Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro is poised to usher in a slight but very distinct design change this year. The notch as we’ve come to know it will be gone, and in its place will be a hole-punch and pill-shaped display cutout. The overall aim of this design is to provide users with even more screen real estate. More broadly, this design shift is likely the first step on a path toward creating a full edge-to-edge display with sensors like Face ID embedded beneath the display itself. Competitors have been also planning similar updates their flagship phones.
It’s worth noting that the design above will reportedly be exclusive to Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro models. However, given Apple’s penchant for debuting new technologies and designs on its premium handsets, it stands to reason that we might see the new iPhone design language become standard on Apple’s 2023 iPhone 15 lineup.
A closer look at the iPhone 14 Pro design
Recently, the YouTube channel Tech Blood put together a mockup video providing us with a closer look at the iPhone 14 Pro design. There are a few things to note before diving in.
One, the pill-shaped cutout in the video is probably a bit smaller than it will be on the actual device. Two, the camera bump on the iPhone 14 will be slightly larger than it was on the iPhone 13. And three, the overall form factor of Apple’s 2022 iPhone lineup will remain the same.
In other words, Apple isn’t reverting to an iPhone design with rounded corners, thankfully.
With those qualifications out of the way, this mockup video does a great job of clueing us into the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro design. The end result, in my opinion, is an iPhone with a decidedly sleeker look.
For an even closer look at what the new iPhone 14 design will bring to the table, the photo below is probably very close to what the final design is going to look like.
It’s a noticeable change, to be sure, but overall I think it’s a step in the right direction.
Upgraded camera technology
The new design is certainly interesting, but the main selling point of the iPhone 14 Pro will assuredly be improvements in camera performance.
As an aside, iPhone 14 molds surfaced on Weibo over the weekend and do a good job of conveying the slightly thicker camera module on the rear.
The iPhone 14 Pro camera, based on credible reports, sounds like it will be incredible. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a stellar record when it comes to Apple and iPhone rumors, said that the iPhone 14 camera will “elevate mobile phone camera photography to a new level.”
Specifically, the iPhone 14 Pro camera will reportedly feature a 48-megapixel sensor on the rear. The sensor itself is said to be 20% larger than its predecessor.
Kuo adds:
We believe that the new 2H22 iPhone may support direct 48MP output and 12MP (four cells merge output mode) output simultaneously. With 12MP output, the CIS pixel size of the new 2H22 iPhone increases to about 2.5um, which is significantly larger than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, and larger than existing Android phones, and close to the DSC level.
iPhone 14 Pro pricing
Typically, iPhone pricing is the last tidbit to leak out. And seeing as how we’re still a few months away from September, you might want to take this rumor with a grain of salt. With that disclaimer out of the way, there are rumblings that Apple’s iPhone 14 lineup may be $100 more expensive across the board. This is reportedly due to pricier and more advanced components.
If this rumor pans out, that means that the iPhone 14 Pro may start at $1099 with the iPhone 14 Pro Max poised to start at $1199.
More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
