There probably won't be an iPhone 13... ever...

iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro (Image credit: Daniel Bader / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Serial Apple leaker Jon Prosser says that this year's new iPhone will actually be called the iPhone 12S.
  • In the latest episode of Front Page Tech he also said there "probably" won't be an iPhone 13 ever because of the "negative connotations" of the number.

A new report from Apple leaker Jon Prosser states that this year's rumored iPhone 13 will actually be called the 'iPhone 12S', and that Apple may never release an iPhone 13 because of the "negative connotations" surrounding the number.

In the latest episode of Front Page Tech, Prosser noted a slew of iPhone rumors that dropped over the past few days.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman stated on Friday, January 15, that Apple "isn't planning major changes" to this year's iPhone lineup, and that engineers internally consider the 2021 iPhone to be an 'S' upgrade.

Prosser also cited his own response to a tweet from Apple Track's Sam Kohl:

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With a simple emoji, Prosser lent his own weight to Kohl's prediction that "the 2021 iPhone will be called iPhone 12s (not iPhone 13). Prosser said that the only "major" updates coming to the 2021 iPhone were a smaller notch, 120Hz, and an under-display fingerprint scanner for Touch ID. He also stated he was told the next iPhone would be called the 'iPhone 12S'.

Perhaps more shockingly, however, Prosser has revealed in his latest video that we may never get an iPhone called 'iPhone 13' because of the "negative connotations" that surround the number. From his latest video:

But that's not all, I was also told that we probably won't ever get an iPhone 13. I dunno if you know this, but elsewhere 13, the number 13 has a bunch of negative connotations along with it... it's bad luck. So it probably is iPhone 12S and there won't be an iPhone 13.

Apple is rumored to be planning a 2021 lineup similar to the iPhone 12, with four models of iPhone in three sizes. If these latest reports are correct, it seems we can expect minor tweaks and an 'S' upgrade akin to previous years, and no 'iPhone 13' ever.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9