Today we’re analyzing a leak of a so-called iPhone 13, a device that might not be released for another year. Based on what we know about Apple’s update schedule and the reliability of the people involved in the transmission of this information, there’s a decent chance the next iPhone will look a whole lot like the one that’ll be shown next week. If the iPhone 13 stands a decent chance of being exceedingly similar to the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 might just be the touchstone device by which all future iPhone releases are measured.
Leaks of the iPhone 12 family of devices indicate that we’re about to see a sort of hybrid design. At the point at which the industrial design language moved from iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4, we saw a masterpiece emerge. Never, since that device was first released, have we seen an iPhone that’s been so universally regarded as a handsome piece of hardware design.
But now, as we’ve noted more than once, it looks like time to give that flat-sided design a new wave of recognition with an iPhone 12 that’s a half-way point between iPhone 11 and iPhone 4. This isn’t Back to the Future, it’s a new wave that uses the best bits of the old.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) October 7, 2020
The set of tips today from Ice Universe suggests that the iPhone 13 – or whatever it’ll be called – will have a notch design not unlike that of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 and so on. It also suggests that the notch is “shorter.” This is one of two major leaks from over the last week – the other comes from Ross Young.
Most important development on the iPhone 13 models from my perspective will be ProMotion with variable refresh rates through LTPO adoption on the Pro models.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 2, 2020
Ross Young is a display industry specialist who’s provided a whole bunch of info on the near-future of displays in devices of all sorts. If you’ll take a peek at the tweet above, you’ll see the iPhone 13 in (nearly) full effect (barring photos of the actual physical design itself).
The design of the iPhone – the industrial design, that is – will keep a design similar to that of the devices that’ll be shown on the 13th of October, 2020. The big change to the iPhone release date schedule will likely continue from the point set here in 2020.
The lineup as it’ll appear in 2020 will very likely continue into 2021 with the iPhone 13, appearing in four iterations: iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. That’ll give you a 5.42-inch display, two devices with 6-inch displays, and a massive device with a 6.67-inch display.
If the industrial design changes in the iPhone 12 VS 11 are significant enough here in 2020, sales may be massive. Apple’s created for itself a massive group of dedicated users that’ll upgrade their iPhone when they see a new iPhone that looks different enough from their current iPhone that they feel like it’s time to make a switch. That time will likely be approaching very, very soon.
The next major Apple event will take place on October 13, 2020. That’ll be the reveal date for the iPhone 12 and family. Pre-order dates for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will likely start next week as well, while the iPhone 12 release date is likely around October 19, 2020. Rumors suggest the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have separate pre-order and release dates starting in November.
