London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

The iPhone 13 Doesn't Need an M1, It Needs These 7 Things, on top of the obvious missing Home button

The iPhone 13 Doesn't Need an M1, It Needs These 7 Things, on top of the obvious missing Home button

Some rumors indicate that Apple could bring the M1 chip to the iPhone -- but it doesn't need an M1 chip. It needs these seven things instead, right after Apple will restore back the missing Home button.

Apple’s M1 chip recently made its way into the iPad Pro, giving it a serious performance boost. Some rumors indicate that Apple may take things a step further with the M1, bringing it to other devices, like the iPhone 13.

Now, it’s probably unlikely that Apple will bring the actual M1 to the iPhone, as the A-series chips already have a lot in common with the M1 anyway. But I don’t really care whether or not the iPhone 13 has an M1 chip. Why? Because there are plenty of things — seven, to be exact — the iPhone 13 needs more.

Smaller notch

Didn’t expect us to talk about the iPhone 13 without raising the possibility of a smaller notch, did you? The notch has more or less remained the same since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017, and it’s time for an update. While the notch interrupts the display, the result of having it is Face ID — which works great. Because of that, we don’t expect Apple to eliminate the notch altogether — at least not yet.

There have been plenty of rumors about Apple minimizing the size of the notch, but we’ll have to wait and see just how much it’s able to shrink the cutout.

A fingerprint sensor


Until 2020, I probably wouldn’t have cared about the return of Touch ID. But then the pandemic hit, and while the new Unlock with Apple Watch feature works great, not everyone has or wants an Apple Watch, and sometimes it’s just easier to use a fingerprint sensor anyway.

Now, to be clear, I don’t want Touch ID to replace Face ID, and I don’t think it would anyway. Rather, I want it to serve as another option for those who can’t access Face ID. It would come in handy for situations where Face ID can’t see a face.

Data over MagSafe

MagSafe is a pretty great way to make wireless charging more convenient, as it ensures that your wireless charger properly snaps into place, magnetically. But the next step is allowing for data transfer over MagSafe.

This could be especially useful if Apple does eventually remove the Lightning port from the iPhone altogether, as there will still be niche scenarios where someone might want to transfer data over a wire. For example, my car offers CarPlay — but it doesn’t have wireless CarPlay. I would love to be able to snap my iPhone onto a MagSafe charger and have CarPlay without having to plug a cable into my iPhone.

A longer telephoto lens

The telephoto camera on the iPhone 12 Pro is … fine. But it’s not amazing. With only 2x optical zoom, the camera is easily beat my much cheaper competition, and we’d like to see this change with the iPhone 13 series. For starters, it would be nice if the entry-level iPhone 13 offered a telephoto lens in the first place, but even if it didn’t, the iPhone 13 Pro should offer at least 3x optical zoom. After all, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has one telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and one with a massive 10x optical zoom.

ProMotion


The ProMotion tech on the iPad Pro makes for a super-smooth, responsive feel, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. Rumors about that tech coming to the iPhone have been around for a few years, but Apple has yet to release an iPhone with a high refresh rate display. When it eventually does, we’re expecting it to be limited to “Pro” phones, like the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

It’s arguably overdue for Apple to bring a high refresh rate to the iPhone. Many of the iPhone 12 Pro’s competitors offer the tech, and many of them do so at a lower price — like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.

If Apple’s already building a high refresh rate into the iPhone, it could bring the variable refresh rate tech from the Apple Watch. This would allow the iPhone to change the refresh rate depending on what’s on the display, upping refresh rate to 120Hz for animations, and reducing it as much as possible (the Apple Watch can go down to 1Hz) when you’re doing things like looking at a photo.

USB-C

This one ain’t gonna happen. But we can dream, right? USB-C has not only become the standard connector type for Android phones, but also for all kinds of other products — including MacBooks. Users should be able to charge all their devices with one type of cable. Currently, Apple users have to use a USB-C cable for their MacBook, and a separate Lightning cable for the iPhone. That’s not at all intuitive.

An always-on-display


Lots of phones have an always-on display as a way to allow users to see the time and their notifications at a glance without having to turn on their phone’s screen. An always-on display on the iPhone would likely do the same, offering a clock and a representation of unread notifications. This would use the OLED display to preserve battery life, and may leverage a variable refresh rate,too.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×