Pictures of iPhone 14 dummies make the rounds. Last week we saw the rears of the four models – two small and two large, two vanilla and two Pro – now it’s time to take a closer look at the rear.
This appears to be an iPhone 14 Pro Max judging by the size of the camera bump relative to the rest of the body. Again, we’re more interested in what’s on the front (and what’s not).
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dummy – note the double perforation design on the front
The notch disappears with this generation of iPhone Pro models (but stays on the vanilla pair for a year longer). It is replaced by a split punch hole, the so-called “pill and hole” design – the wider element is the Face ID system, which needs an IR illuminator and an IR camera, the other is the new FaceTime camera (with autofocusallegedly).
The gap between Pro and vanilla iPhones will be wider than ever this year. Not only will the Pros have telephoto exclusivity, they will also be the only ones with a 48MP main camera and the only one who can upgrade to the Apple A16 chipset† The vanilla models will remain with 12 MP rear cameras and the A15 chip, according to analysts’ predictions. The vanilla models also don’t get the new “pill and hole” design on the front, or whether their screens have a 120Hz refresh rate remains a matter of some debate (tendency to “no”).
The “pill and hole” design is coming to the Pro models first and to the vanilla phones next year
The iPhone 15 vanilla models will adopt the “pill and hole” design, according to predictions† Future iPhones are expected to move some of the hardware behind the screenwhich may start as early as 2024. Of course, long-term predictions aren’t very accurate (or even possible, as Apple is still testing what works and what doesn’t).