What is known so far about the alleged iPhone 14 is listed below.
As the anticipated September debut draws closer, rumors around the iPhone 14 are gaining momentum. And a reasonably accurate image of what to anticipate from the iPhone 14 range has been drawn by the countless purported leaks and hints.
Although the iPhone 14 will most likely have some upgraded features and specs, it will still be somewhat similar to the iPhone 13. A bigger iPhone 14 Max/Plus, measuring 6.7 inches, is anticipated to join it.
The iPhone 14 Pro models, however, are anticipated to feature a more significant makeover that will eventually do away with the iconic display notch in favor of a punch-hole and pill-shaped dual display cutout design. Additionally, upgraded specifications and a better main camera are planned.
Check out our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro(opens in new tab) comparison for a lowdown on the biggest rumored differences. And take a look at our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11(opens in new tab) comparison to see what upgrades could be in store.
Otherwise read on for everything we know about the iPhone 14 range so far.
iPhone 14 latest rumors (Updated August 15)
- The iPhone 14 Pro’s new 48MP camera could be disappointing in low-light conditions, according to a leaker who has reportedly used the new phone.
- A graphic designer has drawn up renders of what the iPhone 14 Pro with always-on display could look like, using iOS 16 beta designs. Spoiler — it looks great.
- The storage upgrade tipped for the iPhone 14 Pro may have been shot down by a new analyst report.
- The iPhone 14 Pro has been tipped for a price hike, but luckily the standard iPhone 14 ins’t expected to see a price increase.
- Apple could launch the iPhone 14 earlier than expected on the first Tuesday of September, rather than a week later as normal.
iPhone 14 possible release date and price
Going by all the rumors so far, we reckon September 13 will be the launch date for the iPhone 14 range. Given Apple’s apparently started filming for the iPhone 14’s debut, it certainly seems like we’ll be seeing the new phone within the month.
After that, we can expect pre-orders of the iPhone 14 range to go live the Friday after the Apple event, September 16, with the phones being released a week later, likely on Friday September 23. This would be 10 days after the rumored Apple event.
Strangely, one rumor has now said Apple could move its usual launch schedule up by a week, unveiling the new iPhone on September 6. This seems unlikely since it’s the day after Labor Day, which would cause all sorts of problems for preparing the event. However, if Apple wanted to give potential customers longer to pre-order the iPhone (as the source still says orders would open on September 16), then that would be a good way to go about doing so without disrupting later plans.
As for price, the iPhone 14 Pro models have been tipped to get a price increase of some $100, but in return could offer 256GB starting storage rather than 128GB (this rumor has been contested by a more recent analyst report). As such, the iPhone 14 Pro might hit $1,099 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max may hit $1,199.
The standard iPhone 14 is expected to stick at $799 (also backed up by a claim coming via Twitter leaker Dohyun Kim(opens in new tab)) and the new iPhone 14 Max is tipped to cost $899.
If you’re on the fence between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13, we’ve rounded up some reasons to buy the iPhone 13 now vs waiting for the iPhone 14(opens in new tab).
Furthermore, when a new iPhone arrives it often means the end of the line for older iPhones, with the iPhone 13 mini looking to be the likely phone to get cut from Apple’s smartphone lineup. As such, we had a dig into which iPhones could be discontinued when the iPhone 14 launches.
iPhone 14 design
We’ve been hearing hints of a design change for the iPhone 14 since last year, just ahead of the iPhone 13 launch, thanks to renders posted by leaker Jon Prosser.
But collating all the rumors thus far, it looks like the iPhone 14 will look a lot like its predecessor, while the iPhone 14 Pro models will retain the flat edge design, but drop the display notch for a pair of cutouts; one is set to be circular for the front-facing camera, the other a pill shape for Face ID sensors. These rumors were given more credence with what appears to be a leaked supply chain photo showing off the display panels for all four iPhone 14 models.
And yes, that means no Touch ID support is expected for any of the iPhone 14 models. That’s not going to sting as much as we had predicted, as with iOS 15.4, Apple has made it so that Face ID can recognize a legitimate user even when they are wearing a mask. It works remarkably well, meaning Apple may have bypassed the need for fingerprint-centric biometrics.
Some schematics that show the iPhone 14 Pro models with a raised camera array being even bigger on the iPhone 14 Pro, and Ming-Chi Kuo claiming that a larger module is needed to house a 48MP camera, it doesn’t look likely the standard iPhone 14 will get a set of cameras flush with its rear panel.
