The iPhone 14 lineup is looking like it will bring the biggest shakeup to Apple's lineup in years. And this is for a couple of reasons. For one, the iPhone mini could be dead and replaced with a new iPhone 14 Max model.
In addition, as our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro preview shows, we could see the biggest differences ever between the regular and Pro lineup. So what could you pay for all of this? We've only seen one credible iPhone 14 price rumor so far from LeaksApplePro, which doesn't have an extensive track record, but the numbers are very intriguing and sound plausible.
Let's first dig into what the price rumor says:
iPhone 14 rumored prices
- iPhone 14: $799 (same as iPhone 13)
- iPhone 14 Max: $899 (new model)
- iPhone 14 Pro: $1,099 ($100 increase)
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: $1,199 ($100 increase)
The list of above prices was posted in late March by LeaksApplePro on iDropNews as part of a report on price and feature differences for the iPhone 14 lineup. If you haven't been following all the rumors, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max is predicted to take the place of the 5.4-inch iPhone mini. And we've seen a number of reports about the Apple ditching the iPhone mini for a iPhone 14 Max, due to slow sales of smaller phones.
The iPhone 13 mini starts at $699, so a jump to $899 seems like a lot. But an iPhone 14 Max would give you the same size display as the iPhone 14 Pro Max for hundreds less. And if LeaksApplePro's price predictions prove accurate, we could be talking about a $300 delta. The regular iPhone 14 would presumably stay at the same $799 price as the iPhone 13.
So what about the supposed price hike for the iPhone 14 Pro from $999 to $1,099? First, let me just say this would be a tough sell, as the economy is on shaky ground due to inflation. But based on the iPhone 14 Pro rumors I've heard, we could be talking about lots of upgrades between the regular and Pro line.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will presumably still feature three cameras (including a telephoto lens) compared to two lenses for the regular iPhone 14 models. And it would not be a surprise to see Apple keep the ProMotion 120Hz display exclusive for the iPhone 14 Pros. But we've heard about other upgrades that could be unique to the Pro and Pro Max.
This includes a new notch-free design for the iPhone 14 Pro series that would trade the notch for a punch hole and pill-shaped cutout. The hope is that you'll get a more full-screen experience. Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro lineup could get a sharper new 48MP camera (up from 12MP) with the ability to shoot 8K video.
Last but not least, the iPhone 14 Pro series could have the exclusive on USB-C connectivity, leaving the Lightning connector in the past. This will reportedly happen to accommodate high-speed file transfers, which would be appreciated by pros that work with large photo and video files.
Yet another rumor points to the iPhone 14 Pro getting a powerful new A16 processor and higher-speed RAM, so there could be a notable performance gap between the Pros and regular iPhone 14. In fact, there's even one rumor that says that Apple will stick with the A15 Bionic chip on the iPhone 14 and maybe just give it a new name.
iPhone 14 prices: Outlook
Is all of the above worth a rumored price hike? In a world where the prices for everything from gas to groceries wasn't soaring, I'd say yes. But we're in a tricky place right now financially for a lot of people.
Perhaps this is why Apple is reportedly exploring a new iPhone subscription plan for its hardware — to help ease the sting of potentially more expensive iPhone 14 models.
My take is that the iPhone 14 Max could wind up being the best value of the bunch. If you can get a big screen and good enough performance and cameras for $899, it could look like a bargain next to the potentially more expensive Pro phones.
