Almost two months ahead of the announcement, Apple is asking its suppliers to speed up production of the next-generation iPhone. The company expects to ship 90 million units of the so-called “iPhone 13” by the end of this year, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
As mentioned by the report, citing sources familiar with the matter, Apple usually orders about 75 million units of a new iPhone for its launch period, which usually runs from September-October to the end of the year. This year, however, the company wants to increase its production by 20%.
The main reason for ordering more iPhone units is that the company probably believes that this year’s phones will have stronger sales as the COVID-19 vaccination progresses around the world. This will also be the second iPhone update with support for 5G networks, which may push even more people to upgrade.
Bloomberg, which had previously revealed multiple details about the next-generation iPhone, now reinforces that the changes to this year’s models will be “more incremental” when compared to the iPhone 12, which was announced with a new flat-edge design.
iPhone 13 (or iPhone 12S) will remain available in the same sizes as the current generation, ranging from 5.4 inches to 6.7 inches. Codenamed D16, D17, D63, and D64, the company is expected to keep two entry-level models and two more advanced models, which are known as the “Pro” lineup.
The report corroborates that at least one of this year’s new iPhones will have an LTPO display, which is capable of offering variable refresh rate. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 13 Pro will have a 120Hz display for the first time, just like the iPad Pro. Although the external design will remain pretty much the same, Apple is working on a smaller TrueDepth camera to reduce the size of the notch.
The next-generation iPhone will also get camera upgrades, including improved optical zoom and new video recording capabilities. The new System-on-Chip (SoC) will keep the same six cores as the A14 Bionic, but with faster performance. Bloomberg says that Apple has been testing iPhone versions without a notch and with Touch ID under the screen, but these features are not expected in 2021.
