Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro is set to be the phone that could shake up the iPhone range by potentially bringing in a notably different design from the iPhone 13 Pro. So far the rumors have hinted at everything from the death of the notch to the return of Touch ID.
This is probably well overdue; as good as the iPhone 13 Pro is, it's arguably not a definitive upgrade over its predecessor. And overall, the iPhone hasn’t taken a huge leap forward since the iPhone 11 Pro.
In the face of stiff competition from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 6 Pro, it looks like Apple will need to bring its A-game to the iPhone 14 Pro. Thankfully, going by the leaks and rumors so far, Apple's next Pro model might be doing just that. And the iPhone 14 Pro could have some big differences from the other iPhone 14 models.
Here's what we know so far about the iPhone 14 Pro and what we hope to see.
iPhone 14 Pro latest rumors (Updated June 5)
- The iPhone 14 Pro is tipped to get an always-on display (opens in new tab). Here's how Apple could stand out — and how it shouldn't.
- A new report backs up previous claims that the new A16 Bionic chip will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro series (opens in new tab), leaving the year-old A15 chip for the iPhone 14.
- A new report says that one iPhone 14 model is three weeks behind schedule due to the Covid lockdowns in China. Production numbers may also be lower than expected.
- The iPhone 14 Pro has been tipped to get a big front camera upgrade, with built-in autofocus set to feature.
iPhone 14 Pro rumored release date and price
Naturally, Apple is extremely tight-lipped about any information concerning its next iPhones, especially when it comes to release dates and price. But going by previous launches, we’d say it’s a safe bet to expect the iPhone 14 range to debut in September.
The most recent leak has the iPhone 14 launch tipped for September 13, supposedly based on insider information. That date seems to track with other rumors and Apple's general cadence of iPhone launches.
Given the disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused on supply chains, Apple appears to be taking action to mitigate the risk of the iPhone 14 range hitting long wait times due to manufacturing disruption among its major suppliers. That includes possibly ditching one supplier who wasn't making components up to Apple's standards, although that hopefully won't cause a delay to the phone's production.
However, one report says that one of the four iPhone models is three weeks behind schedule due to Covid lockdowns in China.
The somewhat reliable leaker LeaksApplePro has claimed three of the four iPhone 14 models are tipped for a price hike, but it's definitely just a rumor.
If true, the iPhone 14 Pro would start at $1,099, which is a $100 hike over the $999 iPhone 13 Pro. And the iPhone 14 Pro Max may see a similar increase, with it hitting $1,199. This relatively significant leap in launch price would certainly sting the wallet of anyone hoping to score a high-end next-gen iPhone 14.
Another leaker, Shadow_Leak, has posted on Twitter that he also expects the regular iPhone 14 Pro to cost $1,099 (opens in new tab).
Do also check out our early look at the iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro — get ready for the biggest differences in years.
iPhone 14 Pro design
Tipster Jon Prosser has showcased a suite of renders supposedly based on leaked information, which reveal possible big changes for the iPhone 14 Pro.
Prosser's renders show a trio of cameras flush with the iPhone 14 Pro's back. But if that sounds nice, you might be disappointed by some rival schematics that show the iPhone 14 Pro models looking a lot like their iPhone 13 counterparts. The raised camera array is back, and even bigger on the iPhone 14 Pro; the new phones are also rumored to be 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Other reports also have the camera module tipped to get bigger. The reason for this according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is that a larger module is needed to house a 48MP camera. As a result, another leak claims the corners of the iPhone 14 Pro (but not the Pro Max) will be getting rounder to better match the curved corners of the new module.
Other notable design changes from various iPhone 14 Pro rumors are the removal of the now infamous display notch. Display analyst Ross Young expects Apple to offer a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID along with a punch hole, so basically two cutouts. This design is now seemingly locked in according to rumors from EverythingApplePro.
Below is an alleged schematic from a leaker on Weibo showing what the iPhone 14 Pro design could look like. We're not sure this would be an improvement over the notch, though.
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.
While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max look poised to keep the display notch, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro max appear to be set to kill the notch in favor of a combination of a pill-shaped cutout alongside what appears to be a punch-hole camera or sensor.
Young and analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants have once again hammered home the idea of an iPhone 14 Pro with dual cameras cutouts. However, the standard iPhone will need to wait another year before it gets a notch-less display, which helps to further boost the appeal of going pro with the next iPhone.
