Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max release date and specs: What we know so far

Tech enthusiasts around the world, and those gazing forlornly at a broken screen, are eagerly anticipating the release of the new iPhone 14 range.

Apple has officially announced a mysterious event referred to as ‘Far Out’ for next Wednesday, September 7, where it is expected to launch the devices.

The rumour mill has been swirling for months about what the phones will look like and what they will be able to do, with insiders revealing titbits of information from behind the curtain. 

While nothing has been confirmed by the tech giant itself, the leaks strongly suggest that both the standard and Pro versions of the iPhone 14 will come in a shimmering purple colour.

The camera capabilities of the Pro versions are also likely to be upgraded, with a 48 megapixel primary sensor and an Ultra Wide lens that is able to take clear images in low light settings.

The replacement of the widely-hated ‘notch’, which houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors at the top of the front display, has also been reported for a while.

It is now thought this will be replaced by two keyhole cut-outs for the necessary lenses and sensors, that join together in the middle when the screen is on.

Ahead of next week’s event, MailOnline takes a look at what else we could expect from the state-of-the-art devices, and what Apple fans have to say about them.

What will the iPhone 14 range look like?

It has been widely reported that the series will include a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

Multiple sources have said that there will be no iPhone Mini in this year’s lineup, due to disappointing sales of previous releases.

Recently, a Tweet from an account called @Tommyboiiiiii has sent enthusiasts into a spin after it showed images of a case for an alleged ‘iPhone 14 Plus’.

This could be the new name for the 6.7-inch model, that has up until now been solely referred to as the iPhone 14 Max.

New colours 

When it comes to the colours, the most recent information suggests that the iPhone 14 and 14 Max will be available in Midnight (black), Starlight (white), Blue, Red, Purple and Green.

For the corresponding Pro models, the colour options will be Graphite, Silver, Gold, Purple and Green.

The Purple option has been the most widely anticipated, since a preview of the new casing was shared on Twitter by Apple leaker DuanRui on Twitter. 

The shimmering purple tone appears to change depending on the angle being viewed.

Apple tipster Jioriku claimed on Twitter the colour replaces the pink of the standard iPhone 13 models, and Sierra Blue of the iPhone 13 Pro models. 

Removal of the ‘notch’ 

The other large visual change is the ‘notch’, which has been the only non-touchscreen element on the front display of the handset since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017.

The removal of the notch was first revealed by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March 2021, but since then details of what will replace it have evolved.

Chinese social media site Weibo leaked a schematic in February, which appears to show two cut-outs that will replace the notch.

The left cut-out is pill-shaped, including the front camera, Face ID infrared camera, and possibly other components, while the right is circular for the Face ID dot projector. 

Display analyst Ross Young leaked that some of the Face ID hardware may also be moved to under the display, reducing the size necessary for the cutouts.

However, yesterday Apple news site MacRumors revealed that the space between the two cut-outs will be bridged, according to their source.

This single, wider pill-shaped area will display the privacy indicators that show when the camera and microphone are being used by an app, as well as housing the cameras and sensors.

These technologies are thought to just be included in the iPhone 14 Pro models, while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will still have the notch. 

Camera ‘bump’ increase 

Flipping the device over, we may also see some minor changes to the size of the camera ‘bump’ on all iPhone 14 models, as were shown in leaked specs posted to Twitter by renowned Apple tipster Max Weinbach. 

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will have a square camera bump on the rear measuring 1.44-inch by 1.5 inch (36.73mm by 38.21mm), according to leaked specs – slightly larger than on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. 

The camera lenses themselves will also protrude outwards by 0.16 inches (4.17mm) on both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, compared to 0.14 inches (3.6mm) on the iPhone 13 models, according to the leak. 

What will the iPhone 14 range be able to do? 

Bigger and better camera

As usual, it is likely that the new iPhone series will feature updates to the camera.

MacRumours saw a note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year that said the Pro models will have a 48-megapixel primary  camera and 8K video recording capabilities.

This is a vast improvement on the iPhone 13 Pro models, that have a 12-megapixel camera, but the upgrades will not be available on the standard iPhone 14 models.

A new Tweet from the analyst has since revealed that the pixels of the Ultra Wide lens of the iPhone 14 Pro models will also be increased to 1.4 µm.

This is a 40 per cent increase on the iPhone 13 Pro, which had pixels of 1.0 µm.

Having a sensor with larger pixels will enable it to capture better quality photos when there is less light, as they are able to capture more of it.

Back in April, Kuo also tweeted that the front-facing camera on the Pro models will have a wider aperture to allow for more light to enter the lens and create sharper images.

It will allegedly have improved autofocus capabilities for video calls.

Faster charging and larger battery

It is hoped that all the iPhones in the new range will charge faster than before, as earlier this month leaker @Jioriku tweeted they will support a new 30W charger.

This is backed up by a more recent claim from tipster DuanRui on Twitter that an unnamed charger brand is sending out 30W iPhone 14 adaptors.

