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

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...

Top Rated Comments

robotfist Avatar
63 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
63 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
63 months ago
Forever waiting for the notch to go.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
63 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
63 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
63 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)