Another suite of CAD renders have given us yet another taste of what the iPhone 14 Pro could look like with a notch-less design. The somewhat asymmetrical look seems rather un-Apple but its definitely distinctive.
Our best look at what all the design changes add up to can be seen in some iPhone 14 mock-ups posted by Alibaba and shared by Macotakara. In the case of the iPhone 14 models, you not only see the two cutouts on the front display, but the larger camera module — Macotakara reports that iPhone 13 Pro cases won't fit the iPhone 14 Pro because of that bigger module.
There were some early rumors that Touch ID could make a return in the form of an under-display fingerprint scanner. However, the jury is still out on how likely this is. Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo reckons that there won't be an iPhone with Touch ID, or under-display Face ID, for another few years. This would have been pretty disappointing, as during these mask-wearing times, having an alternative to Face ID is very handy.
But 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.
We've only had one leak address the color options for the iPhone 14 Pro, and it's been deleted. A Chinese leaker claimed that alongside the familiar Graphite, Silver and Gold Pro iPhone colors, the new option for this year would be a dark purple. You can see that below in another set of renders, these ones coming from artist Souta (opens in new tab).
iPhone 14 Pro USB-C
There are rumors that suggest Apple would finally go the USB-C port route with the iPhone 14 Pro, and that would make sense as many of its devices already have USB-C connectivity. However more recent rumors claim there Apple will stick with Lightning over USB-C but switch to updated Lightning ports with faster USB 3.0 data transfer. That comes as the EU moves closer to making USB-C the standard charger for portable devices like the phones.
For some people, USB-C on the iPhone 14 Pro would be a must-have feature. In fact, the Lightning connector is arguably the worst thing about the iPhone , as it can wear out over time. This can make it very difficult to charge your phone. Unfortunately, Apple is unlikely to abandon Lightning unless it has to, given how established the standard, and its ecosystem of accessories already is.
Meanwhile Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will switch the iPhone to USB-C, but not until late 2023. If he's correct — and a new report in Bloomberg suggests that he is — it means we won't be seeing an official USB-C iPhone until the iPhone 15 arrives.
iPhone 14 Pro display
One of the biggest upgrades of the iPhone 13 Pro delivered was a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate display. Thanks to the use of an LTPO panel, the screen could go from 120Hz to as little as 10Hz when a fast refresh rate was needed, and thus that helped save on battery life.
We’re not expecting this to change with the iPhone 13 Pro going by the rumors so far. But there’s scope for a next-gen LTPO panel to be used, as seen in the OnePlus 10 Pro, which could improve power efficiency.
This use of panel tech means the iPhone 14 Pro has been tipped to get an always-on display. Being able to display notifications and content, like time and date, on a display without needing to wake the phone up, would give next-gen iPhones a feature the best Android phones have been using for several years. A Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman says that Apple may add widget-like functionality to the lock screen in iOS 16, which could also wind up on the always-on display for the Pro models.
However, the point of an always-on display is to give you info at a glance, so Apple's approach to always-on displays could backfire (opens in new tab). Regardless, the use of LTPO or low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels could ensure that the refresh rate is kept at a minimum meaning battery life isn't tanked by an always-on display.
In contrast, the standard iPhone 14 models are now tipped to get a 90Hz display, which would be an upgrade over the 60Hz of the iPhone 13 but not quite up there with the Pro phones.
According to the rumors so far, the iPhone 14 Pro will stick with a 6.1-inch display and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will stick with the 6.7-inch display of its predecessor. A leak from Shadow_Leak says that the iPhone 14 Pro will come in the same display sizes that we got with the iPhone 13 Pro.
While the named sizes may not change, the precise measurements cold. According to a rumor from Ross Young, the iPhone 14 Pro could increase in size from 6.06 inches to 6.12 inches, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max from 6.68 to 6.69 inches. This will
apparently be because of rumored slimmer bezels and new notch design
iPhone 14 Pro cameras
Don’t expect a big change in the number of cameras the iPhone 14 Pro will bring, as the Pro phones are tipped to stick with the standard combo of a main, ultrawide and telephoto array. Given how Apple phones regularly feature in our best camera phones lineup, that's no bad thing.
But one leak has the iPhone 14 Pro tipped to get a 48MP main camera, which could finally make a change from the 12MP cameras Apple has used for years. While Cupertino’s computational photography is some of the best around, having more megapixels to play with would likely give the iPhone 14 Pro more scope when it comes to processing light and details; we could be at a time where megapixels matter once more to Apple.
