iPhone 14 leaked release date, price, design and all you need to know

The iPhone 14 might be the smallest upgrade we’ve seen Apple introduce in a long time – but there have still been a huge amount of changes that we’ve been tracking on the new models.

The basics: we’re expecting to see four new iPhones launch on September 7 and within that, there won’t be an iPhone 14 mini, replaced with the iPhone 14 Max. However, the main upgrades will be coming to he iPhone 14 Pro Max (and Pro), with far more power and features on their way.

The iPhone 14 leaks are now coming thick and fast, and from more reputable sources as we begin to close in on the launch date, which we’re now expecting to be September 16, giving only nine days from launch to on-sale, which is shorter than in previous years.

This article is designed to do one thing: allow you to get an instant hit of all the latest iPhone 14 leaks and rumors, so you can feel as confident as we are about what’s real and what’s not. And we’ve been at this a while, predicting and analyzing leaks on release dates, prospective prices and the most likely specs and changes since the very first iPhone emerged in 2007.

We also want to hear from you – get in touch over at @techradar on Twitter to let us know your thoughts!

Our handy guide will be updated multiple times a week in the lead up to the iPhone launch at the next Apple event that we’re expecting to happen in the middle of September, so bookmark it now if you’re interested in finding out what’s coming and whether you can get excited about the impending upgrades from Apple.

Latest iPhone 14 news

Aug 18: Respected journalist Mark Gurman has confidently predicted the iPhone 14 launch will be on Sept 7, and go on sale nine days later.

Aug 15: A leaker claims the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera could struggle in low light, but that the battery could be better this year.

Aug 14: Storage capacities in the iPhone 14 line might be broadly the same as in the iPhone 13 line according to a leak.

Aug 12: Apple is reportedly on track to build a whole lot of iPhone 14 units this year.

Aug 9: A leaker has suggested that, like with the Watch 6 to Watch 7, Apple could just rebadge the iPhone 14’s A15 chip as the A16, with the Pro models getting an A16 Pro chip.

Aug 4: A price hike is looking increasingly likely for all but the standard iPhone 14.

Aug 3: Apple’s iPhones will hopefully charge faster with the 14 range, with a 30W charger bringing a big speed boost to juicing up.

Aug 3: The iPhone 14 range will come in Green, Purple, Blue, Black, White and Red, with the pink being taken out in favor of the new purple hue.

Aug 2: A leaker has suggested that the iPhone 14 Pro models will raise in price, but the iPhone 14 range will stay the same as the 13 – starting at $799.

July 28: An iPhone 14 RAM leak suggests all models will get 6GB – but the Pro models will get faster RAM.

July 19: It looks increasingly likely that it will be possible to buy eSIM-only versions of the iPhone 14 line.

July 13: a report suggests production of the iPhone 14 Max is way behind, so the phone could be delayed.

July 10: cases showing off the sizes of the four iPhone 14 models have leaked… and there’s another mention of that ‘Plus’ name again.

July 6: According to one leaker, the iPhone 14 will only be the first of many future iPhones to have a chipset split between the standard and Pro models.

July 5: One retailer has already started iPhone 14 pre-orders – but they start at $10,000.

July 4: We now have a good idea of why the iPhone 14 might use the iPhone 13’s chipset, and the Mac is apparently to blame.

June 29: We’ve heard that the iPhone 14 Max might actually be called the iPhone 14 Plus.

June 23: Possible battery capacities for all four iPhone 14 models have been leaked.

June 13: The iPhone 14 looks increasingly likely to be getting major selfie camera upgrades, including the addition of autofocus.

June 2: The new A16 Bionic chipset might not be much of an upgrade according to a leak.

May 30: A popular Apple leaker and analyst has suggested that iOS 16 could introduce an always-on lock screen to the iPhone 14, letting you check notifications or the time without having to turn on the device’s display.

May 25: Production of the iPhone 14 line is reportedly behind schedule, which could mean a delayed launch.

May 24: We’ve heard that the iPhone 14 could get a much better selfie camera than older iPhones… but that the upgrade could result in a cost increase for the phone.

May 18: The iPhone 14 launch event will take place on September 13, according to one leaker, and apparently it won’t come alone.

May 11: We’ve heard that the iPhone 14 might be the last Apple smartphone to use a Lightning Port, with future ones said to move over to industry-standard USB-C.

Apr. 26: More iPhone 14 renders show a device with punch-hole cameras – but ones that are bigger than we’ve seen in previous images.

Apr. 22: We’ve heard that the iPhone 14 (standard, not Pro) could be made by a different company, which should ensure that iPhones are easier to buy. Why? Check out our coverage for our reasoning.