It is a significant jump from the 20W rating used in the iPhone 13 devices, and could potentially result in more heat, lower efficiency and faster battery degradation.

However, Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed that iPhone 14 Pro models may also receive a faster A16 chip, which South Korean source Lanzuk says supports improved thermal management.

The inclusion of the A16 marks the first time an improved chip is installed only in the Pro models of an iPhone series.

This charging improvement from the adaptor may also accompany an increase in battery size for three of the four new phones, according to DuanRui.

The iPhone 14 will have a battery capacity of 3,279 mAh, while the iPhone 14 Max will have 4,325 mAh – dwarfing the 3,227 mAh battery of the iPhone 13.

For the Pro and Pro Max models, the capacities will be 3,200 mAh and 4,323 mAh respectively, with the latter smaller than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 4,352 mAh battery.

A blog post on Naver from trusted leaker ‘yeux1122’ claims there will be no improvements to the wireless charging function.

Satellite connectivity and emergency features

Apple is said to have ‘completed hardware tests’ on the iPhone 14 for supporting satellite connectivity.

This would allow iOS users to exchange calls and text messages in remote areas when they have no signal or WiFi, for example, when in an in emergency situation.

Kuo revealed this in a Medium post, suggesting the technology is already available for the iPhone 13 – Apple just lacked a provider.

He wrote: ‘Whether iPhone 14 will offer satellite communication service depends on whether Apple and operators can settle the business model.’

The iPhone 14 models are widely reported to be installed with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem, which will allow them to connect to satellites.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a car crash detection feature is also planned for 2022, so could be included in the new iPhone series.

Sensors in the device will measure a spike in gravitational force caused by a vehicle collision, and then automatically dial emergency services to get help.

It is touted to be an expansion on the Fall Detection feature already in existence on Apple Watches and iPhones, that uses the accelerometer sensor.

How much will it cost?

With so many fancy features, many an Apple fan will be wondering what it will cost them to get there hands on the iPhone 14 models.

Earlier this month, a post on the Korean blog Naver claimed that the standard iPhone 14 will be available for $799 (£663).

This was confirmed by iDropNews, which also claimed the iPhone 14 Max will have a price tag of $899 (£746) and that the prices of the Pro models will be increased.

It stated: ‘Apple plans to raise the price of the iPhone 14 Pro to $1,099 (£949), while the iPhone 14 Pro Max will start at $1,199 (£1,035).’

But since then, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has tweeted saying that the new devices are rumoured to cost more than 15 per cent more than the current iPhone 13 line-up.

This means the cheapest iPhone 14 model would cost £896 ($919), and the iPhone 14 Pro would start at £1,091 ($1,149) – with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max costing a minimum of £1,206 ($1,264).

However, the latest blog post on Naver from the account named ‘yeux1122’ stated that we could be in for a surprise.

‘Prices may be in a completely different direction than expected,’ they wrote.

This indicates that the prices could actually decrease rather than increase, which would make a change from previous releases.

When will they be on sale? 

While the ‘Far Out’ event next week is expected to reveal which of these rumoured features make it onto the iPhone 14 models, this is unlikely to also be when they hit the shelves.

The iPhone 13 was released in stores on September 24 2021, ten days after its launch event, but we are expecting this year’s turnaround to be faster.

According to trusted source Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the four devices in the iPhone 14 range will be released on September 16 – nine days after the launch event.

‘Far Out’ will begin at 6 pm BST (10 am PT/1 pm ET) on September 7 at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park Campus in California, USA, but will also be streamed live on the Apple website.

What do Apple fans think? 

Leaks do suggest that the iPhone 14 range will have a variety of new features, however new research has shown that this is not enough for Apple loyalists.

A study from gambling website Time2play has found that fans have become disappointed with the company’s recent devices.

A survey of 2,549 iPhone users who have owned at least two Apple handsets in the past found that only 9.5 per cent would definitely be upgrading to iPhone 14.

Of the 58.8 per cent who said they would definitely not be upgrading, 64.9 per cent said it was due to lack of innovation, and 20.8 per cent said it was just too expensive.

However, those who were on the fence said that the most enticing features would be a better camera, larger battery and supporting USB-C chargers.

Of those planning to upgrade, the average consumer was willing to pay up to $1,042 (£901) for a new iPhone, while those not planning to upgrade this time say they’d only ever spend as much as $823 (£712).

What else could be released? 

The ‘Far Out’ event may not only launch the new series of handsets, but could also introduce the world to the Apple Watch Series 8. 

This is expected to have a flat display and new health features – potentially including a blood-pressure monitor, a thermometer for fertility and sleep tracking, sleep apnoea detection, and diabetes detection.

Leaker Ross Young, from Austin, Texas, claims the Series 8’s screen size will measure 1.99 inches diagonally.

This would make the Series 8 the biggest Apple Watch screen yet, although the biggest on the market overall is the Domiwear DM100, which has a whopping 2.86-inch screen.