Leaks for the iPhone 13 line have been brought to life not by models of the phone, but by one of the cases users may end up buying to protect the new iPhones.
Case-maker Innocent (via Slovakian site Svetapple) has revealed its alleged compatible cases for the iPhone 13 lineup. When accessory manufacturers start making designs like this weeks before the iPhone's expected launch, that's the moment all the leaks start to seem like reality.
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iPhone 13 larger camera module
As we can see from the iPhone 12 Pro within this new case, the iPhone 13 could hav a much larger camera module (previously seen in alleged leaked photos), even if the arrangement of lenses still looks identical.
The extra room in the camera block is believed to be allowing Apple to add larger sensors, new lenses to the ultrawide cameras and also sensor-shift stablization to the main cameras. Sensor-shift was seen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year, but is rumored for all four iPhone 13 models this year.
As the measurements on the images show, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max's cameras could be around 78mm (0.3 inches) larger diagonally than the iPhone 12 Pro's cameras, and just over half a centimeter (0.2 inches) larger than the iPhone 12 Pro Max's.
However, the size increase on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini looks to be just 0.27cm (0.1 inches). This may be because Apple's making changes to the arrangement of the sensors and hasn't needed to increase the size as much as for the non-Pro models. We've seen rumors of the iPhone 13's rear cameras being diagonally oriented, rather than vertically as the iPhone 12's are.
This also applies to the size of the glass in the lenses themselves. All the iPhone 13 handsets look to be gaining a few increments of an inch, but the biggest change again appears to be between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro, a difference of 3.8mm (0.1 inches).
iPhone 13 smaller notch
One of the most visible changes to the front of the iPhone 13 is said to be its much smaller Face ID notch. Based on the measurements given by Innocent, there could be an over 25% reduction in notch size. That's been managed by moving the top speaker into the phone's body above the front sensors instead of keeping it in line as we've seen on every notched iPhone since the iPhone X.
If you're curious about the measurements, the iPhone 13 series' notch is said to be 2.57 cm tall at its widest point. Compare that to the 3.45 cm tall notch on the iPhone 12 series, and it's a striking difference. It still looks like the notch will remain the same width, however, which may disappoint fans looking for a more dramatic alteration.
iPhone 13 thicker design, but for what?
Innocent also notes that the case may be designed for an overall thicker iPhone. Compared to the iPhone 12 Pro case, the new iPhone 13 Pro case is a millimeter thicker. This could just be a simple design difference, but since the iPhone 13 series is said to be adding improved 5G and larger batteries, and 120Hz displays on the Pro models too, perhaps Apple needed extra room to fit everything in.
iPhone 13 buttons moved
Checking out the case from the side also shows how the power and volume buttons and alerts slider could be coming further down the sides by 6.2mm (0.2 inches). This could be to make room for newer components within the phone, or as an ergonomic change to make it easier for users to access these buttons one-handed.
Apple usually unveils the new iPhones in September each year. With one analyst naming the third week of September precisely, it means we could be less than a month away from the iPhone 13's debut.
