No, That Notchless iPhone Spotted in 'Ted Lasso' Isn't the iPhone 13

Recent sightings of a notchless iPhone in highly popular Apple TV+ comedy "Ted Lasso" have led to sensational headlines suggesting this is a canny bit of product placement on Apple's part and that the iPhone 13 will be notchless. In actuality – and this could go without saying – the phone in question is very likely just showing a poorly superimposed display added in post-production.

ted lasso notchless phone

Notchless ‌iPhone‌ in scene from "Ted Lasso"

The mythical notchless ‌iPhone‌ appears in two separate scenes in the second season of "Ted Lasso," specifically in episode six, "The Signal." In both scenes, an ‌iPhone‌ can be seen with an on-screen user interface identifiable as iOS, but without a notch at the top of the display.

The idea that Apple would reveal an unannounced flagship product in a pre-recorded show is certainly a tantalizing prospect, but it's a tenuous theory at best. TV shows routinely apply artificial overlays onto digital displays in post-production in order to make their contents clearer for viewers to see – in this case, an iOS Lock Screen.

notchless iphone ted lasso

Notchless ‌iPhone‌ in scene from "Ted Lasso"

That's not to say Apple isn't penchant to product placement in its shows, but the notch has been a mainstay of the ‌iPhone‌ throughout four generations of the device, and the ‌iPhone 13‌ will be no different, with the notch continuing to remain on the front of Apple's upcoming smartphones. However, the ‌iPhone 13‌ is expected to feature a smaller notch, and several reputable sources have indicated that the notch size will shrink in 2021, including Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Looking further ahead into the future, 2022's "‌‌iPhone‌‌ 14" is expected to finally ditch the notch, replacing it with an Android-style hole-punch camera. Where Apple goes from there is unclear, but a rumor in 2019 claimed Apple has prototyped at least one iPhone with no notch, with the TrueDepth camera sensors for Face ID instead housed in the thin bezel above the display.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

filmantopia Avatar
21 months ago

That's a lot of work for someone to go through in post to remove that notch!
No, it’s more work to include the notch. Because they’re already superimposing the contents of the display. However adding the notch makes it more difficult because imperfections in the tracking/keyframing would be more obvious with a jittering notch on an iPhone display.

I do this kind of work professionally.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
21 months ago
iPhone 14 confirmed ??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
21 months ago

Why does Apple decide to maintain the Face ID on the era of face-masks while it also creates an undesired notch taking valuable screen space? Simple:
FACE ID IS A GREAT EMOTIONAL SURVEILLANCE FEATURE
AI face gesture tracking meta-data has a GREAT commercial value as businesses can buy peoples facial responses to products & services, same way most smartphones hear your voice 24/7 to offer targeted advertising (nothing new).
Because it is a profitable business for Apple, it is here to stay way long and re-adapt into under-screen sensors..
The fact I had to ponder if this was satire or real, says a lot about the comments lately here and on social media.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
21 months ago
A faked iPhone, because Apple is ashamed for the notch. Watching Ted Lasso in a few years from now would always remind them about the ugly notch they had.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KOTN91 Avatar
21 months ago
Hope they don’t ever do a hole punch design. Very cheap, very tacky, very Android and very sub £100 Chinese phone

They should keep the notch until the technology is there to eliminate it entirely
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
atomwork Avatar
21 months ago

“OMFG I SAW APPLE DEMO THEIR NEW PHONE ON THE DUMB **** show!!!”

If you don’t see it for the random nominations see it for this folks.
Who would call the most nicest and kindest show a DUMB **** ?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...