Gurman: Standard iPhone 14 to Miss Out on 48MP Camera and A16 Chip, Satellite Connectivity Features Could Launch This Year

[paradox00]

How much space in the chassis will satellite connectivity take up? If it was a zero-cost feature both in terms of not adding anything to the end-user price of the phone and also in terms of not taking up any extras space in the chassis because somehow the functionality could be added to existing chips without increasing package size and an existing antenna could handle the satellite comms as well as what it was already doing then great and I would be all for it but, given that I would be very surprised if that later point was the case (and knowing Apple I’m sceptical that the first point would be the case either), this makes me very nervous. I’m worried that the extra internal space needed for the satellite hardware will be at the expense of battery space because Apple doesn’t want to increase the overall size of the phone (understandably for the Pro Max) so, after a great run of Apple actually increasing battery life year on year we might go back to the bad old days when in some years battery life on a new model was actually worse than that of the year before because battery capacity gets smaller and year-on-year improvements in electronics efficiencies don’t quite make up for the smaller batteries.

I suspect it will take up zero space because it won’t be there. I’d take the the rumors more seriously if they discussed the service model. I have an inreach and pay $30 a month for periodic tracking and a limited number of text messages. The satellites don’t have capacity for 100s of millions of people sending “emergency” texts every time they are out of cell service. If there is an emergency, who is contacting the local authorities about the emergency? You need to have or partner with an emergency dispatch center with 24/7 staff.

With respect to your concerns about battery life, it is even more important for an emergency device to have a long lasting battery. My fear is that if they do implement it, it will be a poor one and offer a false sense of security. While taking people off paid services that do work.

 

[JustSomebody12]

I wonder if they will keep the regular 13 around. With such similar features, I think that most costumers would opt for the cheaper option.

I think so, maybe they won't lower too much the price?

I am pretty sure they will cut the 11 (only iPhone remaining 4G-only), and if they also cut the 13, then we would remain with:

12, SE, and 14 (Pro).

Which would be too little.

 

[JCCL]

So basically it will be an iPhone 13 with a 14 imposed in the box?

 

[LV426]

What an absurd statement. You might as well have said "I think 48 Mp is overkill for a camera" because the smartphone that people carry is the only one they have, or use. Including people who value high quality photography.

12 MP is simply way too noisy. The pixel binning 48 MP method will fix that.

48MP is overkill for most cameras, unless you want to produce 6 feet high prints for advertising. You need a serious amount of stability to make those individual pixels worthwhile. The manual for my extremely expensive DSLR strongly recommends using a tripod to make effective use of its very high resolution and I'm not going to argue with Nikon's recommendation. I have taken fantastic shots with a professional 12MP camera, so I dispute your statement that it's way too noisy. If you want to use such a high resolution, get a professional camera, not a toy camera like you get in an iPhone.

 

[VulchR]

I suspect it will take up zero space because it won’t be there. I’d take the the rumors more seriously if they discussed the service model. I have an inreach and pay $30 a month for periodic tracking and a limited number of text messages. The satellites don’t have capacity for 100s of millions of people sending “emergency” texts every time they are out of cell service. If there is an emergency, who is contacting the local authorities about the emergency? You need to have or partner with an emergency dispatch center with 24/7 staff.

With respect to your concerns about battery life, it is even more important for an emergency device to have a long lasting battery. My fear is that if they do implement it, it will be a poor one and offer a false sense of security. While taking people off paid services that do work.

Written like a Garmin employee... A SOS message requires minimal bandwidth (and there appears to be no limit to the satellite communication devices being sold anyway); a friend or family member can be the emergency contact; anybody hiking or camping and using electronic devices should have a backup battery that can be used as a charger; and Apple is perfectly capable of gouging consumers with subscription fees for satellite access. Besides, many personal mobile devices used for satellite communication already rely on mobile phones for input and display of text messages (Garmin isn't the only game in town).

I do think you are right to be sceptical about the possibility of satellite communication for the iPhone. I would like to see Apple come out with an iPhone for outdoor use - waterproof, satellite connectivity, ruggedized, waterproof, a huge battery, and energy saving settings optimised for outdoor pursuits. Well, I can dream, can't I?

