The iPhone 14 rumors are picking up, and Apple’s new iPhones could bring the biggest changes in years. The leaks so far point to a sleeker new design, a faster A16 Bionic chip, and a sharper new main 48MP camera for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The regular iPhone 14 lineup could get a shakeup, too, as the mini is expected to be killed in favor of a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max. But we’re also worried that the iPhone 14 could be quite boring compared to the Pros (opens in new tab), as it may offer a very similar design and possibly even last year’s A15 Bionic chip.
Check out our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro comparison to ready for what could be the biggest differences ever.
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 the new flagships. If you want more info just on the Pro lineup, check out our dedicated iPhone 14 Pro hub.
iPhone 14 latest rumors (Updated June 5)
iPhone 14 possible release date and price
The most recent leak has the iPhone 14 launch tipped for September 13, supposedly based on insider information. That date seems to track with other rumors and Apple’s general cadence of iPhone launches.
Given the disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused on supply chains, Apple appears to be taking action to mitigate the risk of the iPhone 14 range hitting long wait times due to manufacturing disruption among its major suppliers. However, one report says that one of the four iPhone models is three weeks behind schedule (opens in new tab) due to Covid lockdowns in China.
As for price, somewhat reliable leaker LeaksApplePro has claimed three of the four iPhone 14 models are tipped for a price hike.
The standard iPhone 14 is expected to stick at $799 and the new iPhone 14 Max is tipped to cost $899. But the iPhone 14 Pro might hit $1,099, which is a $100 hike over the $999 iPhone 13 Pro. And the iPhone 14 Pro Max may see a similar increase, with it hitting $1,199. This relatively significant leap in launch price would certainly sting the wallet, so we hope it’s not true.
A separate leaker, Shadow_Leak on Twitter, has also tipped that the regular iPhone 14 Pro will cost $1,099 (opens in new tab). So it’s certainly possible the Pros will cost more this year.
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 (opens in new tab).
iPhone 14 Max replacing iPhone 14 mini
The iPhone mini could be toast, as the company will reportedly shake up the iPhone 14 lineup for 2022. There could be a larger iPhone 14 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 leaker Jon Prosser, who 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 a hefty price tag. Given the appetite for larger phones, a big yet more affordable iPhone could be just the thing for iPhone fans.
Yet another leaker has come forward to say that we can expect two iPhone 14 models, the regular one and the Max. From our standpoint, the iPhone 14 Max figures to be a game-changer for Apple, and the rumored phone should make Apple’s competitors nervous.
Ditching the iPhone 13 mini 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 those edges could include 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.
Some schematics that show the iPhone 14 Pro models with the raised camera array being even bigger on the iPhone 14 Pro, and Ming-Chi Kuo claiming that a larger module is needed to house a 48MP camera, it doesn’t look likely the standard iPhone 14 will get a set of cameras flush with its rear panel.
A few rumors have the iPhone 14 tipped to finally kill the display notch. But as it stands, it’s now looking like only the iPhone 14 Pro will be notch-less, opting for a combination of a single circular camera cutout and a pill-shaped cutout alongside it to hold Face ID sensors. It may well have reduced bezels too, which would make the display look even larger.
These rumors were given more credence with what appears to be a leaked supply chain photo showing off the display panels for all four iPhone 14 models. While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max look set to keep the display notch, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro max appear to have killed the notch in favor of a combination of a pill-shaped cutout alongside what appears to be a punch-hole camera or sensor.
Similar to the Pro, MySmartPrice also obtained CAD renders of the regular iPhone 14. We assume that the iPhone 14 Max will also feature the same design in a body with a 6.7-inch display.
As you can see, these renders don’t look a whole different than the iPhone 13 we have now. The notch is still slimmer and the rear cameras are stacked diagonally. In fact, it makes us wonder what’s truly going to be different about the iPhone 14.
Leaker Max Weinbach, who has a historically solid record, posted alleged schematics for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both show a 0.2mm thicker phone with a larger camera bump. Interestingly enough, the schematics show that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max won’t differ too much in height and width than their predecessors. These schematics also show the new hole-punch/pill-shaped cutouts.
Speaking of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, a recent leak seemingly revealed a load of details about what’s set to be Apple’s largest next-gen flagship phone. Apparently, Apple will preform a suite of nips and tucks to make the larger iPhone a more svelte handset, or at least one that gets as much screen space as possible from its display without losing the sensor tech needed for effective and secure Face ID.
