iPhone 13 set for ESSENTIAL upgrade that iPhone 12 is missing out on

iPhone 13 features and models revealed in the run up to the Apple's iPhone 12 event

iPhone 12 concept
(Image credit: svetapple.sk)

The iPhone 12 launch event is set for next week, on Tuesday, October 13, so it's the perfect time to look ahead to next year's iPhone 13.

While the iPhone 12 is going to leave fans wanting in a few key areas that its Android counterparts are forging ahead in – like the lack of a 120Hz display – the good news is that by the time the iPhone 13 rolls around, Apple will have caught up and then some.

Industry analyst Ross Young has tweeted that the iPhone 13 will be the first Apple smartphone to sport a 120Hz Pro Motion display with a variable refresh rate, although this upgrade will be limited to the Pro models only.

His also indicates that next year's line-up will also consist of four models, featuring a 5.42-inch iPhone 13 Mini, 6.06-inch iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, and a 6.67-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.   

Based on this, we can assume that Apple isn't pulling any radical design changes out of its bag of tricks for the iPhone 13, as it pretty much lines up with the iPhone 12 models. This year's iPhone 12 is said to ditch the rounded corners of the iPhone 11 and adopt the flat edges of last seen on the iPhone 5 instead, and it's likely we won't get much deviation from that next year.  

Young doesn't mention a fifth iPhone 13 model, which we've heard rumored for the iPhone 12, but this is likely due to the fact that the fifth handset is said to be LTE, while the four main iPhone 12 models are 5G capable. By this time next year, adding a 4G smartphone to the line-up isn't going to be necessary. 

He does mention a new iPhone SE is on the horizon, which is great news for those wanting a more affordable iPhone, but it looks like we won't see the device until spring 2022. 

All four iPhone 13 variants, and the iPhone SE, will be 5G capable, as you'd expect; the premium iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will offer Sub6 as well as the high-bandwidth mmWave 5G, while the lower priced options will be relegated to Sub6 only

Other features he's confident enough to call out at this stage include a ToF camera for the Pro models, and Face ID for all four. Neither will be present on the next SE, but it will incorporate a fingerprint scanner instead.

The iPhone 12 is yet to make its debut, so take everything here with a pinch of salt, a we're still a year out from the next next-gen iPhone. 

Source: MacRumours

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.