The iPhone 14 is expected to release later this year, and the reveal of iOS 16 gives us the first official hint of what to expect from Apple’s next phones

The iPhone 13 is hugely popular, but that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t working hard on the iPhone 14 already – and given a surprising number of leaks, we’ve already got some idea of what the company could be planning for its 2022 flagship range.

In fact, if the rumours are true, it could be a much more exciting upgrade than what’s on offer from the iPhone 13, with current rumours pointing towards a potential redesign, the removal of the Face ID notch, and an improved camera setup too.

With that in mind, we outline all there is to know about the iPhone 14 right now, including release date and pricing predictions as well as the latest leaks and rumours detailing what to expect from Apple’s 2022 flagship iPhone range.

When will the iPhone 14 be released?

Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 13 in September 2021, so we’re still quite some time away from the release of the next-gen iPhone 14.

While there aren’t any solid release date rumours right now, iPhone releases tend to happen in September – with the exception of 2020 amidst the pandemic – so with that in mind, we expect the iPhone 14 range to be released sometime in September 2022.

Don’t expect wide availability at launch though; it has been noted by Nikkei Asia that production on the new ‘iPhone 14 Max’ has suffered as part of the month-long Covid lockdowns in China, with a “rather slow” pace of reopening. The report claims Apple has told suppliers to speed up production development, but ultimately, there could be limited stock of the iPhone 14 Max if and when it does appear later this year. 

We’ll update this section once we hear more, so check back frequently for the latest details, and if you can’t wait that long, take a look at our iPhone buying guide.

How much will the iPhone 14 cost?

It’s far too early to give any concrete predictions on pricing, but the good news is that, even with chip shortages prevalent in 2022 driving up the price Apple has to pay for components, this year’s iPhone 13 range comes in at the same price as its predecessor.

Bye Mini, hello Max

Instead, the company is said to offer 6.1in and 6.7in variants of both the base and Pro models, meaning we could see the introduction of a new iPhone 14 Max alongside the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The Elec goes as far as to suggest that the iPhone 14 Max could offer the same 120Hz refresh rate as the Pro range, although this is dependent on manufacturing costs and availability.

A 9to5Mac source has also confirmed that the Mini is indeed dead, set to be replaced by an iPhone 14 Max with the internal codename D28 – although there’s no mention of the possibility of ProMotion support. 

Mark Gurman also believes the iPhone 14 Max will share the 14 Pro Max display, though like other sources, is yet to comment on ProMotion support. 

The introduction of a new Max model was all but confirmed when leaked images of alleged iPhone 14 metal molds appeared on Chinese social network Weibo in April 2022, depicting two 6.1in and two 6.7in models. 

That was followed up by the reveal of iPhone 14 dummies by notorious leaker Sunny Dickson, showcasing the two 6.1in and 6.7in models in all their glory ahead of release later this year.

We all knew it was coming; after poor iPhone 12 mini sales, and expecting very much the same with the iPhone 13 mini, Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will discontinue the line officially in 2022.

At this point, the replacement of the iPhone mini with the iPhone Max is all but confirmed, but we’ll have to wait for Apple to reveal the smartphone range later this year to know for sure. 

No more Face ID notch

Back in March 2021, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released predictions not only for the iPhone 13, but the iPhone 14 – though it was referred to as the 2022 iPhone, not specifically the 14.

In the note to investors, the analyst suggested that certain models of iPhone 14 could ditch the notch that houses the Face ID smarts. It has been present on every iPhone since the iPhone X, and although Apple shrank the unit by 20% on the iPhone 13, it’s apparently not done just yet.

According to Kuo, the Pro models will instead offer a “punch-hole” cutout for the front-facing camera while still keeping full Face ID functionality, offering an almost full-screen viewing experience. The analyst then doubled down on the claim in late September 2021, again suggesting that the Pro models will ditch the notch for a holepunch camera. 

But while you might assume it’s a circular hole punch, whispers suggest otherwise. Leaker @dylandkt claims it’ll instead be “pill-shaped”, and while he doesn’t go into any more detail, it sounds like it’ll be close to a dual-front facing camera setup like that of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.