All the different design changes are on display in a collection of iPhone 14 mock-ups posted in an Alibaba video that Japanese site Macotakara shared. Not only do you see the differences between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, it’s also pretty clear that the larger camera module on the Pro models will necessitate new cases for those phones.
For color options, one source has said there will be Midnight, Starlight, and Product RED color options as usual, with the current blue being swapped out for a lighter sky blue and a new purple option coming in. However that leak has since been deleted, so it’s hard to judge how reliable it is. All the same, this render of the iPhone 14 Pro in purple, from artist Souta (opens in new tab), shows how this purple hue would look in reality.
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.
A leak from Shadow_Leak claims that the iPhone 14 will have a 6.08-inch display (rounded up to 6.1 inches) and the iPhone 14 Max with have a 6.68-inch panel (rounded up to 6.7 inches). That’s the same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The thing is though, the Pro models could be getting slightly larger (to 6.12 inches and 6.69 inches respectively) because of new bezels.
Given the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have a 120Hz refresh rate display, 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.
This use of panel tech means the iPhone 14 Pro has been tipped to get an always-on display. Being able to display notifications and content, like time and date, on a display without needing to wake the phone up, would give next-gen iPhones a feature the best Android phones have been using for some time.
Sadly, the standard iPhone 14 is expected to stick with simple lift-to-wake option rather than an always-on display. We break down the iPhone 14 Pro always-on display rumors (opens in new tab) and what Apple needs to do to build on Android’s success.
A new supply chain rumor has the iPhone 14 Max, potentially called the iPhone 14 Plus, tipped to get a 120Hz refresh rate display. LG will apparently be the screen maker in this case, though it’s as yet unclear whether the standard iPhone 14 will get a faster refresh rare or stick to 60Hz.
One report from The Elec (opens in new tab) 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.
But an more recent rumor has the standard iPhone 14 models tipped to get a 90Hz refresh rate display; that’s not quite the snappy 120Hz refresh rate we’d like to see, but it would be a notable improvement over a 60Hz panel. Another tipster corroborates this disappointing specs rumor.
Interestingly, a report in the The Elec says that Apple may move away from OLED panel supplier BOE due to the firm allegedly cheating on the width of the thin film transistors. Apple would then need to go with LG and Samsung as its sole partners.
iPhone 14 Touch ID
One of the most significant changes for the iPhone 14 over its predecessors would 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.
But the jury is still out on how likely this is. Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo reckons that there won’t be an iPhone with Touch ID, or under-display Face ID, for another few years. This would have been pretty disappointing, as during these mask-wearing times, having an alternative to Face ID is very handy.
But with iOS 15.4, Apple has made it so that Face ID can recognize a legitimate user even when they are wearing a mask. it works remarkably well, meaning Apple may have bypassed the need for fingerprint-centric biometrics.
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. TrendForce, a Taiwanese research firm, backs up the 48MP main camera rumor, suggesting that megapixels matter once more to Apple — at least when it comes to the company’s Pro phones.
But a regular Apple tipster has the standard iPhone 14 models tipped to stick with 12MP cameras, with only the Pro models expected to get a 48MP main camera.
Whatever turns out to be accurate, a bigger main sensor will be welcome. But we’re particularly interested in an improved telephoto lens, 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 (opens in new tab), 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.
In a more recent update from Kuo, all models of the iPhone 14 have been tipped to get an upgraded front-facing camera, which is set to feature a wider aperture (f/1.9 vs. f/2.2 on the current iPhone) and built-in autofocus. The former should help with capturing brighter photo and videos, while the latter should be a boon for video calls.
iPhone 14 specs, battery life and charging
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple may decide to give only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max the new A16 Bionic chip (opens in new tab). And the regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max would be powered by the year-old A15 Bionic — and now tipster, Yogesh Brar has corroborated this disappointing specs rumor, further widening the gap between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
Another tipster, LeaksApplePro, has also claimed that the iPhone 14 will use an A15 Bionic rather than upgraded silicon, noting: “Apple is seriously considering using the A15 in the non-pro iPhones later this year. However, the Cupertino-based company plans to call it the A16 chip.”
The plot has thickened here, with another report, citing sources in the know, claiming the iPhone 14 would use the version of the A15 Bionic chipset that powers this year’s iPhone 13 Pro models. That chip is equipped with 6GB of RAM, whereas the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini use 4GB of RAM according to teardowns. So that would be an upgrade of sorts, but perhaps not the one we’d expect.
