Thicker Apple iPhone 13 Is Rumored to Launch with a 50% Smaller Notch

It’s been a long time coming, but it seems Apple’s finally reducing the size of the notch on the upcoming iPhone 13. According to a new report, Apple plans to make the Face ID sensor up to 50% smaller.

This rumor comes from Digitimes, which reports that Apple will cut the VCSEL die size for the new iPhone 3D sensors. Apple could potentially reduce the size of these chips by 40 or 50% for new iPhone and iPad devices that will roll out later in 2021.

Even though Apple just announced a brand new iPad Pro a few weeks back, the company didn’t mention anything about a new Face ID sensor, so it’s highly likely that, if this is true, we’ll only see a smaller VCSEL sensor on the upcoming iPhone 13 this year.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Apple’s working on a smaller notch for the 2021 iPhone lineup. Just at the beginning of the year, we heard rumors that the new iPhone will feature a smaller notch and a new rear camera design.

Many models and renders have also shown the iPhone 13 with an overall smaller notch. That being said, we’ve heard rumors about a smaller notch ever since the notch was added to the iPhone, so it’s recommended that you take these rumors with a grain of salt.

The VCSEL, also known as vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, is a sensor that the iPhone and iPad models to help them “sense” their surroundings in 3D. Apple’s used this sensor for years to enable Face ID, and it’s the same one the company uses on the LiDAR sensor on the back of the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro.

Other recent rumors point out that the new iPhone 13 lineup will be thicker than the iPhone 12, and will also feature a larger camera bump on the back.

 

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]