The notch, which houses Apple’s smart Face ID scanning technology, has remained a staple of the iPhone’s design since the iPhone X in 2017. But it looks like the rumors were correct, and the notch will be reduced when the iPhone 13 arrives. In September .
Mac Otakara has achieved what it believes to be a 3D printed mockup of the iPhone 13 Pro. As you can see in the photos and video below, although the overall size of the phone is similar, the notch is considerably reduced when held next to the iPhone 12 Pro.
If you’re struggling to judge how small the professional notch on the iPhone 13 is, the photographer has put a ruler on both devices. In fact, it is slightly taller at 5.35 mm compared to the 5.30 mm of the old notch, but it is markedly thinner, with the new notch reaching 26.80 mm, below the 34.83 mm of the iPhone 12 Pro.
The crude model also reveals how Apple made the change without affecting functionality: it looks like the headset has been pushed up in the iPhone 13 Pro’s bezel. The front camera also appears to have been moved from the right side of the notch to the left side .
The photos on the back of the phone show no change, with the same triangular array of three cameras housed in a small square protrusion in the upper left corner.
Although the Mac Otakara does not share the full dimensions of the model, the mockup of the iPhone 13 Pro does not look much different from its predecessor, suggesting an iterative update in terms of design.
But appearances can be deceiving. Not only are we expecting the usual performance and efficiency improvements that come from a new Apple A chip (the 5nm A15 is supposed to go into production), but Apple apparently has plans for its battery technology that could debut in the iPhone 13 family.
According to reports from last year, Apple will launch softboard batteries with fewer layers, leading to increased capacity with a smaller physical footprint. This means that the iPhone 13 Pro could improve its predecessor’s disappointing resistance without needing a thicker body to compensate, and that is apparently Apple’s plan. This will be useful, as Apple is also expected to introduce 120 Hz panels to the iPhone 13 Pro models.
The iPhone 13 is also expected to offer better camera performance, thanks to sensor shift stabilization being expanded across the board, a wider aperture for the ultra-wide lens and perhaps astrophotography capabilities to capture the night sky.
This fictional iPhone 13 unit is definitely not proof that the new iPhones are getting smaller and smaller, but there is evidence that Apple is moving in that direction.