The iPhone 13 promises a wide range of improvements based on the many leaks so far But as you begin to weave through all the rumors, you begin to wonder what all the fuss is about

Don't get me wrong I am generally interested in some of the things we are hearing And personally, I like the idea of being able to try out the astrophotography feature (I've never been able to get a good shot of the moon with my iPhone)

But I have started to analyze the other "big" upgrades rumored for the iPhone 13 Because so far the iPhone 13 sounds like an iteration of the iPhone 12s However, there is one feature that might make me upgrade

The rumor is that Apple will include a 120Hz ProMotion display in the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max Other Android phones made this leap some time ago In fact, Apple is said to be using Samsung's own LTPO technology and display

So how can Apple stand out here? If the iPhone 13 Pro can scale down from 120Hz to 1Hz, there would not be much of a power penalty from a faster screen refresh rate

More importantly, Apple needs to demonstrate a handful of killer apps that take full advantage of the iPhone 13 Pro's ProMotion display, including games and video streaming apps

The iPhone 13 camera is rumored to offer notable improvements, including sensor-shift image stabilization across the entire lineup Previously, this was limited to the iPhone 12 Pro Max

Additionally, it has been suggested that the iPhone 13 will get a better ultra-wide camera by jumping to an f/18, 6-element autofocus lens This is a definite upgrade over the current f/24, 5-element fixed-focus lens, and we should expect brighter, clearer images when shooting ultra-wide

What's missing Powerful zoom Of course, the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 100x space zoom is overkill at maximum levels, but we have seen some truly amazing results at zooms from 20x to 50x And the iPhone 13 Pro series is not expected to offer a significant boost in zoom, and periscope lenses are not expected until the iPhone 14

In other words, Apple will make software improvements and computational photography upgrades to the iPhone 13 camera For example, the rumored video portrait mode sounds cool

Every other week, there seems to be a leak that the iPhone 13 will have a smaller notch We want to see more of the screen when watching videos, playing games, and using apps But a slightly smaller notch doesn't really excite me

Meanwhile, Samsung is said to be preparing its first phone with an under-display camera, which could be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 The idea is that the camera will appear when it is needed and disappear when it is not

Apple has a unique challenge with the iPhone 13 because its TrueDepth camera has more components than the punch-hole camera found in Android phones As such, it will likely be at least another year before a similar one emerges from Team Cupertino

If your eyes are already rolling in the back of your head, I understand: the iPhone 13 is expected to feature Qualcomm's latest X65 modem, which should result in faster communication speeds This is because this modem aggregates data from both mmWave and sub-6Hz signals simultaneously

At the same time, the carrier's 5G network is constantly improving, which is generally good news for shoppers who have not yet upgraded to a 5G iPhone However, this is unlikely to be a major driver of upgrades

Yet another feature that Apple can copy from Android phones is the fingerprint sensor built into the iPhone 13's display Even though more people are getting vaccinated, we will likely be required to wear masks in public for many months to come

Apple has come up with a workaround in iOS 145 that allows you to quickly unlock your iPhone while wearing an Apple Watch But we shouldn't have to pay at least $169 for not having to enter a passcode; once Touch ID returns to the display (or power button), our lives will be much easier

As a technology journalist, I have a keen interest in the iPhone 13 and all the latest leaks But as a shopper, I'm on the fence about upgrading at this stage

My iPhone 11 Pro Max still offers a great camera, quick performance, and ample battery life And for Apple to fork out another $1,000+ for a new flagship would have to really surprise me Let's hope there is some exciting "other thing" we don't know about yet