Why won't Apple just embrace USB-C on the iPhone
In the long tradition of anticipating what the next tool will look like before the craftsman reveals it, Apple leaker Jon Prosser has offered a rare and structured glimpse into the probable shape of the iPhone 13 — assigning confidence percentages to each rumor as a way of distinguishing signal from noise. His framework, built from industry sources loosened in part by the disruptions of a pandemic, suggests that some changes are nearly inevitable while others remain the province of speculation. It is a reminder that even in the most secretive of industries, the future has a way of leaking through the cracks.
- Prosser is fully certain the iPhone 13 Pro will finally match high-end Android rivals with a 120Hz display, ending years of Apple holding back on smoother screen performance.
- Camera upgrades are locked in across all models, though the leap is evolutionary — a faster ultrawide aperture rather than the periscope zoom that won't arrive until the iPhone 14.
- The very name 'iPhone 13' may never exist, with an 85% chance Apple sidesteps the unlucky number entirely and calls it the iPhone 12s instead.
- A portless Pro model — relying entirely on wireless charging — sits at 70% confidence, a radical shift that Prosser has grown more convinced of despite early doubts about his own sourcing.
- The pandemic's disruption of Apple's famously tight security culture is the quiet engine behind this unusually detailed early leak, with engineers working from home outside normal confidentiality protocols.
Jon Prosser, a leaker with a credible record on Apple predictions, recently structured his iPhone 13 expectations as a probability map — assigning confidence percentages to seven rumored features rather than presenting them as equal certainties. The approach offers a more honest lens than the typical rumor cycle, separating what is nearly guaranteed from what remains wishful thinking.
At the top of his confidence scale sit two features he considers certain: 120Hz displays for the Pro models and camera improvements across the entire lineup. The display upgrade, long standard on premium Android devices, would make the iOS experience visibly smoother. On cameras, Prosser expects refinement over revolution — a faster ultrawide aperture is likely, while a periscope zoom lens is pushed to the iPhone 14 generation.
A smaller notch lands at 75% confidence. Apple is expected to keep the same width but reduce the vertical height, a modest concession to years of user complaints without requiring a full redesign of the Face ID hardware beneath it. Meanwhile, the name itself may change: Prosser gives 85% odds that Apple skips 'iPhone 13' entirely in favor of 'iPhone 12s,' citing both the company's incremental naming conventions and a quiet cultural aversion to the number 13.
The more speculative territory involves features that would sharpen the Pro tier's identity. A fully portless Pro model sits at 70% confidence — a dramatic move toward all-wireless charging that Prosser has grown more convinced of, despite acknowledging a possible translation error in his original Chinese source. A 1TB storage option for Pro models lands at 65%, a luxury feature that Apple may hesitate to offer given its potential to reduce reliance on iCloud subscriptions. Least likely of all is LiDAR expanding to base models, at just 30% — Apple has strong incentive to keep it as a Pro exclusive.
The unusual depth of these early leaks, Prosser suggests, is itself a product of the pandemic. With Apple's engineers working from home and outside the company's normal security infrastructure, the information controls that typically hold until launch have quietly loosened.
Jon Prosser, a technology leaker with a track record of accurate Apple predictions, recently laid out his confidence levels for seven major features expected in the iPhone 13 lineup. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he assigned probability percentages to each rumor based on his sources and industry knowledge—a useful framework for separating the plausible from the wishful thinking that tends to swirl around Apple's annual phone releases.
Prosser is completely certain about two things: the iPhone 13 Pro models will ship with 120Hz displays, and all models will receive camera improvements. The 120Hz refresh rate, already common on high-end Android phones, would make the entire iOS experience feel noticeably smoother, with the screen refreshing more frequently and displaying additional frames per second. Samsung is expected to supply the LTPO OLED panels for this upgrade. On the camera front, Prosser expects refinements rather than revolutionary changes—likely a faster f/1.8 aperture on the ultrawide lens, up from the iPhone 12's f/2.4. He's ruled out a periscope zoom lens for this generation, suggesting that technology will arrive with the iPhone 14 instead.
