There could be a notable new addition to Apple’s 2022 smartphone line-up, as numerous leaks suggest that an iPhone 14 Max is in the works.
Long-time Apple fans can probably take a good guess at what this is purely from the name, but below we’ll detail exactly what we’ve heard about it so far.
We’ll also look at whether this is it for the iPhone mini range, with reports also suggesting that the iPhone 14 Max might take the place of the iPhone 14 mini.
What is the iPhone 14 Max?
The iPhone 14 Max is rumored to basically be a bigger version of the iPhone 14, or to put it another way, a lower-end version of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
So just as the iPhone 14 will probably be the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro, just with lesser tech, the iPhone 14 Max will likely be the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Specifically, it will probably have a 6.7-inch OLED screen, and it will also probably have the same resolution as the iPhone 14 Pro Max (likely 1284 x 2778, as that’s the resolution of the iPhone 13 Pro Max's screen).
So how will the Max differ from the Pro Max? Well one big difference could be the refresh rate, with some sources suggesting that the iPhone 14 Max will have a 60Hz display, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max will almost certainly have a 120Hz refresh rate.
However, we’ve heard that Apple is at least considering a 120Hz screen for both phones, so the screen might end up being much the same on both.
An even bigger potential difference between the two though is the design, with the iPhone 14 Max thought to have basically the same design as the iPhone 13 range, complete with a notch, while many leaks suggest the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have a new look, with a punch-hole camera in place of a notch.
That could end up being the only significant difference though, with at least one report suggesting that both phones will have a triple-lens camera (though the specs of the cameras could differ). The Pro model may also end up having slightly more power based on past form, but that’s just speculation for now.
Will this replace the iPhone 14 mini?
So far there’s a consensus among leaks that we won’t get an iPhone 14 mini, and that instead there will be an iPhone 14 Max.
That said, while several leakers have said as much, it’s still early days for iPhone 14 range leaks, so anything could happen ahead of launch (likely in September 2022).
It remains a possibility then that there will still be an iPhone 14 mini, either instead of or as well as an iPhone 14 Max, but we doubt it.
Aside from leaks and rumors suggesting there won’t, we can also look at sales numbers, with the mini models reportedly selling worse than the rest of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 ranges that they were a part of.
While information on the iPhone 13 mini's performance is anecdotal for now, the iPhone 12 mini accounted for just 5% of overall iPhone 12 range sales in the first half of January according to Counterpoint, and reports suggest similarly low figures at other points too.
Not only that, but Apple is rumored to be launching an iPhone SE 3 in 2022, and with that thought to have a 4.7-inch screen, it could do the job of appealing to fans of small phones.
So while we wouldn’t completely count the mini out, it looks doubtful that we’ll see a new one – but with the iPhone SE 3 on the horizon, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get a new small-screen iPhone.
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