iPhone 13 mini leak could be the first real image of the next iPhone

iPhone 12 mini
(Image credit: Future)

We've already seen a considerable number of iPhone 13 leaks that give us a pretty clear picture of what to expect from the next iPhone, but what we hadn't seen were images of the actual phone. 

That may no longer be the case as an image found by Gizchina on Chinese social media site Weibo allegedly shows the iPhone 13 mini. While this should certainly be taken with a grain of salt considering the unsubstantiated source, it's, at the very least, a convincing reproduction (via BGR).

The rear camera array is the most notable detail as it features the rumored diagonal layout for the rear lenses of the non-Pro models that we've seen in numerous recent leaks of both renders and schematics. The microphone and flash are now aligned diagonally as well to balance things out and, as most have now confirmed, the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 will not be adding LiDAR.

Alleged image of an iPhone 13 mini prototype

(Image credit: Weibo)

The camera array and lenses are also perceptibly higher than on the current iPhone, again matching the CAD design leaks that we've seen which are purportedly being used by case manufacturers to prep for the new iPhones. I prefer Samsung's solution to the protruding rear camera with its contour-cut housing, but case manufacturers should be happy as I can't imagine using this phone without one.

The back of this iPhone also appears to have a matte finish, which would be a fantastic change from the fingerprint magnet glossy iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini. This again has been noted in previous rumors, so it's added hope or at least further evidence that whoever made this mockup is paying attention.

Whether it is a real prototype or simply a very well-crafted fake, this is certainly the best look that we've had so far of what most agree is the final design for the iPhone 13. With a presumed announcement in September, we've got a little over four months to go until Apple reveals these phones on stage, but given the volume of leaks so far, I have no doubt we'll see plenty more of them before then.

Sean Riley

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.