Following the launch of the Galaxy Watch 4 series early last month, Samsung rolled out a significant update for the smartwatches. The update added Samsung Health to the watch settings, volume controls to the quick settings panel, and a new button to help users quickly cancel automatic workout detection. Now, Samsung is rolling out yet another update that brings a feature that should’ve been available at launch.
Samsung is rolling out updates for the Galaxy Buds plugins for the Galaxy Watch 4 (via Android Police). The update enables a handy feature that lets you control your Buds 2 from the watch while they’re connected to your phone. For the unaware, the Galaxy Watch 4 includes a Galaxy Buds app and widget that you can use to check the battery level of your earbuds. The app/widget also lets you enable/disable touch controls, ANC, and ambient sound. However, these features currently only work if your earbuds are directly connected to your smartwatch. This can prove to be a hassle if you’re listening to music via your phone.
(Images: Android Police)
The new update addresses this issue, and your Galaxy Watch 4 will now detect your earbuds even when they’re connected to your phone. In addition, your earbuds can now switch seamlessly between your watch and phone based on your actions. For instance, if you’re listening to music on your earbuds through your watch and play a video on your phone, your earbuds will now automatically switch to your phone.
It’s worth noting that the update has already started rolling out to users via the Samsung Store and the Google Play Store. If you haven’t received it yet, you can download the relevant APKs from the links below. The feature reportedly works with the Galaxy Buds 2, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Buds Pro, but it doesn’t work with the original Galaxy Buds from 2019.
Download the Galaxy Buds plugin for your earbuds from APKMirror:
Yesterday, Apple finally sent out invitations to its Special Event, which will take place virtually on September 14th. While we already had a fair idea of what Apple will announce at the event, some new information has now surfaced online. It confirms our speculations about the iPhone 13 lineup and Apple Watch Series 7, and highlights a few additional details.
According to a Twitter thread by @PineLeaks, here’s what to expect from Apple’s September Event:
iPhone 13 lineup
General
There won’t be a price hike across the lineup.
An under-display fingerprint scanner won’t be present.
The Pro models could feature an always-on display.
The device thickness and weight will increase, especially on the Pro Max variant.
Performance
The iPhone 13 mini will offer around an hour of extra battery life.
The Pro Max model will have an 18-20% larger battery than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Both 6.1” models will use the same battery components, with an expected 10% increase in capacity.
The Pro model’s battery might not perform as well as the regular 6.1” iPhone due to the presence of a 120Hz display.
The displays on the Pro models will switch from 120Hz to 60Hz when in low power mode, with no way to avoid that.
Cameras
All camera sensors will receive at least 15% more light, with the Ultra Wide one seeing up to 40% improvement.
Cinematic Video will try to keep the subject close to the center of the frame while ensuring it doesn’t come off as unnatural.
The OIS (optical image stabilization) system will switch to a less aggressive and smoother operating mode.
Night Mode will be able to recognize when stars are in the scene, and it will adjust accordingly.
A new algorithm will analyze structures and resharpen/adjust shadows in nighttime shots.
Apple has notably improved the Color Science in Night Mode shots.
The watches will likely receive the most significant battery life upgrade since the original Apple Watch, along with the larger displays.
While this thread reveals quite a few technical details, there’s still much more to look forward to. Apple almost always manages to keep a thing or two under the wraps until the main event. And we can’t wait to find out! Make sure to check back during and after the Special Event for our full coverage, summary, and commentary.
While HUAWEI continues to have flagship launches like the P50 Pro, and consistently produce phones with top-notch photography abilities, we shift our focus to their mid-range products. This September we will see the launch of the HUAWEI Nova 9. While nothing has been confirmed by HUAWEI, some specs and photos have leaked before the official announcement. In this article, we will go over everything we know about this upcoming phone so far.
Battery Capacity
According to information from the Chinese 3C certification center, we can expect two models in the Nova 9 series this year. There will be a standard Nova 9 unit as well as a Nova Pro option. Right now we know at least one difference between the two models is going to be battery capacity and charging speed. The Nova 9 will have a 4500mAh capacity and a 65w charging speed. On the other hand, the Pro model will have a slightly smaller 4000mAh capacity, but a much faster 100W charging speed.
