iPhone 13: technical sheet, release date and probable prices

The iPhone 13 should arrive within a few weeks, during the month of September, if the Californian firm returns to a classic schedule similar to what it had accustomed us to before the coronavirus pandemic. This is also what the rumors say on this subject: the iPhone version 2021 should arrivebefore falland with thenumber 13 probablydespite superstitions.

Probably no 12s, therefore, and as a result, we can expect quite significant changes in terms of characteristics compared to the 2020 generation. Even if iPhones and smartphones in general no longer evolve drastically from generation to generation From now on.

Let us in any case try to see, on the basis of rumors and analyst reports about it,what will the iPhone 13 have in its stomach, how many models will it be available in, and above all,at what prices.

iPhone 13: 4 models

The 2021 range should resemble last year's, with4 iPhone 13 models. Apple wouldn't give up (yet)the mini format. Here is an overview of the iPhone range for this year:

iPhone 13 mini: 5.4 inches screen diagonal
iPhone 13: 6.1 inches
iPhone 13 Pro: 6.1 inches
iPhone 13 Max: 6.7 inches

Design

On the design side, the changeswould not be numerousx, but all in all remarkable.

The most important of these concerns the Face ID notch. This should beslightly smaller on 2021 iPhonescompared to the iPhone 12. Its thinning would be made possible by the fusion of Face ID sensors in a single module.

Another interesting change would be on the back of the case. The camera modulewould be more imposing on the next iPhonescompared to the iPhone 12. This increase would be minimal on iPhone 13 and 13 mini,but more notable on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.

In addition, if the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max displayed the same configuration at3 big goalsthat the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini would benefit from a configuration of two lensesplaced diagonally, and not one under the other like the generation before.

iPhone 13 and 13 Pro dummies. All 4 sizes still in the running. Camera module placement changed on the regular 13s. Pro Max looks slightly largerpic.twitter.com/RqxNiOfBnb
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson)June 23, 2021

Otherwise, according to past rumors, the iPhone 13 cases should not move too much, apart from gaining a little thickness compared to those of the iPhone 12.

Screen

For the screen, we would always be entitled to theOLED technologyon all 4 iPhone 13 models, but with tempting improvements. On the one hand, the displayProMotion 120 Hzseen in particular on iPad Prowould indeed be there, maybe only for Pro and Pro Max. On the other hand, the OLED panel of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max would be based on technologyLTPO. Thanks to it, the screen component becomes less energy intensive… For better autonomy? Not so sure, because Apple is reportedly planning to add apermanent display, like what we have on the Apple Watch, but also a number of competing smartphones.

Components and connectors

With each new generation, iPhones include a new version of the processor chip. Logically, the iPhone 13s would come equipped with a new chipA15 Bionic. This should be engraved in 5 nm, just like the previous A14 Bionic chip in the iPhone 12. On the program, more power and less energy consumption, probably.

Inside the 2021 version iPhones, we would also find anew X60 modem engraved in 5 nm. The latter would allow better 5G performance, aexpanded millimeter wave supportand better energy management.

Wi-Fi would not be left behind, with the gain of compatibility with the standardWi-Fi 6E. This is a slight upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 with improved loading speeds and latency times.

Finally, on the connectivity side, the MagSafe and the Lightning socket should still be present, with a special feature for the magnetic wireless connectivity. It could support, on iPhone 13, thereverse charging.

Photographic and video

In taking images, here too,no major new features to expect, but slight and still appreciable improvements.

On the photography side first of all, the new iPhone 13 and 13 mini should be able to achievebest printsthanks to awider openingfor the ultra wide-angle sensor (f/1.8, compared to f/2.4 on iPhone 12).Same on the Pro modelswith a new photo module in6 elements, compared to 5 for the iPhone 12, and an improved aperture for the ultra wide-angle sensor (ƒ/1.8, compared to ƒ/2.4 on iPhone 12 Pro). The Pro Max model would go even further with an improved aperture for the wide-angle sensor (ƒ/1.5, compared to ƒ/1.6 on iPhone 12 Pro Max).

We explainiciwhich a larger aperture allows (with a smaller number next to the ƒ).

The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max would also be entitled to autofocus for the wide-angle camera, which would be a first on iPhone.

Less specifically, the new iPhones would benefit fromlarger lentils, which would allow them to take the light better. And all models in the new range would benefit from a newoptical image stabilization with sensor shift, a feature previously reserved for the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Finally, the LiDar scanner would be included,but possibly reserved for Pro models.

For video, the most notable novelty, relayed byThe Verge, would be the appearance ofPortrait mode for videos. Portrait mode, as we recall, automatically blurs the background of the image in order to focus it on the face(s) in the foreground.

Finally, the videos would use a new compression codec: theProRes.

Autonomy and battery

Autonomy should beimproved on iPhone 13thanks to several changes. On the one hand, A15 Bionic chip and new modem should consume less energy. In addition, recent rumors predict larger batteries in the new cases, with anotable gain for the 13 Pro Max modelwhich would even exceed the4300 mAh, or 18% more mAh than the 12 Pro Max. Otherwise, the Model 13 and 13 mini would exploit anew flexible battery technologysaidSoft Board, also allowing more mAh per cm² to be loaded.