Apr. 21: We’ve heard that the iPhone 14 won’t get USB-C, and will stick with a Lightning port (again), but with faster data transfer speeds than before.

Apr. 19: Apparently the iPhone 14 could get two front-facing camera upgrades: hardware autofocus, as well as a bigger aperture. These could make selfies that little bit better.

Apr. 18: An interesting rumor has suggested that, when the iPhone 14 debuts, the iPhone 11 will be discontinued (it’s currently sold as an affordable alternative to the top-end models). Given that phone’s age, it’s a rumor that makes sense.

Apr. 18: A leaker has reiterated claims that the iPhone 14 Max is joining the series, a move which result in the iPhone 14 mini getting bumped.

Mar. 29: The iPhone 14 range has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, meaning it’s on schedule.

Mar. 28: The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max might have larger camera bumps thanks to a new 48MP sensor.

Mar. 24: You know that report from March 14 that said that only the Pro iPhone 14s would get a new chipset? Well, apparently the standard models will get the A15, but with its name changed to A16.

Mar. 23: We’ve seen even more iPhone 14 sketches that point to there being no notch. However apparently the iPhone 15 will have under-display Face ID.

Mar. 21: Yet another leak points to there being no iPhone 14 Mini – however it also suggests the upcoming devices will have displays that are a touch smaller than their iPhone 13 equivalents.

Mar. 16: Leaked CAD renders suggest that the dual cut-out camera design on the front of the Pro models will be happening, but that the rear might not change.

iPhone 14: what you need to know

iPhone 14 release date: This one looks pretty certain now: the iPhone 14 launch event will take place on September 7 and the phones will go on sale September 16.

iPhone 14 price: The iPhone 14 is strongly tipped to match the iPhone 13 starting price of $799 / £779 / AU$1,349, but the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will rise by $100, starting at $1099.

Design: The iPhone 14 non-Pro model looks very likely to match the iPhone 13, but the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max look likely to get a punch-hole camera instead of a notch. It’s looking almost certain that the iPhone 14 Mini has been replaced in the line-up by the iPhone 14 Max.

Display: The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are set for 6.1-inch (or 6.06-inch) 1170 x 2532 OLED screens, while the iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have 6.7-inch (or 6.68-inch) 1284 x 2778 OLED screens. Expect a 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro models and a 60Hz refresh rate on the others.

Camera: The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are hotly tipped to have 48MP main cameras (up from 12MP on the current models). A triple-lens snapper on all but the standard iPhone 14  and 14 Max is likely, with the basic phone instead having two rear lenses.

Specs: The iPhone 14 is set to have the A15 chipset again this year, but could have it rebadged to the A16 with a very mild upgrade. All phones will have 6GB of RAM, according to the rumors, but the Pro range will have faster and more advanced memory. 

Battery: There are strong claims that the battery capacity could increase, with the phones getting thicker to house their larger batteries. One leak has detailed possible specific capacities, with them all increasing except the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 14 release date

• All four models launching on September 7
• Launch date of September 16, although possibly not the iPhone 14 Max

A recent report from Mark Gurman, as we mentioned, has claimed with some confidence that the iPhone 14 launch will happen on September 7, with the on-sale date coming just nine days later on September 16 – although, potentially, not for the iPhone 14 Max.

This would be the joint-earliest the iPhone has ever launched, matching the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus from 2016.

There were rumored delays in the build up to the prospective launch time, but in recent months they’ve abated with trial production apparently starting in late February and the engineering validation stage supposedly having been entered (as of late March), which is on schedule.

We’ve did hear that lockdowns in China have slowed things down, with at least one model in the iPhone 14 range – believed to be the iPhone 14 Max – apparently being three weeks behind, it seems that most models are on course.

Apple is supposedly trying to speed things along, and Ming-Chi Kuo – a reputable analyst – claimed the situation was under control as of May, but in July we heard from another source that Apple is still “way behind” on panel production for the iPhone 14 Max, so things aren’t looking good for that model.

That said, in early August we heard that Apple was planning to produce 90 million units of the iPhone 14 line in 2022, which is in line with previous years, and suggests there aren’t any major delays.

iPhone 14 price

• iPhone 14 starting at $799 / £779 / AU $1,349
• iPhone 14 Pro beginning at $1,099, a $100 hike

We’ve heard one iPhone 14 price leak which detailed four members of the new range – with a Max included, but no Mini.

