iPhone 13: Price, release date, power, design ... Everything you need to know about Apple's next smartphone
iPhone 13
Apple may regularly give keynotes to introduce new MacBooks, new iPads or new headphones, it is indeed the annual presentation of the new iPhones that gets the most attention. In 2020, the release of the latest generation of apple smartphones was slightly postponed due to the pandemic and we were able to discover them in October. The iPhone 12 was a big milestone for Apple, including a design change - the first real since the iPhone X released in 2017 - the arrival of the A14 Bionic chip and 5G. For all these reasons, the next iPhone (which we will call here by default “iPhone 13” but which could be called “iPhone 12S”) should be a smooth evolution of the iPhone 12, with what is needed. 'improvements to increase the quality of the user experience. Of course, Apple has yet to reveal anything about it, but, as usual, several rumors and other “leaks” have surfaced on the web in recent weeks.How many models for the iPhone 13?
A "supposed" rendering of the iPhone 13 (source: Gizchina)It is now a tradition at Apple: iPhone is released in several versions and formats. This year, it's hard to see why the situation would be any different, especially since each model seems to be having some success. We can therefore expect an iPhone 13 mini for those who want a small screen, a "classic" iPhone 13 which will remain the reference model, an iPhone 13 Pro with a focus on photos and videos and finally an iPhone 13 Pro Max for lovers of large screens. It would be surprising if Apple released an additional model, except possibly an iPhone 13 Max, which would allow for a more comfortable display, without paying the price of an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
What prices for the iPhone 13?
On the question of prices, things should change relatively little. Apple ultimately does not increase its prices very often (but stalls directly at a high price, some would say) and for example has not increased the prices of the new iPad Pros presented recently. The price of the different iPhone 13s should therefore be more or less identical to those of the iPhone 12, namely:iPhone 13 mini: around € 800 iPhone 13: around € 900 iPhone 13 Pro: around € 1,160 iPhone 13 Pro Max : around 1260 €
A partly revised design, with the arrival of a fingerprint sensor?
We said at the beginning of the article: the iPhone 13 should probably keep the design of the iPhone12, Apple used to keep the same “chassis” over several generations of iPhones. We will therefore find straight edges and rounded corners, with however some optimizations. The “DuanRi” Twitter account - accustomed to leaks from Chinese factories - has indeed published what appears to be the screen facade of the next iPhone. Notable difference with the iPhone 12: the notch dedicated to FaceID cameras finally seems a little smaller and loses some length. The format of this notch is a recurring defect pointed out by users since the iPhone X, but Apple has so far never managed to do without it, because it allows to integrate the TrueDepths sensors necessary for the operation of Face ID . For the iPhone 13, the manufacturer would have done a real work of optimization in order to reduce, at least in length, the size of the notch.The same DuanRi account also shared a diagram next to the 'iPhone 13 Pro Max accompanied by a comparison with the iPhone 12 Pro Max. There is a slightly larger photo block (logical given that the “Pro” versions of the iPhone rely a lot on this aspect) and a slightly greater thickness compared to the iPhone 12. Concretely, this means that, if you pass from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the 13 Pro Max, you will probably have to change the protective cover.
Another interesting rumor should be noted: the presence of a fingerprint sensor, in addition to Face ID, useful for unlocking the smartphone or paying with Apple Pay. The latter could be located below the screen, as is the case on many Android smartphones, or it could be integrated on the power button, as is the case on the latest iPad Air.
Finally 120 Hz for the screen of the iPhone 13?
The screen sizes of the different iPhone 13s should not really change compared to the iPhone 12, given that the “screen size / frame” ratio does not change. We would thus have a diagonal of 5.4 inches for the iPhone 13 mini, 6.1 inches for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. There remains the question of the type of panel and the refresh rate. As with the iPhone 12, the Oled is likely to be reserved for the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models, while the iPhone 13 would remain on LCD. On the other hand, some models could finally switch to “ProMotion”, that is to say 120Hz. Apple is in fact currently stuck at 60 Hz on these iPhones, while the iPad Pro have already increased their refresh rate. This year, the 120 Hz would however be reserved for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. We know in particular that Samsung will supply Oled LTPO (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) panels to Apple. LTPO panels have the advantage of consuming less (drop in the order of 15 to 20%) and allowing a variable refresh rate. As on many Android smartphones, the screen of the iPhone 13 Pro would adapt its refresh rate according to the use: it will be very low for a video or photos, for example, but will go up in games or in the iOS interface. The use of LTPO would also make it possible to take advantage of an "always on" function, which offers the screen the possibility of constantly displaying certain information (the time, for example), even if the device is on standby.The benefits of 120Hz and more on smartphones are well established and provide an additional impression of fluidity. The arrival of “TrueMotion” on the iPhone is therefore excellent news in itself. It remains to be seen what impact it will have on the autonomy of the device.
Power and autonomy: always further, with a new A15 chip
Last year, the iPhone 12 used an Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip. Logically, the iPhone 13 should welcome its successor, which should be called A5 or A15 Bionic. It would again be engraved in 5nm but with a more efficient engraving process (what is called 5nm +). The aim here is to improve performance, of course, but also to benefit from better energy efficiency and therefore increase autonomy. In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 13 will of course be 5G compatible, with the presence of a Qualcomm X60 modem. The latter is more efficient in terms of energy management (5G consumes a lot) and is compatible with millimeter 5G and on the 6 GHz band, which in theory offers much higher speeds. Note also the arrival of WiFi 6E, compatible with a wider range of frequencies.Here is, for the moment what we can decently expect from the iPhone 13. The next smartphone from Apple should thus especially consolidating the very good bases of the iPhone 12, with a whole bunch of more or less important improvements, at all levels. The real big changes aren't likely to come before 2022 anyway, and hopefully the shortage of components currently plaguing the tech world won't have too much of an impact on the product's release.
