A new year will bring a new iPhone, which is why the iPhone 14 rumors are picking up. Yes, the iPhone 13 remains Apple’s current top-of-the-line phone, but fall will be here in the blink of an eye. And when that arrives, so will Apple’s latest iPhones.
That said, it’s still early days in the rumor cycle, so we advise you take a critical eye to the information tidbits to date; we’ve done exactly that below. And we’ve also picked apart 7 biggest rumored iPhone 14 upgrades so far.
With a new design, the return of Touch ID, improved cameras and even USB-connectivity, there’s a lot to make Apple’s next phone rather compelling, to the extent that you might want to wait for the iPhone 14.
Here’s what we’ve heard so far about the iPhone 14, why it figures to be one of the biggest Apple products of 2022 and what we’d like to see from next year’s smartphone.
iPhone 14 latest rumors (Updated December 23)
iPhone 14 possible release date and price
We’ve heard no hint on a potential release date for the iPhone 14. But going by previous Apple iPhone launch events, we’d expect to see the iPhone 14 make its debut in September 2022.
As for price, it’s also difficult to predict. But we suspect the iPhone 14 will match the price of the iPhone 13, which starts at $799 for the regular iPhone 13 and $999 for the iPhone 13 Pro. However, there could be no iPhone 14 mini at all, so we’d expect a larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max to cost $899.
From there, the iPhone 14 Pro could cost $999 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max $1,099 or more.
If you’re on the fence between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13, we’ve rounded up some reasons to buy the iPhone 13 now vs waiting for the iPhone 14.
No iPhone 14 mini?
Despite the iPhone 12 mini’s reportedly poor sales, Apple has revealed an iPhone 13 mini. But the mini could be toast after that, as the company will reportedly shake up the iPhone 14 lineup for 2022. There could be a larger iPhone 14 Plus or Max to go along with the regular 6.1-inch iPhone 14. So there would be two regular size phones and two larger screen iPhone 14 models.
This was further backed up by Prosser, who in a video claimed the iPhone 14 Max will be the replacement for a mini phone, offering a 6.7-inch display only without coming with a load of pro features and thus an hefty price tag. Given the appetite for larger phones, a big yet more affordable iPhone could be just the thing for iPhone fans.
Ditching the iPhone 14 isn’t the only big change expected versus the iPhone 14. See our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 comparison for all the biggest rumored differences so far.
iPhone 14 design
According to Jon Prosser and his Front Page Tech video, the iPhone 14 will look like an iPhone 12 crossed with an iPhone 4, in that it’ll stick with flat edges. But on those edges could be a mute button and a group of rounded buttons for volume central, harking back to the iPhone 4.
Supposedly, the sides of the iPhone 14 could be made out of titanium, which could make it tougher and stronger than the previous iPhones, whereas the back would retain the glass finish but seemingly with a satin-like finish. Speaking of edges, there are rumors that a next-gen iPhone will be portless, but Prosser claims the iPhone 14 will stick with Lightning ports.
Another design change potentially in the cards for the iPhone 14 is the trio of rear cameras will no longer protrude from the iPhone’s rear but sit flush with the back. Given advancements in camera sensor technology and lens manufacturing, this could be a possibility.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also added his thoughts on the iPhone 14 leaks and has claimed the next Apple phone will have “a complete redesign” setting is rather far apart from the iPhone 13. That’s because, according to Gurman “Apple’s engineers were working behind the scenes on bigger things that will take more time,” and as a result we’re set to see more significant changes for the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13. And the most notable change is set to be the final removal of the display notch, that’s been present since the iPhone X; more on that later.
A suite of iPhone 14 concept renders takes into account most of these design changes and has showcased an Apple phone we’d very much like to see.
Said concept phone has no notch, kills the rear camera bump and comes with USB-C connectivity, How likely such changes are is open to discussion, but we hope there’s some nugget of truth to this concept.
If you really want to geek out, ConceptsiPhone has put together a very cool but also very unrealistic concept of a sliding iPhone 14. While it wold give you second display, we see Apple going the foldable route (at some point).
iPhone 14 display
We’re’ expecting a shakeup in the iPhone 14 range, as we’ll reportedly see a standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro come with a 6.1-inch display, and a possible iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max to sport a 6.7-inch display. So no more 5.4-inch mini.
