This Huge iPhone 14 Leak Suggests A Controversial 2022 For Apple

Just a few days ago, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made waves when he claimed that only the pricier iPhone 14 Pro will get the new A16 Bionic chip upgrade. Citing their own sources, 9to5Mac backed up Kuo's claims, and is now adding a few more juicy bits of information. The non-Pro iPhone 14 variants will reportedly use the same A15 Bionic variant that is currently inside the iPhone 13 Pro and is packed with more GPU cores than the basic model. It's a controversial move, and waters down the incentive of upgrading from an iPhone 13. Plus, not everyone will be happy about prospect of spending north of $800 on a phone with a last-gen chip.

However, there is some possibility that Apple might re-brand this particular component with a name like A15X, following in the footsteps of the A12Z chip fitted inside the iPad Pro models from 2020. The RAM capacity is touted to be uniform across all iPhone 14 series members at 6GB, but the Pro models are rumored to get the LPDDR5 modules, while the rest will be serviced by the LPDDR4X generation.

According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 14 Pro and its Max sibling will offer a taller display that lacks a notch and will instead go with a pill-shaped punch hole design at the top. Rumors suggest that Apple has rearranged the Face ID components to achieve the notch-less look on the iPhone 14 Pro models, similar to what was done to achieve a shrinking notch on the iPhone 13. The latest report reiterates that prospect of the iPhone mini riding into the sunset this year over sub-par sales figures, to be replaced by a Max variant. The iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro will reportedly offer a 6.4-inch display despite their different take on screen aesthetics. It remains to be seen whether Apple extends some 120Hz ProMotion love to the entry-level iPhone 14. As for the iPhone 14 Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, they are said to offer 6.7-inches of screen real estate.

Meanwhile, rumors of satellite connectivity support on iPhones are still alive and kicking. 9to5Mac claims that Apple is still at work trying to add satellite communication features to its smartphones; it remains unclear if that feature will be ready in time to debut with iPhone 14 in late 2022. Back in August of 2021, Kuo claimed that the iPhone 13 Pro will come equipped with a custom Qualcomm X60 chip that will let iPhones link up with a satellite, but that didn't happen. Needless to say, take the fresh leaks with a healthy dose of skepticism.