Apparently the base phone will start at $799 – the iPhone 13 starts at $799 / £779 / AU$1,349, so that fits – with the iPhone 14 Max going for $100 more than that. We’ve similarly elsewhere heard that the iPhone 14 will have a similar starting price to the iPhone 13.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are said to go for $1,099 and $1,199 respectively, which would mean each would be $100 more than the starting price of their predecessors. This claim has been echoed regularly, looking pretty nailed on to be happening.

iPhone 14 design

• Thicker designs for better battery
• Larger camera bump on the iPhone 14 Pro
• ‘Pill and punch’ combo replacing notch on Pro models

Our original look at the iPhone 14 design came from one big leak below, which includes unofficial renders of the iPhone 14 Pro Max – although we’ve since gained some better, more-plausible ideas of the forthcoming design.

Since then, the design of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro range has come into sharper focus, with the ‘basic’, non-Pro range looking similar to the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 14 Pro range getting some noticeable changes: a slightly thicker case, larger camera bump and a ‘pill and punch’ combo at the top of the screen to replace the notch.

Both Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo (two leakers with excellent track records for Apple information) have since said that the notch will be replaced with a punch-hole camera, and it’s consistently been shown in renders and designs since then.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max might actually have a slightly bigger camera bump than the iPhone 13 Pro series, reportedly due to the use of a new 48MP sensor (more on which further down).

There were some early leaks that suggested the iPhone 14 line-up would go back to the round volume buttons of previous models of years gone by, but that’s since been dismissed, with plenty of leaked cases and schematics pointing to the longer, lozenge-style we’re used to:

Earlier in the year we also saw some dummy case 3D models from Weibo, that could well have been based off the rumors we’ve seen rather than actual leaked models from Apple, but give a good idea of the different sizes to expect.

CAD renders have also shown what the iPhone 14 Pro Max might look like – of course, renders are essentially really fancy digital sketches, but these from Madmix line up well with what we’re expecting.

Elsewhere, we’ve heard that the Pro models could use a titanium alloy for their frame. This would likely be stronger than the materials used in current models, and this source also claims there will be an iPhone 14 Max in place of an iPhone 14 mini.

iPhone 14 display

• Two 6.1-inch phones, two 6.7-inch
• 120Hz refresh rate in Pro models, ‘standard’ 60Hz in iPhone 14
• Always-on display for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max

Reputable leaker Ming-Chi Kuo claims that there will be two 6.1-inch iPhone 14 models (a standard one and a Pro), and two 6.7-inch ones (a Pro Max and a Max).

We’ve also heard more detailed screen specs from Ross Young (another leaker with a good track record). Young claims that the iPhone 14 will have a 6.06-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and 460 pixels per inch. 

The iPhone 14 Pro will apparently have similar screen specs, but with a 120Hz variable refresh rate.

Then the iPhone 14 Pro Max is said to have a 6.68-inch 1284 x 2778 OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 458 pixels per inch. The iPhone 14 Max will likely have the same screen specs as the Pro Max but a 60Hz refresh rate.

It was said that Apple is considering a 120Hz screen for the iPhone 14 Max, but the results of that decision haven’t leaked as yet – and it seems unlikely, given there were whispers of a 90Hz display for the larger model, which we really don’t think is going to happen.

One of the key things that’s very likely is the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro Max both packing an always-on display, like Samsung has used for years and is used in Apple’s wearable since the Watch 5.

This idea, which has been hinted at again in code buried within iOS 16, means that you would get simple, small widgets and the time without needing to turn on your iPhone – it’ll be interesting to see, if an always-on display does come to pass, how Apple will explain why it’s taken so long to bring this to an iPhone.

And there’s also a patent for a technology that could make the iPhone screen stronger, without making it any thicker. That would be a nice addition, but patents often don’t turn into anything, so don’t count on seeing this.

iPhone 14 camera

• Two sensors on the 14, three on 14 Pro
• A jump to 48MP for the main camera on 14 Pro
• Capable of 8K video recording
• Questions remain over night-recording quality

On the camera front, most sources point to the Phone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max having a triple-lens camera, while the iPhone 14  and 14 Max will apparently stick with two lenses.

So that doesn’t sound like much change from the iPhone 13 range, though the specifications of the lenses and sensors may well differ.

Indeed, Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will each have a 48MP main camera, up from 12MP on the current models. This would apparently be capable of recording 8K video, and it’s something he’s reiterated, so he seems very sure of this.

Plus, another analyst has also joined Kuo in that claim saying that they expect both the Pro models in 2022 to feature 48MP cameras. That isn’t confirmation, but it certainly helps Kuo’s original claim.

We’ve more recently heard that this 48MP camera could be “the best one in a smartphone if there’s enough light,” but that it might perform worse than the iPhone 13 Pro in low light.

What does that mean? More testing is needed, but Apple is clearly tinkering with the capabilities of the sensors to try and get even-better daylight pictures, which means that it’s having to iron bugs in other areas, and could likely manage that before launch, as it’s often software-improved.

