This is all we know about Apple's next top-tier smartphone, which is set to be unveiled in just a few months.
Although it may not seem like it was that long ago that Apple presented the gleaming new iPhone 13 Pro, the months are ticking away and we're getting closer to seeing the successor.
According to the solid rumours we've heard so far, there will be a distinct, qualitative difference between the normal iPhone series and the Pro series this year, so keep reading to find out where the changes will be.
Date of Publication
The iPhone 14 Pro, along with the iPhone 14 and the Apple Watch Series 8, are expected to be introduced in September and October this year, as is customary for Apple's new iPhones.
For comparison, here are prior Pro series release dates:
- The iPhone 11 Pro will be released on September 10th, 2019.
- The iPhone 12 Pro will be released on October 13th, 2020.
- The iPhone 13 Pro will be released on September 14, 2021.
However, we'll get our first look at some of the software innovations coming to the new handset at WWDC 2022, Apple's major annual development conference.
Price
Because the specs are greatly upgraded, the iPhone Pro models invariably cost more than the ordinary counterparts.
The iPhone 13 was $799/£779 last year, while the iPhone 13 Pro was $999/£949. That's already a considerable price difference, but considering that we expect even more significant differences in features this time around, we wouldn't rule out a larger price gap between the two devices as well. On top of that, we're anticipating the arrival of an iPhone 14 Pro Max handset, which will include a larger screen and, consequently, a higher price tag.
The rumoured pricing arrangements, which would see the iPhone 14 Pro selling for $1099 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max selling for $1199, were revealed by Twitter source LeaksApplePro, confirming our fears about a likely price hike. The reasons provided were twofold: growing production costs and the requirement for a price difference of at least $100 between ordinary and Pro models.
Display and Design
The introduction of a punch hole notch to the screen, rather than the wide notch bar that has been present on Apple's handsets since the iPhone X, is anticipated to arrive on the iPhone 14 Pro. While this may be a common sight for Android users, it would be the first time we'd seen such a selfie camera configuration on an iPhone, so we're excited to see it.
The following tweet from Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, shows a mock-up of the new notch layout, which appears to have two holes for housing selfie cameras rather than one. This design appears to be absent from normal iPhone 14 devices, implying that the Pro and standard versions may have a significant cosmetic difference.
Face ID should be unaffected by such a modification, therefore Touch ID appears to be on its way out of the next iPhones once more. "I am in complete agreement with recent material offered by other Analysts and Leakers," Dylan KT writes on the subject. This year, no iPhone 14 model or Apple product will include an in-display Touch ID sensor, and ProMotion will be limited to iPhone 14 Pro models."
The new iPhone is also expected to be more durable this year, according to MacRumors, which claims that Apple will use a new titanium alloy chassis to make the new phones even more resistant.
The iPhone 14 Pro will include an always-on display, as well as a new widgets menu on the lock screen, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of the iOS 16 software upgrade, these modifications would be implemented.
Camera
According to credible sources, major changes are coming to the camera system as well.
One of the most well-known writers on Apple's business, Ming-Chi Kuo, predicts that the iPhone 14 Pro would include a 48-megapixel primary sensor. This sensor is said to be capable of capturing video at 8K resolution, yet once the pixel-binning process is complete, most outputted photos will have a 12-megapixel resolution. Furthermore, the same source believes that a periscope lens is on the way to the iPhone line - but you'll have to wait until 2023 for it to happen.
According to the South Korean website ET News, LG Innotek will equip the selfie camera sensor with focusing, thus there will be significant modifications to its performance as well.
Ming-Chi Kuo seems to corroborate this in the following tweets, which also provided more insight about possible modifications to the aperture size.
Performance
In a normal year, we'd anticipate Apple's new phones to receive gradual processing upgrades across the board. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that 2016 will not be an ordinary year for Apple.
Instead, only the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will get the new A16 Bionic chipset, which will be reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. This is yet another feature that distinguishes the Pro series from its more cheap siblings as a premium feature.
Kuo is once again our best source for this, and he adds that all models in the series should have 6GB of RAM.
Meanwhile, GSM Arena claims that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could have up to 2TB of internal storage, which would be a very large capacity (though the standard models are likely to be substantially less).
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