Posted on May 10,2021
It’s about that time we eagerly begin speculating about Apple’s next line of phones, a.k.a the iPhone 13 series! We might be months away from the launch, but that won’t stop us from rounding up the latest rumors around the new series. Here’s what we can share so far:
Will Apple call it “iPhone 13”?
Although iPhone 13 sounds like the obvious prediction, there is a chance Apple could go in a different direction for this year’s name. One guess could be iPhone 12S because the upcoming models are more so an improvement on the iPhone 12. This choice of name would be similar to 2015’s iPhone 6S after the iPhone 6 and 2018’s iPhone XS after the iPhone X because these previous models didn’t have a major redesign. Another guess is Apple completely skipping over using the number 13 due to superstition, like how high-rise buildings typically omitting a 13th floor elevator button. Only time will tell!
When will it be released?
While the pandemic pushed back a usual late summer launch due to production delays in 2020, Apple will be returning to its normal September announcement in 2021. According to Wall Street Wedbush stock analyst Daniel Ives, the iPhone 13 will be available in late September (around the third week) after receiving detailed information about the current supply chain.
How many models are in the series?
We can expect four new phones in the iPhone 13 lineup, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This will include 5.4 inches (iPhone 13 Mini), 6.1 inches (iPhone 13) and 6.7 inches (iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max), with two of the iPhones being higher end models and two as lower cost, more affordable devices.
How much will they cost?
Since the iPhone 13 is not expected to have a major technical upgrade, we can expect the devices will have a similar price structure as the 2020 lineup.
What features could they have?
Ming-Chi Kuo has rumored a smaller notch might be seen on the upcoming series – shrinking to 26.8mm wide (versus 34.83mm on iPhone 12) and be slightly taller at 5.35mm (versus 5.3mm on iPhone 12). There’s also speculation of the iPhone’s charging port coming to an end after the introduction of MagSafe accessories in 2020. Although there were rumors that Apple would introduce one portless phone with no lightening port in 2021, Ming-Chi Kuo has confirmed Apple will continue to use a lightening connector at least for this year. A portless iPhone uses Qi-based wireless charging and MagSafe accessories, and the MagSafe market may not yet be mature enough to support a complete portless design just yet.
A couple other rumors for the iPhone 13 include a larger battery (to extend battery life) and a bigger rear camera unit, which may indicate the models will be slightly thicker to accommodate the larger components.
Stay tuned for future updates as we keep an eye on upcoming Apple products in 2021. Until then, shop our amFilm screen protectors and MagSafe compatible accessories for the latest 2020 iPhones and iPads!