Dummy 3D-printed 'iPhone 13' shows smaller notch and shifted speaker

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited April 2021
The notch of the "iPhone 13" could shrink down considerably, a mockup of what the smartphone may look like proposes, accomplished by moving the top speaker to the edge of the front glass panel.




Apple has been rumored to shrink the size of the TrueDepth sensor notch on the iPhone down since the iPhone 12, with the rumors resurfacing for the "iPhone 13." A new mockup of the widely-anticipated 2021 iPhone offers a hint as to what to expect from its arrival.

The mockup acquired by Macotakara is a 3D-printed dummy, which is said to represent the "iPhone 13 Pro" and supplied by "Alibaba Sources." The images show the notch as being slightly different in dimension, but ultimately seemingly smaller than current-generation notches.

The size of the notch itself is said to be 5.35mm in height, up from 5.3mm, while the width shrinks down from 34.83mm to 26.8mm. While slightly taller, the notch will apparently be narrower, due to the shift of the earphone speaker up into the edge of the front glass.

It is thought the infrared camera and light shooting illuminator on the left-hand side of the speaker are moved towards the middle of the notch. The reorganization may also shift the main camera from the right-hand side of the notch to the left.

No other major changes to the physical design were noticed in the dummy device.

It is unclear exactly how true to reality the mockup will be, especially given its relatively unknown sourcing. It is plausible that it could be constructed based on other recent rumors about the notch changes, rather than using official design schematics.

In March, the rumor of a smaller notch via a speaker shift appeared, in the form of a trio of glass panels supposedly intended for the "iPhone 13."

Earlier rumors about the "iPhone 13" claim it will have an f/1.5 wide-angle camera in the "Pro Max" model, will ship in new colors with a new fingerprint-minimizing coating, and a redesign of the rear camera system.


Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    AutigerMarkAutigerMark Posts: 64member
    Yuck.  That’s not an improvement.
    sdw2001
  • Reply 2 of 8
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    Why even run this story.  It’s a terrible mock-up without any sources that even sound credible.  Total speculation.  Not even good speculation.  
    CheeseFreeze
  • Reply 3 of 8
    currentinterestcurrentinterest Posts: 197member
    I doubt that aesthetic improvement was the motivation for this change (if it comes to pass), but has more to do with internal changes.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,302member
    Guess we’ll be waiting for the iPhone 14 to get rid of the notch and have a folding device.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    ravnorodomravnorodom Posts: 697member
    Horrible. My 3D printer at home does better job than this. Why not show the CAD drawing instead. This print out looks like it’s made from home-made 3D file.... I mean by looking at the round corners which are unusually large in proportion to the whole iPhone body. It’s definitely fake stuff.  
  • Reply 6 of 8
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    Shrinking the notch is Apple admitting its an undesirable design element to begin with, where they now can still claim it to be part of the design aesthetics. 
    Let alone software developers having to design for another phone layout.

    I don’t think Apple will shrink it; they’ll go straight to removing it, when they are able to, or go for a more radical change we haven’t thought of.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    Notch is just fine, recognizable as Apple....Bang bang loud. Not an issue for a Pro Max w large real estate 
  • Reply 8 of 8
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    Shrinking the notch is Apple admitting its an undesirable design element to begin with, where they now can still claim it to be part of the design aesthetics. 
    Let alone software developers having to design for another phone layout.

    I don’t think Apple will shrink it; they’ll go straight to removing it, when they are able to, or go for a more radical change we haven’t thought of.
    Dear lord. No one on earth believes sensors cutting into the screen is ideal. Like most things there is a compromise and of course Apple would like to shrink and eventually eliminate it, and there is no mistake their engineering is evolving to such a solution. Contrary to your claim there is no “Gotcha!” here, you’re just now realizing what everyone has understood from Day 1.
    edited April 2021 fastasleep
Sign In or Register to comment.