All of the rumors we've heard about Apple's upcoming 2021 iPhones so far.

 iPhone 13

The 2021 iPhone 13 models are scheduled to ship in September, but we've been hearing speculations about what to expect from the new devices since before the 2020 iPhone 12 models appeared.

The 2021 iPhone lineup will be identical to the 2020 iPhone lineup, with four models in 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch sizes, with two of the iPhones, are higher-end "Pro" versions, while the other two are lower-cost, more inexpensive handsets.

Major design changes are unlikely, and the 2021 iPhones will have the same feature set as the 2020 iPhones, but we can anticipate camera upgrades, a faster A-series CPU, a new Qualcomm 5G chip, better battery life, and notch adjustments.

There have been speculations that at least one iPhone in 2021 would have a portless design that depends completely on wireless charging, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that won't happen. Apple will continue to rely on Lightning for the foreseeable future, with no move to USB-C and no portless design until MagSafe peripherals become more widely available.

While some reports predicted a shallower notch, device mockups based on the Chinese supply chain information indicate it will be smaller in size, taking up less space than the current notch. Apple is also anticipated to offer 120Hz refresh rates for Pro iPhone models, bringing ProMotion technology from the iPad Pro to the iPhone.

Apple is rumored to be considering adding an in-display fingerprint sensor to the iPhone 13 models, which would be used in addition to Face ID as an additional biometric identification method, but it appears that this will be reserved for a future iPhone. According to Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2022 iPhones will include under-display Touch ID.

When it comes to enhanced camera technology, speculations say that the bigger sensor seen in the iPhone 12 Pro Max might be extended to other models, as well as the Sensor-Shift Stabilization function for greater auto-focus and stabilization across the lineup.

There are rumors that the Ultra Wide lenses on the "Pro" iPhone 13 models will be upgraded with lower apertures for better low-light performance and improved focusing, but there will be minimal modifications to the Wide lens in the devices. The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are likely to include a new diagonal camera lens arrangement, a change from the iPhone 12 models' appearance.

The iPhone 13 models are expected to have a higher battery capacity than the iPhone 12 models, with Apple switching to space-saving components to make way for larger batteries.

Design

In 2021, Apple will continue to sell four iPhones with no changes to the sizes, so we may expect a 5.4-inch iPhone small, a 6.1-inch low-cost iPhone, a 6.1-inch Pro model, and a 6.7-inch Pro Max model. Rumors say that the iPhone 12 small sold poorly, but Apple is still preparing an iPhone 13 mini at this time. Because the 2020 iPhone models represented a considerable technological and design revamp, the 2021 iPhone models are not likely to have significant design changes. Bloomberg reports that Apple engineers believe the 2021 iPhones will be an "S" version of the 2020 devices. In previous years, when iPhone models received modest upgrades, Apple utilized the "S" designation. According to the Japanese website Mac Otakara, the next iPhones will be the same size as the iPhone 12 models, but their thickness may grow by 0.26mm. Because of the bigger batteries, the iPhone 13 models are likely to be slightly heavier. According to renderings, the iPhone 13 Pro versions will be 0.2mm thicker, possibly to accommodate a larger battery, and will have a considerably larger and thicker rear camera assembly. The bigger camera unit, which looks to be the same size as the rear camera unit in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, may be required to support sensor-shift stabilization. The iPhone 13's back camera system will also be bigger, according to leaked dimensions. The camera system of the iPhone 13 Pro Max will protrude 0.87mm farther than the existing iPhone 12 Pro Max. As a result, the total thickness of the body will rise by 0.25mm. These CAD render specs, along with dummy models, depict a diagonal camera arrangement on the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, with 0.99mm greater camera protrusion and somewhat altered proportions all around.

Smaller Notch

The iPhone 13 is likely to have a smaller notch, and numerous credible sources, including Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, have predicted that the notch size would drop in 2021.

 

According to the Japanese website Mac Otakara, the TrueDepth camera will be shallower since the receiver at the top of the display will be moved to the case's edge. This information initially indicated that the notch would be shallower rather than narrower, however, subsequent mockups show that it would reduce in width rather than height.

 

The reduced notch is shown in leaked display panels for the forthcoming iPhone 13 models. Because the earpiece speaker has been relocated to the top bezel, the panels in these pictures have smaller notches. This has now been demonstrated in other photos of iPhone 13 "film samples."

Portless Design Not Expected

Apple's long-term aim has been an iPhone with no external ports or buttons for a clean, streamlined device, and there were speculations that Apple will release a portless iPhone with no Lightning port in 2021, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

According to Bloomberg, Apple considered eliminating the Lightning port on some iPhone models in favor of wireless charging, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently stated that Apple will continue to utilize a Lightning connector for the 2021 iPhone lineup.

A portless iPhone would charge through Qi-based wireless charging and MagSafe accessories, and Kuo believes the MagSafe industry is not yet developed enough to sustain a portless design.

No USB-C

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has no intentions to switch the iPhone range from Lightning to USB-C. According to Kuo, Apple is hesitant to switch to USB-C since it is open and less waterproof than Lightning.

Apple can control the quality of Lightning cables and accessories through the Made for iPhone (MFi) program, but this is not feasible with USB-C.

The iPhone 13 and subsequent iPhones are likely to retain Lightning ports until MagSafe accessories become widely available, allowing for a portless iPhone design.

Touch ID?

According to Bloomberg, Apple is developing an in-screen Touch ID fingerprint reader, which would be a significant departure from the biometric technologies employed by Apple for flagship smartphones since the release of the iPhone X.

120Hz ProMotion Display

There were several reports before the debut of the iPhone 12 range that claimed the high-end iPhone 12 models may include 120Hz ProMotion screens, however it became obvious later in the rumour cycle that this feature was delayed until 2021 owing to battery life concerns.

To support a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone, Apple will need to use LTPO display technology, which is expected to be available in 2021. At least two iPhone models in 2021 will use OLED screens with low-power LTPO backplane technology, paving the path for 120Hz refresh rates.

 A15 Processor

Apple will employ a 5nm+ A15 processor for the 2021 iPhones, with TSMC manufacturing the chip. At this time, we haven't heard any specifics regarding the A15 processor, but new chip designs typically bring gains in speed and efficiency.

In late May, TSMC began mass manufacturing of the A15 chip.

Larger battery

According to Weibo, a Chinese popular networking site, all iPhone 13 models will have bigger batteries.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max will have a 4352mAh battery, up from 3687mAh in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro will have 3095mAh batteries, up from 2815mAh in the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 small is believed to have a 2406mAh battery, an increase over the previous model.

    Camera Improvements

Camera advancements will be noticeable in 2021. Sensor-shift stabilization will be expanded throughout the whole iPhone lineup, bringing improvements in low-light performance and stabilization by minimizing camera shaking, with the functionality believed to be available for both the Pro models' Wide and Ultra-Wide lenses.

High-end iPhone models will have an updated Ultra-Wide camera with a six-element lens and an improved f/1.8 aperture that lets in more light than the existing f/2.4 aperture lens, allowing for greater low-light performance. The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Max will also have an improved Ultra-Wide camera with focusing, which will be an improvement above the fixed focal length Ultra-Wide camera seen in the iPhone X.

LiDAR Scanner

There were rumors that the LiDAR Scanner added to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max would be expanded to the entire iPhone lineup in 2021, including both Pro and standard models, but Ming-Chi Kuo and Barclays analysts have said that it will remain limited to the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models.

To map out an area up to five meters distant, the LiDAR Scanner detects light distance and pixel depth of objects in a scene. It enables more realistic augmented reality experiences and enhances focusing in low-light situations.