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.

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Top Rated Comments

filmantopia Avatar
56 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
56 months ago
iPhone 14 confirmed ??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
56 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
56 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
56 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
56 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)