We've now got a pretty good idea of what Apple is planning with the iPhone 14 series, expected to launch in September, and a newly leaked image of cases for the smartphones gives us more clues to the sizes of the upcoming handsets.
This picture comes courtesy of Duan Rui on Twitter (via 9to5Google), and we get a look at how the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 14 Plus, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max line up alongside each other. The Plus model is new for 2022, while the mini edition of the phone has apparently been ditched.
There does seem to be some debate about whether the larger non-Pro iPhone 14 will be called the Plus or the Max. Here it's labeled as the iPhone 14 Plus, which matches up with a recent leak that we came across just a few days ago.
pic.twitter.com/nRiKRIZcATJuly 8, 2022
Screens and cameras
Apple has of course used the Plus moniker before on its iPhones, most recently with the iPhone 8 Plus in 2017. That naming scheme was then abandoned and Apple started adding "Max" to the titles of its bigger phones. This year it looks as though it could go either way.
As per previous rumors, it looks like the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro will sport 6.1-inch screens, while the iPhone 14 Plus (or the iPhone 14 Max) and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will go all the way up to 6.7 inches in terms of their display size – closely matching the iPhone 13 template.
When it comes to the camera bumps, they look very similar to the configurations of the current iPhone 13 line-up, although there is perhaps some slight variation in spacing – you might not necessarily be able to use your iPhone 13 case with your iPhone 14.
Analysis: the ever-changing iPhone range
It was a lot easier in the old days – Apple launched one iPhone every year, and that was it. Then 2013 rolled around, and we got both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C unveiled at the same time at the same event, giving buyers a choice for the first time.
Now, we get four flagship iPhones every September, plus the iPhone SE. For the last two years, it's been the same pattern: a standard iPhone, a mini iPhone, a Pro iPhone, and a Pro Max iPhone, so there are more models to pick from than ever before.
With the iPhone 14, it seems the selection is changing again. It's long been speculated that there won't be an iPhone 14 mini (in fact it was a bit of a surprise that the iPhone 13 mini appeared) – apparently, there just aren't that many people interested in a smaller phone.
While it would make more sense for there to be an iPhone 14 and an iPhone 14 Max, then an iPhone 14 Pro and an iPhone 14 Pro Max (perhaps with a faster processor), these rumors about the Plus branding just won't go away. We'll have to wait and see.
