According to leaker Max Weinbach (via YouTube channel EverythingApplePro), the iPhone 13 lineup will boast an always-on 120Hz refresh rate display, improved camera capabilities, stronger MagSafe magnets, and a finer backside matte finish.
Well-known leaker Weinbach has regularly shared information about Apple products on his YouTube channel and has proven to be semi-accurate. as with any reports like this, take everything you read or hear about the iPhone 13 with a grain of your favorite sodium-free seasoning.
Weinbach says his sources say Apple will include an always-on display in the iPhone 13 lineup, using technology similar to that used for the Apple Watch Series 5 and later’s always-on OLED display. Always-on displays allow users to see selected information on their screen at all times with no need to power on or unlock the handset.
OLED displays use less power than LCD screens since each pixel can be individually turned on to allow showing a small bit of information, unlike the LCD screen which uses a backlight. This means much less power will be used to show a user the time, temperature, battery strength. or other indicators.
Weinbach says that the always-on display will look like a “toned down lock screen,” where the clock and battery charge are always visible, and past notifications are shown through “a bar and icons.” Notifications will “pop up normally except that the screen will not entirely light up.” Instead, “it will display it just like you’re used to right now, except dimmed down and only temporarily,” according to the leaker.
The leaker also claims that a 120hz ProMotion refresh rate screen will be used on the iPhone 13 Pro models. The feature, which had been rumored for use in the iPhone 12 Pro lineup would not require a change in physical design.
The main possible external hardware change will be a “grippier, more comfortable” matte back. Internally, the iPhone’s MagSafe magnets will be “considerably” stronger. The iPhone 12 lineup’s MagSafe magnets allow attaching various accessories and can also be used to charge the handset.
The iPhone 13’s camera feature will be improved, offering improvements in astrophotography. Astrophotography, the photography of astronomy, typically requires complicated camera setups to allow proficiently capturing the night sky.
The leak claims the iPhone will automatically switch to the mode when it registers a user pointing to the sky. The mode would allow the phone to detect different artifacts such as the moon and stars and adjusts settings such as exposure accordingly.