iPhone leaks are now so common that we have rumors concerning the features of new iPhones that are due to be released as far away as two years. If those rumored features sound extremely useful to you, then it might make sense to hold off on upgrading your current iPhone right now, and to instead wait for future models.
With that said, we have made a list of all the features that the 2021 iPhone will supposedly have. Please just remember to take everything written here with a pinch of salt. All the information in this article consists of rumors from sources that have proven to be somewhat accurate in the past.
Table of Contents
Talking Points
When discussing possible leaks about future technologies, such as mobile phones, multiple categories need to be assessed. First, we will establish all the relevant talking points and what they mean, and then continue on to discuss each one in detail.
Lineup and Price Tag
The price tag is the first thing people look at when buying a phone - it obviously needs to be within their price range. We will also talk about the entire rumored lineup of the new iPhones. Apple releases multiple models each year, and was expect that there will be no deviation from this with the 2021 iPhone release.
Design
A lot of users buy iPhones just for the design, making this category essential. When we say design, we refer to how the back looks, the front display design, as well as the materials used. The rumored information we have in this category is based on CAD (Computer-Aided Designs) that have been leaked. Moreover, we will be using the current iPhone lineup as a reference.
Performance
iPhones are at the top of the food chain when it comes to performance. A lot of gamers buy iPhones to get the best possible performance when playing mobile games. Performance can also dictate the longevity of a device. This category is essential for anyone who plays a lot of graphically intensive mobile games, or who plans on keeping their phone for more than the typical two-year cycle.
Battery and Charging
If you're a heavy user, then this category is critical. We will be discussing the charging speeds supported by the new phones, along with the charging methods that they are expected to support.
Camera
All modern flagship phones are, very generally, the same metal and glass sandwich. Phones, even by different companies, are hard to differentiate due to the advancement in technology.
However, one highly differentiating factor amongst different mobile companies is the camera they use in their phones. Apple's iPhones are nearly universally praised for their quality and technology, and in this world of selfies, having a decent camera is even more important.
Miscellaneous
This category contains all the other small features not descriptive enough to have a separate title.
Lineup and Price
The 2021 iPhone lineup hasn't been leaked yet, but we can make an educated guess.
For the 2020 iPhone, there will be four iPhones that will be released. It is expected that in 2021, the same iPhone lineup was be released, just with updated specifications. Reputable leakster, Ming-Chi Kuo, leaked this information. Additionally, there are also rumors of a fifth iPhone, which would be a successor to the popular iPhone SE 2020. The name of this new phone will probably be the SE 2 Plus, coming in at 5.5 or 6.1 inches and it could cost slightly more than the SE at US$350.
Apple is known to launch expensive products, but we think that the pricing of their 2021 models could be very reasonable. The success of the iPhone 11 has taught Apple that the budget segment of the market holds a lot of potential, and we think that the cheapest iPhone after the SE should cost about US$550 to US$650. This would be a bold move by the company that sells computer wheels for US$700!
We think that this new iPhone will beat out all the new phones available in the market. It might even pose a threat to the previous generation's used flagship models. that dominate this price segment. This iPhone will presumably be called the iPhone 13 and will have a plus variant for US$100 more. We think that these two iPhones will be precisely the same except for their screen sizes and battery capacities. The iPhone 13 Plus will have a 6.1-inch display as compared to the 5.4-inch display of the non-Plus variant.
There will be two top variants of the 2021 iPhones lineup as well. These will apparently be called the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. These phones will have a few small upgrades like better cameras and a higher screen refresh rate.
Along with those upgrades though, the Pro models are rumored to also have hefty price tags of US$1,000 and US$1,100 respectively. The screen sizes of these phones will be 6.1 and a massive 6.7 inches.
Design
We think that the design of the 2021 iPhones will see some changes as compared to the current models. The iPhones will be more boxed shaped, like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. Apple enthusiasts were big fans of the iPhone 4 design, and with the smaller iPhones, they would get just that.
The front and back will be made up of Corning Gorilla Glass. Depending on how fast the new form of Gorilla Glass is introduced, this phone might be more scratch-resistant than its predecessors. It is also expected to be more durable and have a higher impact resistance. The frame of these mobiles will be made up of stainless steel or aluminum, depending on what version you get.
The back of the phone will look the same, with the same square camera arrangement, which many dislike. The only difference will be the size of the cameras and the addition of an extra camera in the Pro models.
The most significant design change in the 2021 iPhones, however, will be the displays. These iPhones are expected to go notch-less. Apple has lagged behind other manufacturers in this department, but it looks like they have finally caught up. The notch was considered ugly back in 2017.
The sensors for face ID are expected to be placed on the top of the phone. What a lot of people may be disappointed with, though, is that Apple may be ditching Samsung to produce its displays. While the higher-end Pro models will still have the beautiful Samsung displays, the lower end models may have screens from BOE. BOE is the second-largest display manufacturer after Samsung. Their displays are great but aren't as amazing as Samsung displays.
