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iPhone 13 rumored to have 120Hz always-on display

This could make it easier to check the time and see notifications at a glance.

Andrew Gebhart Former senior producer
2 min read
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The iPhone 12 is only a few months old, but rumors about the iPhone 13 are already out there.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Apple's next iPhone could have a sharper display that's helpful at a glance, to go along with a few new camera features and a smoother refresh rate. Well known tech leaker Max Weinbach shared this info via YouTube channel EverythingApplePro on Sunday. Nothing is official, but according to Weinbach, the iPhone 13 will have an always-on OLED screen with refresh rate of 120Hz.

The always-on feature will be similar to current Android phones. Weinbach called it a "toned down lock screen" with minimal customization. The clock and battery charge will always be visible and notifications will temporarily pop up when they arrive, he said. 

OLED makes this possible, as the iPhone will be able to send power to just the pixels needed to display the pertinent info, instead of lighting up the whole screen to display anything, which is necessary with the iPhone's current LCD tech. The 120Hz refresh rate might be limited to the iPhone 13 Pro models.

In addition to the new screen tech, Weinbach detailed a few camera upgrades as well. Portrait mode will supposedly be available for videos. When taking still pictures, Portrait mode blurs the background of your image. The newest iPhones will apparently be able to maintain this focus on a moving subject in video form. The camera will also have a mode dedicated to astrophotography, so you'll be able to take great pics of the stars. 

Watch this: iPhone 13 rumor roundup

Weinbach isn't expecting much change to the physical frame from the current iPhone 12 to the upcoming iPhone 13, other than the backs of the phones could be more comfortable and easier to grip. He also said that the MagSafe magnets which attach the phone to chargers and other accessories will be stronger so the accessories will stay put.

Apple hasn't confirmed any of these details and didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.

We expect Apple's next iPhone to be released in the fall as usual. Here's everything else we know and expect about the iPhone 13.