The smaller notch sits at 75% confidence. Since the iPhone X introduced Face ID, every subsequent model except the budget SE has required a prominent notch to house the facial recognition hardware. Users have complained about it for years, and some iPhone 13 prototypes show a reduced notch design. Prosser believes Apple will keep the width the same but shorten the notch vertically—a modest but meaningful refinement that would improve the visual appeal of the device without requiring a complete redesign of the Face ID system.
Apple's naming convention for the next phone lands at 85% confidence for "iPhone 12s" rather than "iPhone 13." The company has historically used the "s" designation to signal an incremental update rather than a generational leap. There's also the matter of superstition: the number 13 carries unlucky associations in Western culture, and Apple may simply prefer to sidestep the issue entirely. It's a small thing, but it shapes how consumers perceive the product.
The more speculative rumors involve features that would differentiate the Pro models further. A portless design for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max sits at 70% confidence. Prosser reported this possibility last year, and while it seemed radical at the time—why not simply adopt USB-C like the iPad Pro?—he's grown more convinced. The phones would rely entirely on wireless charging. His source was based in China, and he suspects a translation issue led him to believe both Pro models would be portless rather than just one.
A 1TB storage option for the Pro models lands at 65% confidence. It's an enormous amount of storage for a phone, but it would be a fitting luxury feature for the premium tier. Prosser trusts his sources on this claim, though he acknowledges Apple's hesitation: offering such massive local storage would reduce customer dependence on iCloud subscriptions, a recurring revenue stream the company values. Still, the number of people willing to pay the astronomical price for a 1TB iPhone would be small enough that it wouldn't meaningfully impact Apple's cloud business.
The least likely rumor is LiDAR on all iPhone 13 models, sitting at just 30% confidence. Currently exclusive to the Pro versions, the LiDAR scanner is one of Apple's key selling points for the premium phones, enabling advanced augmented reality features. Expanding it to the base models would require reshuffling the camera module layout, and it would undermine one of the main reasons customers upgrade to Pro. Prosser suspects Apple will keep this feature as a Pro exclusive, at least for now.
The timing of these leaks—so early in the year—likely stems from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple's engineers have been working from home, outside the company's usual security protocols, which may have loosened the information controls that normally keep product details confidential until launch. The result is an unusually detailed picture of what's coming, though as Prosser's confidence levels make clear, not all rumors carry equal weight.
Notable Quotes
Prosser is completely confident that the iPhone 13 Pro models will feature high refresh rate displays, like we've seen on some Android phones.— Jon Prosser, technology leaker
Apple might decide to play it safe and skip the supposed unlucky number altogether, calling the phone iPhone 12s instead.— Jon Prosser, on naming convention and superstition
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Prosser assign different confidence levels instead of just saying what he knows?
Because he's honest about the limits of his sources. Some information comes from people deep inside Apple's supply chain—those get 100%. Other rumors are based on prototype sightings or secondhand reports, which deserve lower odds.
The portless phone seems radical. Why would Apple do that?
Wireless charging is already fast enough for most people, and it removes a mechanical failure point. But the real reason is probably control—Apple can design the phone however it wants without accommodating a port.
What's the deal with calling it the iPhone 12s instead of 13?
It's partly practical—the "s" signals a refinement year rather than a major redesign. But there's also superstition. Apple is a global company, and the number 13 carries bad luck in many Western cultures. Why invite that?
The 1TB storage seems absurd for a phone. Who would actually buy that?
Probably very few people. But it's a prestige move—it lets Apple claim the most powerful phone ever made, and those few buyers pay a premium that more than justifies the feature.
Why is LiDAR staying exclusive to Pro models?
It's leverage. LiDAR is expensive and niche right now. Keeping it on Pro models gives people a concrete reason to spend more, and it doesn't cannibalize iCloud revenue the way massive storage might.
How reliable is Prosser's track record?
He's been right often enough that people listen. But these percentages are his best judgment, not certainties. Even at 85%, the iPhone 12s naming could still be wrong.