There are still many months until the launch of the next iPhone. If Apple keeps its regular schedule, the new version of the phone won’t be announced until September. But its production chain in China is already producing some of the prototypes, and when that happens, the number of rumors and leaks about future phones skyrockets. It is precisely what has happened these days. Several leaks point to big changes in the versions of the terminal that we will see in the fall.

The most important ones will affect the screen. After being rumored as one of the features of the current iPhone 12 (which in the end did not include it), it seems that Apple phones will finally have screens with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, something that was already present in the iPad line Pro under the name ProMotion. These types of screens, with which a more fluid image is achieved in games and interface animations, are relatively common in high-end Android phones, but until now Apple had avoided them due to their higher battery consumption.

Another feature that could appear in the new iPhones is a screen capable of staying on permanently, showing the time and some simple notifications. It is something that the Apple Watch and some competing phones already do, but that until now Apple had resisted implementing. The jump to a lower consumption screen (similar in technology to the one that this year has Samsung’s Galaxy S21 line) and a more advanced processor could change this situation.

MORE POWERFUL MAGNETS

The EverythingApplePro YouTube channel, which previewed some of the new features of the current iPhone line in early 2020, also points to other significant changes for new phones. Apple, for example, will make the MagSafe magnetic docking system a bit more punchy. This system allows covers, wireless chargers, and accessories to align properly with the phone, but it is not powerful enough to hold, for example, the iPhone on the dashboard of the car.

Although a design change is not expected, Apple could also make some minor changes to the materials that make the iPhone. For some users, the back of the iPhone Pro is too slippery due to the glass texture and finish. A new texture would help in the next versions to make the grip feel more solid.

Another big change will be the incorporation of a higher quality sensor in the wide-angle rear camera, and a new astrophotography mode capable of detecting when the user is shooting at the night sky and modifying the exposure values ​​to better capture the moon and the stars. The iPhone camera, for the first time, would also be able to record video in portrait mode, mimicking the use of large-aperture lenses and blurring the background of scenes.

THE FINGERPRINT READER RETURNS

These rumors are in addition to some previous leaks that already suggested that Apple is studying returning TouchID fingerprint identification to iPhones. In a pandemic year, forced to wear face masks, one of the biggest frustrations for iPhone users has been not being able to use the FaceID facial identification system to unlock the phone. Apple has tried to mitigate this problem with different shortcuts, but no solution is as comfortable as identifying with some other type of biometric trait.

Apple has integrated a TouchID reader in the power button of the latest iPad Air, but for the iPhone, it could use a fingerprint reader under the screen like the one used by some of its rivals. iPhones will still have faced as their primary identification method, but TouchID will eliminate the hassle of having to enter the PIN when wearing the covered face.