Despite Apple’s best efforts to keep upcoming products under wraps, there has been no shortage of iPhone 13 rumors over the past few months. With August right around the corner, I think it’s fair to say that we now have a pretty good grasp on what Apple’s next-gen iPhone will bring to the table.
While there’s certainly a chance Apple still has a few surprises in store for us, a good number of iPhone 13 features have already leaked. This, of course, is just par for the course for unreleased Apple products. The reality is that Apple’s supply chain is simply too vast to keep rumors from leaking out weeks and sometimes months ahead of time.
iPhone 13 design
Design-wise, the iPhone 13 look very similar to the iPhone 12. In my opinion, this is a good thing. Recall that the iPhone 12 at long last did away with the rounded corner design that defined the iPhone form factor for years. Instead, the iPhone 12 boasts sharper edges and the design itself is reminiscent of the iPhone 4. Not only does this make for a sleeker look, but it also makes the device less prone to slipping out of your hands.
That said, there will be some slight changes to the iPhone 13 design. For starters, one iPhone 13 rumor claims that the camera bump will be slightly thicker. Additionally, the notch will be smaller. Specifically, the new notch will be 26.8mm wide. This is about 8mm smaller than the notch on the iPhone 12.
A new video showcasing what the final iPhone 13 design will likely look like can be seen below. Note that the iPhone 13 camera alignment will look slightly different.
Rumored iPhone 13 features: A better display
As for other iPhone 13 rumors, one intriguing tidbit focuses on the display. According to reports, the iPhone 13 Pro models will be the first iPhones to boast a 120Hz ProMotion display. This feature will allow for more fluid scrolling and improved responsiveness.
What’s more, Apple’s implementation will not have a discernible impact on battery life. Reports indicate that the iPhone 13 display will automatically switch between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rates based on the use-case scenario.
iPhone 13 may borrow an Apple Watch feature
There’s a strong probability that the iPhone 13 will feature an Always-On display. The implementation will likely be similar in nature to what already exists on the Apple Watch.
According to leaker Max Weinbach, this feature will not be customizable.
“Current design basically looks like a toned-down lock screen,” Weinbach said earlier this year. “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.”
This is an intriguing feature and is certainly one iPhone 13 rumor we hope turns out to be true.
Better camera performance
As we’ve come to expect, the iPhone 13 will introduce better camera performance across the board. Aside from improved low-light camera performance, we’ve seen rumors that the iPhone 13 will also boast better image stabilization functionality, a more capable ultra-wide lens, and support for Portrait mode during video recording.
Reputed analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, via MacRumors, relayed the following about Apple’s iPhone 13 camera late last year:
Supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the aperture of the ultra-wide angle lens on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max to increase from ƒ/2.4 to f/1.8, with a new six-element lens assembly. This would allow for a shallower depth-of-field and much more light to enter the lens, leading to significantly improved images with the ultra-wide angle lens.
Release date
The entirety of Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup will reportedly launch in late September. While this is ordinarily a given, in recent years we’ve seen some new iPhone models launch later than usual due to supply chain constraints.
