Given the global chip shortage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s been some speculation as to whether Apple plans on increasing the price of its upcoming iPhone 13. Well, for now we might be spared a price bump.
Supply chain market research firm TrendForce released a report today claiming that the next iPhone series, likely called the iPhone 13 or perhaps the iPhone 12s, will have starting price points "relatively on par" with the current iPhone 12 models.
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The iPhone 12 Mini is the most affordable model at $699, with the standard iPhone 12 at $799, the iPhone 12 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099. While the wording allows some wiggle room for slight price variances, the firm ultimately believes that Apple will maintain its “proactive price strategy” even in the face of rising component costs.
TrendForce is also bullish on the sales potential for the iPhone 13 line. It estimates that Apple will increase phone production by 12.3% over the course of 2021 versus the previous year to account for increased demand as pandemic restrictions ease and economies recover. Overall, the firm expects that Apple will produce some 223 million smartphones this year, including the iPhone 13 line.
Lining up with previous rumors and reports, TrendForce suggests that the new iPhone 13 models will not look significantly different from their predecessors. Although the firm concurs with speculation that new iPhone will feature a smaller notch atop the screen for the TrueDepth camera system.
Don’t expect any changes to the maximum storage capacity for the new phones, however: TrendForce’s report points to parity between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, which would mean no 1TB storage version on the market. Currently, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini offer up to 256GB of storage, while the Pro models max out at 512GB.
TrendForce also points to a smoother 120Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 13 Pro models, a feature that was widely rumored for the iPhone 12 series but didn’t ultimately pan out. The firm also claims that the entire iPhone 13 line will feature the sensor-shift camera stabilization technology that was first introduced with the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Lastly, TrendForce says that "Apple is expected to focus on driving sales of the three non-mini models in the iPhone 12s series," because the the iPhone 12 mini's reportedly lackluster sales.