Leaked Design
The design of these two new phones will be very similar to the previous Nova 8. The most distinctive feature is the large oval camera bump on the back of the phone. Leaked photos give us a first look at how this design was transferred over to the Nova 9.
HUAWEI Nova 8 Pro
Rumored Specs
Other specs like CPU, RAM, and storage are still unknown. However, we do know that the Nova 9 will be powered by chips that support 5G, but will be limited to 4G networks. Based on currently available hardware, it is likely that the Nova 9 will be powered by the Kirin 990E chipset which includes the Mali-G76 graphics accelerator.
Software
As far as software goes, we know that the HUAWEI Nova 9 Pro will be one of the first phones to ship with HarmonyOS 2.1.
Stay tuned for more updates on the mid-range Nova 9 series, and a full launch which should come sometime in September.
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This has been a great year for smartphones so far — conventional slab phones are all extremely polished, and foldables are coming into their own. So if you’re looking to upgrade your phone, now is as good a time as any. We here at XDA test almost every smartphone on earth, so here’s our expert guide on the best smartphones — covering both the best Android and best iPhone — depending on your budget or need!
The Apple iPhone 12 is not the most capable smartphone on the market right now — heck, it’s not even the most capable iPhone right now — but it tops the list here because it’s the best purchase option for most people. Yeah, it can’t capture zoom photos as well as an iPhone 12 Pro, and the 60Hz screen with a notch cutout definitely don’t look as immersive as the 120Hz nearly uninterrupted screens of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. But for the average consumer, those extra bells and whistles are not worth paying an additional several hundred dollars.
The iPhone 12 is also just the right size, it’s not as wide and unwieldy as the iPhone 12 Pro Max but its screen is not as cramped as the iPhone 12 Mini either. Throw in the fact it has 5G support in every part of the world with 5G rollout (you don’t have to worry about bands, like with Androids) and that Apple has the most complete eco-system with the widest selection of third-party accessories around, and you have a phone that holds the most appeal to most people. It’s the phone the average Joe looking for a new phone should consider first.
The iPhone 12 is the best overall phone for most people -- it's not too expensive, is guaranteed to work in all parts of the world, and has the most complete eco-system to boot.
This category is different from the above “best overall” category in that this is no longer looking at it from an average consumer perspective. This category is for people who follow the smartphone scene closely and want a phone that offers the best combination of specs, features and value.
There were a lot of worthy contenders but the OnePlus 9 Pro is our choice in this spot. It’s got a brilliant 120Hz OLED display that’s almost as good as the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s (it falls short in peak brightness by a hair), premium build quality, excellent haptics, and a really strong main and ultra-wide camera. In fact, the only area in which the Galaxy S21 Ultra clearly beats the OnePlus 9 Pro is in zooming prowess. But then the OnePlus 9 Pro charges much faster, and costs $250 less. So ask yourself, do you want sharp 10x photos or save $250?
There will be readers who push back at the idea of a $900-ish phone being called “affordable”, but four-digit pricing for top tier flagships have been a reality in the smartphone space for several years now. It’s worth remembering these are now cutting-edge personal computers. The OnePlus 9 Pro offers almost everything those four-digit phones do without crossing that mark.
Best Large Foldable Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
If you were interested in foldable phones before but had some concerns, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 may change your mind. It took the already exceptional Z Fold 2 and adds official water resistance, more durable materials covering the hinge and screen, and support for the S-Pen. It’s the best mobile device for multi-tasking, and Samsung somehow managed to lower the price a little bit this time too.
With a Snapdragon 888, excellent speakers, and that large 7.6 inch screen, the Z Fold 3 is excellent for gaming or movie watching. While the cameras aren’t the best around, they’re still quite good and enough for most.
Best Small Foldable Phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Do you think current slab smartphones have become too big to fit comfortably in your pocket? If so, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is for you. A compact clamshell foldable that, when folded up, can fit into the breast pocket of a jacket or a small women’s purse, the Z Flip 3 is a compact yet powerful device.
