We're only a few months into 2021, but judging by the amount of iPhone 13 leaks we've seen in recent weeks, you'd be forgiven for thinking the traditional September release was just around the corner. One of the most intriguing design rumours has just emerged – and it's not all good news for iPhone fans.
If a new leak is to be believed, the iPhone 13's camera setup will offer a huge upgrade over previous models – but it will come at a cost, with the overall thickness of the device set to increase. Could a loss of portability hinder its chances of hitting our best camera phones list?
A recent render of the upcoming iPhone 13 (Image credit: Jonas Daehnert)
iPhone 13 schematics seen by MacRumors suggest the iPhone 13 models will be slightly thicker than their corresponding iPhone 12 models, thanks to thicker camera bumps. According to the report, the camera bumps will increase by around 1mm for iPhone 13 models, and up to nearly 2mm for the iPhone 13 Pro.
The good news, of course, is that said camera setup will offer several photography enhancements. We've already heard that the ultra-wide camera could offer a much larger aperture than its predecessor, and MacRumors suggests sensor-shift stabilization could be coming to both Pro models, if not the entire iPhone 13 lineup. Currently, only the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the feature, designed to reduce the effects of camera shake.
MacRumors' mockup of the new camera bumps (Image credit: MacRumors)
As well as a larger camera system, we've also heard recently that the iPhone 13 will feature a smaller notch – which could also explain the slightly thicker design, with some Face ID components said to be moving into the side of the device. Often seen as a blight on the iPhone, the notch takes up precious display real estate – and no creative is likely to say no to anything that turns the screen into an even larger digital canvas for the best apps for graphic designers.
While the thickness increase is only a matter of millimetres, even the slightest jump could be bad news for anyone looking for the most portable device possible. We loved the size of last year's iPhone 12 mini, and aren't super excited at the prospect of an iPhone 13 slightly-less-mini.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
