We’ve been hearing rumors about the upcoming Apple phones – tentatively called the iPhone 13 series – rocking a smaller notch. As per details shared by credible sources like TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the notch width remains the same, but it gets slimmer vertically. Now, leaked images allegedly depicting the front glass panels for iPhone 13 models give us our first glimpse of a smaller notch on the upcoming phones.
Apple has reportedly rearranged the Face ID hardware and slimmed down a few components
The images, which come courtesy of Macrumors (via repair services provided iRepair), show the front glass cover for three members of the iPhone 13 family. As you can see in the image above, the notch is indeed much smaller compared to what we’ve already seen on the iPhone 12 series – dating all the way back to 2017 when the iPhone X made its debut.
As per previous leaks, Apple has rearranged the Face ID hardware and slimmed down some of the components as well to achieve a smaller notch. However, the smaller notch might not be here to stay for a long game as Apple is reportedly experimenting with hole-punch design for at least a few iPhone models that will debut next year, according to Kuo.
Top-left – Alleged iPhone 13 front glass; Top-right – iPhone 12; Bottom – The edge positioned earpiece on Google Pixel 4a
The earpiece now sits alongside the top edge, instead of the center
Coming back to the leaked images, they show another key change, a relocated earpiece. On the wide notch that we last saw on the iPhone 12 series, the earpiece was positioned at the center. However, it appears that shrinking the notch forced Apple to relocate the earpiece alongside the top edge. We’ve seen Android phones using this earpiece positioning for a while now. See the image to see what it might look like on the iPhone 13 series.
Aside from aesthetic changes, there are a few major upgrades planned for the iPhone 13 range. The iPhone 13 Pro duo is said to bring a 120Hz refresh rate display, thanks to the usage of LTPO technology. And in addition to more powerful camera sensors, the entire iPhone 13 family might employ the new sensor-shift image stabilization technology that has so far remained exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
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