There are also rumors of a periscope camera in the works (for long range optical zoom), and we’ve even seen a patent supporting these claims. However, most sources suggest this is further out – probably landing on the iPhone 15 or later.

Then there’s the front camera, which could be improved for every phone in the iPhone 14 line, with multiple sources pointing to the addition of autofocus, which would alllow for sharper and more dynamic selfies. 

We’ve also heard that it might have extra elements in the lens, and a change in aperture that would grant better low-light capabilities, but these are the kind of leaks that are in flux until Apple decides on the final specs of the phone, which can happen quite late in the process.

iPhone 14 specs and features

• Upgraded processor for iPhone 14 Pro to A16 Bionic
• 6GB of RAM for all models, but not the same speed
• Starting at 128GB storage
• Separate, eSIM model coming

One thing we’re almost certain of is that the iPhone 14 Pro range will have a new chipset, probably called the A16 Bionic, but not the iPhone 14 models.

The process used to make these has been the subject of much deliberation, but it essentially boils down to this: the 5nm process could be used as it has been for the last two years, as TSMC (the company that’s producing the chipset) is apparently struggling to switch to a 3nm (or 4nm) process. This is something we’ve now heard multiple times.

We’ve also heard that potentially only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max would get this chipset, with the basic models being stuck with the A15 Bionic – albeit the more powerful model that we saw in the iPhone 13 Pro. The same source says to expect 6GB of RAM in every model, although the iPhone 14 Pro line-up will get the faster LPDDR5 RAM.

Macworld has published an excellent deep dive on what sort of power increases you can expect for the iPhone 14 Pro models – check it out if you fancy geeking through what’s coming in the transistor space.

On the storage front, the Pro models of the iPhone 13 increased the maximum amount of internal storage you could buy from 512MB to 1TB, and we’re hearing that the iPhone 14 Pro phones could double that again – all the way to 2TB, but more recent leaks have sa the capacity will again top out at 1TB.

What’s conflicting at the moment is the starting storage of the iPhone 14 Pro models – if they start at 256GB, as has been mooted, then the $100 price increase is more palatable… but we’re not hearing anything concrete on that yet.

Other changes? Well, Mark Gurman has said that while Apple apparently tested under-display Touch ID, the company is now all-in on Face ID, so it sounds like this probably won’t happen – and if it does, it’s likely to be as well as Face ID rather than instead.

The switch from a Lightning port to USB-C was rumored at the start of the year, but it’s way too soon to see that – it’ll be iPhone 15 at the earliest, in order to comply with new EU legislation.

A patent suggested the iPhone 14 might also have a new form of 3D Touch, which would use haptic feedback to make interactions more intuitive. But as with all patents we wouldn’t count on anything coming of this one.

There’s also talk that Apple could switch from a physical SIM card to an eSIM (which you wouldn’t be able to remove). The iPhone 13 range already has this but it’s in addition to a physical one, not instead. However, if Apple does go eSIM-only with any iPhone 14, it will probably also offer models that have both kinds.

Finally, we’ve also heard that the speakers might be better on the upcoming models, with improved bass and clarity – that’s an underrated rumor and one we really hope comes to pass.

iPhone 14 battery life

• Up to two hours’ better battery life on 14 Pro models
• All internal battery sizes increased

In terms of the iPhone 14 battery, it sounds like there could be improvements there, with one source saying it will be larger in the next models, and another saying the phones will be thicker – which could leave room for a larger power pack.

More specifically, a leaker has claimed that the iPhone 14 may have a 3,279mAh battery, the iPhone 14 Pro may have a 3,200mAh one, the iPhone 14 Max may come with 4,325mAh, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max may have a similar 4,323mAh power pack.

Those would all be upgrades except in the case of the Pro Max, which would be a slight downgrade – but, more likely, it’ll raise as well, given the odd closeness of the mAh levels here.

Elsewhere we’ve heard that the iPhone 14 Pro might offer two hours more life than its predecessor, which is certainly promising, which would be a combination of the improved efficiency of the A16 Bionic chipset and the slightly-larger design, and would certainly help.

When it comes time to charge, you might be making use of a MagSafe charger rather than the Lightning port based on one patent, though notably early unofficial renders show the Lightning port intact.

One key upgrade we’re expecting: 30W charging, which would mean you could chuck your new iPhone onto a fast charger and you’ll be done in far less time than ever before – Apple has been slack in this area, and rivals have stolen a march.

Sure, Apple wants to preserve the condition of the battery for longer, something that fast charging can hurt, but there’s a balance to be had, and the communication between charger and phone is advanced enough nowadays that this can be mitigated.