iPhone 13 Face ID leak backs up smaller notch rumors
Some shrinkage reported
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Rumors around a smaller notch on theiPhone 13have been swirling for months now, and we just got some more evidence that backs up the speculation: news thatApplewill be making the Face ID sensor chip much smaller in iPhones and iPads released later this year.
That’s according to Taiwan outletDigiTimes, which usually has good connections to the Apple supply chain. The new sensor could be up to half the size of the old one apparently, which gives Apple much more room to play with in terms of the notch.
We’re assuming that Apple wouldn’t make the component smaller if there was any loss in accuracy or speed, so expect Face ID to work the same as it always has. As well as meaning scope for a smaller notch, it should also help Apple to reduce production costs.
Something else alluded to in the article is the possibility that the updated, more compact sensor might be able to offer more in the way of features and scanning options – but at the moment it’s not clear what those features and options might be.
Top notch
Based on theleaked picturesand theindustry reportsthat we’ve seen to date, it looks as though the iPhone 13 notch will indeed get smaller: the general consensus seems to be that Apple might move the earpiece slightly higher into the bezel to help enable this.
The advantage of a smaller notch is of course more screen space at the status bar level – and the status bar can often get busy with icons and numbers, depending on how you’re using your iPhone. Any extra pixels are going to be welcome, and it should add some extra elegance to what is an already iconic design.
The notch first showed up on theiPhone Xin 2017 and has since been adopted by just about every smartphone maker out there. It looks as though its days are numbered, with under-display selfie cameras nownearing mass adoption, but it’s going to be a while before the cut-out is gone completely.
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We’ve also heard that the iPhone 13 is going to comewith a 120Hz refresh rate screenand an upgradein the ultra-wide camera department, as well as various other improvements. If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, we should see the new models in September.
ViaMacRumors
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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