Things That'll Make iPhone 13 Upgrade Worthy

September is fast approaching and so are the possibilities and rumors surrounding the forthcoming iPhones. We are again looking at the probability of four new models – similar to last year's iPhone 12 lineup – in the iPhone series for 2021. Reportedly, the iPhone in 2021 will be called iPhone 13 (with its Mini, Pro and Pro Max variants) and will hit the scene with improved cameras, a smaller notch, smother display, even faster processer, and whether you like it or not, in four sizes, like the ones launched last year.

The 2021 iPhone 13 models are likely to debut in September with availability slated for later in the year. Of course, times are not the usual and there could be unforeseen delays due to the pandemic, but that doesn't seem to be the case at this point in time. Everything is believably on schedule and we're hearing some exciting rumors about the expected new iPhones, which should make the iPhone 13 upgrade worthy.

iPhone 13 lineup is going to launch with iOS 15. This is in no way the single-point enticer since the OS is likely to be available for the entire range of iPhones – right down to iPhone 6S. Moreover, no rumors yet point at any major expected design alterations from iPhone 12. In that case, you can be confused about what to watch out for, if you're waiting to upgrade to the new iPhone this year. Of course, there are things that will make the iPhone 13 range exciting from the previous years; here are some of the reasons worth considering.

Since rumors about the iPhone 13 have started flowing in, two things have remained true in all of them. It is the possibility of the new iPhones upgrading to 120Hz ProMotion displays (at least the Pro models) while all featuring a notch that's slightly slimmer in appearance.

The enclosures will however remain alike the iPhone 12 lineup – the four display sizes will arrive in 5.4-inch, two models in 6.1-inch and a 6.7-inch variant. A Japanese website has claimed that the thickness of the iPhone 13 models could increase fractionally to accommodate the supposed larger batteries and the camera systems may experience a subtle bulge because of the possible improvements.

As mentioned, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max variants in the iPhone 13 lineup could feature 120Hz ProMotion displays. The 2020 models of the iPhone that arrived with radical design changes were likely to receive beefed-up screen refresh rates. It did not happen, so the possibility of it happening this time around is the strongest. Such refresh rates will make the overall user experience more vivid on the iPhone. The scrolling will be smoother, media consumption more pleasing, and the iPhone could suddenly scale up a bit on a gamer's list.

Another upgrade on the display front is the smaller notch. While fanboys would want the iPhone's sore – the notch – to go off someday but 2021 is not the year it's happening. The notch is there to stay, but according to trustworthy sources, including analyst Ming-Chi Kuo it will become slimmer, leaving the display with slightly more real estate.

Japanese site Mac Otakara recently revealed 3D mockups of the iPhone 13 Pro based on the specifications received by accessory makers. The site notes notch is 5.35mm tall and 26.8mm wide, which on the iPhone 12 Pro measures 5.35mm and 34.83mm. The slimmer notch is possible because of a certain rearrangement of the camera components and shifting of the earpiece speaker to the edge of the bezel from within the notch.

On various occasions rumors from journos and analysts have pointed at the possibility of Touch ID making comeback under the display. In-screen fingerprint sensor is a common sight on Android competitors and now 2021 iPhones are expected to implement it in addition to the Face ID as an alternative method for biometric authentication.

Rumors point that Apple would be using ultrasonic technology from Qualcomm, which has developed a new sensor for faster and more secure fingerprint scanning using sound waves to create map of the fingertip. A Wall Street Journal report however notes the under-display Touch ID will be an optical fingerprint sensor, which uses camera within the display to capture the fingerprint, and is reportedly more secure than ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

When it comes to optics, iPhone 12 range already has best-in-class cameras, especially the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Now the rumors suggest a larger sensor from the Pro Max variant of the 2020 model will reach to all the models in the new iPhone. This will also be accompanied by the Sensor-Shift Stabilization feature which will remarkably improve iPhone 13's ability to click super stable images in all types of light conditions. Leaker Max Weinbach points at a possibility of astrophotography camera capabilities on the iPhone 13 models, which will activate on pointing the phone toward the sky and help capture better shots of the moon and stars per see.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the ultra-wide lens on iPhone 13 Pro models will see aperture lowered from f/2.4 to f/1.8 to permit more light to enter the lens and deliver improved low light photography. Additional rumors count on the possibility of LiDAR scanner making way to all four models of the iPhone 13 range along with the ability to capture videos in portrait mode, which should offer the same bokeh effect that is achieved in photographs.

When the new iPhone is launched, we can expect a new processor in its guts. This is true of the iPhone 13 lineup as well, which is likely to feature the rumored A15 Bionic chipset. How much speed difference and efficiency will the new processor achieve over the A14 Bionic powering the last year's iPhones – considered one of the fastest processors – is only for time to tell. Hypothetically, a noticeable difference is expected.

The iPhone 12 range brought forth a new dimension to 5G smartphones, come iPhone 13 the revolution is likely to continue. Expect faster 5G speeds from the new Apple handsets that will probably feature a new 5G modem from Qualcomm.

Battery life has been one of the major drawbacks for generations of iPhones; Apple is though steadily working at better optimization than really increasing its capacity and size. With the launch of iPhone 13, rumors suggest, we can expect all models to have a slightly larger battery capacity than their predecessors.

Speculations are that the iPhone 13 Pro Max will now feature a 4,352mAh capacity battery, which is a significant improvement over the 3,687mAh battery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max (the largest existing battery in the iPhone). iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro on the other hand are tipped to come with a 3,095mAh battery while the smaller iPhone 13 mini will feature a 2,406mAh capacity battery.

The iPhone 13 range has been rumored to feature a portless design. Meaning it would completely rely on wireless charging, after having done away with the power adaptor from the packaging last year. Though strong arguments have been made against such a ploy and experts believe Apple will continue with a Lightning port (no USB-C) until MagSafe accessories are more commonly available. To this accord, the iPhone 13 variants may feature stronger magnets within their matte finish exterior with stainless steel coating for a smudge-free body.

If you have only recently upgraded to an iPhone 12 model, you will not feel the need to make the switch. But if you're lurking on the iPhone 11s and earlier models, iPhone 13 should be a valuable upgrade unless you want to ditch the form factor entirely and wait for the foldable iPhone. This will become more exciting with possible color options Apple is considered to be toiling with. Reportedly, space gray could be traded for matte black and orange and pink options could be added to the iPhone 13 series. Maybe the purple from iPhone 12 and 12 Mini could also bleed down to the new lineup.