Forget iPhone 12: iPhone 13 leak reveals a game changing upgrade

(Epitome credit: Apple tree)

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are both a big step forward from the iPhone 11 serial, but they're not without their faults. The biggest upshot is shorter battery life over 5G, which probably led to Apple'due south decision not to adopt 120Hz screens this time around.

At that place are two likely culprits here. The first is pretty obvious: the iPhone 12 family has lower-capacity batteries than the iPhone 11 lineup. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pack a 2,815 mAh bombardment, compared to iii,110 mAh for the iPhone xi and 3,046 mAh for the iPhone 11 Pro.

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The second cause is slightly trickier: the introduction of 5G is clearly a battery drain as our iPhone 12 battery tests show. But in that location'south yet something Apple tree can practise almost this, and the good news is it has already committed to taking that step in the upcoming iPhone 13.

A recent teardown video on Chinese social networking site Weibo proved what many feared: the iPhone 12 uses Qualcomm's vii-nanometer X55 5G modem, which isn't known for its power efficiency.

Just Apple has already confirmed that this will change in the iPhone 13, and not via the usual insider leaks. Instead, the visitor revealed its plans on page 71 of its settlement with Qualcomm.

"Apple intends to commercially launch… New Models of Apple Products during the fourth dimension period between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022 (the '2021 Lanch'), some of which utilize the SDX60 Qualcomm Chipset," the certificate explains.

That's a big deal. The 5-nanometer X60 chipset tin can integrate directly into a phone's chipset, meaning a smaller footprint and lower battery drain. Not only that, merely 5G performance should be better likewise, equally it can combine mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G networks simultaneously.

Alee of the iPhone 12'south release, some rumors suggested that the handset would get this game changing upgrade early, but sadly that didn't come up to laissez passer. This was not surprising, though, given Qualcomm itself said that phones with the chip would first emerge side by side year.

Even without this 5G modem, though, the iPhone 12 family unit is a large upgrade over its predecessor. Non only is it l% faster in performance, but 5G connectivity beyond the board means faster browsing and downloads. There's also the introduction of MagSafe wireless charging and Ceramic Shield, which Apple says provides upwards to four times the level of protection from drops.

It all adds up to a compelling package and, equally we said in our four-star iPhone 12 review, "a serious step frontward for the most pop iPhone." Our 4.v-star iPhone Pro review was even more than glowing, stating that information technology "beats every Android telephone in its class in terms of operation and camera quality, fifty-fifty if it's a step behind in battery life."

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the spider web and in the occasional mag as well. When non weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably detect him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.