iPhone 13 Rumored to Feature 'Thinner' Notch, Overall Design to Remain Unchanged

Apple is expected to continue to offer four iPhone options in 2021, with the ‌iPhone‌ 13 to be identical in design to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 with few changes, according to a new report today from Japanese site Mac Otakara that cites sources within the Chinese supply chain.

iPhone 12 Yellow copy
The height and width of the four ‌iPhone‌ models are expected to remain the same, but thickness could increase by approximately 0.26mm.

The rear camera unit is expected to increase in size by 0.9mm on all ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, and Apple will shift to a design that "covers the entire camera unit with sapphire glass." The lenses are expected to protrude less in a design that's more similar to the 2020 iPad Pro, which has a thick camera bump but less protrusion when it comes to the lens design.

Mac Otakara believes that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro could feature sensor-shift optical image stabilization, a feature that Apple included in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

As for the front of the ‌iPhone‌ 13, the site suggests that the TrueDepth camera "is getting narrower" because the receiver at the top of the display will move to the edge of the case. This suggests that the notch on the next-generation ‌iPhone‌ could be slightly thinner.

This is the second time that we've heard rumors of a thinner or shallower notch, so it's possible the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ models will have a notch that's the same length but not as tall.

Other ‌iPhone‌ 13 rumors have suggested we could see some models getting LTPO OLED displays with support for 120Hz refresh dates, and there will, of course, be a faster A15 chip. We have more on what to expect from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 in our dedicated roundup.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Second Generation AirTag Feature

Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More

Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com. The new...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple to Launch These 20+ Products This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 6:02 pm PST by
2026 promises to be yet another busy year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements over the coming months. Beyond the usual updates to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple is expected to release its all-new smart home hub, which was reportedly delayed until the more personalized version of Siri is ready. Other unique products rumored for ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Reportedly Aiming to Upgrade the MacBook Pro Twice This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 11:46 am PST by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display models in the first half of this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman added that redesigned MacBook Pro models with an OLED touch screen "should be hitting toward the end of 2026," meaning that the MacBook Pro line would be upgraded twice this year. First up...

Top Rated Comments

robotfist Avatar
66 months ago
Please... Touch ID. That's all I care about. Of all the phones that needed to bring Touch ID back, it was the iPhone 12 series.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
66 months ago

Are the masks glued to your faces or something? I pull mine down when I need to use face ID.
No need to pull down the mask. Use your passcode.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cleartz Avatar
66 months ago
Forever waiting for the notch to go.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
66 months ago
This has been rumored 3 years in a row now, then debunked 2 weeks prior launch. Who even believes these anymore?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
66 months ago
Woo Hoo!!! This is awesome. The Notch is finally getting smaller, it’s a good welcoming change.

New iPhone will be in our hands ?



Attachment Image
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPSaltzman Avatar
66 months ago
That notch ... and that bump .... still?! After all these years and all these versions (and all that billions of dollars), Apple still can't solve these 2 design failures?!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)