After two generations – 12 and 13 – quite similar, the iPhone 14 seem on track to evolve in their lines and present two families much more segmented than in the past. There has been no lack of rumors for a year, we summarize them here and update them as often as necessary.
New sizes, new family
Next fall there should still be four iPhones in the new lineup, but the “mini” model is gone. It’s already been a year since this format was announced as promised early retirement on the occasion of the renewal of 2022. The distribution of this year would therefore only consist of medium and large size iPhones. For more compact, in addition to the models in destocking there will be… the iPhone SE 2022 which perpetuates the old design.
The family would include on the one hand iPhone 14 and 14 Max (code names D27 and D28) and on the other hand iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (D73 and D74). The screens would be 6.7″ for the two Max variants and 6.1″ for the others. Diagonals taken from the iPhone 13/Pro and 13 Pro Max.
The “Max” format, symbol of the very high end at Apple, would thus be accessible to a wider clientele who appreciate these pie servers but who taste their price less.
New cases
The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max seem on track to transform the trial of the 13 and 13 Pro Max which were thicker, heavier and equipped with a larger photo block than the 12 Pro. The case manufacturers will be rubbing their hands, we should not be able to recycle the protection of a 13 Pro / Max for the equivalent in 14.
The chassis of the 14 Pro Max would be thicker than the 13 Pro Max: 7.85 mm once morest 7.65 mm. On the other hand, it would shrink a bit on its length and width: 160.7 x 77.58 mm once morest 160.8 x 78.1 mm. As for its photo block, it is announced as thicker (4.17 mm vs 3.60 mm) and larger (36.73 x 38.21 mm vs 35.01 x 36.24 mm).
In total, with the rear optical block, the 14 Pro Max would have a thickness of 12.02 mm once morest 11.25 mm for the 13 Pro Max. With the reinforcement of a case there is enough to make a good brick.
Changes also for the 14 Pro compared to the 13 Pro, both a hint narrower (71.45 mm vs 71.5 mm), slightly taller (147.46 x 146.7 mm) and thicker (7. 85 x 7.65mm). With the photo block we have the same thickness as the 14 Pro Max.
The Japanese Blog Macotakara had fun cutting silhouettes of these iPhone 14s given the dimensions that are circulating and using them with cases for the iPhone 13s. It is especially the Pro models where the changes are the most visible: the photo block is too much to tight under the opening of the case. For the iPhone 14 the difference is much less marked (see also The iPhone 14 would look like the iPhone 13s).
holes in the screen
Show me your screen I’ll tell you who you are. For the iPhone “Pro”, Apple would reserve a whole new layout for the TrueDepth sensors that participate in the operation of Face ID.
The front camera would have its own hole, and next to it a pill-shaped hole would house the other sensors needed for Face ID like the dot projector. For iPhone 14 and 14 Max, nothing new a priori, the notch which was reduced in width with the iPhone 13 would be renewed identically this year.
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Two processors instead of one
This is the blow we didn’t see coming. For the first time, Apple would make a difference in processor equipment in its lineup. No more uniformity with everyone on the same engine, hello segmentation. The iPhone “Pro” would be promised the new chip of the year – the A16 – while the iPhone 14 and 14 Max would use the A15 of the iPhone 13.
An A15 which would however contain 1 GPU core more than in the graphics part of the A15 of 2021. The A15 of 2022 might then be renamed A15X to highlight this improvement. This would not be a new approach, we have already seen it used in 2020 for tablets.
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The balance would be restored with regard to the integrated memory which varied between 4 and 6 GB on the 13 and 13 Pro. This year it would be 6 GB for everyone, but with still another bonus for the Pros: LPDDR5 memory (up to 1.5 times faster and up to 30% more efficient in power consumption) once morest LPDDR4 for the two others.
All these external and internal differences would be a clever way to give the Pro models an added value, better able to justify their superior positioning.
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48MP Photo, 8K Video
The increase in the size of the photo block on the 14 Pro can be explained by the use of a more sophisticated sensor. The wide angle would have a 48 mpx sensor instead of the 12 mpx used until then (the other sensors would remain on 12 mpx).
It was in April 2021, even before the release of the iPhone 13, that this point was evoked for future iPhone 14s. Then it has returned to rumors several times since December. For this new wide angle, Apple would use a well-known technique called “pixel binning” to improve image quality (four prices are grouped together to form one). This would however be reserved, once once more, for the iPhone 14 Pro. Which would also be the only ones able to film in 8K this year, leaving 4K to the iPhone 14 and 14 Max.
And also…
Some points were subject to few rumors or with changes of foot. This is the case of ProMotion which would no longer be reserved for Pro models but given the trend taken by this range, this assumption is questionable.
Then there was the suggestion of a return to a 64GB offer for the iPhone 14 while all 13s start at 128GB. A move that would, however, start the prices lower for the iPhone 14.
Even the SIM part was entitled to its quarter of an hour of rumor with the idea that Apple might offer variants of its iPhones operating exclusively on eSIM, in addition to models always equipped with a housing capable of receiving one of physical type (or even two, as in China).
Finally Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) – faster and capable of lower latency – which is becoming more popular in domestic equipment, such as operator boxes, would do its arrival in the iPhone 14.
