An alleged image of the front panel of the iPhone 13 has leaked, showing the smaller notch the device will pack. Multiple images and CAD renders have now leaked, confirming that the iPhone 13 series will indeed come with a smaller notch.
The images were first leaked on Weibo and shared on Twitter by leaker DuanRui compare the iPhone 13’s notch to the iPhone 12, thereby clearly showing just how much it will shrink in size.
From the images, it is clear that Apple has moved the earpiece to the very edge of the glass to make space for the Face ID components. There are also four cutouts in the iPhone 13’s notch compared to three on the iPhone 12 series. The smaller notch is unlikely to have any impact on Face ID’s functionality.
— DuanRui段锐 (@duanrui1205) April 17, 2021
Multiple sources and leaks have pointed to Apple reducing the size of the notch on the iPhone 13 series. This was initially rumored to happen with the iPhone 12 series in 2020 itself, but that did not happen.
Since Apple first debuted the iPhone X in 2017 with the dreaded notch, iPhone owners have been vocal about it and how ugly it makes the phone look. While Android OEMs also adopted the notch initially, they switched to a sleeker punch-hole display eventually. However, the same is not possible on the iPhone as Face ID relies on a lot of other components to work, which cannot be moved below the display.
Apple is working on under-display Face ID technology, and if rumors are anything to go by, the technology could make its debut on the iPhones sooner than later.
The smaller notch and the bigger camera bump will be among the major design changes on the iPhone 13 series this year. All other major changes are expected to happen internally, including a faster and more efficient A15 chip, a faster 5G modem, and more.
Are you happy that Apple will finally reduce the size of the notch on the iPhone 13 series this year?