Given the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro max have a 120Hz refresh rate display, we’d it would be great to see all iPhone 14 models have such a screen, likely using an LTPO panel or an evolution of that display tech. However, one report from The Elec says that at least one iPhone 14 model with sport an LTPS display, which means a 60Hz panel could be sticking around. Subsequent supply chain reports have only reinforced the idea that the standard iPhone 14 may miss out on a fast-refreshing display.
An always-on display would also seem logical for the iPhone 14 given it was tipped for the iPhone 13 but never made it into the latest iPhone.
The most enduring rumors around next-gen iPhones tends to be centered around the removal of the now infamous display notch. While it was shrunken down in the iPhone 13 range, it has yet to go the way of the dodo.
But the iPhone 14 is tipped to finally kill the notch, with Apple supposedly going for a punch-hole front-facing camera instead, like many of the best Android phones. Prosser’s renders, again supposedly based on leaked information, show how the iPhone 14 could opt for a selfie camera set in a punch-hole cutout to on the left-hand side of the phone. That would give the iPhone a decent chunk of top screen space back.
This rumor was given more weight by a report that has the iPhone 14 Pro tipped to get the notch-less design. A subsequent supply chain report noted that LG’s iPhone 14 Pro Max panels would include a punch-hole camera cutout and not a notch. It’s unclear whether this notch-free screen will make it across all iPhone 14 models. But we’d be very surprised if Apple kept the current notch in the standard iPhone 14 models and only gave the Pro handsets the punch-hole camera.
Yet all of this raises the question as to where the Face ID sensors would go. There are rumors that Apple will put the sensors under the OLED display, but a claim made by display expert Ross Young has said that “under panel Face ID isn’t final yet,” but that “it is easier than under panel camera.” There is some chatter that if Apple does go for an under-display take on Face ID it’ll be kept for the iPhone 14 Pro models.
How Apple would adopt a punch-hole camera and still use Face ID without under display sensors remains open to debate. Perhaps the iPhone 14 could have a slightly larger top edge to hold the sensors, or use advanced image processing via the selfie camera to avoid the need for IR scanning. Either way, we’re very much hoping that the current display notch is consigned to Apple’s design history books, as it’s now rather chunky by modern smartphone standards.
iPhone 14 Touch ID
One of the most significant changes for the iPhone 14 over its predecessors is tipped to be the return of Touch ID. Only rather than get integrated into a power button, it will supposedly be embedded under the iPhone 14’s display, much like a lot of fingerprint sensors on the best Android phones.
According to a recently leak, the iPhone 13 Pro models will come with an under-display take of Touch ID. But the leaker was careful to say that this take on Touch ID is still being tested and it’s “unclear” if we will end up seeing it.
A separate leak from @PandaIsBald on Weibo in a since-deleted post says that the iPhone 14 actually won’t have in-display Touch ID, so the jury is out on how likely under-display Touch ID on the iPhone 14 will be.
iPhone 14 cameras
We’re starting to hear some more about the iPhone 14 cameras, and the rumors are getting pretty interesting. One report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tips a 48MP main sensor for the iPhone 14 Pro models, which would be a big jump from the 12MP camera on the iPhone 13.
This rumor was given a little more credence by another leak that has both models of the iPhone 14 Pro tipped to come with a 48MP main camera to go alongside a telephoto lens and ultra-wide angle snapper.
Better telephoto capabilities would also be appreciated, as the iPhone lags behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S21. In fact, it would be rather neat if Apple drew inspiration from the Galaxy S21 Ultra and opted for a secondary telephoto camera with something like a 10x optical zoom.
One Apple patent points to Apple working on a periscope-style zoom camera, which could make its way to the iPhone 14, or at least the Pro models. However, Ming-Chi Kuo now says the periscope camera won’t appear until the iPhone 15 in 2023.
iPhone 14 specs, battery life and charging
So far we only have tidbits of info on the potential iPhone 14 specs. We’re rather confident that 2022’s iPhone will make use of an A-series chip design by Apple. Likely to be the A16, the chip will almost certainly offer a notable boost in both processor and graphics performance over the A15 Bionic tipped for the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14 is tipped to feature a 4nm chip from TSMC, which would be even smaller and more efficient than the 5nm A15 Bionic slated for the iPhone 13. However, a recent report claims that TSMC is having a problem producing the smaller chips, which means the iPhone 14 could stick with a 5nm chipset. If so, it will be the first time an IPhone’s gone three years with the same-size system-on-chip.
