iPhone 13 release date, leaks, price and news

Our artist’s impression of the iPhone 13 leaks so far (Image credit: TechRadar)

With Apple’s new iPhone 13 series release date heavily tipped to be in September, it’s likely just weeks at most until the phones launch – and we’ve been hard at work rounding up and cutting through the key iPhone leaks.

New iPhone rumors have been springing up from a variety of sources for the last few months, and we’ve now got a clear picture of many of the likely specs of the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 mini.

We also have a good idea of the likely design of these phones, and have seen numerous leaked images. For those of you who are light on time we’ve cut down the rumors into a handy, bite-sized portion below, while further down you’ll find tons more depth where we explain everything you have to know about the new iPhone range.

iPhone 13 release date: September 2021 is likely when we’ll hear about the iPhone 13, with most sources pointing to September 14. We’re not certain of that date yet, but it looks the most likely.

iPhone 13 price: Expect a similar price to the iPhone 12 range, with one leak suggesting it’ll be exactly the same. The iPhone 12 mini – the cheapest of 2020’s iPhones – started at $699 / £699 / AU$1,199 while the iPhone 12 Pro Max cost $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849. That said, there is some evidence the price could increase a bit.

Design: Little is expected to change from the iPhone 12, but it seems the company will be changing the design of the rear camera. It’ll seemingly have a diagonal lens arrangement on the two cheaper phones, but the design seems otherwise largely set to be similar to last year’s handsets, albeit with a slightly smaller notch.

Colors: Apple may debut some new shades with the iPhone 13 series, and two rumored versions are pink and orange. Alongside those, we expect to see similar shades to last-gen, such as purple, black and white.

Display: Screen sizes and resolutions are expected to stay the same across the range of iPhone 13 products, but both the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are heavily rumored to debut 120Hz refresh rates. That means the image on these screens will be smoother than previous iPhones. Plus we’re expecting an always-on display on each handset, too.

Camera: Apple is expected to be tweaking the camera on the iPhone 13 series, and the two Pro handsets may get an upgraded ultra-wide shooter. The iPhone 13 Pro may also get an upgraded telephoto camera, plus some leaks suggest LiDAR could be present on all four models so you’ll have improved depth perception, though more recent leaks don’t mention this, so don’t count on it. Video recording software improvements are also expected, including a new Portrait mode.

Specs: The A15 chipset will likely power each of these handsets, though current reports suggest this won’t bring a huge power boost. It’s also heavily rumored that Apple may bring out a 1TB iPhone for the first time in 2021, so that’ll allow for the largest iPhone sizes ever.

Battery: If the biggest iPhone 13 battery leak is correct, you can expect a larger battery inside 2021’s phones. These are expected to be notably larger, with the iPhone 13 expected to offer a 3,095mAh cell compared to the iPhone 12’s 2,805mAh. What will that mean? Expect a longer lasting iPhone 13 than your previous iPhones.

Want the full picture of the iPhone 13 leaks so far? You’ll find it below, where we run you through every spec and detail of the next iPhone series.

We’ve been covering Apple handsets since the very first iPhone was revealed by Steve Jobs in 2007, so we’re confident we’ve only brought you the most likely and coherent new iPhone new based on our analysis of dates, source validity and, well, just what makes the most sense to us.

IPHONE 13 RELEASE DATE

What we believe the iPhone 13 will look like (Image credit: TechRadar)

The iPhone 13 release date is likely to be in September 2021, and we expect it to hit stores on either the third or fourth Friday of the month (which makes it September 17 or 24).

Before 2020, Apple has often announced its new iPhones on either the first or second Tuesday of September. If that happens again in 2021, we’d expect the iPhone 13 range to be revealed on September 7 or September 14 and release 10 days later.

Multiple analysts have said to expect an announcement in the third week of September this year, which means that September 14 is the most likely date, with September 15 also being possible, as the brand occasionally announces phones on a Wednesday.

Based on Apple’s usual approach we’d then expect pre-orders to open on September 17, with the release date being September 24 (the following Friday).

