Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro is expected to be the phone that could shake up the iPhone lineup by potentially bringing a noticeably different design to the iPhone 13 Pro. So far, rumors have hinted at everything from the death of the notch to the return of Touch ID.
It’s probably way 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 from the iPhone 11 Pro.
Facing fierce competition from the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 6 Pro, it looks like Apple will have to bring its A-game to the iPhone 14 Pro. Luckily, based on leaks and rumors so far, Apple’s next Pro model could do just that.
Here’s what we know about the iPhone 14 Pro so far, and what we hope to see.
Rumored iPhone 14 Pro release date and price
Naturally, Apple is extremely tight-lipped about any information regarding its upcoming iPhones, especially when it comes to release dates and price. But based on previous launches, we’d say it’s safe to expect the iPhone 14 lineup to debut in September.
And the same logic can be applied to pricing, with the iPhone 14 Pro likely to stick with its predecessor’s $999 starting price. While some flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 now start at $799, Apple isn’t likely to cut the price of its high-end flagship phone (especially with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max expected to maintain the $699 and $799 price slots). And there’s an argument that $999 is a fair price for a high-end phone with carefully selected software and a trio of very impressive cameras.
iPhone 14 Pro design
Solid rumors surrounding the design of the iPhone 14 Pro remain somewhat thin on the ground. But, ironically, just before the iPhone 13 reveal, tipster Jon Prosser presented a suite of renders supposedly based on leaked information, which revealed big changes for the iPhone 14 Pro.
The flat edges seen from the iPhone 13 range are retained but the camera module is angled to follow the path of the dodo, with a trio of cameras built into the back of the phone, much like we saw with the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The renders show the volume buttons in a nod to the iPhone 4. And there’s talk of a titanium build, which would theoretically make the iPhone 14 Pro stronger and potentially lighter than its predecessor.
Speaking of build, we still expect the iPhone 14 Pro and the rest of the iPhone 14 line to have ports, despite rumors of a portless design. Apple stuck with the Lightning port for the iPhone 13 lineup, rather than embracing USB-C connectivity, so we don’t think the company is quite ready to ditch the sport altogether.
However, there are rumors that Apple will finally drop the USB-C port with the iPhone 14, which would make sense since many of its devices already have USB-C connectivity.
Other notable design changes are the removal of the now infamous display notch, with Prosser’s renders suggesting Apple will opt for a punch-hole selfie camera. The latter looks oddly asymmetrical for an Apple device, so we think a single camera/sensor cutout would be very likely.
Touch ID is expected to return, but in the form of an under-display fingerprint scanner. Given that the best Android phones have had it for years, it’s about catching up with Apple, especially in a world of mask-wearing that can trip up Face ID. However, with iOS 15.4 adding the ability to unlock your phone with a face mask, Touch ID becomes a less pressing need.
Not much has been teased about the iPhone 14 Pro color options, others black, white, pale peach and dark green; the latter looks pretty good, but again, it’s only in one render, so we have to take it with a dose of skepticism.
iPhone 14 Pro screen
One of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone 13 Pro that shipped was a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate display. Through the use of an LTPO panel, the screen could go from 120Hz to as little than 10Hz when a fast refresh rate was needed, which saved on battery life.
We don’t expect that to change with the rumored iPhone 13 Pro so far. But it’s possible to use a next-gen LTPO panel, as seen in the OnePlus 10 Pro, which could improve power efficiency.
According to rumors so far, the iPhone 14 Pro will retain a 6.1-inch screen and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will retain the 6.7-inch screen of its predecessor. As mentioned earlier, the notch removal might be the biggest upgrade here, as it would bring a major change to iPhone screen design in about five years.
Cameras iPhone 14 Pro
Don’t expect a big change in the number of cameras the iPhone 14 Pro will bring, as the Pro phones are supposed to stick to the standard combo of a mainline, ultrawide and telephoto. Considering that Apple phones regularly feature in our best camera phone range, that’s not a bad thing.
But a leak has tipped the iPhone 14 Pro to get a 48MP primary camera, which could finally change the 12MP cameras Apple has been using for years. While Cupertino’s computational photography is among the best around, having more megapixels to play with would likely give the iPhone 14 Pro more scope when it comes to light and detail processing; we could be at a time when megapixels matter again for Apple.
No changes have been announced for the ultra-wide camera, but we’d be surprised if efforts weren’t made to improve the field of view and help eliminate some edge distortion.
And there’s room for the telephoto lens to get a zoom boost, as an Apple patent says the company is working on a periscope style zoom camera. If such a feature were to debut in an iPhone, it would be for the iPhone 14 Pro. But to cloud the issue, Apple Oracle Ming-Chi Kuo claims the periscope camera won’t appear until the iPhone 15 in 2023.
There’s no word on the front camera improvements. But we expect it to have a boost on the software side to deliver better portrait and low-light shots.
iPhone 14 Pro specs and battery life
There aren’t any solid rumors about the specs of the iPhone 14 Pro, but it wouldn’t be hard to predict that a new model will have an improved chip, as is the case with every new iPhone.
After the A15 Bionic, we expect to see an A16 Bionic chip, with improved performance across the board. This chip should upgrade from 5nm process node to 4nm node. A 5G modem made by Apple could also be a possibility.
Based on the information, we can expect 8GB or RAM to provide company for the new chipset, along with up to 1TB of storage. Essentially, the iPhone 14 Pro is very likely to deliver a distinct increase in CPU, graphics, and neural processing performance over the A15 Bionic. How noticeable that will be to the average user might not be so clear, but don’t expect the iPhone 14 Pro to struggle with any task thrown at it.
There have been no rumors about battery size or capacity yet. But we’d be confident the iPhone 14 Pro will match or exceed the iPhone 13 Pro’s 11 hours and 42 minutes in our battery test, which requires the phone to continually reload web pages over a cellular connection up to until he dies. the iPhone 13 Pro Max managed 12 hours and 16 minutes, so we expect the iPhone 14 Pro Max to do the same or better than the Apple Boost chip and phone’s efficiency.
iPhone 14 Pro Outlook
The iPhone 14 Pro could be the phone many of us have been waiting for, with the Pro models designed to offer a true evolution of the iPhones we’ve seen in recent years. Sure, it won’t be unrecognizable from the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12, but we believe this next generation iPhone will introduce design language and capabilities that will set the stage for other iPhones to follow.
No notch, Touch ID, more megapixels for the main camera, plus a USB-C port could really shake up the iPhone as we know it. And that would in turn set the standard for other smartphones to follow if they want to earn a spot on our best phones list.
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