wise and will measure in at 5.35mm compared to 5.3mm on the iPhone 12.
One notable software change we may see with the iPhone 13 and iOS 15 is a new always-on display similar to what we’ve already seen with the Apple Watch.
“Always-On Display will have minimal customizability,” Weinbach said a few weeks back. “Current design basically looks like a toned-down lock screen. Clock and battery charge is always visible. Notifications seem to be displayed using a bar and icons. Upon receiving, the notification will pop up normally except that the screen will not entirely light up. Instead, it will display it just like you’re used to right now, except dimmed down and only temporarily.”
Apple is planning to release the entirety of its iPhone 13 lineup this coming September, with a special event likely planned for earlier in the month.