But what about a combination of the two? That’s what display analyst Ross Young believes. Taking to Twitter, the analyst  – with a 100% track record – predicts a combination of a circular hole punch and a pill-shaped cutout on the front of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

The leaker even showcased an image in the tweet, although it’s an inverse view – the pill-shaped cutout is allegedly on the left, with the circular holepunch on the right.

young also claims (in a now-deleted tweet) that the hole is said to house the Face ID dot projector while the pill cutout will house the front-facing camera and Face ID’s infrared camera at a minimum.

9to5Mac sources suggest that the iPhone 14 Pro range could be slightly taller than iPhones before it to help accommodate that pill-shaped cutout. 

The hole + pill combination has appeared in leaked CAD renders and schematics mentioned earlier, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also believes the combo is incoming, suggesting that Apple has indeed decided on the rather odd camera cutout.

Updated form factor

Our first look at the claimed iPhone 14 came courtesy of notorious Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who released a swathe of renders – and an entire YouTube video – outlining the iPhone 14 range days ahead of the iPhone 13 release in September 2021.

ProMotion might still be a Pro exclusive

One of the key new features of the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max is the 120Hz ProMotion display, offering buttery smooth animations compared to the 60Hz display of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini.

While some might’ve hoped that the upgraded tech would transition to the rest of the line with the iPhone 14 – like with the Sensor-Shift OIS that was exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro Max before the iPhone 13 range – a report from The Elec suggests differently. 

Citing unnamed supply chain sources, the South Korean outlet suggests that the 120Hz LTPO (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) OLED panels will be exclusive to the Pro models, while the standard models will use the same 60Hz LTPS (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) OLED panels as the 13 range.  

However, an early 2022 prediction from analyst Jeff Pu seems to fly in the face of The Elec’s claim. Instead, the analyst suggests that the entire iPhone 14 range will feature a 120Hz refresh rate, although with a less-established track record than other analysts, it’s worth taking with a pinch of salt. 

Camera improvements

Camera improvements are almost a given when it comes to the yearly iPhone update, but the iPhone 14 Pro range is said to house something special; a new 1/1.3in 48Mp CMOS image sensor for the main wide-angle lens. What’s more impressive is that the new sensor could offer hybrid operating modes to improve pixel size and light-gathering capabilities.

Kuo believes that “the new 2H22 iPhone may support 48MP output and 12MP (four cells merge output mode) output simultaneously”. Merging pixels to improve quality – also known as pixel binning – isn’t a new concept for Android users, but it’ll be a first for the iPhone.

That’s not all either. Kuo claims that “With 12MP output, the CIS pixel size of the new 2H22 iPhone increases to about 2.5um, which is significantly larger than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, and larger than existing Android phones, and close to the DSC level.” For reference, the iPhone 13 pixels measure in at 1.7um, while the Pro line cranks that up to 1.9um.

Along with improved image quality, Kuo believes that it’ll also enable 8K video capture – a massive jump over 4K offered right now, though he doesn’t detail potential framerates.

Kuo reiterated the claim in late September, while also suggesting the changes would be exclusive to the “two high-end models” – a claim that has been backed up more recently by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The idea of a 48Mp snapper with 8K video capabilities has also been backed up by analysts at Haitong International Securities, and again more recently by analysts at TrendForce, lending more credence to the claim. 

It’s worth noting that most rumours currently point towards the standard iPhone 14 using the same 12Mp camera as the iPhone 13. 

4nm chipset – but not for all iPhones

Apple’s A15 Bionic at the heart of the iPhone 13 runs on an improved 5nm process, offering improvements to efficiency and power compared to the 5nm A14 Bionic – but changes aren’t that dramatic compared to the A14 Bionic.

That’s set to change with the iPhone 14, however, according to a TrendForce analyst forecast.

The forecast, which came out in late 2020, claims that Apple’s 2022 iPhone range will be powered by a 4nm processor manufactured by TSMC, likely dubbed the A16 Bionic.