The more top-end models, with the Samsung display, will also have higher refresh rates. This refresh rate feature has been introduced and championed by many companies including Oneplus, Samsung, and Google. Even Realme managed to use this technology on their budget phones. Luckily, Apple will introduce this feature in the 2020 iPhone series, and it will carry over to the 2021 series. A higher refresh rate results in a smoother display. Users of the iPad Pro series will already be familiar with this revolutionary technology.
Performance
Apple has been at the top of the game when it comes to mobile phone performance for several years now.
Their A series processors compete very handily against the next generation Android processors and we suspect that this trend will continue into the 2021 iPhones. We don't know the exact specifications of the next processor, but can guess that the processor will most likely be called the A15. It will be one of the most powerful processors on the phone.
Some added icing on the cake too, will be Apple's software. iOS is famous for making the best usage of its hardware and this is the reason that even iPhones with only 2GB of RAM don't cause a lot of problems.
Battery and Charging
The battery sizes and capacities for the 2021 iPhone lineup have not been leaked at this stage.
What we can assume, however, is that the battery will be 10 to 20 percent larger compared to the current iPhones, which already have fantastic batteries. Apple's new processors will be more efficient, thus consuming less power and this too should significantly improve the already excellent battery life.
One thing to consider, though, would be that a higher refresh rate will drain more battery. This won't significantly decrease the battery, but it might result in only a slight improvement in battery life, rather than a significant improvement. The non-Pro models might see that significant improvement because of the absence of a high refresh rate.
Possibly the most significant upgrade on these phones will be the charging technology. Apple will finally cease supporting the Thunderbolt port. This port was revolutionary for its time, but now it lacks behind the USB-C found on most other devices. Even the iPad and Macbooks have shifted to USB-C.
It was expected that the 2020 iPhones would be the first to adopt this method, however we have had to stick with the Lightning port for 2020 as well. As for 2021, Apple is expected to skip USB-C altogether. This may shock a lot of the readers, but Apple has different plans. They are rumored to be bringing an all-new magnetic charger, similar in function perhaps to the one seen on older generation MacBooks.
Apple is quite possibly preparing us for a completely portless future.
Just like the headphone jack, the iPhones will be the first to kill the charging port as well, and the competition will follow. This would mean that you would need to carry around an extra cable if your devices use USB-C. With USB-C, Apple could have achieved a uniform charging method in all their devices, but they appear to want something more significant.
The magnetic connector has its advantages, such as being easy to plug in and remove. The exact specifications of this new charger haven't been leaked yet, however, it is easy to speculate that the change would be controversial for most people provided that charging speeds are not compromised. If you don't like magnetic charging, then you could always rely on wireless charging. It should be noted that the iPhone SE will probably stick with the Lightning charger.
Camera
All the 2021 iPhones will come with a regular 12-megapixel lens. This has been the same for the past few years, but since the quality is amazing, and so there is no real cause for complaint.
Except for the SE, all other phones will come with a wide-angle lens. The exact specification of this lens has not been release, but it is expected to be significantly wider than the regular lens. All the Pro models will have an additional telephoto lens too, which is expected to provide 3 to 5 times optical zoom. The total digital zoom value will be much higher than this though.
A new sensor called the ToF (Time of Flight) sensor has been added as well. This sensor has been seen on other phones, like the Huawei flagships and it, along with another IR (Infra-Red Sensor), will provide fantastic bouquet effects. It can blur the background and give the "DSLR look" that all phone cameras try to achieve. These upgrades will significantly improve the camera quality of iPhones and will make them great contenders for the best camera on any phone.
Miscellaneous
We think that the fingerprint scanner will make a comeback on 2021 iPhones. All iPhones other than the SE 2 will be using the new under-display fingerprint technology. Apple previously ditched this technology due to it being less reliable than their Face ID, however now that the tech is ready, Apple can finally use it in their devices.
They will combine their Face ID with touch ID to produce an "acoustic image." This method will be more reliable than the other in-display fingerprint scanners. The displays of all the phones, other than the SE, will be OLED. Lastly, these phones will also come with 5G and WiFi 6 for better bandwidth.
Who Sould Buy 2021 iPhones?
Now that you know everything currently rumored about the 2021 iPhones, you might be wondering if this phone is for you.
If you own an iPhone 6s and older, then we recommend not waiting a whole year. The iPhone 6 is pretty unusable at this point, so we recommend buying the iPhone SE if you want the familiar form factor, or opting for the 2020 iPhones, which will be released in a few months.
If you own an iPhone 7 or newer and want a new iPhone, then we highly recommend waiting an additional year. The upgrades in the 2021 iPhones will be worth the wait.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you own an Android, then you should also wait. If you have a last generation Android, then you'll be impressed by the features of the new iPhones and they will seem a worthy upgrade for you. However, if you own an ancient Android that feels unusable, then we recommend going for the 2020 iPhones.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this current iPhone 20201 rumor roundup and that it has helped paint a picture of Apple's upcoming iPhone lineup. We should mention again, however, that all of the above are simply unconfirmed rumors at this stage.
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