When exactly Apple Inc. will release its next range of iPhones is open to speculation, but not the name, for better or worse.

Last year the new iPhone was released in October, but whatever the date, the rumor mill and supposed leaks from suppliers in mainland China and Taiwan are starting to heat up.

It was reported in March that the iPhone 13 might get a small notch and 120Hz screen, but the Lightning connector will remain. Forward to July and there’s not much new to dispute the naming of the phone. While Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. went from the Galaxy S10 to the Galaxy S20 for it flagship range, followed by the S21, Apple has kept its numerical naming scheme.

The next iPhone, presuming it’s called the 13, has superstition issues. Many buildings and hotels don’t have a 13th floor on account of some people’s triskaidekaphobia and a general superstition of the number 13. Put simply, the number 13 is considered, in western countries, to be bad luck.

According to 9to5Mac, the 2021 iPhones will be called iPhone 13, despite reports that Apple may drop the numbering scheme altogether. Primary iPhone assembler Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., will manufacture the bulk of the new iPhones, with Pegatron Corp. making the iPhone 13 mini.

MacRumors claimed today that the iPhone 13 will keep the same range and naming as the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 will be offered in a range of mini, Pro and Pro Max variants along with the standard iPhone 13. The Pro Max will measure at 6.7 inches, while both the Pro and standard iPhone are said to measure 6.1 inches. The iPhone mini is said to come in at 5.4 inches.

Additional features are open to speculation. iPhoneMod reports that the iPhone 13 may feature reverse wireless charging. The feature allows a phone to charge other devices that support wireless charging and was first introduced on Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. phones and later adopted by Samsung and others.

“If the iPhone 13 comes with true reverse wireless charging, it’s possible that users will be able to charge wireless charging-compatible devices like AirPods by simply placing them on the back of their iPhones,” iPhoneMod noted.

The date of the launch is another question. Every iPhone since iPhone 5 has been launched and released in September, but the iPhone 12 was launched in October. The late date was ostensibly the result of supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple may go back to a September launch date this year.

Image: Apple