Apple’s next-gen iPhone 14 range has already leaked and leaked and leaked revealing some particularly exciting upgrades. But now news has broken that there will be a significant price to pay.
Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max design (left) versus iPhone 13 Pro Max (right) – renders based on leaks
Ian Zelbo
Mysterious tipster LeaksApplePro has used his latest weekly column on iDropNews, to reveal that Apple’s plans to deliver a “complete redesign” with the iPhone 14 line-up will result in increased production costs. These costs will be passed onto customers in the form of higher prices across three of the four new models:
- iPhone 14 – $799
- iPhone 14 Max – $899
- iPhone 14 Pro – $1099
- iPhone 14 Pro Max – $1199
Yes, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max see $100 price rises but the big news here is the new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max which will replace the iPhone 14 Mini. Customer demand has driven Apple’s decision to scrap the $699 5.4-inch Mini, but its replacement will cost $200 more and increase the starting price of the iPhone 14 range to $799.
The knock-on effect of this is also likely to be a driving force behind the $100 price increases for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max because Apple likes to maintain a clear $200 price gap between Pro and non-Pro models.
The flipside to this is most iPhone owners buy their devices on contract where the cost is spread over several years. Moreover, Apple is looking at making a whole host of upgrades in 2022 after several incremental iPhone generations.
The big news is the display where Apple is understood to be switching iPhone 14 Pro models to a pill-shaped punch-hole with potentially an additional punch hole beside it for the front camera. This would finally put an end to the notch, but the design change is likely to prove controversial. Less divisive, however, are leaks revealing all-new cameras, bigger batteries and a switch to a titanium chassis for iPhone 14 Pro models. There is even talk of a return for Touch ID, a long awaited switch to USB-C and scrapping the SIM card slot to go eSIM only.
As for those still disappointed at the potential price hikes, LeaksApplePro does state that the decision is not final with Apple “currently considering” the increase. That said, it is hard to see how Apple can switch the iPhone 13 Mini to an iPhone 14 Max without repercussions across the range.
So, if an iPhone 14 is on your wishlist, odds are you will need to do a little extra saving.
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New iPhone 14 Pro Leak Reveals Pill-Shaped Punch Hole Display
