iPhone 13 reportedly using a smaller Face ID chip as the notch also shrinks

What you need to know

• A new report claims Apple's late-2021 products will use a new, smaller Face ID chip.
• It isn't clear whether the smaller chip will help make the iPhone 13 notch smaller.

Apple will begin using a smaller Face ID chip towards the end of 2021, according to a new report. The smaller chip will likely allow for more space inside an iPhone in particular, although it isn't yet clear whether the smaller chip is the reason iPhone 13's notch is expected to be smaller than previous models.

The report, courtesy of a paywalled DigiTimes piece, says that the die size of Apple's VCSEL chips will sharing by as much as 50%. That smaller chip will be used in iPhones and iPads that will be released later this year, the report goes on to say.

Apple is already strongly rumored to be using a smaller notch in its iPhone 13 lineup but it isn't made clear whether that is being made possible by the smaller Face ID chip. It's definitely possible, although simply saving costs is a good enough reason to make this move.

All being well we can expect Apple to announce its iPhone 13 lineup towards the end of September, likely via another virtual event. Models similar in size to the outgoing iPhone 12 lineup are expected, including an iPhone 13 mini despite claims the smol iPhone 12 mini sold well.