iPhone 13 Notch Redesign, 5G iPhone SE, iPhone With Punch-Hole Cutout Coming, Says Analyst

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi reveals another update regarding Apple’s future product lineup. His sources from the brand’s supply chain claim the company might finally abandon the controversial notch which debuted on the iPhone X. Instead, its 2022 range could ship with hole-punch cutouts for the selfie cameras.

Moreover, Kuo believes that the next iPhone SE – due sometime next year – will pack a more powerful chipset with 5G connectivity in tow, reports GSMArena. The manufacturer is supposedly keeping the current model’s form factor and a 4.7-inch display.

Based on how Apple normally approaches hardware refreshes, Kuo implied that the rumored iPhone 13 series could be marketed as the iPhone 12S. The visual profile should stay the same, but the internal components and cameras will receive upgrades.

This is likely the reason behind Kuo’s projection of a 2022 release for the revamped iPhone models. These are expected to launch sometime in the second half of next year. Until Apple makes an official announcement, the tech industry will continue to refer to 2021’s upcoming iOS handsets like the iPhone 13.

Among the list of changes detailed by MacRumors is a smaller notch in addition to a low-power LTPO display unit with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The information was taken from a research note credited to Kuo.

According to the publication, discussions surrounding the 120 Hz refresh rate were previously shared by Ross Young, Jon Prosser, Max Weinbach, and other industry insiders. There have been rumors about Apple’s eventual shift from Lightning connectors to USB Type-C on a related subject.

In fact, the Cupertino, California-based tech group already marketed its newer iPad Pro models with USB Type-C instead of Lightning. Nevertheless, Kuo pointed out that the iPhone 13 will not switch to USB Type-C akin to the brand’s premium tablets.

“We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the MFi business's profitability, and its waterproof specification is lower than Lightning and MagSafe,” said the TF International Securities analyst. Given the substantial income it makes from licensing the use of its proprietary technology, changes are not happening anytime soon.

Finally, Kuo suggested that Apple’s management is considering making future devices portless and relying entirely on MagSafe for charging. Since the latter does not support data transfer, the iPhone 13 and its successors are not ready for a fully wireless ecosystem.