Circumstantial evidence indicates that Apple might launch the iPhone 13 models on time this year, although there’s no confirmation from the iPhone maker at this point that the new devices will return to the mid-September launch schedule. Last year, Apple announced well ahead of the expected September iPhone 12 keynote that the devices will launch later than usual because of the pandemic. The iPhone 12 series event took place in mid-October, and the four new handsets launched in batches of two devices in late October and early November.
The pandemic forced Apple to postpone the iPhone 12 launch last year, and it could still impact the iPhone 13 release date. But several reports have claimed that Apple asked suppliers to start manufacturing essential parts earlier than expected, including the next-gen A15 chips that will power the new phones, displays, and camera components. A new finding suggests that Apple is preparing for the iPhone 13 launch, as the new handsets appeared in a regulatory database in Europe.
Reports from French blog Consomac and the Nashville Chatter show that Apple has already registered seven iPhone 13 versions with Russia’s Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) today. Model numbers A2628, A2630, A2634, A2635, A2640, A2643, and A2645 have been certified. MacRumors explains the certification satisfies Russia’s requirement for companies to register all the products that contain encryption and/or cryptographic tools.
Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 13 models this year, the direct successor of last year’s iPhone 12 versions — 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. It’s unclear why the EEC listing covers only seven versions instead of eight. But we did see EEC listings for unreleased Apple devices that were published before those gadgets were launched in the region. It’s likely the codenames above represent iPhone 13 flavors. The same device usually comes in different model numbers that have certain particularities depending on the region where they’re going to be sold, like cellular band compatibility.
The Nashville Chatter says that three iPhone 13 model numbers were registered with the 3C regulator in China: A2660, A2656, and A2653. The blog says the A2660 has a 2,406 mAh, the A2656 has a bigger 3,095 mAh battery, and the A2653 has the biggest battery at 4,352 mAh. These might be the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13/13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro have the same size, so they’d rock the same battery.
Last year’s iPhone 12 phones featured the following battery capacities: 2,227 mAh, 2,815 mAh, and 3,687 mAh. If the battery details above are accurate, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is in for a significant battery size upgrade. But all four new iPhones should feature bigger batteries than their predecessors.
The iPhone 13 phones should have the same height and width as their predecessors, but they’ll all be slightly thicker. That’s what various leaks have claimed so far, including purported schematics. Thicker iPhones can house larger batteries.
The EEC’s listing isn’t a guarantee the new iPhones will launch in mid-September. Apple might address the iPhone 13 launch schedule during its June quarter earnings release next month.
