Images shared by Japanese site Mac Otakara claim to show a 3D-printed mockup of the upcoming 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro with a smaller notch, and repositioned earpiece and front camera, but with minimal changes otherwise.
According to the images, Apple plans to move the earpiece to the top of the notch within the screen bezel, lining up with a previous photo shared by MacRumors that shows the same design change.
The alleged iPhone 13 Pro mockup, which is presumably based on leaked design drawings that frequently circulate among case manufacturers and others well ahead of Apple's official unveiling, also shows the front-facing camera moved to the left side of the notch, a change compared to its current location to the right side of the notch. Pictures of the alleged front glass panel for the iPhone 13 lineup shared with MacRumors also show a cutout on the left side of the notch for the camera.
Mac Otakara has also shared specific dimensions of the notch for the upcoming iPhone 13 Pro, demonstrating how much the notch is expected to shrink. Compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, the mockup suggests the 2021 Pro iPhone will feature a notch that is 5.35 mm in height vs. 5.30 mm for the iPhone 12 Pro, and 26.80 mm in width, down from 34.83 mm. Visually, the notch will be smaller in width but will be slightly taller.
Rumors about a smaller notch have been present since the launch of the iPhone X, which first introduced the TrueDepth system and the notch. Apple may be able to reduce the footprint of the notch thanks to the relocation of the earpiece and the repositioning of the front camera. Other than the reduced notch, the images shared by Macotakara reveal no changes to the rear camera or other aspects of the iPhone's design.
While lacking in design changes, the iPhone 13 is rumored to come with some key new features. The higher-end iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are rumored to come with a ProMotion 120Hz display, and the entire lineup is expected to feature a faster A15 chip, improved cameras, and new colors, including matte black.
