The new iPhone 13 will likely arrive in September of this year, according to a new leak that Apple will begin manufacturing the A15 chip for the iPhone 13 in late May.

This comes according to Digitimes, courtesy of MacRumors, which reports that longtime Apple supplier TSMC is preparing to start making slices of silicon for the next iPhone in Cupertino. From this, we can infer that the iPhone 13 should appear in September of this year.

For regular followers of Apple smartphones, that's hardly a revelation. But it's good news nonetheless.

Last year, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro debuted in October instead of the usual September. And the iPhone 12 Pro Max appeared in November alongside the iPhone 12 mini. This meant a longer wait for some people considering upgrading to a new iPhone.

Thus, for those waiting to upgrade from the iPhone 11 or iPhone 8 to the iPhone 13, for example, this piece of information indicates that September may be the time to upgrade, rather than a month or so before the fall deepens.

We have already heard reports from Apple oracle and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the iPhone 13 is scheduled to be announced in September, and this TSMC tidbit adds to its credibility.

The question is whether the iPhone 13 is worth the upgrade. From the leaks and rumors so far, we can finally expect a smaller display notch and some new colors, including orange and matte black like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

It is clear that an upgraded chip will be included. Expect improved processor performance and enhanced graphics, AI processing, and augmented reality (AR) capabilities; the A14 Bionic is no slouch, but Apple will want to keep the lead in smartphone performance.

The iPhone 13 could also receive an upgrade to a 120Hz ProMotion display with LTPO technology. It is unclear if this will be limited to the iPhone 13 Pro model or the entire iPhone 13 series. While many Android phones currently offer 90Hz and 120Hz refresh rates, Apple is lagging behind.

Some rumors point to the return of Touch ID as an under-display fingerprint scanner. iPhone 13 Pro is expected to feature an improved ultrawide camera, with features like astrophotography and portrait mode video, while improvements on the software side are features such as astrophotography and portrait mode video. And all four projected iPhone 13 devices could offer the sensor-shift image stabilization seen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

While we do not expect the iPhone 13 to be significantly revamped, we are cautiously optimistic that its upgrades could put it on our list of best smartphones later this year.