We’re about two months away from Apple’s big iPhone 14 reveal in September, yet it feels like we already know everything about the upcoming iPhone generation. For the first time in iPhone history, Apple will have two distinct sub-families of the same iPhone generation. The iPhone 14 Pro models will feature better specs and a new pill-and-hole design. The non-Pro versions will keep last year’s design, featuring similar specs to that of the iPhone 13 Pro.
We can’t confirm any of these leaks, but they haven’t stopped coming. The latest one originates from Asia, showing a mold for the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, complete with the pill-and-hole notch replacement.
What is the pill-and-hole notch replacement?
The 2014 iPhone 6 series brought Apple’s first big-screen smartphones to market. Apple kept using and refreshing the design for several years, with the 2017 iPhone generation introducing the all-screen iPhone X design with a notch at the top.
Apple still uses the iPhone 6 design for the iPhone SE series. But every new Android flagship since the iPhone X has a notch. The iPhone 13 brought a tiny notch change. The bezel cutout got slightly smaller than before.
But the iPhone 14 models will be the first to “kill” the notch. In practice, the old notch will get a new design, with Apple repurposing some of the space the notch used for screen real estate that you won’t be able to use. Hence the pill-and-hole design of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The pill-shaped screen cutout will reportedly house the Face ID components. In the future, those parts will go under the screen. The hole-punch opening will accommodate the selfie camera.
The iPhone 14 models will continue to use the iPhone 13 design, complete with the slightly smaller notch at the top.
The new iPhone 14 Pro Max design leak
We saw plenty of iPhone 14 dummy units so far, as well as iPhone 14 molds seemingly confirming these design details. This happens almost every year, with some accessory makers likely using these dummy units and metal molds to create screen protectors and cases in time for the new iPhone release.
One example dates back to April, showing all four iPhone 14 units (image above). The following images come from a well-known leaker, but they originate from social media posts in Asia.
From the looks of it, we’re looking at either the iPhone 14 Pro or the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Aside from the size differences, the two handsets will be identical. They’ll feature the same pill-and-hole notch replacement on the front. On the back, they’ll have large triple-lens camera sensors that will be even bigger than the iPhone 13 Pro cameras.
With that in mind, we can’t tell whether we’re looking at molds for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max or 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro in the two photos above. We’d need some sort of size reference for that.
The Pro Max seems more likely, considering the size of the rear camera relative to the rest of the handset. Also, the display “ears” that flank the pill-and-hole openings seem to be larger, like what you’d get on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
What seems to be certain is that we’re looking at a higher-quality mold than the ones from April. That said, Apple should unveil the new iPhones in mid-September, with September 13th looking like a probable date for Apple’s big media event.
More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