The Z Flip 3 features a 6.7 inch 120Hz OLED display on the inside, and a 1.9 inch cover display that’s ideal for quick interactions with the phone when it’s closed. And because the phone can stay open mid-fold, it’s a great hands-free video watching or video call taking device too. With IPX8 water resistance and a durable hinge, the Z Flip 3 should ease fragility concerns.
Now that Samsung has confirmed there is no new Galaxy Note phone this year, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will remain Samsung’s absolute apex slab top dog and best camera offering until possibly 2022. That’s okay because the Galaxy S21 Ultra is that good a phone. Other than objective opinions like “it’s too big” or nitpicky things like a split-second shutter lag, this is a phone that doesn’t have a weakness. It’s the apex slab smartphone.
It has the most versatile camera system around: four strong cameras that cover focal lengths from 13mm to 240mm (not even factoring in digital zoom). The main 108MP sensor captures razor-sharp photos during the day, and at night can make do without night mode trickery due to its large sensor size. The ultra-wide is not the best ultra-wide around, but it’s still very good in terms of maintaining the sharpness and keeping consistent color science. The two zoom lenses are the best the industry has to offer right now, especially the Periscope lens that can capture 10x optical zoom photos. In fact, even up to 20x digital zoom, photos remain very usable for social media.
The rest of the phone is top-notch too — the best display in the industry, the best SoC in Android, and one of the longest-lasting battery lives in a flagship.
Samsung makes a lot of different phones aimed at different markets. If you want to take a look at a narrower list, here are all the best Samsung Galaxy phones.
Best Big Phone: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
There are many Android phones with 6.7 inch screens, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max‘s 6.7 inches feels bigger because Apple uses a wider aspect ratio and the screen is completely flat. It’s an unapologetically big phone, with hard stainless steel sides and the weight to boot.
In addition to the large screen, you also get the best battery life in an iPhone in years, a slightly superior camera system with superior OIS than the other iPhone 12s, and a 2.5x optical telephoto lens (65mm equivalent) that makes the iPhone 12 Pro Max the best phone for portraits.
The iPhone 12 Mini isn’t just small — it’s tiny. It’s a phone that most people will be able to use with one hand with ease. Despite its small size, it is still among one of the most powerful phones around, thanks to that Apple A14 Bionic chip and well-optimized iOS. In fact, everything we said about the iPhone 12 a few paragraphs up applies here, as the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are virtually the same phone, except for differences in screen and battery size.
The latter however is the Mini’s downfall — its super small battery has struggled to last a full day for most reviewers. But if you can usually afford a midday quick top-up, that’s not going to be an issue. At $799, it’s also relatively cheap for an Apple product.
The iPhone 12 Mini is the smallest flagship in years. Despite its petite size, it packs arguably the most powerful SoC in a smartphone right now, along with one of the very best cameras.
With dimensions of 148mm x 68.5mm x 8.9mm and a weight of 169g, the ASUS Zenfone 8 isn’t quite as petite as the iPhone 12 Mini, but in the Android space, it’s still a breath of fresh air. Most adults should be able to use the phone one-handed with relative ease, as the 5.9-inch OLED screen doesn’t stretch too high up.
Despite the small size, the phone packs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 SoC with a 4,000 mAh cell and copious amount of RAM. You also have a 64MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a headphone jack! If you are tired of big Android phones, this is the one to get.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was highly popular last year because it offered a flagship SoC and 120Hz Samsung AMOLED screen at a much lower price than the company’s top-tier Galaxy S and Note phones. In April 2021, the Galaxy S20 FE’s Snapdragon 865 can no longer be called flagship level, so this phone is now firmly a mid-ranger, which is a fitting place for this plasticky device anyway.
Still, that 120Hz screen is as vibrant as ever, and while the cameras here aren’t as groundbreaking as the S21 Ultra’s, it’s still very capable and versatile. If you want the Samsung flagship experience at a discount, this is worth a look.
The Galaxy S20 FE is a near-flagship quality Samsung phone at a good price. You get a lot of premium features seen on more expensive phones, at a much lower budget. For some users, the polycarbonate body is also a plus.