 

[Macative]

48MP is overkill for most cameras, unless you want to produce 6 feet high prints for advertising. You need a serious amount of stability to make those individual pixels worthwhile. The manual for my extremely expensive DSLR strongly recommends using a tripod to make effective use of its very high resolution and I'm not going to argue with Nikon's recommendation. I have taken fantastic shots with a professional 12MP camera, so I dispute your statement that it's way too noisy. If you want to use such a high resolution, get a professional camera, not a toy camera like you get in an iPhone.

All you have to do is zoom a 12 MP image slightly, and it's already too noisy.

 

[LV426]

All you have to do is zoom a 12 MP image slightly, and it's already too noisy.

Not if you zoom in on a 12MP photo taken with a decent camera and lens.

 

[smorrissey]

Show me the money! go pro!

 

[Moonlight]

I can’t help thinking that 48Mpx is overkill for a smartphone. I have a similar resolution on my professional DSLR, and you need to be very careful with that to make effective use of all those pixels.

Care to explain that further?

"very careful with that to make effective use of all those pixels."

Sounds like if I shoot someone with 48Mpx I might kill them!

 

[paradox00]

Written like a Garmin employee...

Or a realist. I was using inreach before Garmin acquired it from Delorme.

A SOS message requires minimal bandwidth (and there appears to be no limit to the satellite communication devices being sold anyway);

An SOS message is rare with limited bandwidth, sure, but that’s not what wrote. I mentioned “emergency” messages to contacts with emergency intentionally in quotes because it’s really just out of service texting (which plenty of people would use).

Currently there is a limit on users in place. It’s just a natural one. Paying hundreds of dollars for a dedicated device and paying per use and/or a monthly subscription keeps the numbers low. Increasing those numbers a hundred or a thousand fold is something Apple and others would have to plan for.

a friend or family member can be the emergency contact; anybody hiking or camping and using electronic devices should have a backup battery that can be used as a charger;

A phone is the most inefficient way to use the power from said backup battery. I’d love to have the feature, but as I mentioned I fear it would be implemented poorly. When camping I do bring a battery for my phone, because it’s also my camera. But you still want your emergency device to be long lasting because in an emergency you might be separated from your gear (including the backup battery).

and Apple is perfectly capable of gouging consumers with subscription fees for satellite access.

If this was imminent, we should be hearing rumors about it. That was my main point.

Besides, many personal mobile devices used for satellite communication already rely on a mobile phones for input and display of text messages (Garmin isn't the only game in town).

Garmin Inreach (and yes other) devices can use mobile phones for text input. That’s not the same as mobile devices communicating directly with satellites. The total number of these dedicated devices is minuscule compared to mobile phones. The article does mention a mystery buyer of the services of 17 satellites. I’m not an expert, but this seems low to accommodate Apple users worldwide.

Edit: Irridium (which Garmin and others use) has 82 satellites in operation, and messages are often still delayed while waiting for sat coverage.

I do think you are right to be sceptical about the possibility of satellite communication for the iPhone. I would like to see Apple come out with an iPhone for outdoor use - waterproof, satellite connectivity, ruggedized, waterproof, a huge battery, and energy saving settings optimised for outdoor pursuits. Well, I can dream, can't I?

I’d love a miracle device too. I don’t like paying Garmin extra and only having out of cell service connectivity when I have my inReach with me. This just strikes me as one of those pie in the sky rumors that turns out to be false. Especially with no mention of any of the service details. Time will tell, and yes, you’re free to dream.

 

[currentinterest]

The A15 will likely be the same version as used in this year’s Pro models, which has more graphics cores than the standard iPhone, and will feature more RAM. There may be other tweaks that result in a 10% performance increase. What the main difference will be is that the 6.1 inch iPhone 14 will likely be priced at $699. The mini will be retained at $599 giving an even lower entry point and nearly the same internals. The 6.7 inch will take over the $799 spot. The major iPhone 14 innovation this year will likely be pricing.

 

[Joniz]

Look, I won’t buy any more cameras until they have enough pixels that they can see into other dimensions.

 

[BidFlux]

Look, I won’t buy any more cameras until they have enough pixels that they can see into other dimensions.

Timewaqrp filter?

 

[MrMojo1]

Even though its a rumour and can't believe anything much in rumours...
Why would anyone want the basic iPhone 14 if it's pretty much similar to the iPhone 13 with the same chip and hardware?
The iPhone 14 Pro models appears to have the latest upgrades.
Apple would be cannibalizing itself to keep the iPhone 13 non-Pro models still available when the iPhone 14 models appear.
The iPhones 11/12 models are still currently available so one or both of those models would disappear but better if the 12 model stays while Apple removes the iPhone 13 non-Pro models.

