Expect These 5 Changes for the New iPhone 13 Coming This Year
Credit: iDrop News / Wilson Nicklaus
It seems like it was just yesterday when we were talking about and hyping up every rumor and possible leak for the iPhone 12. Some rumors were true, and some weren't; that's just how these things work. But, the crazy thing is that we've already started hearing a bunch of news and rumors about Apple's upcoming iPhone, the iPhone 13 (or iPhone 12S).
We've known about iPhone 13 rumors since before the release of the iPhone 12, which is crazy fast, even for today's standards. If the rumors are true, we already have a pretty good idea of what the next iPhone will look like, even though it's not coming for at least nine more months.
There are some amazing rumors out there, as well as some crazy ones that don't seem entirely possible. Continue reading to learn about the most recent iPhone 13 rumors you should be aware of.
Portless Is Possible
This is, by far, the most polarizing rumor about the iPhone 13 so far.
We've heard rumors about a completely wireless iPhone since 2019, but last year these rumors started to spread as new design images and mockups began to disperse throughout the internet.
It'd be interesting to see how a completely portless iPhone would work. We've seen Apple hinting at this possibility with the introduction of MagSafe in the iPhone 12, but there are so many questions, like how you'd connect it to your computer.
Still, this rumor is entirely possible. Thanks to MagSafe, Wi-Fi 6E inclusion, and Apple's history of removing ports, not only on the iPhones but also on Macs, it's possible that we'll see a completely wireless iPhone 13 this year.
The good news is that not all iPhones would be portless this year. Out of all four iPhone 13 models, it's been rumored that only one of the iPhone 13 Pro models will be completely portless. The other three models will continue to have at least a Lightning port.
Touch ID Could Make a Comeback
Out of all the things we need back on the iPhone, Touch ID is at the top of our list. It was especially needed back at the beginning of 2020 since you can't really unlock your iPhone with a facemask on.
But our prayers might finally be answered, or at least that what a couple of reports are saying. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, Apple might be working on adding Touch ID on the iPhone 13, as well as keeping Face ID.
We don't know exactly how Apple would implement Touch ID on the next iPhone, but a report from Bloomberg says that Apple is testing an in-screen fingerprint reader.
We've seen other smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S21, add a fingerprint reader on the screen, and it actually works really well. But Apple is famous for not adding features until they're the best they can be.
Another possibility is that Apple ads Touch ID to the power button, which is something the company did with the 2020 iPad Air. However, we'll need to wait to have more information about this.
Similar Design, with a Smaller Notch
According to the rumors, the 2021 iPhone won't have significant design changes from the iPhone 12, and this is entirely possible.
The iPhone 12 featured a new flat design that we hadn't seen on an iPhone in a few years. Apple is most likely to continue using this same design for this year's iPhone and even the 2022 iPhone, from what we've seen in the past.
If you look at the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and even the iPhone 11, it's pretty hard to notice any significant changes at first glance. Apple likes to use the same design for a few years, and it's entirely possible that we're going to see a similar design to the one on the iPhone 12.
What's apparently changing, though, is the notch. Before you get excited, keep in mind the notch will still be there, but it seems that Apple is working on a narrower notch this time.
This would be one of the best changes to the iPhone since the notch has looked practically the same for what it feels like forever. Even if it's just a bit smaller, the change will be greatly appreciated for iPhone fans everywhere.
ProMotion Display
It's been a long time coming, but it seems like the iPhone 13 will finally have a ProMotion display.
In case you're not sure what it is, ProMotion is a feature that lets your Apple device change the refresh rate when necessary. That way, your device will change to 120Hz when you need it to give you a better, smoother experience and will go back to 60Hz or lower when you're not using it to preserve battery life.
Apple calls this ProMotion, and we've seen it only on the iPad Pro models. There were rumors that Apple was going to add ProMotion into the iPhone 12 lineup, but apparently, there were some issues with the battery on the iPhone that caused Apple to push this feature back.
Allegedly, this is the year when we first see ProMotion on an iPhone, although we don't know much about it yet. A possibility is that we'll only see it in the Pro models, similar to what happened to the LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro.
Four Different Models and Possible Release Date
Just like the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple is supposedly releasing four different iPhone 13 models this year.
We should expect to see two regular iPhone 13 models and two iPhone 13 Pro versions. The prices should be similar to the iPhone 12 as well, with two iPhones below the one-thousand-dollar mark.
Rumors state that this year all four models will have LiDAR Scanner instead of just the Pro versions. And, as we mentioned before, one of the iPhone Pro models is expected to have no ports.
Finally, we should expect to see the iPhone 13 in September of this year, as we're used to. Last year Apple had to push back the announcement date due to the pandemic, but this year we should expect the iPhone 13 event to be back on the same schedule as before.
Will We See a Foldable iPhone?
Even though we might not see it this year, Apple is already working on a foldable iPhone. Still, Apple's thinking it's not always best to be the first, but to be the best in general, so it seems like it'll take a while before we know more about this device. Nevertheless, it's the most exciting iPhone rumor going around.