When LG released the weird Wing last year with its swivel design that revealed a second screen, it appeared to be a comeback of sorts for the South Korean tech company, whose mobile division had fallen on hard times.
Little did we all know, the LG Wing would be the last LG smartphone, with the announcement that LG electronics is closing its mobile department. For a farewell product, the LG Wing is very noteworthy — it may not have the best cameras or processor, but it has a unique design that is not only a breath of fresh air in the sea of familiar slabs but also genuinely useful for people who frequently multitask.
LG promises continued software support for its already released products, so interested consumers have some assurance on that end.
If you do lots of mobile gaming and want a device that can keep up, then look no further than the ASUS ROG Phone 5. Between the blazingly fast and buttery smooth 144hz display, large 6,000 mAh battery, dual front-facing stereo speakers, up to 18GB of RAM, and touch-sensitive shoulder buttons, there isn’t a smartphone out there more equipped to handle mobile gaming.
Retailing for $299, it’s hard to find a phone at this price point (in the US) that’s more capable than the OnePlus Nord N10. For a quarter of the price of an iPhone 12 Pro Max or Galaxy S21 Ultra, you’re getting a 5G-ready handset with a 90Hz OLED display and a multi-camera system that offers a solid wide and ultra-wide camera.
One thing to note, even the very definition of “budget” differs from person to person, and a singular choice may not be able to properly appreciate the nuances of all individuals. If you’re looking for more options, here are some other great cheap Android phones for you to consider.
Best Smartphone not sold in the US: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Featuring a Snapdragon 888, 120Hz OLED display, a 50MP with the largest image sensor in the smartphone space, and a capable ultra-wide and Periscope zoom lens to boot, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra may be the one slab phone that can challenge the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for slab phone supremacy.
If you’re into selfies, there’s also a second display located on the camera island module so you can take selfies with the main camera system (there’s still a selfie camera on the front side of the device if you prefer to shoot the traditional way).
The Mi 11 Ultra isn’t selling in North America, but it’s available in China, chunks of Europe, and Southeast Asia, and will soon be available in India. So importing one shouldn’t be difficult — if you’re ready to pay the Samsung/Apple-level four-digit price.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is a culmination of the company's best hardware in a smartphone yet, featuring a great display, a great camera setup, great performance, and more.
Second-Best Smartphone not sold in the US: OPPO Find X3 Pro
In our review, we called the OPPO Find X3 Pro the phone with the best ultra-wide camera around, and that title still stands. That’s because OPPO uses the exact same Sony IMX 766 sensor for both the main and ultra-wide cameras. This also means there’s more consistency between photos captured by the main and ultra-wide camera.
Elsewhere, the Find X3 Pro has a brilliant 120Hz, WQHD+ 10-bit display panel that can display over a billion colors, and is powered by all the latest components like Snapdragon 888 and UFS 3.1. There is also a never-before-seen microscope camera that allows the phone to capture eerily close-up shots, like the ability to capture individual strands of fabric in your shirt. It does lose out to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra in zooming capabilities, hence this runner-up spot.
There are a lot of good phones to choose from right now, and we hope this guide helped. We will update this guide every month as we test more phones, so be sure to check back often. Let us know which phone you’re using now and which one you’d consider as your next phone!
The iPhone 13 launch is expected to take place in just a few days, but leaks about the upcoming devices have already revealed quite a bit. Over the last few months, we’ve learned several details about Apple’s next iPhone lineup from these leaks, and we’ve collated all the information in this post. In case you missed our previous coverage, here’s everything we know about the iPhone 13 series so far.
Apple iPhone 13 series: Release Date
Even though the iPhone 12 series wasn’t launched in September last year due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, rumors suggest Apple will revert to its September launch timeline for the iPhone 13 lineup as it won’t face the same production delays.
This information comes from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who’s claimed Apple will begin mass production of the upcoming models as per its regular schedule. However, it’s worth noting the global semiconductor shortage may cause unforeseen delays this year as well.
The latest update from the rumor mills suggests the iPhone 13 may indeed be back to Apple’s original launch schedule with an event expected to take place on 14th September 2021. All four iPhone models for this year — the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max are expected to be launched at this time with pre-orders going live on 17th September. All the iPhone models are expected to go on sale starting 24th September.
