iPhone 14: Everything we know so far
The iPhone 14 is the iPhone model that Apple will introduce in the fall of 2022. That’s still a good way off into the future, but the supply chain is already painting a picture of what to expect. Read on as we recap the current rumors and expectations for the iPhone 14.
Table of contents
What will the iPhone 14 be called?
What the iPhone released in 2022 is called ultimately depends on what Apple calls the iPhone model introduced in 2021. If the 2021 iPhone model is marketed as the iPhone 13, then we expect the 2022 iPhone model to be the iPhone 14.
On the flip side, if the iPhone model introduced in 2021 is the iPhone 12s, then we expect the 2022 iPhone model to be the iPhone 13. This, of course, assumes that Apple doesn’t skip the number 13, given the bad luck it is associated with in many cultures.
There’s also the possibility that Apple abandons numbers on the iPhone line altogether, and new iPhones are designated simply by their size, “Pro” or non Pro, and year. This would match what Apple has done to the iPad lineup over the past several years.
Apple marketing names stay under wraps until the last minute. This means we’ll have to wait until 2022 to learn more about what that year’s will be officially called.
What features and specs will iPhone 14 have?
No notch
The biggest change that we currently expect with the 2022 iPhone is the removal of the notch cutout. The notch design was first introduced with the iPhone X, and it has stayed the same since then. The notch is where Apple houses its sensors for things like Face ID.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple will drop the notch in 2022, starting with the high-end iPhone 14 Pro. Kuo describes the design change as a “punch-hole design.” This is similar to what’s currently used on many high-end iPhone designs.
Furthermore, Kuo says that the punch-hole design will only come to fruition if Apple’s prototyping and production go according to plan. Apple’s current goal is to bring the hole-punch design only to the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. As such, the standard iPhone 14 will retain the notch design, unless Apple is able to exceed product yield goals.
If the punch-hole design sounds familiar, it’s because it’s what’s currently used on many high-end Android flagships. It makes sense for Apple to adopt this design with the iPhone 14.
On the iPhone 14 Pro, the “punch-hole” would house the camera sensor that’s currently located in the notch. What remains unclear is the fate of Face ID. It’s possible that Apple abandons Face ID in favor of under-display Touch ID.
Here’s the technology currently located in the iPhone’s notch:
- Infrared camera
- Flood illuminator
- Proximity sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Speaker
- Microphone
- Front camera
- Dot projector
That’s a lot of technology to place elsewhere, so it will be interesting to see how Apple pulls this off.
Camera improvements
The iPhone 14 will also include dramatic improvements to the front-facing camera, according to Kuo. The biggest change will be upgrades to the front-facing camera’s auto-focus features. More details here are unclear, but the front-facing iPhone camera has a way to go to catch up to the rear camera.
In terms of the rear camera, Kuo says the the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be upgraded to 48-megapixels, an increase from the 12-megapixel sensor in iPhone 12.
Although the sensor is 48 megapixels, it is possible that output images from the iPhone will still be 12-megapixels in resolution. Similar to some Android phones, Apple could use a smart scaling algorithm that takes the raw 48-megapixel data and creates a 12-megapixel output image, with more detail and less noise.
Kuo believes the video camera system will also be upgraded for the iPhone 14, supporting 8K recording for the first time.
Screen sizes
Kuo also predicts that the iPhone 14 will not include a ‘mini’ form factor like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. Instead, Kuo suggests that Apple will offer four iPhones in two different screen sizes: 6.1-inches and 6.7-inches.
So for example it could be, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, then the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Port-less
For several years, reports have suggested that Apple could introduce a port-less iPhone. This iPhone would not feature a Lightning port, and instead be completely wireless. This was once rumored to come in 2021, but that does not appear to be happening.
Therefore, it’s possible that the iPhone 14 is the first iPhone that’s available without a Lightning port. Instead of Lightning, the iPhone 14 would support wireless charging as well as Apple’s newest MagSafe technology. Apple is likely to make this change at the high end first with the 14 Pro. The lower-end models would follow over the next few years.
Best iPhone charging accessories:
- Native Union Drop 10W Qi Charger
- Anker 30W USB-C wall charger
- USB-C to Lightning cable
- Lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter or cable
Release date: When will iPhone 14 come out?
With the exception of the iPhone 12, which was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, new flagship iPhones are generally announced and released in September. iPhone 14 will be released sometime during the second half of 2022, according to Kuo.
As such, the iPhone 14 lineup is likely to be announced in September 2022.
