Apple's flagship iPhone 13 has not yet rolled out, but leaks are coming in on the next generation models set for release in the second half of 2022.
These leaks are not just from any random Apple insider or fan, but respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who laid down the model lineup, features, specs, camera details, and even pricing for the 2022 iPhones presumably called the iPhone 14.
iPhone 14 Rumor: Apple to Drop Lineup of iPhone Mini
But what's interesting about Kuo's revelations in an investor note is his claim about Apple dropping the "Mini" lineup of 5.4-inch phones due to lower than expected sales. Apple ditching mini versions of the iPhone has been widely rumored since the weak sales of the iPhone 12 Mini in 2020.
A Taiwanese research group, Trendforce, had also reported that Apple is likely to zero in on "driving sales of the three non-mini models in the iPhone 12S series" later this year, Gizmodo posted.
Kuo shared that the 2022 lineup will only carry sizes of 6.1 and 6.7 inches, with two models of each size, MacRumors reported. The good news is that the low-end 6.7-inch iPhone will cost less than $900, the lowest for an iPhone of its size ever. Being a low-end version, it is not expected to carry the full array of high-end features. The iPhone 12 Pro Max currently sells at $1,099.
iPhone 14 Rumors: Under-the-Screen Touch ID Sensor, 48MP Wide-Camera Upgrade
A key feature of the high-end models in this lineup, Kuo said, will be an under-the-screen fingerprint Touch ID sensor and wide-camera upgrade to 48MP, 9to5Mac revealed.
Kuo's report did not mention any design changes in the iPhone 14 lineup, but he did emphasize in previous statements that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max will have a new "punch-hole display" to replace its current notch design. This would be akin to the current top-of-the-line Android phones in the market today.
In the same note, Kuo said that in the first half of next year, Apple is still set to unveil an updated iPhone SE that will be "the cheapest 5G iPhone ever." This updated iPhone SE will have no design changes, but would provide better performance.
For sure, these 2022 iPhones will offer more improvements from the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup, which will boast of bigger, extended cameras, 120Hz ProMotion displays with low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels, a smaller notch, more powerful batteries and its 5-nanometer A15 chip.
New leaks have suggested that the iPhone 13 will be released earlier than expected, sometime before October this year, with a significant price drop, storage upgrade, and even more compelling battery improvements.
With Kuo's insistence that Apple would drop its miniature models, the upcoming release of the iPhone 13 should serve as the swan song for the Mini, as the iPhone 13 Mini is still set for release.