Yesterday, Apple sent out media invites for a special event titled California Streaming set to take place on 14 September 2021. In all likelihood, this event is where the new iPhone 13 series of devices will be launched. You can read more about what to expect from this event and the new products that are expected to launch.
Apple iPhone 13 series: Variants & Pricing
Despite poor iPhone 12 Mini sales, Apple will reportedly launch four iPhone models this year as well. If Apple adopts the iPhone 13 moniker for the 2021 lineup, the devices will be called iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The iPhone 12 series
However, Apple may revive its “s” branding this year since the upcoming models are expected to feature minor upgrades. If that’s the case, the upcoming devices will be called iPhone 12s Mini, iPhone 12s, iPhone 12s Pro, and iPhone 12s Pro Max. A July supply chain report suggests Apple will go with the “iPhone 13” branding instead of “iPhone 12s” for the 2021 iPhone lineup. However, we’ve seen several contradictory reports about this matter, so we’ll have to wait and see how things turn out.
Irrespective of the name Apple settles on for the 2021 iPhone lineup, we can expect to see four new devices in September this year. These devices will likely be priced the same as the iPhone 12 range, starting at $699 for the iPhone 13 Mini and going up to $1,099 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. In fact, PineLeaks, via a series of tweets has published various information regarding the new iPhone 13 including a tip that the iPhone 13 series will not see a price bump and will be priced the same as last year’s iPhone 12 series.
A new regulatory filing in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database has revealed the model numbers of several unreleased iPhones. These model numbers don’t correspond to any of the existing iPhones, which suggests Apple may have registered the upcoming models with the EEC. The model numbers are: A2628, A2630, A2634, A2635, A2640, A2643, and A2645.
Design
The upcoming iPhones will likely be the same size as their predecessors, with the iPhone 13 Mini sporting a 5.4-inch display, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro packing 6.1-inch panels, and the top-of-the-line iPhone 13 Pro Max featuring a 6.7-inch display. The phones may also come with the same boxy design as last year, with the two affordable models featuring an aluminum frame and the two Pro models featuring stainless steel frames.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 Mini
While the iPhone 13 lineup may look pretty much the same as the iPhone 12 lineup, rumors suggest the upcoming models will pack a smaller notch. Leaks suggest Apple will move the earpiece closer to the edge and offer a shallower True Depth camera on its 2021 lineup to offer a slimmer notch.
Although the notch may get slimmer, industry sources claim the iPhone 13 lineup will be 0.26mm thicker than the iPhone 12 lineup. The same sources also reveal the camera module on the iPhone 13 lineup will be a bit larger as well — 0.9mm larger than the older models, to be exact. Leaked images of the display glass for the upcoming iPhones (attached below) give us a preliminary look at what the notch may look like. The new Face ID sensors are rumored to support face unlock even with a mask on which is great news for people living in regions where a mask is still compulsory.
Image: MacRumors
The devices are also expected to include stronger magnets for MagSafe charging and other accessories. Rumors also suggest Apple may offer a matte black color scheme on the next-gen iPhone lineup in place of the standard space gray color scheme, a new stainless steel coating to reduce smudges and fingerprints, and improved noise cancellation with beam-forming for phone calls.
If you’re wondering what the iPhone 13 series may look like, you can check out renders created by Concept Creator in partnership with LetsGoDigital (attached above). You can also check out Unbox Therapy’s video showcasing a dummy model of the iPhone 13 Pro Max to get a better idea of the design. Mac Otakaraand leaker DuanRui have also shared similar images of iPhone 13 mockups showcasing the smaller notch and a repositioned earpiece.
(Image: MacRumors)
Leaked dummy models of the iPhone 13 lineup have also surfaced online, giving us an accurate representation of the upcoming devices. These dummy models line up with all the rumors we’ve seen so far.
Touch ID
So if the notch isn’t going anywhere, will Apple offer an in-display Touch ID sensor on this year’s models? That may be the case if recent reports are to be believed. According to Bloomberg, Apple has been testing an in-display Touch ID sensor that may make an appearance on the 2021 lineup.
