IPhone 13 promises to be one of Android's biggest hits
Even though it will be several months before the iPhone 13 makes its big reveal, we've already faced a slew of leaks detailing some possible title inclusions in Apple's upcoming flagship - and they all look pretty familiar. .
It's not unusual for Apple to recycle the features we've seen on Android devices for its own phones. It also usually does a better job of implementing them into the process.
The three big additions for the iPhone 13 we heard about this week are all Android mainstays - 120Hz displays, always-on displays, and an astrophotography mode that lets you take enhanced photos of the night sky.
Pick one of the best Android phones from the past 12 months and you will undoubtedly find at least two of these features included. For example, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has all three.
The display at 120 Hz seems acquired. It felt like we were so close to getting it on the iPhone 12, with leaks even showing pre-production models of the phone with the option visible. However, this did not happen and the iPhone 12 series was launched with the standard 60Hz panel.
Take any major Android flagship, mid-ranger, or even one of our best budget phones (the Moto G30 being the latest) and there's a good chance you'll find a screen faster than 60Hz. A faster variable refresh rate not only helps gaming and provides smoother scrolling, but if done correctly it can help save battery life.
Apple's reluctance to bring this feature to the iPhone is even more puzzling as it has been used with great results on the iPad Pro. Here it's called ProMotion and that's one of the main selling points of tablets.
The use of the 120Hz variable refresh rate display should go hand in hand with the addition of an always-on display. This is another handy Android mainstay that shows visible content on your screen even when the phone is not in use. Recent leaks suggest that you'll also have the battery and clock visible, along with notifications as they arrive.
We've seen this feature on Android phones for years, with some manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo really leaning into customizing these displays. Some phones do this well, those that use OLED panels can just light up the required pixels, but it can often be a real battery drain.
Apple isn't completely in the dark with always-on screens, as the two previous Apple Watch models (including the Apple Watch 6) have built in such features. Here the watch reduces the refresh rate to 1Hz to show the time all the time and it seems obvious that we'll be seeing something very similar on the iPhone 12.
The two recent models of Apple Watch have an always-on display
Finally, we are talking about an astrophotography mode. Designed to stretch the exposure to give you a better chance of capturing the moon and stars. Both the Pixel series and Samsung's recent Galaxy S21 series have placed great emphasis on these capabilities, and the results are far superior to anything the iPhone can achieve.
While there hasn't been a dedicated mode for this on an iPhone, you were able to do something similar by enabling night mode and attaching the phone to a tripod. We would expect Rumor Mode to build on that, maybe AI to create a better photo.
Now, as with any leak, especially one that comes so early, should always be taken with a good pinch of salt. But, we really wouldn't be surprised if these additions were made to an iPhone 13 - or an iPhone 12, as some rumors have suggested.