Market research firm TrendForce (opens in new tab) backs up all of the above, saying that the new A16 Bionic chip will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab). Part of this could be due to the current chip shortage but Apple may also be trying to further differentiate the regular and Pro iPhone lineups.
Kuo also says that all four iPhone 14 models will have 6GB RAM, a boost from 4GB on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. However, the base models would use LPDDR 4X RAM like the current iPhone 13 range, while the Pro models will allegedly get faster and more efficient LPDDR 5 RAM.
Analyst Jeff Pu predicts has also predicted that all four iPhone 14 models will come with 6GB of RAM.
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 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.
A separate analyst note from Jeff Pu says that the iPhone 14 and 14 Max will start with 64GB of storage and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will start with a whopping 256GB. The latter is believable but not the former, as that would be half the storage in the regular iPhone 13.
Apple could also launch an eSIM-only variant of the iPhone 14, according to claims by analyst Emma Mohr-McClune of GlobalDate. The move would bolster the iPhone’s appeal among users who need dual SIM capabilities, such as business users and overseas travelers.
iPhone 14 5G and satellite connectivity
It’s 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, but it may only debut with the iPhone 15 next year.
Apple is reportedly planning to equip the new iPhones with a new 5G chip that could result in lower power consumption while maintaining solid performance. A recent report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News revealed that TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has allegedly obtained Apple’s 5G chip orders for its upcoming iPhone 14 lineup.
The radio frequency chips are said to be produced based on the 6nm manufacturing process, which could allow the supplier to deliver a chip that is physically smaller, resulting in a decreased power consumption, without sacrificing the performance.
Additionally, a 5G chip that’s smaller in size could also make more room for Apple to pack a larger battery inside. So combined with better power efficiency, the described chip could improve the phone’s overall battery life.
Speaking of 5G modems, Qualcomm announced its new X70 modem at MWC 2022. But with an expected release date of late 2022, it’s unlikely that the iPhone 14 will see the new tech, which is expected to be a large improvement over the current-gen X65 modem.
While we’re on the subject of connectivity, an old iPhone 13 rumor has resurfaced — that the iPhone will gain the ability to connect to satellite networks so that users can send text messages to emergency services when cellular networks aren’t available. That feature didn’t make it to the iPhone 13, but now tipsters say that the iPhone 14 models could add satellite connectivity, as Apple looks to bolster the emergency features of its phones.
iPhone 14 USB-C
Dropping the Lightning port and going for USB-C has been a regular rumor for multiple iPhone generations, and for a while, it looked like that might happen with the iPhone 14. Multiple leakers had claimed the iPhone 14 Pro would come with USB-C, and it would seem logical that the standard iPhone 14 wold follow suit.
Unfortunately, you can probably add the iPhone 14 to the list of Apple devices that were rumored to move to USB-C only to stick with Lightning. Leaker LeaksApplePro claims USB-C won’t be included with the iPhone 14 Pro models, instead expecting Apple to opt for an upgraded version of Lightning with USB 3.0-like data transfer speeds.
Ming-Chi Kuo now says that a USB-C iPhone is coming, but not until late 2023. In other words the iPhone 15 might get USB-C, but if he’s right, the iPhone 14 will not. Bloomberg has also indicated that 2023 is the year for USB-C and the iPhone, with Apple testing devices and a new charger in anticipation of the iPhone 15 launch next year.
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 in December, Apple’s already pretty busy on the software front.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro
Based on all of the rumors so far it looks like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could be in their own league. We say that because only the Pros are once again expected to offer telephoto zooms. But also because the new iPhone 14 Pros are tipped to offer in-display Touch ID, which would trade the notch for a punch hole display.
In addition, the iPhone 14 Pro models will reportedly get a much sharper main camera at 48MP, which would be higher than the 12MP shooter expected for the regular iPhone 14. And it’s possible that only the iPhone 14 Pros will get USB-C connectivity instead of a Lightning port.
The iPhone 14 Pro might be powered by the A16 Bionic silicon, whereas the iPhone 14 is rumored to have the year old A15 Bionic chip powering it. See our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro comparison for more on the rumored differences.
However, analyst Jeff Pu believes that Apple could give all four iPhone 14 models a 120Hz display this time around and all four could feature 6GB of RAM.
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. And, now that the iPhone SE (2022) is out, here’s what the iPhone SE tells us about the iPhone 14.
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 all the rumors we’re hearing are accurate. 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.
