The ‘Pro’ model iPhone just hasn’t been attractive to me, and I’m a techie. I write for a tech blog! It’s this one! But the modest improvements to the camera and the fact that, for the past two years, they only came in two sizes: phablet and tablet, lead me to decide the cheapest flagship iPhone, the iPhone 12 mini and then the iPhone 13 mini, were actually the best iPhones for me. It’s long been rumored that the iPhone 13 mini would be the last “mini” iPhone. For me, that means the iPhone 13 mini would be my last new iPhone for years. Maybe until the iPhone is no longer a handheld device, or at least until it’s no longer a single, unfolding piece of glass.
However, if one analyst’s claims are correct, there may be another reason to skip the iPhone 14 this year: only the “Pro” models will get the new A16 chip. The two non-pro models will get the previous year’s A15 chip.
Often, there are two main reasons to upgrade your iPhone: better camera, and better performance. Some people upgrade because they want a better battery, but Apple hasn’t improved that dramatically… ever. Another good reason is a form factor change, especially going from the slippery iPhone 11 to a grippable, one-handed marvel like the iPhone 12 mini. But the iPhone 14 will be, according to this rumor, nothing more than an iPhone 13 with a new name badge.
And you know it’s still going to sell.
iPhone 13-2
For some time now, there have been rumors about a hole punch version of the Face ID notch for the iPhone 14 Pro models. No one likes the giant notch of Face ID, and many wish Apple would go with an unobtrusive fingerprint sensor instead of Face ID, especially in the era of masking and COVID. However, that giant notch out of your screen just makes matters worse. The iPhone 14 Pro models, supposedly, would shrink the size of the notch into a few small cutouts in the display. This would make them slightly less obtrusive. For some time, that was expected to be one of the larger defining differences between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.
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
Now we know it could be far worse. Ming-Chi Kuo has a good track record with Apple rumors. While it’s not certain, there’s a good chance he’s right.
But Why?
Why would Apple do this? There are two main possible reasons. The first is that the iPhone “pro” models don’t actually cost Apple much more to make. However, they’re able to charge hundreds of dollars more. The profit margin on these “pro” models means Apple wants to sell more pro iPhones. There’s just one problem: people really like the base models. They cost consumers less, give them almost all of the features of the pro model, and come in a more hand-friendly size. People realized the non-pro iPhone was the better buy sometime around the iPhone XR. This became especially true when even the pro model iPhone went up to 6.1 inches.
Then there’s the chip shortage. Semiconductors are filling up every gadget. Add a pandemic, limited resources, and higher shipping costs, and we’ve got a shortage of semiconductors. Apple makes their own chips, which means manufacturers of those chips have to make and sell one product to one client. That one client is now asking for chips for their Macs too. It’s possible Apple’s feeling the silicon crunch, and just decided to keep making the old chips for the next device to save on new orders.
Skip the iPhone 14
The rumors surrounding the iPhone 14 point towards it being a “skip year” model. There were times in Apple’s history they’d launch an ‘S’ iPhone model that barely improved on the previous year. However, even those had processor improvements. With the iPhone 14, it sounds like the models most consumers would reach for will also be the models with little changed from the previous year. If there was ever a year to skip the new iPhone, 2022 might be it.
Then again, with inflation, a global war, the tail end of a pandemic, and gas prices skyrocketing, maybe you didn’t need to be told that.
As for me? I was planning on holding on to this iPhone 13 mini until it died. Apple can take their only usable phone from my cold dead hand. Get it? Because you can use it with one hand.
Sources:
- Hartley Charlton, MacRumors
- Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac
- Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider
- Mike Peterson, AppleInsider
- Stephen Warwick, iMore