A report from The Wall Street Journal suggests the Touch ID sensor could be of the optical variety, but we’ve also heard rumors that Apple may source ultrasonic sensors from Qualcomm and others for its next-gen iPhones. At the moment, we can’t confirm if the iPhone 13 lineup will feature a Touch ID sensor or not, but if it does, it’ll be made available in addition to the Face ID sensor. Apple doesn’t seem to have any plans to drop Face ID from its upcoming iPhones.
It’s worth noting that Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed while Apple is working on bringing back the Touch ID sensor on iPhones, it won’t make an appearance on the iPhone 13 lineup. Instead, Kuo states Apple will integrate the Touch ID sensor in the power button on a lower-end model, likely the next iPhone SE.
More recent leaks have pointed towards Face ID being the only method of biometric authentication on the new iPhone 13 series of devices, so looks like no in-display Touch ID yet.
120Hz ProMotion Display
Ahead of the iPhone 12 launch last year, we heard multiple rumors suggesting the top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max would feature a 120Hz ProMotion display. However, the feature was delayed due to battery life concerns. This time around, rumors suggest Apple may finally implement 120Hz displays on two of the four upcoming models. These will likely be both the Pro variants, and they may feature low-power LTPO OLED panels to address any battery life concerns. The normal, non-pro variants will mostly ship with 60Hz displays.
Apple will most likely source the 120Hz LTPO OLED panels from Samsung, and reports suggest BOE may also supply some displays for the other two models. Leaks also suggest that Apple will use Y-OCTA display technology on the upcoming models, which allows touchscreen circuitry to be patterned on the OLED panel without needing a separate layer. This makes the displays a bit thinner and more affordable.
Thanks to the LTPO OLED panels on the Pro variants, Apple may also offer an Always-on Display feature on the upcoming phones. In a video by renowned Apple leaker EverythingApplePro, Max Weinbach claims the iPhone 13 lineup will include an always-on display feature that will look like a simpler version of the iOS lock screen with a clock and battery charge levels. The Always-on display feature will also be used to display notifications, but it won’t light up the entire screen for incoming notifications to conserve battery. According to PineLeaks, the display’s refresh rate on both Pro models will be throttled to 60Hz when the low power mode is enabled.
While some rumors also suggest Apple may offer a portless iPhone this year, Ming-Chi Kuo has dispelled these rumors and claimed Apple will continue using the Lightning connector on the 2021 lineup. Sadly, that means we aren’t going to get a USB Type-C port on the iPhones for another year. Apple’s own laptops and tablets mostly use USB-C, but the iPhones still won’t.
Cameras
While the iPhone 13 lineup may not feature many significant upgrades over the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple will likely offer notable improvements on the camera front. Recent leaks suggest the entire iPhone 13 lineup will feature sensor-shift stabilization, which debuted with the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year. This is expected to enhance low light performance and video stabilization by reducing camera shake. While we can be sure the feature will be available on the primary camera, Apple may extend it to the ultra-wide camera on some models.
Additionally, leaks suggest the high-end iPhone 13 Pro models will get an upgraded ultra-wide camera with a six-element lens and f/1.8 aperture. This should help improve low-light performance when compared to the current f/2.4 wide-angle cameras. While some reports suggest Apple will extend the new ultra-wide camera to all models, Kuo maintains it will only be available on the Pro variants. Apple may also offer improved autofocus capabilities on the upgraded ultra-wide camera.
Max Weinbach also claims that the iPhone 13 models will feature an astrophotography mode like the Google Pixel 4. This mode will allegedly turn on automatically when you point the cameras at the sky and allow the iPhone to detect the moon and stars and adjust the exposure to help you take a great photo. The Night Mode algorithms would also be improved along with the color science while taking pictures in low light as claimed by PineLeaks.
Apple added a LiDAR scanner to the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year. While some leaks suggested the scanner would make its way to all four devices in the iPhone 13 lineup, Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will be limited to the Pro models. Leaked 3D renders of the standard iPhone 13 model suggest Apple may change the camera layout in the upcoming lineup. Instead of a vertically stacked dual-camera setup, the iPhone 13 may feature a diagonally arranged rear camera layout. The vanilla model and the iPhone 13 Pro will also feature a thicker chassis and a slightly more protruded camera bump.
