As you might know, the iPhone 13 is becoming official on Tuesday, September 14. Thanks to the narrower notch, we expect to see a refreshed front look, with faster and better Face ID; Portrait Mode for video, Astrophotography, bigger batteries, new colors, and more.
It’s safe to say the iPhone 13 “California streaming” event is the biggest smartphone event of the year, but ironically, another iPhone is stealing the show – the freshly-leaked iPhone 14! Before we move on, let’s take a look at how the iPhone 14 series will compare to the iPhone 13:
| iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro series | iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Max series | iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max series |
|---|---|---|
| Flat edges, aluminum/stainless steel frame, glass sandwich, glossy/matte finish | Flat edges, aluminum frame, glass sandwich, glossy/matte finish | Flat edges, titanium frame, glass sandwich, glossy textured finish, iPhone 4-like volume buttons |
| Narrow notch with FaceID | Narrow notch with FaceID | Single/double punch hole cutout with FaceID |
| 5nm A15 Bionic | 4nm A16 Bionic | 4nm A16 Bionic |
| 60Hz/120Hz OLED display | 6.1-inch / 6.7-inch 60Hz OLED/LTPO display | 6.1-inch/6.7-inch 120Hz OLED/LTPO display |
| 64GB base storage / 128GB base storage | 64GB base storage | 128GB base storage |
| Rumored 25W charging (charger not in the box) | Expected faster charging | Expected faster charging |
| 3,095 mAh battery | Expected bigger battery | Expected bigger battery |
| Upgraded ultra-wide-angle cameras for gathering 40% more light; better mid-low light performance across all cameras with 15% better light sensitivity | Similar camera setup to iPhone 13 series | 48MP primary camera with the biggest sensor on an iPhone (ever); Periscope zoom camera (4-5x), if not iPhone 14 Pro Max, it’s expected to make it to iPhone 15 Pro series. |
| LiDAR for iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max | LiDAR??? | LiDAR |
| Sensor-shift stabilization with OIS & EIS | Sensor-shift stabilization with OIS & EIS | Sensor-shift stabilization with OIS & EIS |
Is this really the iPhone 14 and is the design finialized?
According to Jon Prosser, the iPhone 14 renders and information is based on “real images and schematics”, just like with the Pixel 6, which he leaked way back and turned out to be identical to the final product (Googleapproved).
In a nutshell, Prosser claims the iPhone 14 and the new addition, the iPhone 14 Max, will keep the notch from the iPhone 13 series and likely the lower 60Hz refresh rate, too, amongst other (smaller) compromises.
That makes the redesigned iPhone 14 renders much more believable, and which respectively makes for a good theory, given the fact that Apple usually goes as many cycles as possible before a major redesign.
Furthermore, we’ve been hearing rumors about certain aspects of the iPhone 14, which Prosser’s leak revealed, for a long while. For example, the iPhone 4-like stainless steel frame and Galaxy S21-ish punch hole camera cutout were rumored a while ago. So, really, Prosser isn’t alone in his claims.
iPhone 14: It has two punch hole cutouts instead of one? What?!
However! It is indeed extremely early to be 100% sure this is Apple’s very final design choice. Why?
- It’s believed that an iPhone design isn’t finalized until about springtime of the respective year of release.
- There are rumors of a slightly different twist on the punch hole design on the iPhone 14 floating around the internet.
Luckily, we might have an answer! Leaked display panel images from ShrimpApplePro (Twitter) point towards a completely different approach to “hiding” Face ID, and this is by… not hiding it.
That’s right! According to the source, if Apple was to hide Face ID under the display, they would wait and hide the camera too, instead of leaving it out, as shown on Prosser’s leaks. Does that make sense? Probably.
Leaked iPhone 14 Pro/iPhone 14 Pro Max display from ShrimpApplePro on Twitter (back and front view) on your left, and a render by Filip Vabroušek (Twitter)
That makes the iPhone 14 double cutout design actually logical.
According to the source from Twitter:
- LGD (LG Displays) is testing two iPhone 14 Pro screens – a 6.1-inch, and a 6.7-inch display (which checks out – that’d be the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is also backed by Prosser’s information)
- The standard iPhone 14 and bigger iPhone 14 Max are said to keep the iPhone 13 style notch.
- The source claims the iPhones don’t even have “factory names” yet, so he prefers to call it the 2022 iPhone for now instead of the iPhone 14.
Ultimately: Why are Apple’s iPhones leaking… heavily?
The conclusion here isn’t going to be about the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, or iPhone 15. If we leave all of that aside, it seems like Apple has major problems. And no, they are not related to “where to hide Face ID” or how to make the iPhone better.California is leaking. Apple is leaking. Big time. It’s unprecedented to see a supposed iPhone 14 design (in great detail) when the iPhone 13 isn’t even out yet, which itself was heavily leaked already (in great, great detail).
Is there a solution to this? The easiest thing to say would be: ”Just tighten the control, Apple! Catch the leakers!” But that’s way easier said than done. There are so many stages of the smartphone production from idea to launch that it must be extremely hard to keep stuff from leaking.
In the end, on a slightly more personal note:
Our job as tech journalists is to report on what’s happening, and we can’t skip keeping you updated. However, as tech enthusiasts, and I believe I’m speaking for most of the team here at PhoneArena, it’s rather unfortunate that the excitement around big events like the ones for the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and Pixel 6 is somewhat taken away by all kinds of leaks. It’s a peculiar situation from our perspective.
Anyway, at least there’s plenty of action to cover, so both us and you are entertained. So, please, let us know: How do you feel about leaked iPhone 14, and will it affect your decision for upgrading?