Appears like Apple is just trying to keep the iPhone sales still relevant to keep the money coming in. Less innovation while increasing prices is not truly manageable over the long term considering that the iPhone models can literally last a few years that it's not a point of buying a newer model annually or biannually.

Miss the bigger screen size of my former 8 Plus when I went to the 13 Pro but the latter fit and travelled better due to the smaller size. Would consider upgrading to the bigger iPhone 14 Max or Pro Max model and keep it for a few years.
Hopefully the Promotion feature is also in the Max model not just the Pro Max model.

 

[falkon-engine]

So then make suggestions how Apple should continue to innovate then. ‘Innovation’ is a maturity process, not something that needs to ‘wow’ somebody every single year. It’s been that way in smartphone industry for years now.

Not to mention, Apple typically has been relatively very conservative with offering new features on a year-to-year basis. They purposely ration features, because that’s been their trajectory the iPhone. Does that stifle the iPhone any less from being dominant? Obviously not.

I hate when people use a False Dilemma fallacy as if there are only two choices (i.e., wow people every year or the slow pace of changes that we have now). There are several other choices in between.

I will begin by saying Apple has done awesome things. Its A-series and M-series silicon are top notch. Ahead of the Android competition.

But the iPhone has had the same form factor since the iPhone X, the same notch, Android manufacturers have moved on to a hole punch front-camera design that looks much cleaner in my opinion. They also implemented 90 Hz and 120 Hz displays... it took Apple several years to finally do so. Last year we finally got 120 Hz on the Pro Models which is excellent, but why'd it take Apple so long? And iPhone SE is the same old form factor with a chin and forehead and home button from before the iPhone X. It's old and played out. It's time for a new form factor for the SE.

Apple also added the ability for the iPhone Pro to record ProRes video, but Apple kept the lightning connector and slow USB 2.0 speeds. Meaning that to transfer those ProRes files off your phone would take exceedingly long, prohibiting you from getting the data back in near-real time. Apple needs to add a faster USB3 or USB4 connection, that would be excellent.

Don't get me started on iPadOS and its limitations: M1 hardware is great, but the software is very limited, and is ripe for innovation. For instance, iPadOS external monitor support is gimped and does not support (by default) displaying a separate image to a monitor and does not display the image on the monitor in its native aspect ratio...instead the image is mirrored and cropped. Why? Why can M1 in a MacBook display an image on a monitor in extended mode and in its native aspect ratio, but the M1 in an iPad cannot? What is the basis for the limitation? IPadOS also has a files app with no support to unmount USB/thunderbolt media! Why? Prematurely ejecting media can lead to data loss...the unmount feature exists in macOS so why not iPadOS? The files app also has no ability to format a disk in any filesystem, so to use an external disk with the iPad you have to use a computer to format it first (if it's not formatted from the factory). How is a computer replacement device unable to format a disk? What if I don't have a computer to format the disk? Also, Multi-tasking on iPadOS with the M1 chips is severely underpowered... the M1 in a MacBook supports multi-window multi-tasking support, so why not bring something similar to iPads with M1 chips or above... it does not need to a full-blown macOS UI. but a UI that is multi-tasking/multi-window friendly. I use my iPad in sidecar mode all the time with Apple Pencil and it works just fine, apple can implement something similar for the native interface when the iPad is docked to the Smart Keyboard. Apple also needs to update the iPad/m1 Mac thunderbolt firmware so both devices can interface directly with a thunderbolt cable, as it stands you can't use both devices with a thunderbolt cable you need a usb-c cable that operates in USB mode only.

There are so many more things that I haven't mentioned, and what I've mentioned isn't to "wow" people as you claim, but it is to enhance the iOS/iPadOS experience. Make it better and more cohesive.

Thanks for your time.

 

[_Spinn_]

I'm very excited to see the 14 Pro Max when it is announced.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Still not believing that Apple would stick with the A15 with the regular 14. It will be a marketing disaster waiting to happen.

New A16 most likely will have the "standard" and the "Pro" chip just like the Mx chips. Pro will have more graphics cores and make 2x more high power cores.