That’s in line with a date posted by a retailer. They list the iPhone 13 range for September 17, though it’s not clear from the listing whether that’s a pre-order date or an on sale date, and it’s possible this is just a placeholder date anyway.

There’s no guarantee this will be the iPhone 13 release date though, and that’s mostly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were pushed back to October in 2020, and the other two devices – the iPhone 12 miniand iPhone 12 Pro Max – were released in November of that year.

Plus, apparently the 2020 delay resulted in increased sales for the phones. That may mean Apple decides to keep to this new window, but there’s no real indication of that from leaks.

Apple is heavily rumored to be hosting another virtual event in 2021, rather than a physical launch for the iPhone 13. That likely doesn’t mean much of a change for you, but it does suggest it’ll take a bit longer for press (like TechRadar) to be able to touch the phones and give you our first impressions.

• iPhone 13 or iPhone 12? Should you wait for 2021’s Apple phone?

IPHONE 13 PRICE

The only big price leak about the iPhone 13 range suggests that the upcoming models will cost a similar amount to the iPhone 12 range. The same source has now said this twice, and that’s in line with what we had expected.

We’ll be sure to include more 2021 iPhone price leaks and rumors as we hear them, but below you can see the prices for the iPhone 12 series that we’re relatively confident will be similar on the iPhone 13.

If anything, prices might rise slightly this year though. That’s especially true outside the US, as there are rumors that much of the world will get the mmWave 5G tech that US iPhone 12s already support, pushing the price up in the process.

On top of that, we’ve also heard that one of Apple’s component suppliers is putting up its prices, which could push Apple to follow suit. But we wouldn’t expect a big change.

IPHONE 13 DESIGN

The iPhone 13 family is largely expected to look similar to the iPhone 12 series, but there are a few key differences that we’ve heard time and time again in leaks and rumors.

In the gallery below, you can see our own renders based on the leaks you can read about below. We’ve taken the information we’ve heard from a whole host of different sources and created our own artist’s impression of what we expect to see.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

These may not be entirely accurate when the phone debuts later this year, but this is our best picture yet of the handset considering the leaks we’ve heard about in July 2021 and earlier.

One of the biggest design leaks so far includes CAD files that show a smaller notch, plus a diagonal camera layout for the iPhone 13. They appear to show a slightly thicker build too, likely to accommodate the larger batteries that have been rumored.

iPhone 13 notch changes

The notch looks very likely to change with this generation of Apple handsets. Far more sources are pointing to it shrinking than staying the same size, so a smaller notch seems likely, with one source adding that the Face ID sensor has apparently also been shrunk, which would allow for a smaller notch.

We’ve now also seen a couple of leaked photos reportedly showing the screen glass for the iPhone 13 range, and there’s a visibly smaller notch, achieved by moving the earpiece to the bezel above.

Similarly, a 3D-printed iPhone 13 mock-up also shows a smaller notch. Specifically the notch here is 26.8mm wide (compared to 34.83mm on the iPhone 12), but it’s also 5.35mm deep, making it stick out a tiny bit more than the 5.3mm one on the iPhone 12.

The mock-up also shows that the contents of the notch may have been moved around a bit, with the selfie camera shown on the left rather than the right, and the earpiece moved into the bezel. Elsewhere, reports put the notch at either 26.63mm or 25.57mm wide.

Our render includes a notch which is 30% slimmer than the iPhone 12’s, and that seems to be the consensus from most leaks of the iPhone 13.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

There is an outside chance that we could see an iPhone 13 model with no notch at all. Just such a phone appears to have been shown in the Apple TV Plus show Ted Lasso, but this is almost certainly a case of inaccurate CGI, rather than the brand intentionally putting an unannounced phone in the show.

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max design

So what about the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max? An iPhone 13 Pro Max dummy unit – created based on leaked schematics and other leaks – also shows a smaller notch, as well as larger camera lenses.

