A new set of iPhone 13 rumors claims Apple will redesign the Face ID system to be used in the next-generation handset, allowing for a smaller screen notch.
The rumor was included in a report by the reasonably reliable Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes, whose supply chain sources tell it that the next-generation iPhones will include an upgraded wide-angle lens.
The next-generation iPhones’ Face ID system will see some design changes with the size of the notch at the top of the screen to shrink and their ultrawide angle lens upgraded from 5P to 6P, the sources said.
The new design integrates Rx, Tx and flood illuminator into the same camera module, similar to that of a LiDAR scanner in the back camera module, to enable smaller notch sizes, the sources stated.
Previous reports have mentioned a more shallow notch on the iPhone 13’s screen. Leaker “Ice Universe” claimed in October that a smaller screen notch is on the way. The leaker tweeted a sketch to illustrate the alleged change, which apparently is in the form of a more shallow notch, not a less wide one.
The DigiTimes report also claims that the iPhone 13 will boast a new Face ID camera module to be provided by Foxconn and Korea-based LG Innotek, while the front-facing camera modules will be supplied by O-Film.
The report also claims that the iPhone 13 series will “continue to use the 7P lens module” used in last year’s iPhones. However, the iPhone 13 Pro models will feature a larger CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) bringing “resolution improvements.” The non-Pro models will use the CIS currently in use in the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The information comes from the full story version of a preview published on Wednesday. The preview said sensor-shift optical image stabilization will be a feature of the entire iPhone 13 lineup.