There you go. No A15 but a Light A16 chip. Noone will protest, even A13 is fast enough for any instagrammer still.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Remember when Steve Jobs made fun of Windows Vista with various editions? The iPhone is heading in the same direction. There is nothing that needs to be ‘Pro’ about a phone. Most of the people I see with the Pro Max models are nurses, grand ma’s and 19 year old college students.

 

[The Game 161]

Still not believing that Apple would stick with the A15 with the regular 14. It will be a marketing disaster waiting to happen.

it will be marketed as still being superior to every other chip out there from the competition

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

As someone looking to get a non-pro iPhone 14 model, I do not care about the cameras, give me 5 year old cameras. I do however care about getting a current chip.

I think it’s quite clear that any improvement coming from the jump from the A15 to the A16 Will be going directly into that 48 megapixel camera with 8K video.
Given that the regular 14 and 14 Max won’t be getting that, it’s quite clear why they’re sticking with last year‘s (still perfectly amazing and years ahead of the competition) processor.
Also it’ll still be an upgrade from the 13, as it will use the full A15 with 5 GPU cores and 6 GB of RAM, while the current 13 has one GPU core disabled and only 4 GB of RAM.
Also, reusing last year‘s processor, camera, design and notch might give Apple an excuse to discontinue the 13 series and lower the 14 series by $100, so the starting price will still be $699.

 

[The Game 161]

Even though its a rumour and can't believe anything much in rumours...
Why would anyone want the basic iPhone 14 if it's pretty much similar to the iPhone 13 with the same chip and hardware?
The iPhone 14 Pro models appears to have the latest upgrades.
Apple would be cannibalizing itself to keep the iPhone 13 non-Pro models still available when the iPhone 14 models appear.
The iPhones 11/12 models are still currently available so one or both of those models would disappear but better if the 12 model stays while Apple removes the iPhone 13 non-Pro models.

Appears like Apple is just trying to keep the iPhone sales still relevant to keep the money coming in. Less innovation while increasing prices is not truly manageable over the long term considering that the iPhone models can literally last a few years that it's not a point of buying a newer model annually or biannually.

Miss the bigger screen size of my former 8 Plus when I went to the 13 Pro but the latter fit and travelled better due to the smaller size. Would consider upgrading to the bigger iPhone 14 Max or Pro Max model and keep it for a few years.
Hopefully the Promotion feature is also in the Max model not just the Pro Max model.

lets face it most people who bought the non pro models aren't that interested in upgrading every year anyway.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Even though its a rumour and can't believe anything much in rumours...
Why would anyone want the basic iPhone 14 if it's pretty much similar to the iPhone 13 with the same chip and hardware?
You’re joking right?

Because the 14 will most likely start somewhere between $699 and $799 whereas the pro will likely start somewhere between $999 and $1099.
Even on the monthly installment plans that most people use these days, it’s still quite a big difference between around $30 a month for the regular iPhone, and around $45-$50 a month for the pro iPhone.
It’s the same reason the iPad Air an iPad mini sell better than the iPad Pro, and the MacBook Air sells better than the MacBook Pro.

 

[ian87w]

New A16 most likely will have the "standard" and the "Pro" chip just like the Mx chips. Pro will have more graphics cores and make 2x more high power cores.

There you go. No A15 but a Light A16 chip. Noone will protest, even A13 is fast enough for any instagrammer still.

Now that's more believable. Basically the regular iphone 14 would get a binned down version of the A16. Makes more sense, just like the current iphone 13.

Putting an older chip on the latest flagship is a marketing disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Now that's more believable. Basically the regular iphone 14 would get a binned down version of the A16. Makes more sense, just like the current iphone 13.

Putting an older chip on the latest flagship is a marketing disaster waiting to happen.

Come on. A marketing disaster? Really?
We’re still talking about a processor that’s years ahead of the competition, that’s at the top of phone benchmarks today.
Most customers will not care. A marketing disaster it is not.
And by the way, this would not be the first time.
The original iPhone and the iPhone 3G used the exact same processor, but the first and second generation iPod touch didn’t. So yeah, for a small amount of time the iPod touch actually had a faster processor than the flagship iPhone, and no one seem to care.
It’ll be a small note that tech reviewers will talk about for the first week of the phone‘s released, and then no one will remember.

 

[darinl]

Nah, I think you overestimate people. Most do have no idea what processor is in their phones.

It really wouldn't make sense to have a 14 with the older processor and same camera Megapixels, there's not much left to differentiate it from the iPhone 13's