However, the design and even the size is otherwise more or less the same as the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

A dummy unit that may show the iPhone 13 Pro Max design (Image credit: Unbox Therapy)

We’ve also seen a very similar design in unofficial iPhone 13 Pro renders, supposedly based on a ‘finalized version’ of the handset. These include a larger, flatter camera bump than on the iPhone 12 Pro, plus larger camera sensors, a smaller notch, and an apparently less fingerprint-prone stainless steel frame.

Plus, we’ve also seen dummy units of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, which again match up with all the leaks above, so this design (shown below) is very likely what we’ll see from the iPhone 13 range.

Note also the colors used here, which appear to include white for the dual-lens iPhone 13, and silver for the triple-lens iPhone 13 Pro. So perhaps these will be among the colors that the phones are sold in.

(Image credit: Weibo)

And we’ve now seen chassis models of the iPhone 13 range as well. These were shared by a case maker and are used by it to design cases.

You can see images of these chassis models below, and they fully match up with what we’ve seen elsewhere – with the biggest visual differences being the layout of the cameras on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, and the size of the camera blocks on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

(Image credit: Benks/Weibo)

iPhone 13 Touch ID or Face ID?

One leak has suggested the company may finally be ready to introduce an under-display fingerprint scanner. A lot of the best Android phones include this technology already, and this leak suggests Apple is ready to follow suit. In fact, we’ve now heard talk of an in-screen scanner multiple times at this point, with Apple apparently considering it in addition to Face ID.

This isn’t a certainty, though, as noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the feature is coming in some 2022 iPhones – aka the iPhone 14 – and will presumably skip the iPhone 13 line.

We’ve even now heard from Mark Gurman (another reputable source) that Apple probably won’t bring under-display Touch ID to any iPhone, and will instead opt for under-display Face ID – though don’t expect this to be ready in time for the iPhone 13 range.

What might be ready for the iPhone 13 range is a form of Face ID that works with masks and foggy glasses, as Apple is supposedly testing this, but we wouldn’t count on seeing it that soon if at all.

Elsewhere, an iOS 15 leak suggests the company’s next major software update will arrive with support for dual biometric authentication – a feature which would only be possible to implement on a device with both Face ID and Touch ID. Still, we wouldn’t count on this.

iPhone 13 sizes

One thing that probably won’t be changing is the sizes of the phones, with leaks suggesting we’ll see four models, with the same screen sizes as the iPhone 12 range.

That said, the dimensions may vary slightly, with a report suggesting that the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro will be 7.57mm thick, making them 0.17mm thicker than their predecessors.

The same report suggests the camera blocks will stick out much further, with the iPhone 13 Pro’s apparently sticking out by 3.65mm (compared to 1.7mm on the iPhone 12 Pro), and the iPhone 13’s by 2.51mm (compared to 1.5mm on the iPhone 12).

A more recent report puts the change in body thickness at just 0.1mm, but whatever the case it sounds like the change will be minor.

This same report talked about changes to the camera block sizes, with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini apparently getting one with a 3.9cm diameter (up from 3.71cm), and the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max’s having a 4.49cm diameter, up from 3.71cm on the iPhone 12 Pro, and 4cm on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

IPHONE 13 COLORS

(Image credit: TechRadar)

We’re expecting a mix of old and new shades for the iPhone 13 range, with a leak suggesting that the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max could come in black, silver, sunset gold (which is said to be a bronze shade) and rose gold (which is said to be very pale).

That rose gold color has since been leaked again, and you can see what it might look like in the images below, though it’s worth noting that the source doesn’t have much of a track record.

Elsewhere, we’ve heard that we may be seeing rose pink and orange debut this year as well.

That pink and orange rumor has come from a source without much track record though, and one other leak suggested that orange apparently didn’t make it past the prototype stage. That said, the orange has been described as possibly bronze, so perhaps the bronze version did make it given the leak above.

In any case, those are two exciting shades, so for our own artist’s impressions we took the orange and pink shades of other Apple products including the AirPods Pro Max and the new iMac for 2021 to give you an idea of what the shades may look like (you can see them in the gallery above).

