Apple Inc. analyst Mark Gurman has made several new predictions for the iPhone 14 ahead of its launch later this year, including the possible long-awaited launch of satellite connectivity.
Reflecting similar predictions from Ming-Chi Kuo in March, Gurman predicts that the iPhone 14 will get some changes but will likely maintain a similar overall form factor to the iPhone 12 and 13. This is due to Apple having a three-year cycle that started with the iPhone 6 in 2014.
Gurman suggests that in the third year of the traditional iPhone design cycle, the design gets some key changes, which is likely for the iPhone 14. Previous predictions, including from Gurman himself, had suggested that the top-of-the-range iPhone 14s could include a hole-punch display, but that prediction has changed some four months later.
Instead of a hole-punch display, Gurman now suggests that the new notch of the Pro models will include a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and a circular cutout for the camera. This is due to Apple not being able to fully embed Face ID and the front-facing camera into the display itself.
Gurman says that he expects the iPhone 14 range to have the same flat edges and rounded corners as the previous two models, but others disagree. Forbes reports that Apple plans to make the iPhone Pro models “far more curved” than the current iPhone 13 Pro models. This is said to address a quirk in the iPhone 13 Pro range where the radius of the phone’s corners did not match the radius of the camera bump.
Othe predictions on the new iPhones have been seen before. The base iPhone will be offered in a 6.7-inch version for the first time and the iPhone Pro models will get a new 48-megapixel sensor. The Pro range is predicted to get Apple’s A16 chip, while the standard models are likely to stick with the A15 from last year or a variant of it.
Apple is also said to be still working on bringing satellite connectivity to the iPhone and it’s possible that the feature could debut this year. First rumored in August, the connectivity will not allow iPhone users to make calls over satellite networks but is designed to report emergencies or send a short text message to emergency contacts when out of service range.
Gurman also predicts that the Apple Watch could also gain satellite connectivity either this year or next year.
The new iPhone 14 range is expected to be released around September.
