iPhone 13 leak just revealed a smaller notch — finally

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Get ready for a smaller notch on this year’s iPhone 13

iPhone 13
(Image credit: MacRumors)

The iPhone’s notch may be here to stay, at least on this year’s coming models. But that doesn’t mean the iPhone 13 notch has to stay the same size as the one Apple’s included on all its recent handsets.

MacRumors obtained a set of images from Greek repair provider iRepair that show three different iPhone 13 panels for a 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch display, similar to the models Apple included in last fall’s iPhone 12 release. But the notch on these images is smaller than anything we’ve seen before.

In addition to the smaller notch, it looks the the iPhone 13's earpiece has been moved to the top bezel instead. This is a stark change from what Apple has typically gravitated toward over the years, though many iPhone users have asked the manufacturer to reduce the size of the notch as new iterations of the iPhone hit the market. 

We’ve been expecting a smaller notch on the iPhone 13 for some time. Throughout various leaks and renders, creators have insinuated (and hoped) for a slimming of the notch, or a bit of alteration in some way to make the iPhone’s distinctive design feature less prominent.

Most recently, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that new iPhone models would find their Face ID components slimmed down in future iterations. However, a repositioning wasn't part of the plan, at least in these initial leaks.

Ever since Apple introduced the iPhone X in 2017, there have been no changes to the notch. Going forward, more than the notch will be affected, however, according to Kuo. In fact, Apple reportedly plans to introduce a hole punch display for some iPhone models in 2022, much like some of Apple's competition. Following that, the company could even introduce an iPhone with the first all-screen design in 2023 — no notch to be seen here.

In terms of the main phone design, the iPhone 13 — or whatever Apple ends up calling the new device — is rumored to feature a slew of new options, with a newer A15 Bionic chip, improved cameras, and a 120Hz display on the Pro models.

All of this is speculation, of course, as Apple has yet to confirm anything about the iPhone 13. But there should be plenty more leaks on the way between now and the expected September release date. 

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Brittany Vincent
Brittany Vincent

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom's Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Science, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She's also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions like PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's not writing or gaming, she's looking for the next great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. You can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.