Was That a Notchless Next-Gen iPhone on Ted Lasso?

We’ve been hearing speculation that the next generation of the iPhone will have a smaller camera notch than current models. Through either an unintentional leak or just a post-production editing mistake, the Ted Lasso audience got a peek of a notchless next-gen iPhone in the August 27 episode. The handset looks like an iPhone 12 from the rear, but images of the screen seem to show iOS 14 wallpaper without the usual cutout from the camera notch.

Apple is notorious for its secrecy, so it seems unlikely that this is a deliberate signal that the notch is disappearing from the iPhone 13. That said, it’s been rumored for months now that the iPhone 13 would have a much smaller notch or a hole-punch selfie camera. However, a completely notchless display isn’t believed to be in the cards for this year’s iPhone.

iPhone 13 Models to Be Thicker With Larger Camera Bump

Models of the forthcoming iPhone 13 will be thicker than their iPhone 12 equivalents. They will also have larger, thicker camera bumps and the lenses will stick out less. That’s according to ‌schematics seen by MacRumors.

In addition to a thicker camera bump, Apple is changing the overall size of the camera bump, a shift that will also be most noticeable on the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro. The ‌iPhone 12‌ and 12 Pro have camera bumps that measures in at around 28mm by 30mm, while the ‌iPhone 13‌ will have a camera bump that’s closer to square at around 29mm by 29mm, with the bump also located about a millimeter closer to the top of the iPhone. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro is expected to gain a larger camera bump, measuring in at around 36mm by 37mm, so rather than having a camera bump size similar to the ‌iPhone 13‌, it will be more similar to the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max.

No mini in 2022 iPhone Lineup, Says Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that there will be no iPhone 14 mini, in a new note seen by MacRumors. Despite its relatively poor performance, a smaller model is expected to be in the 2021 lineup.

“We predict that the new 2H22 iPhone will come in four models: the high-end 6.7″ and 6.1″, and the lower-end 6.7″ and 6.1″,” wrote Kuo. If there is no so-called iPhone 14 mini next year, the iPhone SE would regain the title of smallest iPhone with its 4.7-inch display. However, the current iPhone SE is actually slightly larger than the 5.4-inch mini model due to having thicker bezels and a Touch ID home button. The iPhone SE also has only a single-lens rear camera and is equipped with an LCD screen, whereas the iPhone 12 mini has a superior OLED display.

iPhone 13 : Orange is Not The New Black

Whether it’s clothing or iPhones, I generally stick to variations of black, grey, and white. (I got a Blue iPhone XR – a major step forward for me – before retreating back into my comfort zone with the darker )!) Forbes contributor David Phelan appears to be a big fan of brightly-colored devices though. He was disappointed that Max Weinbach and Filip Koroy from Everything Apple Pro have said an orange iPhone 13 is unlikely.

However, it almost always saves its brighter colors for the regular rather than the Pro. And Apple has come very close to an orange iPhone already in the shape of the iPhone XR in coral, which had a lobster-orange look to it. Anyway, if the thought of a matte-finish orange iPhone appeals to you as much as it does me—and, to be clear, it appeals to me a lot—then before we go any further I should tell you: it’s not coming. According to Weinbach, although it reached a certain stage in the production process, it’s unlikely to make it to launch. Well, I’m taking heart that that’s not a definite no, but it seems my hopes for an orange iPhone are currently doomed.

iPhone 13 Likely to Have Upgraded Ultra Wide Camera

The verification process for Chinese supplier Sunny Optical’s iPad 5P lens has reportedly gone smoothly, significantly increasing the probability of the ‌iPhone 13‌ shipping with its 7P Wide Angle lens. This would improve the Ultra Wide camera’s low light capabilities. That’s according to the latest TFI Securities note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by MacRumors. (The information does though conflict with a report from Barclays analysts.)

Kuo expects Sunny to begin mass shipments of its ‌iPad‌ 5P lens in the middle of the first quarter of 2021, supplying Apple with around 15% of those parts due to limited initial production capacity. It is not specified in the report which ‌iPad‌ model the 5P lens is destined for, but shipment proportion for both 5P and 7P lenses is expected to further increase to between 15-20% and 25-30% in 2022. According to Kuo, Sunny Optical’s greater competition will also put pressure on Largan, which is currently fueling a price war due to its significant technological advantages over other iPhone lens suppliers.

Analyst Ming Chi Kuo Starts Looking Ahead to iPhone 13

The entire iPhone 12 range is not yet available, with the final set of pre-orders opening Friday. However, thoughts are already turning to the next generation of devices. According to a note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by MacRumors, there will be four models of the next set of devices in the same sizes as this year’s.

Specifically, Kuo says the Ultra Wide cameras on the two high-end models will be significantly upgraded to f/1.8, 6P (six-element lens) with autofocus. All the current ‌iPhone 12‌ models are equipped with f/2.4, 5P (five-element lens) Ultra Wide cameras with fixed focus. Looking further ahead, Kuo says he also expects all the new 2022 iPhones (tentatively called the ‌iPhone‌ 14 series) to be equipped with the same improved Ultra Wide camera with f/1.8, 6P and autofocus. Kuo states that Largan is likely to become the major supplier of voice coil motors (VCM) for the improved Ultra Wide cameras. It is expected that Largan will obtain about 70% of the VCM orders for the ‌iPhone 13‌ under the advantages of vertical integration of lens production and VCM, versus 50% of the ‌iPhone 12‌ series’ Ultra Wide angle lens.