iPhone 14: price and new models in the lineup
In January, Twitter account LeaksApplePro, which specialises in leaks concerning Apple products, published information on the possible price of the new iPhones. According to this data, the starting price tag for the new smartphones will be as follows:
iPhone 14 - $799, on par with its predecessor.
iPhone 14 Max - $899.
iPhone 14 Pro - $1099, $100 more expensive than the iPhone 13 Pro.
iPhone 14 Pro Max - $1199, $100 more expensive than the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The main difference from the previous year is the availability of a new model. In September, Apple may unveil a "larger" version of the base iPhone for the first time - the iPhone 14 Max. Judging by the name and the difference in price from the standard model, we are talking about a larger screen diagonal, as in the case of the Pro / Pro Max.
In the previous two generations, Apple produced a smaller version - the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini - in addition to the base and two "professional" models. Now the company appears to have decided to go the bigger route.
iPhone 14: abandoning the "fringes"
That Apple may be rethinking its approach to the placement of cameras and unlock sensors in 2022 was first reported by Apple product analyst Min-Chi Ko. In his opinion, the "fringes" should be replaced by a round cutout in the screen, as on many Android smartphones.
Following Min-Chi Ko's suggestion, several other whistleblowers also revealed possible changes to the placement of cameras and sensors. For example, Twitter account dylandkt confirmed the information that a cutout will be made for them in the screen. He noted that this will only apply to the Pro and Pro Max, and the cutout will be in the shape of an oval. The account has now been deleted, but a copy of the tweet has been cached.
And a Twitter user nicknamed Ross Young, who shares information regarding the displays, clarified that the Pro and Pro Max models' screens will have two types of cutouts - round and oval. The former will house the camera, while the latter will house other sensors for Face ID. At the same time, most of the required hardware will be hidden underneath the screen, which will noticeably reduce the size of the required cutouts.
That said, all informants agree that the "fringes" change will only affect the Pro and Pro Max models. As for the regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, it appears that their front end will remain unchanged.
iPhone 14: release date
Apple has not separately announced a release date for the next iPhone.
However, if we analyse the timing of the company's smartphones in the last 10 years, it can be assumed that it will happen in September. Since the iPhone 5, the devices have only appeared in other months on two occasions: the iPhone X was released in November and the iPhone 12 in October.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of a global chip shortage, for example, could derail plans. If there is no overlap, the new iPhones will go on sale in September, shortly after the traditional autumn presentation, where the smartphones will be shown officially for the first time.
For example, Min-Chi Ko believes that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will quadruple the number of megapixels at once, from 12 to 48. This will allow the devices to shoot video in 8K resolution, which is four times higher than 4K. Min-Chi Ko has already repeated this thesis twice since.
At the same time, the analyst did not clarify whether the upgrade will affect all three cameras in the Pro and Pro Max, or whether the company will equip only the main camera with a 48-megapixel sensor. Haitong International Securities, on the other hand, is inclined to believe that Apple will only upgrade the main camera, leaving the wide-angle and telephoto with 12-megapixel sensors.
iPhone 14: new processors
In the new iPhones, we should expect updated processors, more specifically systems-on-chip (SoC), which combine the functions of a CPU, neural processor and video accelerator. Since the company's current smartphones feature Apple A15 Bionic chips, we can expect Apple A16 Bionic in the next generation.
Twitter account Ross Young wrote that the processors of the new iPhones could be made using the 4nm process technology. In comparison, the A15 Bionic is made on a 5nm process technology. This means that the new chips will contain more transistors for the same size.
However, there is some evidence that the manufacturing process may be even smaller. So, Digitimes citing industry sources in August 2021 wrote that chip maker for Apple - TSMC - will move to a 3nm processor in 2022. If the new processors are made this way, it will allow for an additional increase in the number of transistors per area.
In addition, insiders are also talking about a possible increase in RAM and device memory in general. For instance, Haitong International Securities believes that the Pro and Pro Max will raise the RAM capacity from 6GB to 8GB. At the same time, other informants say that on all models, including the base model, the amount of RAM will be the same - 6GB. For the younger models, this will be an upgrade.
The maximum amount of permanent memory, according to MyDrivers, could once again double from 1TB to 2TB. However, this website cannot be trusted unequivocally.
iPhone 14: other possible updates
Twitter account Ross Young has reported that battery volumes and sizes may increase in the iPhone 14. Unofficial renders of the new iPhones also hint at increased battery size - from which we can infer that the devices will become slightly thicker.
Also, several industry sources said in November that Apple was considering switching from its Lightning charging and syncing port to USB-C. We're only talking about the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Currently, this port is used exclusively in the new iPad. However, it is still difficult to say with certainty whether the idea will reach release.
Back in the summer, there were rumours that Apple might be exploring the possibility of introducing a fingerprint sensor under the display, as it is done in some Android smartphones. In the meantime, the company has tested the feature but was unsatisfied with the outcome, according to whistleblowers. At least as far as the iPhone 13 is concerned.
GlobalData analyst Emma Moore-McCloon believes that with the launch of iPhone 14 Apple may go for another experiment and do away with the SIM card slot. Instead, the company, Moor-McCloon believes, could sell the smartphone with only eSIM. That said, she sees such a move as impossible for the broad market. At least for the time being.
FAQ
When will the iPhone 14 be released?
The iPhone 14 is likely to be released in September, but there's no official confirmation from Apple yet. However, if you look at the dates when iPhones have been on sale for the last ten years, we can assume that the 14th will arrive in shops in the first month of autumn.
Will Apple do away with the "fringes" in the iPhone 14?
Several whistleblowers are saying that Apple may remove the "fringes" with the camera and sensors for Face ID placed in them in the new iPhones. Admittedly, if this happens, it will likely only happen with the top-end iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. If rumours are to be believed, the camera and sensors could be placed in slots in the screen, as is done in some Android smartphones.
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