As most consumers know, Apple usually unveils the latest iPhone models in September, usually in the first or second week of the month. It’s hard to believe, but with time going so fast, we’re only about eight to nine weeks away from seeing the iPhone 14 Pro release date greeting the light of day. Can we arrange a more specific date? A Twitter tipster with the handle iHacktu leaks (@ihacktu) says the 2022 phones will be announced on Tuesday, September 13.
September 13
That coincides with an analysis that notes how Apple usually holds its new iPhone event during the first or second Tuesday in September. That would limit the unveiling to two dates, September 5 or September 6. But every year in the states, the first Tuesday of September is preceded by Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday of the month. That’s why September 13, the gamble of iHacktu iLeaks, might be right.
Most likely, pre-orders will begin the Friday after the event or Sept. 16 with a possible September 23 release date. Does it sound good? We expect four models where the 5.4-inch iPhone mini will be replaced by the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus (or iPhone 14 Max). The remaining trio includes the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Now, of course, these dates are estimates. In this day and age, we are always faced with the possibility of supply chain delays. Contract manufacturers are at the mercy of parts suppliers and cunning, low-paid, and overworked employees who are trying to get through another day at the hand of a demanding boss.
Big differences this year
This year, Apple is differentiating the non-Pro and Pro models more than ever before. And that could mean a bigger price gap. First of all, you can see at a glance the difference between the cheaper models and the more expensive ones. Previously, counting the number of cameras on the back of an iPhone was the best clue. If you counted two, you were looking at a non-Pro unit. If you counted three, you were staring at a Pro model with a telescopic lens.
This trick required you to stare at the back of the phone. But this year, you can distinguish the different models from each other by looking at the notch on the front of the phone. Models with the older iconic notch are non-Pro units. The ones with the new sideways “i” cutout are the more expensive Pro variants of the iPhone 14. And there’s one big difference you can’t see and that’s sure to anger enthusiasts who can’t afford one of the Pro models.
Starting with the iPhone 14 series and in the future, the cheaper iPhone models won’t get the latest Apple A-series chip. That was one thing iPhone buyers use to be able to count, no matter what new iPhone they bought and how much money they spent. Now, those who buy the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus don’t get the new A16 Bionic in their phone; instead, their handsets will be powered by last year’s A15 Bionic.
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
The new Pro models have a 120Hz refresh rate thanks to the ProMotion display and we could see 20% thinner bezels on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. And again, the iPhone 14 Pro series should have the A16 Bionic under the hood. Both Pro and non-Pro models will be equipped with 6GB of RAM. However, the more expensive units will include the faster LPDDR5 RAM chips compared to the LPDDR4 component for the cheaper models.
And finally, the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have a 48 MP camera sensor for the wide camera. The camera sensor for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will likely weigh 12MP. However, keep in mind that the 48MP camera sensor will likely use 4:1 pixel binning, meaning that for most photos, a group of four adjacent pixels will group into a superpixel and share the information they each collect, resulting in sharper images with noise reduction.
For now, let’s go with a September 13 reveal for the iPhone 14 series, a start on September 16 for pre-orders, and a September 23 release date. And it’s all subject to change.
