It has become a bit tough for some of the biggest tech corporations to keep their secrets secret. We've gotten used to hearing accurate rumors and viewing precise leaks of upcoming releases. At this point, the norm is knowing what products to expect months before a particular event occurs. This leaves us with mixed feelings -- while the early hints build up the hype until the official introduction, they also spoil the events and make them somewhat uninteresting. The iPhone 14 lineup's case is no different. We've heard a lot about this upcoming high-end series, even though it's about half a year away. When compared to the iPhone 13, here are the upgrades and improvements we know about so far.

iPhone 14 Expectations

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will be making some changes to the way it usually distinguishes between its high-end models. This year, the differences between Pro and regular iPhone 14 variants will be more apparent -- if the rumors were to be true. Mark has shared details on the specifications that follow:

Processors

A15 Bionic

Apple typically introduces a new A chip with the annual high-end iPhone release. Usually, all of the iPhone models that belong to a certain series are powered by the same SoC. The case could be different this year, though. We are expecting the iPhone 14 Pro models to include an all-new A16 Bionic chip. On the other hand, the regular iPhone 14 models could settle for the iPhone 13's A15 Bionic. Whether it would be an identical A15 Bionic chip or a new variant of it is still unknown. The reasons behind this could be chip shortages, Apple deciding to redefine what a Pro iPhone is, or perhaps both.

Rear cameras

iPhone 13 in all four models.

The Cupertino tech giant has been resorting to 12MP Wide (main) rear cameras on high-end iPhones for a while now. This 12MP could finally be receiving a notable bump this year. The catch, though, is that it will likely be limited to the iPhone 14 Pro models. If the rumors are in fact accurate, the Pro variants of the upcoming lineup will include a 48MP Wide camera. The regular iPhone 14 models would reportedly stick to the 12MP.

Model naming/sizes

Since the introduction of the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple has been sticking to this arrangement on its high-end releases:

  • 5.4-inch iPhone Mini
  • 6.1-inch iPhone
  • 6.1-inch iPhone Pro
  • 6.7-inch iPhone Pro Max

This year, the Cupertino tech giant will reportedly drop the Mini model and go for:

  • 6.1-inch iPhone 14
  • 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max
  • 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro
  • 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max

By introducing a regular Max iPhone, Apple could be targeting fans of the bigger screen who aren't necessarily willing to pay for the highest-end Pro Max model. However, by dropping the Mini, tiny display enthusiasts will be disappointed this Fall.

Notches

The first iPhone notch appeared back in 2017 -- when Apple introduced the iconic iPhone X. Since then, this screen intruder hasn't changed much. Yes, the company did shrink it recently, but it's almost not noticeable. We have some good and bad news in this department for those who despise the notch. The tech overlord could be switching to a hole-punch (for the camera) and pill (for the sensors) design this year. The bad news is that it will most probably be an iPhone 14 Pro exclusive. The regular models will likely feature the same notch from the iPhone 13 lineup.

Extras

Apart from all of these groundbreaking changes, Apple could be bringing emergency satellite connectivity to the iPhone 14 series. Gurman states:

There have been signs lately that Apple and its apparent satellite partner Globalstar Inc. might be getting closer to launching such a feature. In February, Globalstar said it reached an agreement to buy 17 new satellites to help power “continuous satellite services” for a “potential”—and unnamed—customer that had paid it hundreds of millions of dollars.

Is that customer Apple? We’re probably less than six months from finding out.

If the feature sees the light of day, iPhone 14 users might be able to reach emergency services even if they're in a rural area that has no cellular connectivity.

With the iPhone 14 lineup being around half a year away, there's still plenty of time for more rumors to surface. It's worth noting, though, that no matter how much we unofficially see, Apple tends to have an unexpected One More Thing up its sleeve.

Do you plan on buying an iPhone 14 model? If so, which? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: Bloomberg