PineLeaks suggest that all the new camera sensors on the iPhone 13 might be able to capture up to 15% more light whereas the ultra-wide camera will see the biggest improvement with increased light intake by up to 40%. There’s apparently going to be a new portrait cinematic video mode with EIS that tries to keep the subject in the center of the frame at all times.
SoC, RAM & Storage
The iPhone 13 lineup is expected to come with a 5nm+ A15 chip manufactured by TSMC. At the moment, we haven’t heard any specific details about the A15 chip, but you can expect it to offer better performance and efficiency than previous versions. The phones may also feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 model for 5G, which will also offer better power efficiency than the Snapdragon X55 modem found on last year’s lineup.
According to recent reports, some iPhone 13 models may only feature single 5G band support, with either mmWave or sub-6GHz network capabilities. Additionally, reports suggest iPhone 13 models may come with Wi-Fi 6E support, which offers increased bandwidth over existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also suggested Apple will offer mmWave models of the iPhone 13 in several countries outside the US, including Canada, Japan, Australia, and some regions in Europe.
We’ve seen some rumors suggesting the iPhone 13 lineup may offer up to 1TB of internal storage, which is a significant jump from the 512GB maximum capacity offered on the iPhone 12 lineup. However, since no reliable source has confirmed this rumor so far, we’d recommend you take it with a grain of salt. Interestingly, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce has dispelled this rumor and claimed Apple will limit the iPhone 13 series to 512GB of storage.
Battery
The iPhone 13 lineup is also rumored to come with larger batteries. Reports claim Apple will use a new space-saving design on the upcoming models to integrate the SIM slot with the mainboard and reduce the front optical module’s size to make more space for the battery. This, coupled with the increased thickness, should help Apple cram larger batteries on the next-gen iPhones, resulting in longer battery life.
A recent leak on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo (now removed) suggests the iPhone 13 Pro Max will feature a 4,352mAh battery, up from 3,687mAh in the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, on the other hand, will feature 3095mAh batteries, up from the 2815mAh unit on their predecessors. Finally, the iPhone 13 Mini will likely feature a 2,406mAh battery, slightly larger than the 2,227mAh battery in the iPhone 12 Mini. PineLeaks also notes that the iPhone 13 Mini’s battery life would probably be about an hour more than what the 12 Mini offered.
At its annual WWDC event earlier this year, Apple showcased iOS 15 — the next major software release coming to iPhones. The company also released the first iOS 15 Developer Beta, giving us our first look at all the new features. The first developer beta brings a slightly revamped settings app, a host of new FaceTime features, Android support, different mic modes, new sharing features in iMessage, revamped notifications, and focus mode.
You can check out our hands-on preview of iOS 15 to learn more about the new features that will roll out to users later this year. If you’re interested in trying it out on your phone, you can check this post for supported iPhone models and then follow the instructions given in our dedicated installation guide. For more information about iOS 15, check out the rest of our coverage.
Apple iPhone 13 series: Our feature wishlist
If all the aforementioned leaks and rumors are to be believed, it looks like some of the features we wanted to see on the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup are going to materialize after all. This includes a 120Hz refresh rate panel, a smaller notch, and always-on display support. But there are still a few things we want to see on the next-gen iPhone lineup that hasn’t been confirmed so far.
First of all, Apple could (and should) roll out new software features with the upcoming iPhone lineup for better one-handed use. As my colleague Ben has pointed out in the past, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is hard to use with one hand due to the lack of a one-handed mode in iOS. Since Apple already has a version of iOS optimized for large displays (iPadOS), it would make sense for the company to release similar optimizations for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. As of now, Apple doesn’t seem to have added any such features to iOS 15.
Secondly, we expect to see a better telephoto camera on the upcoming iPhone models. While we’ve seen rumors suggesting Apple is working on a Periscope zoom lens for an iPhone, we can’t be sure if it’ll make an appearance with the iPhone 13 lineup.
