iPhone 13 leak just revealed the redesign we really want

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This year's iPhone could finally change the size of the Face ID notch

iPhone 13 design smaller notch
(Image credit: svetapple)

The iPhone 13 could take the long-standing Face ID notch and finally shrink it, giving us an upgrade we've long been waiting for. 

We've heard this rumor before, but a new research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) lends further credence to a smaller display notch coming.  Kuo's predictions are based on activity in Apple's supply chain in Asia, and have a good track record for accuracy accordingly.

Kuo's claim doesn't specify how the iPhone 13's notch will be smaller. From other rumors, the most likely change is a narrower notch, enabled by combining Face ID's currently separate infrared projector and infrared receptor into one unified sensor.

The shrunken notch has been a rumor since the original one debuted on the iPhone X, including for last year's iPhone 12 series. And while it seems like 2021 could be the year that the notch gets smaller, it's believed that it will be next year at the earliest that the notch will disappear entirely in favor of an Android flagship-style punch-hole camera.

Other rumors for the iPhone 13 claim it'll get a variable 120Hz ProMotion display, improved camera lenses and a more powerful telephoto zoom, plus a completely new Touch ID sensor beneath the screen. We can assume there will also be a new A15 chipset and other internal hardware and a suite of software upgrades.

We should see Apple reveal the iPhone 13 in September, going by its previous iPhone launches. Based on the quality of the current iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, and taking these leaks into account, there's every chance Apple will make one of the best phones of the year yet again.

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Richard Priday
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.