There have been many iPhone 13 rumors over the past several months, but as we close in on the release date, more established sources say they're confirming that these are true.
An investigation by Taiwanese market intelligence firm TrendForce has apparently confirmed several of the new features rumored for the next iPhone, and also predicts a hefty increase in the number of shipped units.
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The biggest change discussed by Trendforce is the new implementation of a flexible charging and battery circuit board. This is likely to bring an increase in battery capacity to all four rumored iPhone 13 models, with the specific boost varying depending on the size of the handset. The iPhone 13 mini is thought to only get a few extra mAh, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max may see a significant 18% increase in capacity. Either way, this should result in much better battery life for the iPhone 13, which is good because the iPhone 12 battery life results were not great.
Although Trendforce doesn't expect a big change to the iPhone 13's chipset, it does say there will still be a power and efficiency increase. The new chip (likely named the A15 Bionic) is said to use a 5-nanometer process like the A14 chip inside the iPhone 12, rather than the more compact 4nm chip anticipated to appear in next year's iPhone. While the size and transistor density of the iPhone 13's chip won't have changed much from the previous phone, we should still see a performance increase, which would help Apple's maintain its power lead over its Android rivals.
The iPhone 13's 5G compatibility is also tipped to improve, building on its introduction with the iPhone 12. Only iPhone 12 models sold in the U.S. offered compatibility with mmWave 5G networks, but with the iPhone 13 we Trenforce says all regions will offer connectivity for mmWave and sub6GHz 5G, making the phone more futureproof and ensuring it keeps its fast data speeds if the user travels away from home.
The report also mentions improvements to the iPhone's display and camera. For the former, it's been heavily rumored that Apple will finally implement 120Hz refresh rates for its iPhone 13 Pro models, a couple of years after Samsung, OnePlus and others began using refresh rates above the standard 60hz. It could also refer to the introduction of always-on displays, another feature common on modern Android phones but up to now missing from iPhones.
The rumored iPhone 13 camera upgrades are plenty, including sensor-shift stabilization on the main camera for all models (it was previously used on the iPhone 12 Pro Max), new lenses for the ultrawide camera, and portrait mode video and astrophotography features within the camera app.
Other changes rumored, but not mentioned in TrendForce's report, are a decreased Face ID notch size and the introduction of under-display Touch ID. But the latter may have to wait for the iPhone 14 based on more recent reports.
iPhone 13 price should be 'similar'
Despite the above rumored upgrades, TrendForce still concludes the iPhone 13 will "remain similar to the iPhone 12 series, assuming Apple is able to effectively control manufacturing costs". That's would be good for users who passed on the iPhone 12, although we'd expect Apple to keep one of the iPhone 12 models around as a budget option, like it currently offers with the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR.
These predictions by TrendForce (and others) say that the iPhone 13 is going to be a big seller thanks to this price point maintenance. The last big drop in iPhone sales, TrendForce's report details, came as a result of the iPhone XS series offering minor feature changes combined with big price increases. It believes Apple has learned its lesson and will keep the prices stable.
We'll have to wait and see which of the iPhone 13 models will be good enough to make our best phones list, where the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the current champ. Make sure you check out our frequently updated iPhone 13 hub for all the latest rumors, leaks and news as we get closer to Apple's launch event, which is predicted for September.