But a regular Apple tipster has the standard iPhone 14 models tipped to stick with 12MP cameras, with only the Pro models expected to get a 48MP main camera.
No changes have been touted for the ultrawide camera, but we’d be surprised if some effort wasn't made to improve the field of view and help remove some edge distortion.
And there’s scope for the telephoto camera to get a zoom boost, as an Apple patent points toward the company working on a periscope-style zoom camera. If such a feature was going to debut in an iPhone, it would be for the iPhone 14 Pro. But to muddy the waters, Apple oracle Ming-Chi Kuo claims the periscope camera won't appear until the iPhone 15 in 2023.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims all models of the iPhone 14 will get an upgraded front-facing camera, that's set to feature a wider aperture (f/1.9 vs. f/2.2 on the current iPhone) and built-in autofocus. The former should help with capturing brighter photo and videos, while the latter should be a boon for video calls.
iPhone 14 Pro specs and battery life
Following on from the A15 Bionic, we'd expect to see an A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro series, with improved performance across the board.
However, leaker ShrimpApplePro claims their sources tell them the iPhone 14 Pro models will retain the 5nm manufacturing process, even if it does get a new A16 chip. This could slightly reduce the performance advantage offered by the Pro compared to the standard iPhone 14 models.
That aside, the iPhone 14 Pro is likely to offer a distinct hike in processor, graphics and neural processing performance over the A15 Bionic. How much that will be noticeable to the average user might not be so clear.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has only the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max tipped to get the A16 Bionic, claiming the iPhone 14 will stick with the A15 chip. This would be a first for Apple as it has always equipped new iPhones with upgraded silicon.
A second leak from Shadow_Leak corroborates this. And market research firm TrendForce also claims that the A16 Bionic will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (opens in new tab). Perhaps the great chip shortage of the past two years may have messed with Apple's supply chain, but this is just speculation for the time being.
Another report claims that the iPhone 14 could use the version of the A15 Bionic chipset that powers this year's iPhone 13 Pro models. That chip is equipped with 6GB of RAM, whereas the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini use 4GB of RAM according to teardowns. So that would be an upgrade of sorts, but not the equivalent of a full chip upgrade.
Storage is likely to go up to 1TB, but there have been no solid storage rumors for the iPhone 14 Pro yet.
There have been no battery size or capacity rumors yet. But we’d be confident that the iPhone 14 Pro will match or exceed the 11 hours and 42 minutes the iPhone 13 Pro did in our battery test, which forces the phone to endlessly reload web pages on a cellular connection until it dies. The iPhone 13 Pro Max managed a lengthy 12 hours and 16 minutes, so we’d expect the iPhone 14 Pro Max to do the same or better as Apple boost chip and phone efficiency.
As for 5G, we're expecting the iPhone 14 Pro to use a new smaller 5G modem chip. The smaller size should mean it takes less power to run, and that there could be extra room for the battery to expand into. That would mean the already impressive battery life of the iPhone 13 can be improved upon even more.
Sadly, it's looking like the iPhone 14 Pro might miss out on the advancements made by Qualcomm's new 5G chip, the Snapdragon X70. The chip will include a 5G AI processor, the first of its kind, which should allow the modem system to use artificial intelligence to optimize a phone's antenna and better manage 5G beams going to and from a 5G phone. Qualcomm figures that will be particularly useful for mmWave-based 5G networks in places like stadiums and arenas, though AI can also help manage sub-6GHz 5G signals as well.
In addition to its cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, the iPhone 14 Pro could also gain the ability to connect to satellite networks. That's a feature that first emerged in the build-up to last year's iPhone 13 launch; while the capability didn't arrive in time for those phones, reliable tipsters say emergency satellite communications are a possibility for the iPhone 14 models. The idea is that when you're in an area without good cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, you can send text messages to emergency services over satellite networks, alerting them to your location.
iPhone 14 Pro outlook
The iPhone 14 Pro could be the phone many of us have been waiting for, with the Pro models tipped to offer a real evolution of the iPhones we’ve seen over the past few years. Sure, it’s not going to be unrecognizable from the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, but we suspect this upcoming generation of iPhone will introduce a design language and capabilities that will set the stage for other iPhones to follow. And, now that the iPhone SE (2022) is out, here's what the iPhone SE tells us about the iPhone 14.
No notch, Touch ID, a bigger megapixel count for the main camera, as well as a USB-C port, could really shake up the iPhone as we know it. And that would in turn have the effect of setting the standard for other smartphones to follow if they wish to win a spot on our best phones list.
