This year's iPhone 13 should bring a one-terabyte storage option to certain high-end models, effectively doubling the maximum iPhone storage. The current iPhone 12 models max out at 512 gigabytes of storage so that would be a first for the Apple smartphone.
1TB Option + LiDAR on All Models
Samsung has been offering 1TB phones for almost two years now with the Galaxy S10 and other flagship devices. And now, Apple is expected to do the same with the upcoming iPhone 13 family, in addition to rolling out the LiDAR scanner across all of the upcoming models, according to a report from Wedbush analysts seen by MacRumors.
From a spec perspective, we have increased confidence that iPhone 13 will have a one-terabyte storage option which is double from the highest Pro storage capacity today (512GB) and will also include a number of enhancements with LiDAR across all iPhone 13 models.
Aside from the LiDAR scanner and the rumored new 1TB storage option, the iPhone 13 is expected to bring other new features to the table, like an always-on display with Apple's 120Hz ProMotion technology, a narrower notch, sensor-shift optical image stabilization across all cameras (currently exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro Max) and more.
This isn't the first time we're hearing whispers about a 1TB iPhone.
Earlier, reliable Apple leaker Jon Prosser has reiterated his earlier prediction that the next iPhone would offer a one-terabyte storage option.
Why You May Need a 1TB iPhone
The only iOS device currently maxing out at 1TB is the iPad Pro. While only power users will need that much storage in a smartphone, it's great that Apple will probably offer this option.
Having one terabyte of storage may sound like overkill unless you've decided to shot photographs in Apple's ProRAW format, in which case you'll need 10-12 times more storage per image than the JPEG or HEIF files. Shooting 4K video in sixty frames per second is also costly: one minute of such video requires nearly half a gigabyte of storage.
Having plenty of storage is also important to avoid paying for additional iCloud storage---with enough local storage, you can keep full-resolution media in your Photos library rather than store keep lower-resolution versions in Photos while keeping the originals in iCloud.
Continuing the iPhone 12 Sales Momentum
Wedbush analysts believe the upcoming iPhone 13 will continue the iPhone 12's sales momentum. They expect the so-called iPhone super-cycle to continue unabated, believing Apple will order circa a hundred million units of the iPhone 13 family for the September timeframe, a 25 percent increase over the iPhone 12's launch supply.
While nothing is set in stone and these numbers will move around over the coming months, Wedbush believes that this "speaks to an increased confidence" on Apple's part about how the 5G iPhone product cycle means big things for iPhone sales.
All checks indicate this year's iPhones should arrive without delays during the September timeframe, with rumor-mill expecting the same four screen sizes as this year's family.