The iPhone 12 may have only just reached the pockets of early buyers, but Apple is already working on both the 2021 iPhone 13 and the 2022 device that will follow.

According to TrendForce analysts, Apple plans to switch the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 to a SoC manufactured on a 4nm process.

"Based on current data, Apple will likely continue to manufacture the A16 SoC on 4nm process technology. Therefore, TSMC may further expand its 5nm production capacity at that time to meet high customer demand."

The reduction in chip size is a good thing for many reasons, primarily in terms of performance and energy efficiency. The physical reduction in size means that electrons travel shorter distances, which in turn means less power is lost through electrical resistance. In short, they operate faster, more efficiently, and with less heat generation.

Apple has been aggressively reducing the size of SoCs in its handsets, with a 7nm chip in the iPhone 11 and a 5nm chip in the iPhone 12. According to TrendForce, this size, albeit in chipmaker TSMC's improved process, will carry over to next year's A15 will be carried over to the chip.

That is not to say that the iPhone 13 is not something to look forward to; many improvements have already begun to leak. For one, it appears that the 120 Hz screen rumored for the 2020 iPhone 12 Pro set will finally be realized; the LTPO display rumored to be on the iPhone 13 Pro will be able to dynamically change refresh rates.

There are also rumors that the iPhone 13 will use a softboard battery with fewer layers than the previous generation. If this is true, Apple could increase the mAh capacity of the battery without requiring a larger handset. [The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are very good devices, but they have a clear Achilles heel: battery life. Our tests showed that both models have less stamina than their iPhone 11 counterparts. iPhone 12 Pro Max is the one to get if you want the longest endurance.