iPhone 14 series: Apple keeps most important new features a secret (10 wild cards to look out for)

You probably already know the basics: there will be four new iPhone 14 models, with no “mini” among them this year, but a new large-screen model at a cheaper price than the Pro Max.

I don’t plan to go into details about all the leaks and rumors, but I do recommend you take a look at our iPhone 14 round-up where we break down each model and the expectations. Still, here is a quick run-down:

• iPhone 14 — $800 starting price, 6.1” 60Hz screen, A15 chip, dual camera
• iPhone 14 Max — $900 price, 6.7” 60Hz screen, A15 chip, dual camera, big battery
• iPhone 14 Pro — $1,100 price, 6.1” 120Hz screen, A16 chip, triple camera
• iPhone 14 Pro Max — $1,200 price, 6.7” 120Hz screen, A16 chip, triple camera, big battery

Now that we have this out of the way, it’s time we look at the 10 iPhone 14 mysteries that still haven’t found a definitive answer in leaks and rumors, and that might change the game for this release.

1. Battery life

The best kept iPhone 14 secret has got to be the battery life of the new models. Apple is known as a secretive company and this year there have been no leaks about battery sizes or anything battery related, which… makes the wait for the actual announcement all the more exciting!Last year’s iPhone 13 battery life was a surprisingly huge jump, and that was mostly thanks to Apple increasing battery sizes from anywhere between 6% and up to 20% on the Pro Max model.

I doubt we will see yet another battery size increase of such magnitude, but even a more modest increase battery sizes will make a difference.

One thing to remember here is that Apple does not announce the actual sizes of batteries in iPhones, and we have to rely on teardown reports to learn that, but we bet those will not take long to appear.

2. Price increase

If like me you follow the rumor mill, you know that many analysts claim the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max prices will increase this year.

Starting price for the Pro models is rumored to go up by $100, so that the iPhone 14 Pro costs $1,100.

With inflationary pressure, it’s not hard to justify such a price hike, but it’s still not set in stone, and I hope Apple will reconsider and find a way to sell the Pro model iPhones at the same prices.

A $100 price increase is no small number and while affluent buyers probably won’t care too much about it, for a big number of people such a price hike might end up being a deal-breaker.

3. What happens to older models?

The one mystery that no rumors talk about is what will happen to the existing iPhone lineup!

Will the iPhone 13 series still be available, but at a lower price? Or will they be discontinued encouraging users to buy the new iPhone 14 models? And what about the iPhone 12 series? Moreover, will the $500 iPhone 11, our favorite budget model, still be around and at what price?

We will learn all about that immediately after the September 7th event!

4. Double the storage in Pro models?

Another mystery around the iPhone 14 Pro series is the amount of storage they will have.

Some rumors claim base storage will double to 256GB, while others claim no such thing is happening and Pro models will still start at 128GB of storage.

If the price increase does indeed happen, it makes sense that Apple also doubles the storage to justify it.

A recent poll we ran showed an overwhelming majority of people think that 256GB of storage is actually the sweet spot for their devices. As movies and photos pile up with time, I can see how 128GB will not be enough and I know for sure it’s not enough for my needs.

5. Satellite connectivity

Mysterious satellite connectivity that gives your iPhone signal even in the most remote location! That sounds like a dream come true, and it seems as if Apple has laid the groundwork to make it happen, but there is one big stumbling block. That is the actual business model around that.

Apple’s rumored partner in this endeavor, satellite operator GlobalStar, has acquired 17 new satellites in early 2022 to provide “continuous satellite services” to a “potential customer.”

But how will the two sides get paid and will users also need to pay extra for this kind of service? Since no other phone maker offers such a service, it will be something completely new and even if the technical foundations are already established, Apple needs to work out a business model for that to work.

It will be on September 7th when we learn if it has actually done that.

6. Charging speeds

I don’t know about you, but I hate charging devices over night.Some companies like Xiaomi and Oppo have shown that super fast charging that is safe for the battery is very much possible. Apple, on its part, however, has not adopted any of that opting for slower “safe” charging speeds for the iPhone 13 family.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest in that lineup with 27W supported speed and the 13 Pro could charge at up to 23W, but we see Xiaomi and OnePlus phones now charging at 150W or faster.

Will Apple change that in the iPhone 14 series? We doubt that. And some say this might actually be a limitation of the Lightning connector which is allegedly limited to 3A speeds, or at 9V, that means it can go as fast as 27W.

In 2023, Apple is rumored to switch to a USB-C connector on its iPhone 15 series, and that might just bring us the charging revolution. But let’s see what the company tells us about charging new iPhones on September 7th.

7. Actual physical size of the Pro models

Another mystery that leaks have only teased is the actual size of these new iPhones, and more specifically the Pro models.