iPhone 13 notch looks like it was chopped in half in leaked image of its front glass

iPhone 12 Pro
(Image credit: Future)

The iPhone 12 features one of the more striking designs of any smartphone available today. But the massive notch at the top remains an eyesore that users have been hoping will go away since it was first introduced on the iPhone X.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the iPhone 13 will grant that wish. However, a new leak from MacRumors has given us a potential first look at a significantly reduced notch for the iPhone 13 which would be a fantastic start.

The leaked image originates form a Greek repair provider and allegedly shows replacement panels for three distinct iPhone 13 sizes that match the 5.4, 6.1 and 6.7-inch display sizes of the current iPhone 12 lineup. 

The notch appears to be roughly half the width of the current implementation and perhaps slightly shorter as well, but that's difficult to tell based on this image alone. You can see that the area for the earpiece has been moved into the top bezel which  explains some of the internal space savings.

Leaked image of alleged iPhone 13 front panels

(Image credit: MacRumors)

The rest is likely attributable to the internal changes related to Face ID rumored last year, allowing for consolidation of components and an overall reduction of the notch. While it obviously still takes up more screen real estate than the hole-punch cameras found on most Android devices, it's a marked improvement that is sure to be a hit with Apple fans. 

While this certainly aligns with previous rumors, the source demands taking this with a grain of salt. Because there isn't an excellent explanation as to why a repair shop would have such panels roughly six months prior to the launch of a device.

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.