Faster charging support is the third most important thing we want to see on the upcoming iPhone models. The current iPhone lineup only supports up to 20W fast wired charging, which is quite slow in comparison with what most Android phones have on offer these days. Although we don’t expect Apple to offer a 65W or a 120W fast charging solution on the next-gen iPhones, a 30W solution would definitely be ideal.
To top it up, we’d like to see Apple experiment with a curved display too. None of the iPhones so far have tried their hand at this trend that Android seems to have wholeheartedly accepted. A subtle curve on the display adds to the premium feeling of the device and even helps a bit with the ergonomics, while a waterfall curve is much more eye-catching and can be accomplished if paired with good palm-rejection features.
Sadly, none of the leaks we’ve seen so far mention any of the aforementioned features. So we can’t be sure if these features would make their way to the upcoming models or not.
What’s your opinion of the iPhone 13 lineup based on the leaks and rumors mentioned above? Are you disappointed by the minor upgrades or are you looking forward to upcoming devices? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Samsung recently unveiled the ISOCELL HP1, the first 200MP image sensor for smartphones. The sensor is equipped with 0.64μm-sized pixels and offers ultra-high resolution in a tiny package, promising big improvements to low-light performance. The ISOCELL HP1 comes with a new pixel binning technology called ChameleonCell, which allows the sensor to switch between two-by-two, four-by-four, or full pixel layout on the fly depending on the lighting condition. So far, Samsung hasn’t shared any details about when we can expect to see the new sensor on smartphones. But a new leak suggests it may make an appearance on an upcoming Xiaomi flagship.
According to noted leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Xiaomi’s next flagship will come equipped with a 200MP main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor. While the leak doesn’t specify the name of the device, it will likely be part of the upcoming Xiaomi 12 series.
Additionally, the leak reveals that Xiaomi will continue to use 108MP and 64MP sensors for its mid-range and affordable flagships. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen multiple reports about Xiaomi packing a 200MP primary shooter on the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. However, Notebookchecksuggests that the 200MP sensor would make an appearance on the vanilla Xiaomi 12, instead of the Pro or Ultra models.
The publication claims that Xiaomi has typically reserved new, high-resolution sensors for the vanilla models in its flagship lineup. For instance, the Mi 10 and Mi 11 both featured 108MP sensors, while the Mi 10 Ultra and Mi 11 Ultra opted for 48MP and 50MP sensors, respectively. To further back this claim, the publication points towards another leak from Digital Chat Station, which clearly states that Xiaomi is working on three flagships, and the entry-level model would use a 200MP sensor.
Currently, we haven’t seen any evidence to back up this claim. But we expect to learn more in the months leading up to the Xiaomi 12 series launch.
Motorola has unveiled a new over-the-air wireless charging solution that builds upon the tech that it showcased at CES earlier this year. The new over-the-air wireless charger can charge more devices than the previous model, and it can do so at a much greater distance.
In a demo video shared on Weibo, Motorola showcases its second-gen over-the-air wireless charging solution, which has a significantly larger footprint than the previous model. The post accompanying the demo reveals that the company has packed 1600 antennas on the newer model, which would explain the size difference.
As you can see in the video attached above, Motorola’s new over-the-air wireless charger can simultaneously charge up to four devices. Unlike the previous model, which had a limited range of just 100cm, the newer model can charge devices up to 3m away. The new charger addresses another limitation found on the older model, as it can now charge devices even if there’s an obstruction. Lastly, the video reveals that the new charger can cover a wider area, and it can charge devices placed within a 100-degree cone in front of it.
Motorola’s second-gen over-the-air wireless charger is a big step up from the previous model, and it even trumps similar solutions from Xiaomi and OPPO. Xiaomi’s Mi Air Charge Technology and OPPO’s Wireless Air Charging tech can only charge one device at a time. And while Xiaomi’s solution can charge a device a couple of meters away, OPPO’s solution only works if the device is a few inches from its surface.
At the moment, Motorola has not shared a release timeline for the new wireless charging tech. But the company is working with GuRu Wireless to develop a “new generation of wirelessly powered devices.” We hope to see this new tech in a commercial device soon.