While the Pro modes look to offer the most interesting design, the standard iPhone 14 is tipped to be joined by the iPhone 14 Max. This model is expected to offer a larger 6.7-inch display to give users a bigger-screen iPhone without forcing them to pay big bucks for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Not everyone is sure about whether this is a good idea, though — in fact one Tom’s Guide writer really wishes Apple wasn’t killing the iPhone mini in favor of the iPhone 14 Max.
One rumor that has long been doing the rounds is USB-C connectivity for the iPhone 14. The information on this isn’t super clear, but it’s looking like the iPhone 14 range may still stick with the Lightning port, with a USB-C iPhone not coming until late 2023, likely with the iPhone 15.
We’d like to see Apple adopt USB-C connectivity sooner than later, given it’s done that with a lot of its other products. But in the case of the iPhone 14, the folks at Cupertino may push wireless MagSafe charging over wired charging for the next-generation of iPhones anyway.
iPhone 14 colors
For color options, one source has said there will be Midnight, Starlight, and Product RED color options as usual, with the current blue being swapped out for a lighter sky blue and a new purple option coming in. However that leak has since been deleted, so it’s hard to judge how reliable it is. All the same, this render of the iPhone 14 Pro in purple, from artist Souta(opens in new tab), shows how this purple hue would look in reality.
A more recent leak from an iPhone 14 tipster revealed all the possible colors for the iPhone 14(opens in new tab) and iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 14 is said to be coming in Green, Purple, Blue, Black, White and Red. While the iPhone 14 Pro is slated for Purple, Green, Silver and Graphite.
iPhone 14 display
We’re expecting a shakeup in the iPhone 14 range, as we’ll reportedly see a standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro come with a 6.1-inch display, and a possible iPhone 14 Max/Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max to sport a 6.7-inch display. So no more 5.4-inch mini.
A leak from Shadow_Leak claims that the iPhone 14 will have a 6.08-inch display (rounded up to 6.1 inches) and the iPhone 14 Max with have a 6.68-inch panel (rounded up to 6.7 inches). That’s the same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The thing is though, the Pro models could be getting slightly larger (to 6.12 inches and 6.69 inches respectively) because of new bezels.
Given the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have a 120Hz refresh rate display, it would be great to see all iPhone 14 models have such a screen, likely using an LTPO panel or an evolution of that display tech that could scale down to as little as 1Hz.
This use of panel tech means the iPhone 14 Pro has been tipped to get an always-on display. Long rumored to be an upcoming feature for next-gen iPhones, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed the iPhone 14 Pro will finally get always-on display and it’ll be used to show “weather, calendars, stocks, activities and other data” on the lock screen, with the a low refresh rate helping preserve battery life.
Being able to display such content on a display without needing to wake the phone up, would give next-gen iPhones a leg up on the best Android phones. And if we’ve learned that the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display may simply dim(opens in new tab), while the widgets turn into a special silhouetted, black-and-white outline form. This could in theory give you full access to the lock screen as if the phone was on.
While code in the iOS 16 beta seemingly confirms an always-on display feature, the standard iPhone 14 is expected to stick with simple lift-to-wake option rather than an always-on display. Instead, the iPhone 14 Pro with its adaptive refresh rate will likely support any always-on display feature.
Graphic designer AR7(opens in new tab) has created a set of concept images showing how the iPhone 14 Pro could look with an always-on display. Their designs are based partly on rumors around the phone’s hardware, but also on information from the iOS 16 beta — and to our eyes at least, they look pretty good.
One report from The Elec(opens in new tab) says that at least one iPhone 14 model with sport an LTPS display, which means a 60Hz panel could be sticking around. Subsequent supply chain reports have only reinforced the idea that the standard iPhone 14 may miss out on a fast-refreshing display.
But a more recent rumor has the standard iPhone 14 models tipped to get a 90Hz refresh rate display; that’s not quite the snappy 120Hz refresh rate we’d like to see, but it would be a notable improvement over a 60Hz panel. Another tipster corroborates this disappointing specs rumor.
iPhone 14 cameras
The latest rumors don’t have the standard iPhone 14 set to get a major camera upgrade, with a regular Apple tipster claiming non-Pro models will stick with 12MP cameras. However, if this is the case we can expect Apple to have done some work on the software side to improve the next-gen iPhone’s photography skills as well as equip iOS 16 with more camera-centric features.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo all models of the iPhone 14 have been tipped to get an upgraded front-facing camera,
But it’s with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max we can expect the biggest camera changes. A 48-megapixel main camera has been tipped, which could result in more detail-rich photos with better control over light and thus overall quality. This would point towards suggesting megapixels mattering once more for Apple.
