The iPhone 13 is expected to launch during the typical September 2021 launch window, and there are many reasons to be excited based on the early rumors and leaks. Yes, the iPhone 12 is the best phone you can buy right now, but once you hear what’s coming, you might as well decide to hold out.
While the iPhone 12, for example, has a fresh look with its trimmed edges and flat sides, the notch is still the same size. And Apple plans to finally embrace 120Hz screens for the new iPhone 13, which catches up with the best Android phones. We can also see the return of a feature that will make unlocking your phone much easier while wearing a mask.
Of course, we have a few months to go until the iPhone 13 is launched. But these are the seven biggest upgrades and changes we’ve heard of so far.
A smaller iPhone 13 notch (finally)
The iPhone notch has been an eye-opener since the launch of the iPhone X, but the area that houses the TrueDepth camera and Face ID packages in many technologies is possible. According to a leak by Ice Universe on Twitter, the iPhone 13 will continue with the notch design, but it will be shorter.
In a separate report from Digitimes, it is suggested that Apple could reduce the size of the notch by reducing the size of the sensor that uses Face ID. In addition, the so-called VSCEL chip in the front camera will be streamlined, which would reduce the volume. While the notch will not disappear from the iPhone 13, it should be less noticeable.
The iPhone 13 will be the first iPhone to feature screens with 120Hz refresh rates, allowing for smoother browsing and better video playback and gameplay with supported content. This is according to Apple analyst Jon Prosser and performance analyst Ross Young.
Thanks to LTPO technology, the screens should be able to scale from 120Hz to 1Hz, depending on the content on the screen, which can help save battery life. However, according to The Elec, only two models are expected to get 120Hz LTPO screens, which probably means the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Major iPhone 13 camera upgrades
While it looks like a more powerful periscope zoom will only come on the iPhone 14 in 2022, a number of other iPhone 13 camera upgrades have leaked that look promising. To begin with, the iPhone 13 apparently has an improved ultra-wide lens with six elements and an aperture of f / 1.8. This is an improvement over the f / 2.4, 5-element lens on the iPhone 12, and the result should have better results in low light.
In addition, analyst Ross Young predicts that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will get larger sensors, which in turn will let in more light. Chi Kuo, will go to the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Major Wi-Fi Upgrade: Wi-Fi 6E
If you have not heard of Wi-Fi 6E yet, you will. This new standard is designed to deliver even faster wireless speeds. A Barclays analyst report says the iPhone 13 series will support Wi-Fi 6E, which can be connected via the 6 GHz band. This can lead to less interference with other appliances in your home.
In addition to faster speeds, Wi-Fi 6E also allows for lower latency, which should also lead to better performance. In addition, Wi-Fi 6E devices can use 160 MHz for high bandwidth activities such as augmented reality. Broadcom, which makes mobile Wi-Fi 6E chips, called the 6 GHz band ‘the most disruptive blessing for Wi-Fi users in the last 20 years’.
The return of Touch ID for iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 may be the first truly new iPhone design to support Touch ID in years. Analyst Mini-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is working on an iPhone with Face ID and a fingerprint scanner that will not be displayed, for launch in 2021. However, this feature may have been reserved for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max .
The analyst also says that Apple is developing an iPhone with Touch ID that will be integrated into the on / off button in 2021. It’s not for a flagship device, so we’m not sure if it refers to the regular iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini or a new iPhone SE 3 or iPhone SE Plus.
The new iPad Air has a touch ID sensor in its on / off button, and it worked well in our testing. Reviving Touch ID for the iPhone 13 makes a lot of sense, as Face ID does not work well with masks, and we may still be forced to wear it in public until 2021.
Longer battery life (and better 5G)
If you’ve seen our iPhone 12 battery test results, you know that Apple’s flagships have not fared so well. In fact, we saw a very large delta between 4G and 5G when we surfed the internet. The good news is that Apple’s own documentation has revealed that Apple needs to upgrade from Qualcomm’s 555 nanometer 5G nanometer to its newer and more efficient 5 nanometer X60 modem.
The X60 can be integrated directly into the disk drive of a phone, which can help reduce footprint while draining the battery. On top of that, the X60 mmWave and sub-6GHz networks can combine simultaneously for even faster speeds.
LiDAR for all four iPhone 13 models
Launched on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the LiDAR sensor delivers better autofocus performance while also enabling tricks such as portraits in very low light. LiDAR also enables better performance for augmented reality, as it can help create 3D maps of rooms much faster.
According to Digitimes, all four iPhone 13 models should get LiDAR (or flight time) this time around. The feature will therefore no longer be reserved for the most premium iPhones. The report says the new ToF sensors will enable ‘immediate immersive AR experiences’. We’ve seen some cool iPhone AR apps so far, but nothing we should call a must.