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Apple may have snuck a peek at a new, notchless iPhone in the latest episode of 'Ted Lasso'

ted lasso iphone apple
A scene from "The Signal" episode of "Ted Lasso." Apple/Insider
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Apple TV's hit show "Ted Lasso" may have had its most high-profile cameo yet.

In the latest episode of the series, "The Signal," Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 may have made an appearance — without a front-screen notch. The standard multicolor wallpaper on Apple's operating system is seen. There's also as a view of the backside of the phone and the three-lens-camera setup in a separate shot.

Some Apple fans have long bemoaned the smartphone notch, which houses the front camera on the device, and critics say it takes up too much room on the screen.

iphone x notch
The notch houses the camera on the iPhone.  Dave Smith/Insider

The device could have merely been a prop in the show, engineered to appear as a notchless iPhone. Producers also could have used CGI in the scene, as Gizmodo said.

But others have speculated that it could be a preview of Apple's new smartphone model — which, CNET reported, the company could debut sometime in September.

Apple's next-generation smartphone was already expected to have a much smaller notch than its iPhone 12 predecessor, but if the company were to get rid of it completely, that would mark a major milestone in the company's history. The camera could be housed in some sort of sensor beneath the screen, as SlashGear said.

Apple's products, in general, have commonly cropped up in the show. Earlier in that same episode, Ted Lasso takes a call from what looks like an iPhone, identifiable by the three-lens-camera setup on the backside of the phone.

Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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Katie is a tech and crypto reporter based in Austin, Texas. She joined Insider in 2018 and focuses heavily on NFTs, blockchain technology, major crypto players, and the booming Web3 space. She has also covered the many happenings in the tech industry, from content moderation and data privacy to antitrust issues and regulation.  Katie graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She began her time at Insider in the company's San Francisco office before moving home to Texas in 2021. You can find her paddleboarding most Saturdays. Reach her at kcanales@bjinnox.com, or follow her on Twitter @KatieCanales1.