The iPhone 14 Pro Max launch date is only days away. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s most powerful iPhone
The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the ultimate iPhone, garnering a well-deserved five stars in our review. And we expect the iPhone 14 Pro Max to be better still with an improved display, even better cameras and more powerful processing too. Rival firms haven’t stood still, and this year’s iPhone Pro Max is up against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 IV. From what we’ve heard so far, it’s going to be a significant step forward.
Here’s what we think we know.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX KEY INFO
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is expected to launch on 7 September 2022, alongside three other iPhone 14 models. The main upgrade is expected to be improved camera lenses and significantly higher resolution 48MP camera sensors, as well as an improved display and a slightly different design.
We don’t know the price just yet but multiple credible reports say that the camera components in the Pro and Pro Max are more expensive this year and that that will be reflected in a higher price, possibly $100/£100 more than the current model. That would mean a price tag of $1,199/£1,149 for the entry-level model.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX RELEASE DATE
We expect the iPhone 14 Pro Max and its siblings to be announced at the Apple event on Wednesday 7th September 2022 at 6pm BST (1pm ET, 10am PT), which will be broadcast live from Apple Park and available to watch on the Apple Website, Apple TV and YouTube. Shipping is likely to begin the following week.
With pandemic lockdowns continuing in China, where the bulk of the iPhone manufacturing is done, there were concerns that the iPhone 14 launch date could get pushed back – but it would seem that everything is now on schedule. However it’s possible that stocks of some models and/or colours may be limited at first, something we’ve seen with previous iPhone launches.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX SPECIFICATIONS
Reports of a brand new A16 Bionic processor powering all the iPhone models appear to be incorrect: multiple, more recent rumours say that only the Pro and Pro Max will get the latest processor this year, with other iPhone 14 models sticking with the A15. That means the gulf between the standard iPhone and the iPhone Pro Max won’t just be the display size and camera, but its processing power too. It’s also a strategy that Apple is going to stick with for future iPhones, according to a well-placed analyst. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 ranges might also offer a two-tier choice in terms of the internal chipset.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX DESIGN
The big news in terms of the design of the iPhone 14 is that the Pro and Pro Max are expected to no longer have a notch. You can see screens for all four models here.
Apple’s more premium models could instead feature a circular cut-out and a pill-shaped cut-out to house the selfie camera, the Face ID technology and so on. An under-display camera is likely to wait for another year. This new arrangement may appear like a single cutout when the screen is on, with Apple using the space between to show the notifications for the camera and microphone when they’re in use.
The screen in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is believed to have an always-on display to take advantage of the new Lock Screen widgets in iOS 16. Again this is likely a Pro-only feature that isn’t coming to the standard iPhone.
It’s worth emphasising that this design shift will probably only apply to the Pro and Pro Max models. The notch is expected to remain on the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Max as another way to differentiate the Pro models apart from their siblings.
Some CAD designs for the new phones have also leaked out (see below), perhaps giving us the best idea yet of what the circle and pill cutouts might look like on an actual screen. It’s going to make the Pro and Pro Max models look substantially different.
What we’re not likely to get this time around is a folding iPhone. While it’s thought that Apple does have a foldable smartphone in development at the prototype stage, we’re unlikely to see it break cover in 2022.
One other little snippet of info we’ve heard in terms of design is that the SIM card might be going away. It could be eSIMs only for the iPhone 14 series and future handsets from Apple.
Another potential change possibly in the pipeline is a switch away from Lightning to USB-C for the data and charging port, following the lead of the iPad Pro. If it happens, this might only apply to the Pro and Pro Max models though – or it might get pushed back to the iPhone 15.
The iPhone 13 Pro camera.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX CAMERA
Multiple credible sources report a move to 48MP resolution for the Pro Max alongside a periscope lens that could significantly improve the iPhone’s optical zoom capabilities. That means you could be getting a big upgrade over the 12MP sensor and 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. One of the most well-respected analysts in the Apple business has said that all of the 14 models will also get improved selfie cameras, with autofocus being added and the aperture getting lowered (which means more light can be let in).
The Pro Max is very much about photography and video, and we’d expect Apple to announce some improvements in its camera software as well as in its camera hardware during the September launch event.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX BATTERY
The iPhone 14 Pro Max battery may be a 5,000mAh battery, which is a substantial (and perhaps unlikely) jump up from the 4,352mAh battery capacity of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, more recent leaks contradict this and say battery capacities are going to stay largely the same this year; any improvements to battery life will be due to improved thermal management in the new A16 processor.
IPHONE 14 PRO MAX SOFTWARE
There’s no secret about what software the iPhone 14 Pro Max is going to be running: it’ll come with iOS 16 out of the box, the follow-up to the iOS 15 release that was pushed out last year. The betas of iOS 16 are very impressive with some really great new Lock Screens and widgets, improved security and lots of improvements to the stock apps including Maps and Messages – with the latter giving users the opportunity to unsend messages within a certain time frame and to edit messages. It’s a much more customisable version of iOS that’ll ensure that your iPhone 14 Pro Max is as unique as you are.