We’ve now also heard multiple times that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max might come in a matte black shade. Apparently this will be a reworked version of the graphite iPhone 12 Pro, but a lot darker.

That means you’re likely to see more color options with some brighter shades on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, while the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are more likely to have fewer choices with more sedate shades like silver and gold.

• iPhone 13 colors: what shades to expect from your 2021 Apple phone

IPHONE 13 DISPLAY

(Image credit: TechRadar)

One thing heavily rumored for the iPhone 12 that didn’t come to fruition was the addition of a 120Hz refresh rate display. But rumors suggest that may be introduced on the iPhone 13, and that’ll make the display look smoother when playing games or scrolling through your social media feed.

That technology may also work in a similar way to what we’ve seen on the company’s iPad Pro range, where it is able to vary the refresh rate depending on what activity you’re doing on your phone.

Multiple rumors have suggested the 120Hz refresh rate feature may be incoming, and that includes reports from DigiTimes as well as well-placed analysts that have further suggested this tech might only be on two of the four anticipated iPhone 13 models.

Korean site The Elec added that industry sources say the top two models will get a 120Hz screen, so this may just be a Pro model feature in 2021. That site has also now added more details, claiming that Samsung will be the sole supplier of these 120Hz panels.

In fact, there’s a chance it will have an even higher refresh rate than 120Hz, as an Apple patent talks about a phone with multiple refresh rates, possibly topping out at 240Hz – which is a rate no mainstream phone currently offers. But patents often don’t develop into features, so we’d take this with a pinch of salt.

We’re also likely to see the introduction of an always-on display with the iPhone 13 family. A number of reliable leakers – including Mark Gurman from Bloomberg – have suggested that will be the case. Android phones have offered this for years, so it’s about time Apple got on board.

What sizes should you expect for the iPhone 13 family? The same as last year’s models, based on rumors, meaning a 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, a 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max.

• What are LTPO phone screens?

IPHONE 13 CAMERA

As for the camera, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who is often right about Apple information – has suggested the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s ultra-wide camera may be bumped to a f/1.8, six-element lens from the current f/2.4, five-element lens on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max.

He additionally claims that the Pro models will get autofocus for their ultra-wide lenses, with all four iPhone 14’s apparently getting this upgrade in 2022. And Kuo reiterated this claim in June 2021, so it seems he’s confident in it.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

That said, we’ve also heard the same change in aperture from analysts at Barclays, but they claim this upgrade will come to all four iPhone 13 models. This should allow for better low light performance – though potentially also a shallower depth of field, which can be less desirable in the landscape shots ultra-wide cameras typically excel at.

The Barclays analyst note also mentioned that the iPhone 13 Pro could get the same telephoto snapper as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, allowing for 2.5x optical zoom, up from 2x on its predecessor.

Kuo meanwhile has said the telephoto camera will get a similar six-element upgrade to the ultra-wide one, at least on the “high-end” models.

As for the main camera, Kuo also has news about that, claiming that on the iPhone 13 Pro Max it will be switched to an f/1.5 aperture (from f/1.6 on current models). This should improve low light performance and the bokeh effect for portrait shots, but it’s a change that apparently won’t be coming to the rest of the iPhone 13 range.

A report has also suggested that all four iPhone 13 models might get a LiDAR scanner, rather than just the Pro models having it as on the iPhone 12 range. The same site has since reiterated that claim more than once, as has another source.

That said, another source has since contradicted this claim, as has another one. As these two leaks are more recent, we’re inclined to say they’re more likely to be accurate, especially as one says that Apple had originally planned to bring LiDAR to all iPhone 13 models (explaining the earlier leaks) but now won’t be doing. It looks more likely then that only the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will get LiDAR.

A source has also said that all four iPhone 13 models will get sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization), which would be an upgrade for all but the Pro Max, which already has that, and that the two Pro models will get a larger main lens. Another rumor also suggests that sensor-shift OIS and autofocus will be added to the ultra-wide cameras in the new phones, but potentially only the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models.

