Somehow summer is behind us and the calendar now says September. That means Apple’s annual iPhone event is likely just around the corner. We’re sharing a breakdown of the iPhone 13’s expected features, and some iPhone 13 rumors you may have missed. The big question is will you upgrade and is it worth it.

We don’t know the actual debut date for the new iPhones, but if Apple follows past event plans, the most likely target date for an event is Tuesday, September 14. A launch is likely to follow a week or two later.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said the iPhone 13 was “likely” to support Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication, a feature that he said would allow iPhone users to make calls and send messages when cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity is unavailable, but the rumor has since been disputed by some experts in the field.

The 2021 iPhone lineup will look similar to the 2020 iPhone lineup, with four devices in sizes that include 5.4-inches, 6.1-inches, and 6.7-inches, with two of the iPhones being higher-end “Pro” models and two positioned as lower-cost, more affordable devices.

Major design changes are not expected with the iPhone 13, and 2021 iPhones will have the same feature set as the 2020 iPhones, but we can once again count on camera improvements, a faster A-series processor, a new 5G chip from Qualcomm, increased battery life, and a tweak to the size of the notch at the top of the iPhone.

There were early rumors that at least one iPhone in 2021 would feature a portless design that relies entirely on wireless charging, but that’s not going to happen this year. Apple is going to continue to rely on its “Lightning port” for the foreseeable future with no transition to USB-C and there will be no portless design until MagSafe accessories are more common. Portless iPhones could instead start appearing in 2022- possibly, or unless the rumors for the iPhone 13 are inaccurate.

We are expecting a smaller notch, some say the notch will be gone,  on the front of the iPhone, with Apple able to shrink down the Face ID hardware. A smaller notch will be the only major visual change to the front of the iPhone. Apple is also expected to introduce 120Hz display refresh rates for Pro iPhone models, bringing the iPad Pro’s ProMotion technology to the iPhone for the first time.

Apple was considering adding an in-display fingerprint sensor to the iPhone 13 models, which would be used in addition to Face ID as an alternate biometric authentication method, but it’s a feature that’s been tabled or saved for a future update because it didn’t make the cut for the iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 will rely solely on Face ID.

When it comes to improved camera technology, rumors suggest we could see the larger sensor in the iPhone 12 Pro Max extend to other models, along with the Sensor-Shift Stabilization feature for better auto-focus and stabilization across the lineup. With the camera changes that are coming, there are some design changes to the camera bumps on the iPhone 13 models. This will be most noticeable on the iPhone 13 Pro, which is getting a much larger Pro Max-sized camera array, and the iPhone 12 and 12 mini will have diagonal camera setups.

It’s likely that Apple Watch Series 7 models will be unveiled at the same event.

So, there you have it… some likely changes that may or may not motivate you to upgrade. For those who keep their phones running for years and years may find this upgrade to worth it, or may decide to move to the iPhone 12 once the deals start potentially rolling out.

 Content Source: MacRumors