iPhone 14 Rumors: Unencumber Date, Value and Will It’s Notchless?

iPhone 14 lineup rumors: Will there still be 4 phones?

We don’t know much about the iPhone 14 yet, but we’ve heard that Apple’s next lineup will nix the Mini and focus on larger phones instead. A July report from Nikkei Asian Review predicted the death of the iPhone 14 Mini, and an April research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors also suggested that the Mini was not long for this world. However, Kuo reported, the iPhone 14 lineup will still comprise four models, a “high-end” and a “lower-end,” with two size options for each. 

While name speculation isn’t as germane to the discussion of Apple’s 2022 lineup as it was for unlucky 13, rumors suggest a small shift in naming conventions, with an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max, with “Pro” designating higher-end specs and “Max” referring to the larger screen size.

iPhone 14 size rumors: Bigger screens for all

Apple’s last two iPhone lineups have featured the same 6.1-inch size for the base model, going up to 6.7 inches for the Pro Max. According to the same July Nikkei Asian Review report, Apple will stick with these screen sizes for the iPhone 14, nixing the 5.4-inch Mini. Reports showed sluggish sales of the iPhone 12 Mini, so it’s no surprise that Apple is retiring the small phone in 2022.

Release date: iPhone 14 will likely arrive fall 2022

It’s too soon for any reputable release date rumors for the iPhone 14, but we expect Apple to hold its annual fall iPhone event in September 2022, as it does almost every year, with the phones being released shortly thereafter, usually the following Friday. Sometimes Apple will stagger release dates for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it’s possible that the iPhone 14 lineup will have more than one release date.

Read more: When is the next Apple event?

Here’s what we know: 

• Apple likes to hold its events on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Apple’s iPhone 13 event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
• iPhone release dates are typically a week and a half after Apple’s announcements. 
• In general, new iPhones are released on a Friday, around the third week of September. For the iPhone 13, preorders began Sept. 17 and the phones went on sale Sept. 24.

A few years ago, CNET took a deep dive into the Apple event timeline and emerged with a compelling Labor Day hypothesis, which you can read about here. Based on the 2022 calendar, the Labor Day rule would put the September Apple event (and unveiling of the iPhone 14) on Sept. 7, with a Sept. 16 release date. However, our Labor Day hypothesis was a week off for 2021 — and, because of coronavirus delays, about a month off in 2020. 

iPhone 14 price: Will Apple lower the cost in 2022?

There’s no word either way on iPhone 14 pricing, but Apple didn’t make any big price changes between 2020’s iPhone 12 and 2021’s iPhone 13, so the existing price structure is at least a good place to start our speculation. However, Kuo predicts the high-end 6.7-inch phone (the alleged iPhone 14 Pro Max) will launch at a record-low price, under $900. Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which ranges from $1,099 all the way up to a staggering $1,599, that’s quite a steal.

Camera rumors: What Apple might improve for the iPhone 14

Two of the big rumors we’ve heard about the iPhone 14’s camera setup are actually more about the phone’s design: First, that the chunky camera bump could disappear. Second, that a hole-punch or hole-and-pill design could replace the dreaded notch on the front. 

Kuo shared insights about the iPhone 14’s potential camera upgrades in an investors note reported on by 9to5Mac just after the iPhone 13 launch. In the note, Kuo predicts a hole-punch front camera, making the iPhone 14 (finally) notchless, as well as a 48-megapixel wide rear camera for the Pro and Pro Max models, up from 12 megapixels on previous iPhones.

Display analyst Ross Young hypothesizes, however, that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will have a hole-and-pill shaped design to accommodate for the front facing camera and Face ID. The hole cutout is believed to be for the Face ID dot projector, and the pill-shaped cutout holds the front camera and Face ID camera, according to a January report from MacRumors. 

Kuo’s speculation regarding the camera’s megapixel capacity aligns with both a recent research note from Haitong International Securities, also reported on by MacRumors, and a report from research company TrendForce. Both Jeff Pu and TrendForce hypothesize the two Pro models will be equipped with a 48-megapixel wide lens. Pu, however, adds that the iPhones will sport a triple lens rear camera system with a 12-megapixel ultrawide and telephoto lenses in addition to the 48-megapixel wide lens. The analyst adds that the Pro versions of the iPhone 14 could sport 8GB of RAM, as well. In comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max have 6GB. 

iPhone 13 camera upgrades include a new Cinematic mode, ProRes video and some improvements in zoom capabilities. We had previously reported on rumors that the entire lineup would feature lidar, the iPhone 12 Pro’s standout depth-sensing feature, but lidar ended up making an appearance only on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max after all. It’s possible Apple might expand the feature to its full lineup in 2022 instead, but we haven’t heard anything yet. 

