Apple will announce the iPhone 14 Pro lineup during an event on September 7. Here's what the rumor mill has to say, and what we think it looks like.
The 'iPhone 14 Pro' lineup will have pill and hole cutouts in place of the notch
Rumors about the "iPhone 14 Pro" have shifted from a radical redesign to a more iterative update. However, if rumors prove true, Apple may be widening the gap between the standard and pro models with different designs and chipsets.
Leaked diagrams show that Apple would keep the large camera bump and similar dimensions for its "iPhone 14 Pro" and "iPhone 14 Pro Max." The only noticeable difference is the pill and hole cutout used in place of the notch.
The camera bump does appear to be slightly larger in the diagrams, which may be because of the larger 48MP wide camera rumored by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This camera would enable 8K video recording and capture detailed 12MP photos using a technique called pixel binning.
A reduction in bezels and removing the notch may result in a taller display. Many rumors point to a pill and hole cutout with display supply chain analyst Ross Young, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Twitter leaker Dylandtk, and Ming-Chi Kuo backing this change.
The pill-shaped cutout will house the components needed for Face ID
A schematic leak showing a pill-and-hole cutout with device dimensions seemingly confirmed the previous diagram leak. One small difference, however, showed that the device would be slightly wider than previously expected.
The hole-punch would be used for the selfie camera while the pill cutout houses the Face ID components. The display would wrap around these cutouts so information could be shown around the area rather than hidden behind a black notch, but the cutouts are expected to take up more space than initial rumors suggested.
Check out our renders in augmented reality by clicking on the image above. Pan and zoom around the file on an iPhone or iPad, or place it on your desk using AR mode. Mac users who click on the image will download the USDZ file, which can be viewed in Preview.
The improved 48MP camera and display cutout are both rumored to be exclusive to the pro iPhone models, but that isn't all. Other leaks state that Apple could reserve the A16 processor for the "iPhone 14 Pro" and continue using the A15 for the standard models. All "iPhone 14" models would have 6GB of RAM, but the difference in processor will be a big departure from Apple's usual strategy.
The rear camera cutout isn't going anywhere according to the latest leaks
Apple seems to be differentiating the standard and pro models by sourcing different quality parts for each device. One report suggests that while all the new iPhones will use OLED displays, the "iPhone 14 Pro" models will get a higher grade display. A similar report for the camera system said all models would get a 7P camera, but the optics would be better on the pro versions.
Rumors surrounding an always-on display have been heating up, with nearly every credible leaker suggesting the feature is coming. Gurman has reported, on multiple occasions, that iOS 16 shows an always-on display is coming to "iPhone 14 Pro" models. Ross Young also expects the always-on display but couldn't confirm it based on his sources.
An always-on display could show widgets and other data without draining the battery
Other rumors have been more scarce, like one shared in July 2021 suggesting Apple would use titanium alloy for the "iPhone 14 Pro" frame. Also, it seems ProMotion could remain a pro iPhone feature according to Ross Young.
The initial "iPhone 14" rumors shared by Jon Prosser haven't been repeated in recent leaks. His renders showed an iPhone with no camera bump, a single camera cutout, round volume buttons, and several speaker holes in the base calling back to the iPhone 5 design.
The 'iPhone 14 Pro' lineup
Apple is expected to announce the "iPhone 14 Pro" and "iPhone 14 Pro Max" during an event scheduled for September 7. Prices may move higher to accommodate new technologies and adjust for the global economy.