And then the iPhone 13s should be able to recharge faster than the generation before, thanks to thesupport de la recharge 25 Watts(20 Watts pour l’iPhone 12).

Storage

In terms of storage capacities, it's quite vague. We can expect the proposals to be the same as for the iPhone 12: 64-128-256 GB for iPhone 13 and 13 mini, 128-256-512 for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.

If it is in agreement withsome adsfrom sources close to suppliers, recent rumors have raised the possibility that the Pro modelsgo up to 1 TB. In the age of Lossless music without loss of quality, increasingly heavy videos and photographs,having 1TB storage on iPhone would not be illogical. On the other hand, Apple possibly has more profits to make by pushing its users towards its iCloud subscriptions…

We are therefore divided: at best, Apple increases the capacities by a notch to start at 128 GB on iPhone 12/12 mini and reach 1 TB on iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max, at worst, nothing changes.

What we shouldn't see on the iPhone 13

The features listed so far have a good chance of arriving on the next generation of iPhone. At the same time, numerous rumors support these new features, while they are part of a logical evolution of the range. Let's now see the specifics that we have read here and there on the web in recent months, but which should not concern the iPhone 13.

First, thereturn of Touch IDon iPhone was anticipated especiallyat the beginning of this year. We could then think that the next smartphone model would be affected, to then integrate both a fingerprint sensor under the screen and Face ID. But Mark Gurman recently shut down the rumor.According to him,no Touch ID on the iPhone 13.

On the connectivity side, it isLightning port which could live its last moments on iPhone.The EU pushesin fact, for all smartphone manufacturers to come together on a single connection: USB-C. While on iPad, the shift has already been made, we can think that Apple planned at one point to abandon Lightning on its iPhones in favor of USB-C. Knowing that in addition, Ming-Chi Kuohas already supportedthe hypothesis of the abandonment of Lightning this year on iPhone. But it still seems unlikely to us that the iPhone 13 will arrive without its flagship socket, Apple having defended the interest of the Lightning after pressure from Europe a few months ago.

Finally, the last somewhat crazy rumor concerns asatellite connectivity that would equip the iPhone 13. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the next generation of iPhone would indeed be capable of joining any so-called “LEO” internet network, that is, supported by satellites positioned in low Earth orbit, such as SpaceX's Starlink. Ifthis predictionYou're right, the iPhone 13 would be one of the first smartphones on the market compatible with this type of network. But given the delay compared to its competitors with which Apple launched 5G on its phones, we can doubt that the firm will take the lead on this new technology.

September 14 pre-keynote update:Mark Gurman also expects LEO compatibility for the iPhone 13.

Prices and finishes

Concerning the prices, there is doubt. On the one hand, several rumors have announced a notable increase in the manufacturing cost of Apple smartphones, which will inevitably have an impact on their selling prices. Some sources predict an increase of up toup to +20% compared to iPhone 12. On the other hand, some predictions have predicted a price scale identical to that of last year. For our part, it isdifficult to envisage a price increase of more than €100given the lack of a revolutionary feature in the program. And if we look at the price of the iPhone 12 Pro and that of its predecessors, nothing has changed since the iPhone X: i.e. 1,159 euros. In any case, here is the probable price range for the iPhone 13, with a ceiling corresponding to an increase of around 12%, which seems to us to be the maximum applicable by Apple from one generation to the next:

iPhone 13 mini :starting price between €809 and €900
iPhone 13 :starting price between €909 and €1,020
iPhone 13 Pro :starting price between €1,159 and €1,300
iPhone 13 Pro Max :starting price between €1,259 and €1,400

In terms of finishes, Apple could well revise its palette this year. The iPhone 12 and 12 mini offer 5 finishes, we hope that this will also be the case for the iPhone 13 and 13 mini. Unfortunately, nothing indicates so far whether the Californian firm will maintain the same colors: white, black, blue, green, purple and red. However, we can imagine new finishes available, as is often the case with each new iPhone.

And this should be precisely the case for the iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max. Indeed, the rumors see something new coming:bronzereplacing blue. Another possible particularity, no more gold, butl’or rose, and no more graphite, but black, really black. So, for the high end, buyers could be offered between black, silver, rose gold and bronze.

Likely release date: September 24, 2021

For several years, Apple has made a habit of holding its conference in September on a Tuesday, launching pre-orders for the new iPhones the following Friday, and releasing them in stores on Friday eight. However, according toIT Homes, iPhone 13 pre-orders should begin onSeptember 17. In this case, the release date would beSeptember 24, 2021.

This is a hypothesis that we support, because several elements point in this direction. On the one hand, Dan Ives claims that iPhones would arrive during the3rd week of September, i.e. between the 13th and the 19th. He is probably talking about the pre-order day. Otherwise, it would imply a presentation conference on September 7, a very unlikely hypothesis given that September 6 is a public holiday in the USA (Labor Day). It's hard to imagine Apple holding such an important event the day after a day when the country is at a standstill.

Finally, it seems implausible that Apple will release its iPhones on October 1, after pre-orders launched on September 24. This remains possible, however, given that it is still a rather special period, with the coronavirus pandemic still being relevant.

Likewise, take the information provided in this article with caution. Even if some rumors seem persistent, it is impossible to certify any data about the iPhone 13 at this stage. He doesn'tThese are just predictions.