Switching to a narrower structure width will allow for more noticeable improvements to performance and efficiency, which should also have a knock-on effect on battery life – all welcome upgrades to the iPhone experience.

This is seemingly confirmed by a report from The Information, citing engineers familiar with the matter. The report suggests that TSMC isn’t quite ready to ship even smaller 3nm chipsets with the iPhone 14, although it is still expected to begin ahead of its competitors. 

That’ll allegedly be paired with a boosted 8GB of RAM on the Pro models – according to Korean blog Naver citing unnamed sources, anyway. Given the fact that Apple tends to boost its RAM offering every two years, and it last got an upgrade with the iPhone 12 Pro range, there could be some truth to the claim – and it’ll likely extend to the standard model too. 

It’s not the only source pointing towards an increase either; Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu also suggests that the iPhone 14 Pro range will boast an increased 8GB of RAM. 

Interestingly, a 9to5Mac report from March 2022 suggests that Apple might – for the first time ever – split the chipset offering between the standard and Pro models, with only the iPhone 14 Pro range getting the latest A16 Bionic.

The rumour suggests that the standard iPhone 14 range could instead sport a souped-up version of the A15 Bionic found in the iPhone 13, which could have an additional GPU core compared to the current offering. It’s possible that Apple will brand it as the A15X, but this is yet to be confirmed.

The concept was backed up within days by Ming-Chi Kuo, who tweeted in mid-March 2022 that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max would stick with the A15 chipset, and Mark Gurman also claims this will be the case, lending more credence to the idea.

Trend Force followed up on its initial prediction in June 2022, suggesting that “unlike prior offerings, only the latest processors are employed in the Pro series” alongside more GPU power and RAM, while the standard models will sport the A15 Bionic. 

Keeping the new chipset exclusive to the Pro models would certainly make them look more ‘pro’, something Apple has had an issue with in recent years, but it’ll be interesting to see the reaction from consumers at release later this year. 

The first eSIM-only iPhone

Believe it or not, but Apple introduced eSIM functionality with the iPhone XS/XR back in 2018, and every iPhone since features the tech.

For the unaware, it’s essentially a digital SIM card that allows you to activate a plan without the need for a physical SIM card, and it’ll work with over 100 carriers around the world – perfect for getting cheap data rates when holidaying if nothing else.

But while it has been an optional feature up until now, whispers suggest an eSIM-only iPhone could be on the way later this year.  

The rumour comes from a MacRumors source that claimed Apple has advised US carriers to prepare for the launch of an eSIM-only smartphone by September 2022, suggesting that at least one model of iPhone 14 could lack the traditional nano-SIM tray.

However, analysts believe that while it is inevitable, it won’t be a complete switchover. GlobalData analyst Emma Mohr-McClune suggests that Apple will likely offer an eSim-only variant of the iPhone 14 through its own storefront and carriers that want to support it alongside traditional nano-SIM variants, so don’t ditch those SIM cards just yet. 

Satellite connectivity

While satellite connectivity was a late rumour for the iPhone 13 that never came to fruition, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that it could finally make an appearance on the iPhone 14 range.

Discussing upcoming features in his Power On! newsletter, Gurman suggests that satellite connectivity could be used to send short text messages and report emergencies without standard cellular connectivity – though the functionality would be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro range. 

He points towards a February 2022 deal between Apple and alleged satellite partner Globalstar Inc to buy 17 new satellites as evidence, with the company confirming it’d help power “continuous satellite services” for an unnamed customer that had paid hundreds of millions of dollars.

As for why, Gurman claims that the technology “would provide an alternative to the Garmin inReach Explorer and Spot, handheld satellite communicators with similar features”. 

iOS 16

It may sound obvious, but some of the biggest changes to the iPhone 14 will come from the new software: iOS 16.

Of course, iOS 16 will be made available on other iPhones – every model from the iPhone 8 onwards – but the iPhone 14 series will be the first to ship with the new software.

New features baked into iOS 16 include customisable lock screens, the ability to edit and undo send in iMessage, new shared photo library options for iCloud, and more.

Thankyou for reading.

Article by Team My IT Store – Biggest Tech Dealers