The iPhone 14 could miss out on a massive speed upgrade

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The iPhone 14 might miss out on a processor upgrade this year, with all the big advancements held for the pricier Pro models. Or, at least that’s what a recent leak has suggested.

Like clockwork, the iPhone is updated at the beginning of autumn every year, and one of the upgrades that is always expected is an upgrade for the processor that powers the device. However, this year could be different — and not in a good way.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most highly respected and trusted sources for Apple news, the base iPhone 14 and the new iPhone 14 Max will not receive any upgrades to the processor. Instead, they will both be staying with the A15 Bionic that you’ll see on the iPhone 13 series.

Meanwhile, the upcoming A16 Bionic chipset will be reserved only for the “Pro” models in the series; that is to say the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15. All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM, with the difference being LPDDR 5 (14 Pro & 14 Pro Max) vs. LPDDR 4X (14 & 14 Max). https://t.co/tHcszIz6gX
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 13, 2022

It’s surprising to say the least that Apple would create such a sharp two-tiered system among its newest line of iPhones, but from this point forward it could be the case that the Pro models will be one year ahead of the others and really justify that moniker.

Moreover, it will be interesting to see just how the iPhone 14 will otherwise distinguish itself from 2021’s iPhone 13 without appearing to be a minimal upgrade if the silicon will remain exactly the same. Could we see significant improvements to the screen or camera instead?

Bye Mini, hello Max?

Hidden in this news is also the revelation of an iPhone 14 Max. Previous iPhone series have featured a Mini version of the standard model (such as the iPhone 13 mini), but a Max version has only been reserved for the Pro line (hence the iPhone 13 Pro Max).

This apparent change will see a big-screen option for customers who don’t want to go Pro, with the screen likely to measure 6.7-inches rather than the standard 6.1-inches.

Trusted Take

These changes, if proven to be true, could mark a very significant shift in the iPhone family of products, the like of which we’ve not seen in years. While we’re looking forward to the choice for a bigger screen on the base model iPhone, the reported decision not to upgrade the processor could be a disappointing one if it’s not made up for by other hardware improvements.