Another of the camera features we’re still waiting on is an improved telephoto lens. While the iPhone 13 Pro’s zoom capabilities were given a 3x optical zoom, it still pales in comparison to a lot of competitor flagships, including Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, which boasts a 10x optical zoom.

Design rumors: iPhone 14 might be notchless, at last

YouTuber and iPhone leaker Jon Prosser (whose track record is admittedly spotty) made waves the week before the iPhone 13 announcement by releasing renders he commissioned of the iPhone 14 Pro Max based on “real images and schematics” leaked to him from purported sources at Apple. 

Read more: iPhone 14 design rumors

Prosser’s renders corroborate a number of previously reported rumors, including the notchless display and hole-punch camera previously reported by Kuo, and the iPhone 14 Pro’s titanium alloy chassis, which was first referenced in a July report from JPMorgan Chase. We’d been expecting to see the iPhone 13 go notchless, but instead we got a slimmed-down, but still very notchy, notch. Apple introduced the world to the notched display in 2017 with the release of the iPhone X, and as rivals solved the selfie conundrum with hole-punch and under-display cameras, Apple still hasn’t, er, taken it down a notch. 

But Prosser’s renders seem to corroborate these earlier reports that Apple would finally excise the iPhone’s notch in 2022. And Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also hinted at its removal in a September edition of his Power On newsletter, wherein he predicted a “complete redesign” for the iPhone 14. Those who’ve been crossing their fingers for a notchless iPhone since the iPhone 12 and had their hopes dashed once again by the iPhone 13 can now look forward to a potential realization of their all-screen dreams in 2022’s iPhone 14.

iPhone 14 says buh-bye to the camera bump but keeps the Lightning port

The other big design change Prosser’s renders show is a flattened camera bump. According to Prosser, the iPhone 14’s body is going to be a “thick boy,” thick enough, it seems, to encompass all the camera hardware without an annoying, protruding camera setup on the back. Why is the iPhone 14 supposed to be so thick? Perhaps to house a bigger battery, or even the previously rumored periscope camera, which Kuo projected in 2020. 

Two prior rumors that won’t pan out, according to Prosser at least, are the death of the Lightning port and the addition of USB-C (the EU may force Apple to add USB-C ports to iPhones, however). Rumors of a completely portless iPhone have been circulating for a while, but it appears those won’t come true in 2022.

iPhone 14 color rumors: Pale gold, perhaps?

As far as colors go, Prosser’s render colors were not based on any actual information from his sources, except for a pale gold color, which he claims to have seen evidence of himself. However, it’s still early days, and Apple surely has not finalized its color lineup yet for the iPhone 14.

Rumored iPhone 14 features and specs

Here’s everything else we know (and think we know) so far about the iPhone 14 lineup’s specifications and potential new features.

Wi-Fi 6E adoption

The iPhone 14 could be equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, according to a November note from Kuo, reported on by 9to5Mac. However, the analyst says the components needed for Wi-Fi 6E may be in short supply. Apple’s rumored VR headset is also said to have Wi-Fi 6E. 

A16 chip

The iPhone 14 is expected to have an A16 chip, which would improve upon the iPhone 13’s A15 chip, in keeping with Apple’s previous pattern.

120Hz ProMotion display

All iPhone 14 models could include Apple’s ProMotion display, which only the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max variants currently have. ProMotion boosts the screen’s refresh rate for smoother performance, up to 120Hz. This is more speculation than actual rumor, based on changes in Apple’s supply chain that would make it easier for the company to offer the feature across its next lineup.

Young, however, speculates that Apple will continue to offer ProMotion displays exclusively to its Pro models. The analyst suggests that Chinese manufacturer BOE would be one of Apple’s LTPO OLED display suppliers, but the company doesn’t have a large production capacity right now. 

5G connectivity 

Apple introduced 5G connectivity to its iPhone 12 lineup and, unsurprisingly, included it in the iPhone 13 as well. There’s no reason to believe we won’t see 5G-compatible iPhone 14s, too. A July report from Nikkei Asian Review also predicts Apple will “go all in on 5G” in 2022.

MagSafe accessories

Like 5G, MagSafe was introduced to the iPhone in 2020’s iPhone 12 lineup. The snap-on, magnetic accessories include wallets, battery packs and chargers, and it was one of our favorite iPhone 12 features. The iPhone 13 is also compatible with MagSafe, and we expect the same for Apple’s next generation of phones.

Satellite connectivity

An 11th-hour iPhone 13 rumor via Kuo that didn’t come to fruition was the addition of satellite connectivity, which would allow users to send text messages via satellite in areas without cellular coverage, at least in emergency situations, as reported by Bloomberg. Alas, satellite connectivity is nowhere to be found in the iPhone 13 lineup, but perhaps that means it’s coming in the iPhone 14 instead.