With less than four months until Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 lineup, the vast majority of rumours surrounding the new devices have so far focused on the iPhone 14 Pro rather than the standard iPhone 14, raising questions about how different the iPhone 14 will be from its predecessor, the iPhone 13.
Thinner bezels and a "pill and hole-punch" TrueDepth camera array design in place of the notch are expected to be highlights of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, while the normal iPhone 14 models are expected to remain unaffected. The ordinary iPhone models are expected to be left out of Apple's next chip for the first time, with the "A16" designated for the iPhone 14 Pro alone. According to current speculations, the ordinary iPhone 14 models will be missing a number of new capabilities that are only available on the iPhone 14 Pro versions, including:
In place of the notch, "pill and hole-punch" a TrueDepth camera array.
Thinner bezels and a taller display
In comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro A16 chip, the iPhone 13 Pro A16 chip has larger corner radii for a more rounded front and rear design.
Wide-angle camera with 48 megapixels and 8K video recording
Other, less plausible rumours focus on the iPhone 14 Pro variants, including the possibility of a titanium chassis and a vapour chamber heating technology. As a result, it appears like Apple will continue to differentiate its Pro and non-Pro iPhone models, with many new, high-end capabilities debuting first on the Pro models and then trickling down to the non-Pro models at a later date. The pill and hole-punch TrueDepth camera array architecture of the iPhone 14 Pro, for example, is said to be included in the ordinary iPhone 15 models.
With this in mind, what upgrades and features can we expect from the basic iPhone 14 versions later this year?
'iPhone 14 Max' is a larger size option.
After disappointing sales of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, both of which have a 5.4-inch display, Apple is apparently going to phase out the compact form-factor iPhone and replace it with a larger model.
The " iPhone 14 Max," like the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro Max, is expected to slot above the iPhone 14 in the lineup and feature a 6.7-inch display. The iPhone 14 Max is likely to contain all of the same features as the original iPhone 14 but with a substantially larger display, similar to how the "small" iPhones of recent years have featured all of the same capabilities as the standard iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models.
While no "iPhone 14 small" is expected, the iPhone 14 Max will be an option for those who want a new iPhone with a larger display but don't need "Pro" capabilities like a ProMotion display or a telephoto camera. The iPhone 14 Max could take centre stage in the iPhone 14's marketing as one of the most apparent cosmetic improvements in the iPhone lineup this year.
50% Increased Memory
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that all iPhone 14 models will have 6GB of memory, with LPDDR 4X memory in the basic iPhone 14 models and LPDDR 5 memory in the iPhone 14 Pro versions
At the now, the iPhone 13 small and iPhone 13 have 4GB of memory, while the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have 6GB of memory. These figures are the same as the iPhone 12 lineup. Though Kuo claims that all iPhone 14 models will have 6GB of RAM, the LPDDR 5 memory in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be up to 1.5 times faster and 30% more power efficient.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max have 50 percent more memory, which might allow them to keep more programmes and browser tabs open in the background for faster resumption, give developers more freedom to build complex, memory-hungry apps, and make the devices more future-proof.
Longer battery life
The 5G RF chip in the iPhone 14 is claimed to be made using TSMC's 6nm process, which results in a physically smaller chip with lower power consumption. The chip's 6nm RF technology allows it to utilise less power while maintaining great performance on both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G bands.
In addition to becoming more efficient, downsizing the iPhone's big RF transceiver component is likely to save up physical space. Each square millimetre of space saved is supposed to make place for a larger battery. The iPhone 14's RF chip's greater efficiency and downsizing are expected Apple result in longer overall battery life.
Connectivity through Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6E is planned to be supported by all iPhone 14 versions. Wi-Fi 6E extends Wi-Fi 6's features and capabilities into the 6 GHz band, including improved performance, lower latency, and faster data rates. The extra spectrum gives existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi more airspace, resulting in more bandwidth and fewer interference.
Satellite Features for Emergencies
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem in the iPhone 14 lineup is expected to facilitate a number of satellite-based emergency features, allowing users to send messages in emergency situations and report major emergencies in locations where there is no cellular coverage, a feature that was first rumoured for the iPhone 13 lineup.
When there is no cellular or WiFi signal, Emergency Message by Satellite will allow users to text emergency services and contacts utilising a satellite network. It will ostensibly be a new communications technology, similar to SMS and iMessage, with grey message bubbles and a limit on message length. Another feature will allow users to use satellite communication to notify serious catastrophes such as airline crashes and fires.
These features are still in development and are expected to debut in 2022 at the earliest, although other predictions position them closer to the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 lineups.
Improvements to Ultra Wide Cameras
While the iPhone 14 models are said to be missing out on the new 48-megapixel Wide camera in favour of the iPhone 13's 12-megapixel Wide camera, the Ultra Wide camera on all 2022 iPhones could be improved.
The iPhone 13 Pro features a new /1.8 Ultra Wide camera with autofocus and a 6P (six-element lens). This year, the enhanced /1.8 Ultra Wide camera is expected to make its way into both iPhone 14 versions.
Front-facing camera enhancements
Along with improvements to the back camera system, the iPhone 14's front-facing camera is expected to receive even more attention.
All four iPhone 14 versions are expected to include an updated front camera system with autofocus and a larger /1.9 aperture. The front camera on all iPhone 13 models, by contrast, has fixed focus and an aperture of /2.2.
More light would pass through the lens and reach the sensor with a wider aperture. These camera changes, according to Kuo, might result in a better depth-of-field effect for Portrait mode photographs and videos, as well as improved autofocus for FaceTime and Zoom video chats.
Colours Have Been Refreshed
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are expected to be available in a variety of colours, including black, white, blue, red, and purple.
If the reports about the iPhone 14's black and white possibilities apply to Midnight and Starlight, the new colour palette would suggest the iPhone 13's Pink and Green would be phased away. The information shows that the iPhone 14 will start with the same amount of colour options as its predecessors, excluding mid-cycle colour additions like Green and Alpine Green for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro earlier this year.
The iPhone 14's blue and red colour selections are expected to be revised tones compared to the iPhone 13 models, as they have been in recent years when the same polychrome colours across generations have been changed. Nonetheless, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro's colour options may appear to be comparable to those of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, but will most likely be highlighted by the return of a purple tint.
Given that Apple introduced a Purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in a mid-cycle refresh in April last year to positive customer response, and the 24-inch iMac, sixth-generation iPad mini, and fifth-generation iPad Air are all available in Purple, a purple colour option for the iPhone 14 seems plausible.
