Apple leaks have been plentiful in recent months, and with every new leak, the bigger picture of what Apple has in store for us this fall is becoming clearer. On Wednesday morning, leaker Sonny Dickson added to the pile with an image featuring dummy models of all four iPhone 13 versions, complete with the design changes that have been rumored for the 2021 lineup.
As you can see in the tweet below (and as we’ve seen in other leaked renders), there are more than a few notable changes from the previous generation. We’ll start with the camera modules, as the lenses on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have been rearranged to sit diagonally within the module. There have been conflicting reports about whether or not the two cheaper models will add LiDAR scanners, but there do not appear to be any additional sensors on these dummy models.
iPhone 13 and 13 Pro dummies. All 4 sizes still in the running. Camera module placement changed on the regular 13s. Pro Max looks slightly larger pic.twitter.com/RqxNiOfBnb
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) June 23, 2021
There isn’t much in this image that we haven’t seen or heard in previous leaks and reports, but it is intriguing to see the iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 mini all on display together. Beyond what we can see in this photo, we also expect the iPhone 13 models to be slightly thicker than their predecessors to account for larger batteries.
A recent leak claimed that the iPhone 13 models will have up to 18% more battery capacity than the iPhone 12 models. This will be especially important if Apple ends up introducing 120Hz displays on the iPhone 13 series, as the higher refresh rate can lead to faster battery drain.
Interestingly, at this point in the leak cycle, the most compelling mystery has nothing to do with the 2021 iPhone flagship’s specifications or design. Rather, the one thing that we’re least sure of is what Apple will actually call the device. There was no iPhone 7s, iPhone 8s, or iPhone 11s, but a growing number of sources seem to believe that Apple will revive the ‘S’ branding this fall.
Back in January, Sam Kohl and Jon Prosser, hosts of the Genius Bar podcast, predicted on Twitter that the 2021 iPhone would be called the iPhone 12s. Less than a week later, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg said in a report that “engineers consider the next iPhones another “S” version of the device, the nomenclature typically given to new iPhones with minor upgrades.”
Names aside, the expectation is that Apple will have its next line of flagship phone models ready to reveal on schedule this September. The pandemic forced Apple to push the launch of the iPhone 12 back by several weeks, but just this week, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a research note that the iPhone 13 (or 12s) will be announced the third week of September. These announcements typically take place on Tuesdays, which would point to a September 14th showcase for the new phones.
