iPhone 13 cameras just leaked — and they're a huge step up

iPhone 12 render from PhoneArena
An unofficial design for the iPhone 12 Pro. (Image credit: PhoneArena)

Is this really the iPhone 13? A new leak claims to show what the back of Apple's 2021 flagship phone will look like, but it's already causing disagreements.

The original source is choco_bit, who has been putting out several Apple leaks recently. They published the image of the iPhone 13's rear cameras that you can see below as well as a further tweet detailing what sensors will make up the block.

In terms of looks, this image looks similar to how the iPhone 12 Pro is thought to be, with a square bump containing four camera sensors. The major difference is the fifth circle hanging out beneath the camera bump.

According to the second part of choco_bit's leak, these cameras are a 64MP main camera with 1x optical zoom and 6x digital zoom, a 40MP telephoto camera with up to 15-20x digital zoom and a 64MP anamorphic camera designed for taking video at a 2.1:1 aspect ratio. There's also a fourth camera with a 40MP ultrawide lens. The cameras are accompanied by LiDAR 4.0, which may be an upgraded version of the LiDAR system used on the iPad Pro and thought to be coming to the iPhone 12.

If is leak is true, then these cameras are a huge upgrade over even what the iPhone 12 is thought to be getting. Apple has stuck with various 12MP sensors for its main cameras for many iPhone generations, and the iPhone 11 Pro is currently only capable of 2x zoom. 

Meanwhile, rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra have 108MP main cameras and telephoto cameras going up to 10x optical zoom. Still, the iPhone 11 Pro Max tops our list of the best camera phones even with these apparent disadvantages, so adding in an increased resolution and new features could really help Apple cement its lead.

Choco_bit does say to take both parts of this leak with a large pinch of salt, but that didn't stop prominent leaker OnLeaks from expressing his disagreement. In response, choco_bit does admit that they have doubts about the source too, and that the unit hadn't even entered testing yet.

Perhaps it is too ambitious of choco_bit to publish this now, knowing that there's a very high likelihood that the design will change. But with the iPhone 12's details already thoroughly leaked, and other leakers now also looking towards the iPhone 13 for their next big reveals, we may see more of these work-in-progress designs.

The iPhone 12 is expected to arrive in September, with four total models split into two normal iPhone 12s and two iPhone 12 Pros. The standard models are believed to have two cameras on the back, while the Pro models will get three cameras and a LiDAR depth sensor. All will likely come with Apple's A14 processor, OLED displays and 5G connectivity.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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