It looks like you can count a new notch design among the ways the iPhone 13 will improve on the iPhone 12: Thanks to an updated layout, the iPhone 13’s notch will seemingly take up a lot less screen space.
That’s judging from some apparent photos of glass screen protectors for the iPhone 13, which clearly show how much the notch will shrink from the previous generation to the next. These come from Twitter leaker DuanRui, who reposted the images from an unknown source on Weibo.
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In the images, it's clear to see how much narrower the notch is in the glass cover. You can also see how the top speaker has moved from the middle of the notch to the top edge, allowing the entire notch to shrink in the process. The bezels, however, are similarly proportioned to those of the iPhone 12.
Rumors of a smaller notch have followed the iPhone series for several generations, though based on this evidence it’s the iPhone 13 that will finally see those whispers become real. It's a relief to see this often-controversial part of the iPhone's design, which debuted with the iPhone X in 2017, finally get updated to give users some more screen space.
Apple is still resisting the move to a punch-hole notch, as used by the Samsung Galaxy S21 and many of its Android rivals. The iPhone series will eventually be getting one, according to other rumors, but not until next year.
Beyond the display, we're expecting the iPhone 13 to feature a dynamic 120Hz display, improved camera lenses and a new more powerful chipset. These leaks will only get confirmed or refuted around September this year, the expected iPhone 13 launch window.