Elsewhere, sources have claimed that Apple is ordering far more voice coil motors (VCMs) than normal. This is apparently for improvements both to the rear cameras (likely the addition of sensor-shift, which uses a VCM) and for improvements to the 3D sensors for Face ID.

An iPhone 12 Pro in an iPhone 13 Pro case (Image credit: Weibo)

All these changes could lead to a much bigger camera block, at least in the case of the iPhone 13 Pro, as a photo of a case supposedly designed for the phone but housing an iPhone 12 Pro shows that the camera cut-out is far too big for the current model, as you can see above.

We’ve also heard rumors about potential redesigns of the two rear cameras on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini: instead of being aligned vertically, they may be arranged diagonally.

A purported photo of an iPhone 13 mini prototype was uploaded to Weibo showing what the final phone – and those redesigned cameras – might look like. You can also see the new camera design in some of the leaks further up.

In terms of software, a report from Bloomberg has said Apple is looking to improve video recording in 2021. New features include a Portrait mode – where there’s a bokeh effect behind the subject – for videos, likely dubbed Cinematic Video, as well as a new professional ProRes tool for expanded video editing, and an AI-powered filter system.

Finally, there are reports that Apple is looking into adding a periscope camera to a future iPhone. This would allow for a greater zoom range than current models, maybe up to 10x optical zoom, potentially without making the camera components any thicker. However, based on rumors this might not arrive until the iPhone 14 or an even later device. Kuo says not to expect it until 2023.

IPHONE 13 BATTERY

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the iPhone 13 might switch to soft board technology, which could allow for physically smaller batteries without reducing the capacity.

In fact, Kuo has also said that the iPhone 13 might have a higher capacity batterythan the iPhone 12. Kuo has repeated that claim again saying Apple is experimenting with a “space-saving design”, so he seems certain that this is an improvement we’ll be seeing later in the year.

We’ve heard similar from TrendForce, which suggests that the iPhone 13 range will use a flexible circuit board rather than a rigid-flex one, with the former being smaller and leaving room for bigger batteries.

A leak from Digital Chat Station on Weibo claims a similar thing, and it also provides us with potential battery capacities. If the leak is correct, we may see the below in each of the models (plus we’ve included the sizes of the equivalent 2020 models too).

Elsewhere we’ve heard that there might be improvements to wireless charging. Reportedly the iPhone 13 range will include a larger wireless charging coil, which could allow for faster charging, better heat management, and potentially even reverse wireless charging (so you could put, say, your AirPods on the back of your iPhone to juice them up).

These larger charging coils could also work in tandem with the stronger MagSafe magnets that the same source has also claimed are coming.

One website called MyDrivers also claims to have sources that say the iPhone 13 series will feature 25W wired charging. That’s set to be faster than the 18W on the iPhone 12 series.

There’s also an Apple patent that talks about a ‘protective charging’ mode, which would stop you overcharging the phone even if you leave it plugged in for long periods (such as overnight). However, patents don’t always get used, so don’t count on this.

IPHONE 13 SPECS AND PERFORMANCE

One source (leaker Jon Prosser) has also suggested that 2021 may be when we see the introduction of 1TB iPhones. That’s a storage size the company hasn’t experimented with yet, at least for its smartphones, and we’d expect it to be an option on the most expensive Pro handsets. We’ve heard this several times.

If Prosser’s information is correct, that may well make for the most expensive iPhone ever as that’s a lot of storage on one handset. This kind of option would be more useful for professionals than average users, but for now it’s just a prototype Apple is testing apparently.

That means we might not see it, especially as another source points to the storage capacities remaining the same as last year.

Performance should be boosted as it normally is every year, but we’ve heard talk that advanced vapor chamber cooling is going to be deployed in the iPhone 13 – though if it’s not ready this year, we might have to wait until the iPhone 14 to see it.

