Look, I get it. It’s way too early to start talking about Apple’s next iPhone. Heck, the iPhone 12 hasn’t even been out for a full six months, and yet, here we are, talking about what Apple may be working on for its next phone. But rumors are already starting to circulate.
While the rumors don’t give us a ton of information right now, we can make some educated guesses about details, while the rest will have to wait to be filled in as we get closer to the fall timeframe when Apple usually announces new phone hardware.
What will it be called?
- Could be the iPhone 12S or iPhone 13
- For sake of differentiating models, we’ll go with iPhone 13… for now.
Apple has traditionally used a tick-tock approach to updating iPhone design, hardware, and names. For example, the iPhone 6 was followed by the iPhone 6S. However, recently, we’ve seen the company ditch the S-series in favor of increasing the name by one like it did with the release of the iPhone 12 only a year after the iPhone 11.
Either name could be in our future, but for ease of identifying a new iPhone, we’re going to go with iPhone 13 until Apple CEO Tim Cook comes out on stage and calls it something else.
When will the iPhone 13 be available?
- Likely in the third-quarter
- 2020 pushed the iPhone launch back a few weeks
- September or October would be a good guess
Typically, Apple announces new iPhone models sometime in September and then releases them a few weeks later. That timing was pushed back a bit in 2020 due to the pandemic, with the iPhone 12 lineup launch split between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13.
Hopefully, production is back on track this year and we’ll see a more familiar September release.
What will the iPhone 13 cost?
- Too early to know
- But we don’t expect a big price increase
Pricing seems to always be the hardest piece of information to nail down before Apple announces it. With the announcement still several months away, we haven’t seen any indication of what to expect when it comes to the next crop of iPhones’ price tag.
That said, we don’t expect Apple to raise prices, at least not on the base storage models.
What will the iPhone 13 look like?
- Apple just changed the design, don’t expect it two years in a row
- There’s speculation of a smaller Face ID notch
Apple just completely revamped the overall look of the iPhone line with the launch of the iPhone 12 and its flat-edge design. Because of that, we don’t expect Apple to drastically change the design of the iPhone 13, if at all.
There are some reports that the Face ID notch that’s been at the top of the iPhone’s display since the iPhone X is getting smaller, so that may be one slight design change. Otherwise, outside of new colors, don’t get your hopes up for a new design.
What kind of features and specs will the iPhone 13 have?
- Rumors are all over the place right now
- No ports and the return of Touch ID, maybe?
Features and specifications will be something we can start to nail down closer to the announcement, but right now, reports are all over the place and likely include stuff Apple is working on, has worked on, or considered working on.
For example, last year, rumors indicated we’d see an iPhone with a display refresh rate of 120Hz. That didn’t happen, and it’s unclear if it ever will. It’s possible Apple is still working on a faster display and it was always meant for the iPhone 13 (or 14).
There’s also some speculation that Apple will get rid of the Lightning port on the bottom of the iPhone. Instead, Apple will use its new MagSafe technology to charge the phone and sync data. Another possibility is Apple removes the Lightning port and replaces it with a USB-C port, as it has on the MacBook, iPad Air, and iPad Pro lines.
Another rumored feature that’s perhaps a product of wishful thinking is that we’ll see the return of Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint sensor tech, in the iPhone 13. Only instead of being embedded in the home button, it’s either going to be moved to the side button, like the fourth-generation iPad Air, or embedded under the display, as we’ve seen on several Android phones and tablets over the last few years.
Either option would be welcome, especially with facial coverings rendering Face ID almost useless (although iOS 14.5 will help with that).
Either of those rumors can be founded in fact or wishful thinking, it’s hard to say right now. We do know that we can expect Apple to put a faster processor, a better GPU, improve or keep battery life the same along with upgrades to the camera. All of those are staple upgrades in every new iPhone.
What do you want to see in the iPhone 13? Comment and let us know below.
