Wesley Hilliard
If the rumors are true, the "iPhone 14 Pro" will be a significant departure from Apple's current design philosophy, so we've created exclusive renders to show what might be next.
Apple updates the iPhone over multi-year design cycles with minor changes each year. However, according to rumors, the "iPhone 14 Pro" may ignore the norm and introduce several design alterations at once.
The iPhone 12 introduced the current flat-sided design paradigm, and iPhone 13 enhanced it with a huge camera bump. Typically, Apple would release an "iPhone 14" with some aesthetic change or no external change at all — reserving a new design or form factor for the "iPhone 15."
Rumors of Apple's departure from its tick-tick-tock cycle started early. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was among the first to suggest a hole-punch camera in a March 2021 report.
In September 2021, a well-known leaker named Jon Prosser shared what he believed the "iPhone 14" would look like just before the iPhone 13 announcement. The renders depicted a device with flat sides, but no camera bump, no notch, and iPhone 4-like volume buttons.
As if Prosser's renders were a signal to the rumor mill, other known leakers threw their reports in right away. Ross Young, a display supply chain analyst, stated that Apple would move the True Depth array for Face ID behind the display and use a hole-punch camera. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman announced a complete redesign was coming for the next iPhone, and the iPhone mini would be axed from the lineup.
The renders created by AppleInsider are based on these initial leaks and other leaks that followed. The most repeated information so far is the hole-punch camera, but the flat rear camera array and volume buttons have few rumors backing that claim.
In December, The Elec says the new hole-punch camera is reserved for the iPhone "pro" models, and the standard models will retain the notch. Kuo offered another report in December on "iPhone 14" as well, but focused on camera capabilities and not the design.
Kuo's assertions that Apple will move to bigger sensors with 48MP image capture go against Prosser's claim of a reduced camera bump. Cameras are physical devices that need space to operate correctly, and Apple had to significantly increase the camera bump size in the iPhone 13 generation already.
To dramatically reduce the camera bump, Apple would have to change the camera system or utilize some new technology. It isn't yet clear how this design change can physically be possible.
The "iPhone 14" is expected to be announced in September 2022. Stay tuned for more exclusive renders of future Apple products on AppleInsider.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
19 Comments
A mini with no camera bump and ProMotion would be an instant buy for me.
I’ve switched from iPhone 12 mini to Google pixel and I couldn’t be happier. Battery life is amazing. Voice dictation is perfect and faster then ever. Tasks are incredibly fast. Always on display is amazing. Weather in Lock Screen is perfect and I strongly needed it. Touch ID during the pandemic is a complete necessity for me and much faster then Face ID. I’m afraid that I’m now a convert to android. I’ve been an apple phone fan since the 3g. Apple is using an old compartmentalized notion that you need each separate thing for a complete Apple experience. It’s an old outdated model that needs to be reconstructed. I’m not going to buy an Apple Watch to unlock my iPhone with a mask. I’m not going to have my iPad side by side with my computer. Apple is falling behind with everything accept the Mac and Apokecwatch. The iPhone and iPad are total crap these days. I updated from first version of SE to the 12 mini. What a depressing upgrade. Goodbye Apple iPhone. Your years ahead thinking and sollidifying of your products a year or two out needs to be redone. Apples compartmentalization is destroying Apples products strength. The new MacBook pros are fantastic and I have one. Cheers
You can also get rid of the bump by making the phone thicker, no new tech needed