We’ve also heard that the A15 chipset expected to power the iPhone 13 range has entered mass production. The source of a report on that topic also says that it’s a 5nm chipset, which is the same size as the A14, possibly meaning the improvements here won’t be massive. Though we’ve elsewhere heard it referred to as ‘5nm+’.

Another source has also now said that the iPhone 13 range will have a 5nm chipset, with 3nm expected for the iPhone 14.

Another interesting rumor from a solid source suggests that the iPhone 13 models will tap into satellite networks in order to keep the devices connected when there’s no phone signal or Wi-Fi available.

That said, more recent reporting suggests this is unlikely, with the iPhone 13 instead probably just being able to connect to extra spectrum for 5G connectivity. Satellite connections could still be planned, but probably only for emergency calls, and likely not before the iPhone 14.

IPHONE 13 SOFTWARE

An artist’s impression of the iPhone 13 with iOS 15 on show (Image credit: TechRadar)

One thing we already know a fair bit about is the iPhone 13’s software, since it’s sure to run iOS 15, and while the next-gen software isn’t out yet it has been announced by Apple.

Highlights of iOS 15 include various FaceTime improvements, such as the ability to join calls via a web link which even Android users can access, plus spatial audio and voice isolation coming to it.

Messages meanwhile will get status updates, a live text feature will allow you to translate text in images or copy it to a document, the weather app has been redesigned, Maps is getting new details for commercial districts and buildings, and more.

• How to get iOS 15 on your iPhone

OTHER IPHONE 13 LEAKS

Expect 5G support to continue in 2021 iPhones of course, but a source suggests that mmWave models will be more widely available than they were with the iPhone 12 range (which only got mmWave in the US), with both the UK and Australia (among other places) potentially getting them.

We’ve since heard this again multiple times, with over 50% of the world’s iPhone 13 models supposedly getting mmWave support. This is potentially far faster than the sub-6GHz 5G that iPhone 12’s in most of the world are stuck with, but it also requires the right infrastructure and spectrum to be available, which it isn’t yet in most places.

Staying with wireless technologies, we’ve also been led to understand that the iPhone 13 is going to come packing some Wi-Fi 6E connectivity for an even faster link to the web and the cloud.

This was first predicted by analysts and they’ve since said the same again with more certainty, even naming the apparent suppliers of the Wi-Fi 6E tech.

Finally, an Apple patent details a system allowing an iPhone to track your gaze, so it can see what part of a document you’re reading and obscure the other parts, by swapping or rearranging the letters in words.

This would mean you could read sensitive documents in public places without much risk of snoopers. However, we’re not convinced this will make it to the iPhone 13.

There have also been rumors of a portless iPhone debuting in 2021. It’s a claim that we’ve heard from a number of sources, but most suggest that only one model (most likely the iPhone 13 Pro Max) will go portless.

Apple is apparently trying to figure out how a portless iPhone could be reset, too. We don’t think this is likely to happen in 2021, but it’s probably something Apple is considering for future devices.

IPHONE 13 OR IPHONE 12S?

An artist’s impression of the iPhone 13 in a variety of colors including red, pink and blue (Image credit: TechRadar)

There’s every chance the next iPhone won’t be called the iPhone 13, and there are a few reasons for that. The biggest reason is that this seems to be a relatively modest upgrade over the iPhone 12 series.

With that in mind, Apple might call these phones the iPhone 12s and iPhone 12s Pro range. While we haven’t seen the ‘S’ used in the last couple of years, it’s something that Apple has a history of using to mark out more minor upgrades, and it’s something which at least one leak has referred to the upcoming phones as.

Not only that, but the number 13 could be an issue, as it’s seen as an unlucky number in many parts of the world, including the US, so it may be that Apple wants to skip this number when it comes time for a new iPhone.

Of course, calling this year’s phones the iPhone 12s range doesn’t solve the problem of the number 13, it just delays it, so either this year or next year it’s possible Apple will skip past 13 straight to the iPhone 14 range.

• iPhone 12s or iPhone 13? What will Apple call its next smartphone?

Source: Techradar