04/19 Update below. This post was originally published on April 16
Leakers have revealed many of the iPhone 14 range’s best features as well as some concerns. But having already let slip one eye-opening upgrade, a new Apple blunder has accidentally leaked further upgrades which millions of iPhone and iPad users will benefit from.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max render based on multiple leaks
Ben Geskin
The blunder was spotted by 9to5Mac digging through the source code of Apple’s new iOS 15.5 beta release. Despite being the very latest publicly available iPhone software, Apple code makes references to enhanced Focus and News functionality for “a device with newer software” as well as hinting at exclusive upgrades that are “no longer fully supported on older devices.”
04/18 Update: in a nugget missed by many, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has let slip that Apple is planning to integrate satellite calling into the iPhone with it potentially arriving in time for the iPhone 14 range this year. The information was buried in the final paragraph of a report focused on the Apple Watch:
“The company is also working to eventually bring satellite connectivity to the Apple Watch, setting the stage for emergency texting and SOS response features. It’s planning to release those capabilities on iPhone as early as this year. The technology would allow users to send text messages to emergency personnel over satellite networks and report incidents.”
If this news gives you feelings of déjà vu, you are not alone. In August last year, Gurman and respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both reported that satellite calling was being planned for the iPhone 13. While this feature never arrived, the duo were convinced that it remained in Apple’s long term plans. So this leak makes perfect sense.
It is also a feature that makes perfect sense. In terms of security, the knowledge that you are never cut off from emergency help, no matter your location is a significant selling point. It is also a strong differentiator because no mainstream Android rival currently has this functionality. That said, if Apple does succeed in bringing satellite calling to the iPhone 14 line-up, expect rivals to quickly copy the move.
04/19 Update: additional iPhone 14 details have now leaked thanks to popular anonymous insider LeaksApplePro and, if correct, the news will make a lot of users happy. According the the leaker’s latest post, “Apple engineers are working on 3.0 speeds for the iPhone 14 Pro connector.”
Why is this a big deal? Since the Lightning connector was introduced almost a decade ago, back in 2012, Apple has stuck with sluggish USB 2.0 speeds (480 megabits per second – Mbps). In 2022, you can get faster Internet connections than this. In contrast, USB 3.0 can hit speeds of approximately 4800Mbps — a 10x increase.
Why is this necessary? There are two clear usage scenarios: the first is ProRes video, which creates high quality, highly manipulable content but at the cost of huge file sizes. Whether over WiFi or the Lightning port, exporting these videos can take hours. The second, is backups. While overnight backups are popular, there is currently no easy way to quickly backup your iPhone in a hurry.
But the bad news is this feature might not be coming to all iPhone 14 models:
“As far as I know, Apple plans to implement this feature on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max,” saids LeaksApplePro. “After a few conversations with people familiar with the matter, I can’t confirm whether or not this feature will be available on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, and while it would make sense, I don’t want to give you false hope.”
This makes sense. More than ever, Apple is determined to differentiate iPhone Pro and non-Pro models, this year and the primary value of USB 3.0 for ProRes positions it squarely as a “Pro” feature. Watch this space.
At 9to5Mac notes, the code strings not only shed light on Apple’s upcoming plans (and a Focus mode overhaul, in particular, would be massive for an increasingly distracted society) but also a range of product cuts with the company set to cut loose another generation of older iPhones and iPads. iOS 15/iPadOS 15 currently support the iPhone 6S (2015) and newer and iPad Mini 4 (2015) and newer, so owners of these devices may be forced to upgrade this year.
Moreover, Apple’s code ties in with leaks from Bloomberg’s respected Apple writer Mark Gurman who claims there will be “fairly significant enhancement [of iOS/iPadOS] across the board” including a long overdue overhaul of notifications. As is Apple tradition, you can also expect several of these features to be exclusive to the new iPhone 14 range — again something hinted at in the new code references.
Leaked iPhone 14 Pro Max CAD files showing its dual punch-hole display
ShrimpApplePro
I would not expect the relevations to end here. Apple has consistently exposed its own plans through the inclusion of future-looking source code in iOS releases and with the first iOS 16 beta likely to arrive in June, expect the floodgates to open.
And they might need to. The current narrative pegs the iPhone 14 range as somewhat stale with leaks revealing the standard model will be virtually identical to the iPhone 13 (even in performance), while Pro models have a divisive new dual punch-hole display and higher prices.
Yes, the range’s supersized new cameras will turn turn-heads but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple ‘accidentally’ leak additional iPhone 14 features in iOS 16 beta code to increase excitement.
___
Follow Gordon on Facebook