That said, the latest leak claims that the iPhone 14 Pro could have a surprise camera downgrade — in certain conditions at least. @LeaksApplePro(opens in new tab) claims to have spoken to a source who has used the iPhone 14 Pro, and they report that that in low light there is “a substantial amount of noise.” We’d take this one with a big pinch of salt, though, as we can’t see Apple upgrading a camera and not improving it in every respect.
For more, see our iPhone 14 camera roundup for all the biggest rumors and leaks.
iPhone 14 specs, battery life and charging
A suite of rumors thus far have the iPhone 14 tipped to stick with the A15 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 14 Pro modes are expected to get a new A16 chip. Ming Chi-Kuo has thrown his weight behind this chip rumor, adding that Apple plans to ship more iPhone 14 Pro models than standard iPhone 14s.
If you’re interested in how much extra power the A16 could offer, there have been some leaked benchmarks that could give us a clue. However, we’d argue that the A15 Bionic is so powerful that having it in the iPhone 14 is going to be no bad thing, and you should dismiss the standard iPhone 14 models just because they ay lack a silicon upgrade.
The rumors so far claim that all four iPhone 14 models will have 6GB RAM, a boost from 4GB on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. However, the base models would use LPDDR4X RAM like the current iPhone 13 range, while the Pro models will allegedly get faster and more efficient LPDDR5 RAM.
On the storage side, we’d expect Apple to continue with the options it has for the iPhone 13 range, which start at 128GB and go up to 1TB for the Pro models.
Apple could also launch an eSIM-only variant of the iPhone 14, according to claims by analyst Emma Mohr-McClune of GlobalDate. The move would bolster the iPhone’s appeal among users who need dual SIM capabilities, such as business users and overseas travelers.
A source from Weibo claiming to know the battery capacities of the iPhone 14 family shows that all models except the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be getting a slight increase in size. The 14 Pro Max is in fact shrinking a little, but hopefully not enough to impact the phone’s overall battery life.
When it comes to connectivity, it’s possible that the iPhone 14 will feature an Apple-made 5G modem, following Apple’s acquisition of Intel’s modem business. This would presumably give Apple more control over both the 5G performance and battery life impact, but it may only debut with the iPhone 15 next year.
While we’re on the subject of connectivity, an old iPhone 13 rumor has resurfaced — that the iPhone will gain the ability to connect to satellite networks so that users can send text messages to emergency services when cellular networks aren’t available. That feature didn’t make it to the iPhone 13, but now tipsters say that the iPhone 14 models could add satellite connectivity, as Apple looks to bolster the emergency features of its phones.
iPhone 14 Max to replace iPhone 14 mini
All the rumors thus far are pointing towards the iPhone mini getting replaced by a larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max/Plus.
The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini failed to be runaway successes for Apple with people seemingly preferring the larger-screened phones. As such, a 6.7-inch iPhone would provide such a device but not require Apple fans to fork out iPhone Pro Max money. As such, we reckon the iPhone 14 Max could be the most exciting Apple phone of the year and the new phone to beat come the fall.
Our iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Max comparison looks at how the two phones could differ.
Be aware that the iPhone 14 Max may debut under a different name. Leaker Lanzuk claims Apple will call its 6.7-inch entry level phone the iPhone 14 Plus. Ditching the iPhone 13 mini isn’t the only big change expected versus the iPhone 14. See our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 comparison for all the biggest rumored differences so far.
iPhone 14 outlook
While we’re still dealing with rumors and claimed leaks, we now have a fairly good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 14 range.
Both standard and Pro models will be an evolution over what’s come before, with the iPhone 14 Pro likely being the one to get all the standout upgrades. But iPhones are made to last and the standard iPhone 14 models aren’t to be dismissed either, given they are still likely to offer a stellar iOS experience.
For what it’s worth, we’d advise you don’t buy an iPhone 13 now, and instead wait to see what Apple could reveal in September. It’s very likely Apple will have another iPhone range that’ll see it look to top our best phones list.