See our take on a possible iPhone 14 4nm A16 Bionic chip and what it mean for you as analysts weigh in on the benefits.
It’s also possible that the iPhone 14 will feature an Apple-made 5G modem, following Apple’s acquisition of Intel’s modem business. This would presumably give Apple more control over both the 5G performance and battery life impact.
The chip will supposedly be paired with 8GB of RAM, for the iPhone 14 Pro models at least, which should give these phones a serious boost in performance. Apple’s approach to efficiency and tight control of both hardware and software from end-to-end has meant its iPhones have been able to match and beat the best Android phones with less onboard RAM. So there’s a good chance it could do a lot more with an extra 2GB of RAM, further making the iPhone a performance powerhouse.
On the storage side, we’d expect Apple to continue with the options it has for the iPhone 13 range, which start at 128GB and go up to 1TB for the Pro models.
However, a recent rumor has the iPhone 14 tipped to get a huge 2TB of onboard storage. Given no Samsung phone offers this, and they’ve previously been generous with storage, we’re skeptical of an iPhone having the most storage on a smartphone to date.
Admittedly with ProRez video on offer, which can chew up storage, it would arguably makes sense for Apple to increase the storage of its Pro phones. But we’re still taking such a rumor with a serious pinch of salt.
iPhone 14 USB-C
One of the most enduring rumors around the iPhone 14 is that it will drop the Lightning port and go for USB-C connectivity instead. As mentioned earlier, Prosser has expressed doubt on this being the case. But other leakers have touted the USB-C rumor, noting that the iPhone 14 Pro will come with USB-C.
With the European Union looking to force device makers to adopt standardized charging and cables by 2024, the days of the Lightning port could be numbered; Apple has a big European presence after all. But the jury is out on whether Apple will make such a move in time for the iPhone 14.
We’d welcome USB-C connectivity, given Apple’s iPads and MacBooks have adopted the port. But Apple can doggedly stick to its guns when it comes to the iPhone, so we’ll reserve out predictions until more rumors float to the surface.
iPhone 14: Software
Assuming Apple sticks to the pattern it’s used for the better part of a decade, the iPhone 14 will launch with a new version of Apple’s iOS software when it arrives in the fall. Since we’re currently on iOS 15, the next version is all but certain to be iOS 16 (unless Apple ditches numbers like it did with macOS).
We haven’t heard anything about Apple’s planned software updates for iOS 16, and we’re unlikely to until the company’s annual developer conference, which is normally held in June. With iOS 15.2 bringing a number of changes to the iPhone this month, Apple’s already pretty busy on the software front.
iPhone 14: what we’d like to see
We’ve ranked the iPhone 14 rumors based on which ones are must-haves for Apple’s fall phones. But here’s a rundown of what we’re hoping to see when the iPhone 14 appears.
A fresh design: Prosser’s renders of the iPhone 14 tease a rather attractive looking phone. But it’s not a vast jump in Apple’s industrial design aesthetic. Granted, Apple makes some of the nicest looking phones around, but we’d like to see if it could push phone design further; perhaps the iPhone 14 range could include the much-rumored iPhone Flip foldable phone.
No notch: The iPhone 14 could come with a notch-less display, and we hope they bear fruit. Rumor has it this could be replaced with a punch-hole, but we’d like too see an under-display camera so long as it didn’t impact imaging or Face ID performance.
Touch ID: We’d be rather confident that Apple will bring back Touch ID for the iPhone 14, even if it doesn’t happen via an in-display sensor. Perhaps the side-mounted power button could have a Touch ID sensor integrated into it like the one on the iPad Air.
Smarter features: While the Apple A-series chips have always been powerhouses, we’d like to see Apple lean more into the AI side of things, much like the Google Pixel 6 is set to do with its Tensor chip. That way we can have a smarter, more responsive Siri to compete with the Google Assistant, as well as smarter features that more intuitively serve up the data or services iPhone 14 users want when they want them.
Killer camera capabilities: The iPhone 13 Pro Max offers one of the best camera phones around, but we want to see Apple push its camera tech and hardware even further. As it stands, the lead between the Pro Max and the likes of the Google Pixel 6 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra isn’t vast. With the iPhone 14, we’d like to see Apple deliver camera and a phone photography experience that wipes the floor with Android rivals, forcing them to up really their photography game with their next-gen phones. And catching up on the zoom front would help, too.
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