As usual, after the official release of a new iPhone model, rumors of the next one will appear. The iPhone 12 comes with a number of solid upgrades. It is certainly a marvelous device, but there are a few compromises. This gives a room for further improvements. Here are a few things that may relate to iPhone 13 and other future models.
Apple’s A15 Chips
According to a recent report from DigiTimes, May will mark the start of Apple’s A15 processor production on a mass scale. This means there will be enough units ready in time for this year’s iPhone 13 production. On top of that, the report also suggests that the new iPhone 13’s development is really on schedule now.
Like the A14 Bionic, the A15 Bionic is based on the same 5nm technology. Unfortunately, the expecting switch to 4nm will not likely happen until the iPhone 14 or iPhone 15. However, we can still look forward to seeing the A15 to improvements in other areas like performance and efficiency.
Due to the lack of Apple factories and the reliance on its partners, TSMC (a Taiwanese firm) will continue to manage the iPhone 13 production process as usual. Meanwhile, there are also some rumors about the start of Apple’s 3nm chips test this year. Meanwhile, a new software-based OIS technique is said to be used on the iPhone 13 series. This will help the images remain in the center of the frame by negating all the shakes and jitters. Also, some rumors indicate that Apple will improve the Portrait mode on the iPhone 13 series by using a faster ISP and LiDAR scanner on the upcoming A-series chipset.
Display
It’s quite unlikely that the iPhone 13 will be a flip-style phone. However, it’s still possible that Apple will release a special flip iPhone to test the market. The so-called iPhone Flip could use a flexible display. Despite its flexibility, the display should be fairly strong and can deal with various abuses. Apple definitely learns valuable lessons from Samsung’s problematic first foldable phone. Back in April, we spotted Apple’s patent document related to the foldable display. The patent covers the hybrid cover-lay or window structure for flexible displays. Apple’s flexible display will be a four-layered design. It has transparent layer, inner surface, hard-coat and cover.
Despite being flexible, the hard coat layer should be strong enough. It will be able to resist punctures and scratches. Apple will make the transparent layer with sapphire or glass for extra strength. Low-cost artificial sapphire should be tougher than regular glass on regular smartphones. Just like any foldable phone, durability is certainly a critical issue that manufacturers need to address. The crease is always the weakest point of a foldable device. Although the mechanism is very durable, debris may damage the hinge. The original Samsung Galaxy Fold had this particular problem. The iPhone 12 already has Ceramic Shield, which anti-shatter display. It elevates that durability of the new iPhone 12. We still don’t know whether Ceramic Shield could work on a foldable display.
New Camera Design on iPhone 13 Series
According to recent leaks, Apple will redesign the rear camera setup on the iPhone 13. In this case, the iPhone 13 camera bump will protrude less when compared to that of the iPhone 12 series. Meanwhile, the 3D glass around the camera and lenses will witness a slight size reduction.
On top of that, some rumors hint that the new iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will have the same camera sensor. Note that Apple uses a bigger camera sensor on the iPhone 12 Pro Max – you can easily notice the difference when comparing it with the Pro version. So, maybe there will be no difference in the camera hump size on the new iPhone this time.
Besides camera changes, the company is also considering tweaking the Graphite color and giving a matte black finish to the iPhone 13 Pro. Plus, there are also some rumors about a new orange/bronze color for the Pro models.
There is no doubt that the steel chassis is what makes us love the iPhone 12 design. However, it also attracts a lot of fingerprints and smudges. Therefore, a new improved coating is developing to reduce this stainless steel chassis issue of the iPhone 13 series.
Port
Many Apple fans are hoping that the future iPhone will have USB-C port. It should allow a more universal solution for charging and other purposes. At the moment, Apple still uses Lightning connector as the proprietary solution. Apple already introduced the MagSafe ecosystem. It will be easier for users to hook up accessories. They can also easily use the wireless charging feature. It means USB-C will never come to future iPhone models. There are also rumors that future iPhones will be entirely port-less. If MagSafe becomes more mature, this could be a real possibility.
New 5G Modem
The iPhone 13 and its subsequent models will have enhanced 5G capabilities. The new Snapdragon X60 5G modem from Qualcomm could be the prime candidate. At the moment, iPhone 12 uses the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. Qualcomm announced the X60 5G modem earlier this year. It uses TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing process that ensures a smaller form factor. It should also be more efficient and more powerful. The Snapdragon X60 5G modem should support many bands, including sub-6 GHz and mmWave. There is also aggregated support for sub-6 GHz FDD and TDD bands. It combines the sub-6 GHz with its better range and mmWave with a high data rate. With support for Voice over New Radio, the Snapdragon X60 should be reliable. It prevents fall-back to slower 4G for voice communication.
iPhone 13 mini
Some trusted sources also confirm that Apple will continue to launch an iPhone mini later this year. However, we think that the company won’t increase its iPhone 13 mini battery capacity dramatically this time. Instead, the new improvements will probably include a more efficient A-series chip.
In-Display Touch ID
L0vetodream, a well-known Apple insider, tweeted two cryptic words, MESA uts. We found later that Apple uses MESA to designate Touch ID technology. “uts” simply stands for under the screen. This directly indicates that Apple is working on an in-display Touch ID technology. Face ID is becoming less usable in the pandemic situation. We need to wear masks when going outside. A more seamless implementation of Touch ID should be a lot better. It is possible that the iPhone will have dual biometric solutions. It means, the device will have both Face ID and Touch ID to verify users.
1TB Storage
The most expensive variant of the iPhone 12 has 512GB of storage. Although it is more than enough for most users, some people will always want more. Many people are eager to record videos at 4k. Mobile gamers also install popular titles with 2GB of storage requirements or higher. It is possible that we will get an iPhone 13 with 1TB storage. This option should come in handy because will continue excluding the use of microSD card.
In addition, the new leaks also come with the AirTags size, which is 32mm x 32mm x 6mm. These tracking tags will use the Find My iPhone network to send its UUID to Apple’s servers for user tracking purposes. Also, the AirTags is believed to be around $49.
What do you think about the new iPhone 13? Let us know about it in the comments!
