What We Know So Far About iPhone 14
It’s 2022 and that means we’re getting the new lineup of iPhones.
While we expect that they’re not going to be released anytime soon in the first half of the year, the rumors about the specs and features of the iPhone 14 are already spreading like wildfire. Apple is naturally tight-lipped about what’s to come. But we still managed to scrounge up some details here and there to give you a good overview of the next generation of iPhones…and if they’re worth your money.
What Should We Expect For The Next Apple Release
With the COVID situation these past few months, it was already expected that the new release of anything Apple will be delayed.
If the rumors are believed to be true, then the next lineup of iPhone 14 will be launched in September along with other products. Leaks show that the iPhone 14 will be launched along with the Series 8 of Apple Watch while new versions of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and AirPods Pro are set to be released somewhere in late 2022.
You have probably seen mock-ups of the Apple Car and foldable iPhones around social media. Some might view them as gag products, but they are very much on the table for Apple. Now that Android phones are pumping through foldable iPhones thanks to the success of Samsung, we expect that iPhone will follow suit.
Apple is rumored to be working on foldable iPhones with the size rounding up to 8 inches but they won’t be on the market for at least a year or two. For the Apple Car, it looks like the company is following the lead of Tesla with a fully autonomous vehicle. But that won’t come to light anytime soon with the launch being speculated anywhere between 2023 to 2025.
The New iPhone 14: What’s New and What’s Not
Let’s get to the main event: the iPhone 14.
Apple pretty much stuck to the same overall aesthetics since their major redesign on iPhone X. That’s expected to follow on the latest iPhone, with just a little bit of tweaking. Apple is rumored to remove the cheaper 5.4” iPhone minis on their future lineups after the lackluster sales as people now prefer larger displays on their phones.
As a response, leaks show that Apple is focusing on larger iPhone displays and future iPhone units won’t be smaller than 6.1 inches. The iPhone 14 and its Pro version are set to measure 6.1” while the iPhone 14 Max and Pro Max are both 6.7”. As for the rest, here’s what we’ve gathered:
1. New: No-Notch Design for Pro Models
Apple is ready to slowly part ways with the iconic notch and will adapt a no-notch design for a popular, sleeker look. Instead of the notch, Apple was rumored to use a hole-punch design on the upcoming lineup of the iPhone 14. This design has been the standard on most Android phones but Apple has put its own twist on it.
Instead of a singular hole-punch, the new generation of iPhones will have a combination of pill-shaped and circular cutouts for the front camera and other components
It won’t really make a huge difference on the screen size but the pill and hole-punch cutout do give a more seamless look compared to the notch design. However, this will only be available on Pro models of iPhone 14 while the rest still retains the notch design. It’s estimated that it may still be a year or two before the standard models adapt to this design change.
2. Same: Chassis Design
It’s expected that the iPhone 14 won’t have a significant change when it comes to the overall design of the phone itself. After all, why change when the current design works so well for Apple?
A design render that surfaced last March showed the same flat edge design with a diagonal camera layout. Plus, the leaked iPhone 14 molds for case production are parallel to what the rumors have picked up.
The camera bumps are rumored to be slimmer than the usual though, but reports have yet to have any significant proof.
3. New: Potential Titanium Alloy Chassis
Apple has been looking to upgrade the make of the iPhone chassis and it’s a possibility that it will happen on the next launch.
Based on an unconfirmed investor report from JP Morgan Chase, the iPhone 14 models will have a titanium alloy chassis that will make the body stronger and scratch resistant compared to the usual steel and aluminum built. If this is true, then this will be the first time that Apple will use titanium chassis aside from the Apple Watch.
4. Same: A15 Chip For iPhone 14 Base Model
The A15 chip was introduced for the iPhone 13 so it’s expected that the base model of the iPhone 14 will still have the same processor.
Some leaks say that the Pro models will have the A16 chip. If so, this will be the first time that Apple will roll out a new chip a year after the most recent one. But it is expected that the new line of iPhones will use the first 10-gigabit 5G modem Qualcomm Snapdragon X65. That means faster connectivity as 5G is starting to become available in more locations.
5. New: Removal of Physical SIM Tray
Apple loves to push the boundaries of minimalism when it comes to the phone built. It’s rumored that the next generation of iPhones will no longer have a physical SIM slot. Instead, iPhone will cater to the rise of eSIM.
But don’t worry, this feature looks like it will only roll out in countries that support eSIM. Apple has a list of those on their website and by the looks of it, this only might be a major change in the US with Apple allegedly notifying major US carriers of eSIM-only smartphones.