Apple’s next iPhone is coming soon. This is what to expect

Of course, Apple is in a hurry for what's to come. A company spokeswoman declined to comment on future products. However, iPhone production tends to be a leaky business.

First of all, what is it called? iPhone 13? It's probably a gamble, as Apple skipped the iPhone 11S and quickly moved to 12.

There's also a hypothesis that Apple can avoid numbers due to superstition, which is how some skyscrapers skip the 13th floor. A survey of 3,000 Apple users by used electronics supplier SellCell found that the iPhone 13 was delayed by 18%. But Apple didn't hesitate to name the iOS 13 software or sell the 13-inch MacBook. 

Whether it's the iPhone 13, iPhone 12S, iPhone 2021 or even the iPhone (15th generation), there are many new models this year. Here's what you can expect from future devices:

Minor changes

Gene Munster, Apple managing partner and analyst at venture capital firm Loup Ventures said:

Last year was significant for this device. The iPhone 12 model, which was the first to support the fastest 5G cellular network, has been redesigned to get two new sizes in the Mini and ProMax. Apple generally keeps track of major updates with lesser known releases. Munster said there will be incremental improvements, such as faster processors, longer battery life, and camera updates.

Camera improvements

“There are healthy rumors about the cameras, but it's true. I think that will be Apple's selling point this time around.

Munster reports Bloomberg that the high-end Pro and Pro Max camera models can support portrait mode (intelligently blurred background) and higher-quality video formats when recording videos. High-end Samsung Galaxy phones can use the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G to shoot in portrait mode (called live video focus) during video since 2019.

Another mini

Apple's iPhone 12 Mini with a 5.4-inch screen was sluggish. Counterpoint Intelligence Research Partners estimates that the Mini accounted for just 5% of total iPhone 12 sales during the quarter ending June 2021. Market research firm Trendforce reports that Apple has discontinued iPhone 12 mini production.

But Munster thinks there will be another mini this year. "It's a niche place, but people in this area tend to like it," he said.

We agree with Adam Wears, an analyst at Juniper Research. He expects Apple to phase out the Mini in the coming years, focusing on the standard and premium Pro and Pro Max models, and that the iPhone SE with a 4.7-inch screen will be a lower-priced model.

Increased availability of 5G

Wears also expects the upcoming iPhone to expand the use of high-frequency millimeter wave technology in mobile phones to more countries in Asia and Europe.

The iPhone 12 is universally compatible with the conventional sub-6GHz band, but the high-speed millimeter-wave antenna, which cannot travel long distances and is vulnerable to obstacles like trees, is only available on the US iPhone model.

Monness Crespi Hardt analyst Brian White agrees that it is likely to "benefit most from the early global 5G lamp."

Shipping delay

Apple said it was affected by the disruption to the global supply of microprocessors. “We will respond within a quarter of the time and, as you can imagine, we will do everything we can to de-escalate the situation,” said Tim Cook, Chief Analyst.

Munster said the company announced the phone in September and expects to go on sale in October, but most customers don't expect to receive the device until December.

Unfoldable - not yet

“The chapter after 5G is a foldable phone,” said Münster, who expects Apple to release the device in 2023. The competition in space is heating up: Samsung recently announced two foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. The first opens like a book and the second works like an old-fashioned mobile like the old Motorola Razr. The prediction that the iPhone would eventually flip is bolstered by the fact that Samsung is one of Apple's leading display manufacturers.

Joanna Stern found the pattern in launching Samsung and Apple. iPhone makers usually add features two years after Samsung. And if that timeline is any sign, the iPhone will soon have a screen with a built-in fingerprint reader and a faster 120Hz refresh rate for smoother animations.

Joanna has stated that Apple is working on in-display fingerprint technology and is considering embedding Touch ID and Face ID on the same device, according to former Apple employees. However, it will likely not appear this year.

What about other phones?

If you're in the upgrade market, there are of course other options to consider.

Google has already announced that the upcoming Pixel 6 will be powered by its own Google-designed chip and will feature a new camera system. Meanwhile, Samsung lowered its latest foldable price to $1,800 for the fold ($200 cheaper than its predecessor) and $1,000 for the flip(nearly $400 cheaper than last year's model). The Galaxy S21 is probably the best buy on Android, but Samsung could launch its next non-foldable Galaxy flagship in early 2022.

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