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| Image credit: Jon Prosser / Front Page Tech |
The iPhone 13 might not be out yet, but that hasn't stopped the iPhone 14 from being detailed in leaks and renders. Here's all you need to know.
The iPhone 13 might not be out yet, but that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t working on the iPhone 14 behind closed doors – and given a surprising number of early leaks, we’ve already got some idea of what the company could be planning for its 2022 flagship range.
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 is yet to officially unveil the iPhone 13 – which is expected at the Apple event on 14 September – so we’re still quite some time away from the release of the next-gen iPhone 14.
While there aren’t any solid 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.
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.
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| Image credit: Jon Prosser / Front Page Tech |
How much will the iPhone 14 cost?
It’s far too early to give any concrete predictions on pricing, especially as we’re yet to see how the pandemic and supply chain constraints have affected the pricing of the iPhone 13. It’s rumoured to cost more than its predecessor due to the higher cost of parts, but that’s yet to be confirmed.
It is possible that the tech industry will return to some level of normality by 2022 with chipsets more readily available, which would, in turn, lower the cost of manufacturing the iPhone 14 range compared to this year’s range, but we’ll have to wait and see how the industry evolves over the next year.
For reference, the current iPhone range costs:
- iPhone 12 Pro Max - £1,099/$1,099
- iPhone 12 Pro - £999/$999
- iPhone 12 - £799/$799
- iPhone 12 Mini - £699/$699
- iPhone 11 - £599/$599
- iPhone XR - £499/$499
- iPhone SE - £399/$399
What to expect from the iPhone 14 range
Despite being a year away from the potential release, we’ve got a rough idea of what the iPhone 14 will offer – and it’s set to be an exciting one if current rumours are to be believed.
Redesigned form factor
Our best look at the iPhone 14 comes courtesy of notorious Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who has released a swathe of renders – and an entire YouTube video – outlining the iPhone 14 range. Prosser claims to have seen images of a prototype of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and worked with render artist Ian Zelbo to create the images, which seem to showcase an updated design.
That brings the design close to a merger between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 4 – a comparison made stronger by the inclusion of circular volume controls, something not seen on the range since the iPhone 4 era. It’s also the first iPhone in some time to have glass sit on top of the antenna bands, rather than have them protrude from the sides of the phone.
That chassis, according to Prosser, will be made from titanium – something we’d previously heard from analysts at JP Morgan Chase.
Though a variety of colours are depicted in the renders, those were chosen by Prosser and his team to help showcase the design. He does insist that the photos he saw were of a gold iPhone 14 Pro Max, but suggests that the shade may change by the time production comes along next year.
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| Image credit: Jon Prosser / Front Page Tech |
It doesn’t look like it’ll be port-less either, as Prosser’s renders all include a Lightning port – we might have to wait for the iPhone 15 for that one!
Of course, we’re still a year away from a potential release, so even if Prosser’s information is accurate – and he has been on the money with design predictions recently – plans could change dramatically in the next 12 months, so take it with a big ol’ grain of salt.
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 is rumoured to shrink the unit 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.
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| Image credit: Jon Prosser / Front Page Tech |
That was later backed up by notorious leaker Jon Prosser, who showcased a number of renders of what’s claimed to be the "iPhone 14 Pro Max" just days before the iPhone 13 is set to be revealed, depicting a centrally placed holepunch cutout.
Twitter leaker @MauriQHD has a slightly different take though; the leaker instead suggests that there will be no notch or holepunch camera, but instead slightly thicker bezels on all four sides that’ll completely house the front-facing camera and Face ID technology.
iPhone 14
— Mauri QHD (@MauriQHD) September 8, 2021
afaik the back camera
aint flush in any prototypes right now pic.twitter.com/6IzJyIYXmG
He also disagrees with Prosser’s suggestion that the iPhone 14 will feature a flush camera module, claiming that it isn’t flush in any current prototypes. Let the war of the leakers begin!
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 capturing both simultaneously is yet to be achieved.
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 pixels measure in at 1.7um.
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.
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| Image credit: Jon Prosser / Front Page Tech |
4nm chipset
While we’re yet to officially see the iPhone 13, it’s largely expected to feature the A15 Bionic, running on an improved 5nm process, offering slight improvements to efficiency and power compared to the 5nm A14 Bionic – but changes won’t be that dramatic.
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.
No more iPhone mini
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.
Instead, the company is said to offer only 6.1- and 6.7in variants of the base and Pro models.
What are you most looking forward to with the iPhone 14? Let us know on Twitter.
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