Apple Insider Reveals Exciting New iPhone 14 Pro Upgrade

A new report claims a brilliant new feature could be coming to the iPhone 14 Pro, powered by the software that’s about to be revealed.

Apple’s next big iPhone software release, iOS 16, will be unveiled at Apple’s upcoming special event, the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The keynote will be a pre-recorded event but with an in-person contingent: streamed to a small group of developers in Cupertino and simultaneously to the rest of the world. It could include Apple’s biggest new product category reveal in almost eight years.

Even if that doesn’t happen, for sure there will be the first looks at Apple’s software platforms: iOS for iPhone, iPadOS for iPad, macOS for Apple Macs, tvOS for Apple TV and watchOS for Apple Watch.

Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter, has news about what iOS 16 contains. While most of the innovations are software-only, at least one indicates something that may be locked to the iPhone 14 series, or parts of it, alone.

Always-on screen

This is a feature the iPhone has never had, though plenty of Android phones have. Still, Apple’s mantra seems to be “Don’t do it first, do it right”.

The best always-on screens show the time, what notifications await, if there’s an alarm set and so on. You can configure them to show exactly what you want including, in the case of the excellent Huawei screens, a cute animation. It means you can glance down at the iPhone and see the time, even without touching it. All without killing the battery.

Gurman claims that this new feature, assuming it makes the cut, will be reserved for Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, that is, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, if that’s what the other two phones are called, won’t have it.

It’s a feature that’s been in the planning for a long time because according to Gurman it’s: “something Apple was originally planning for last year’s iPhone 13. This would allow the iPhone to turn down the frame rate significantly on the lock screen and display quickly glanceable information—similar to newer Apple Watches.” If it happens, it’s a big deal.

Also in iOS 16

Gurman also claims that there will be an extensive series of changes across the OS, including, “updates to notifications, iPad multitasking, and the Messages and Health apps. The makeover also includes a part of the interface that’s often an afterthought: the lock screen.”

He rightly points out that the most used lock-screen feature is likely the flashlight button—if your usage is anything like mine, that is.

New “wallpapers that have widget-like capabilities” are predicted. There are no more details from Gurman about this, but it sounds exciting and suggests a more innovative and more useful lock screen.

The next iPhone software is predicted to see an improved Messages app with “more social network-like functionality, particularly around audio messages.”

Messages already has a bunch of cool features like the ability to add confetti or balloons to texts and the fact that the advanced stuff is only available between Apple users adds to the exclusivity and helps stop a wholesale move to the multi-platform WhatsApp, perhaps.

New features are expected for the Health app on the iPhone, and while Gurman says there will be “plenty” of them. There are no more details yet.More details as we have them, but not long until it’s all revealed.

David Phelan

I’ve been writing about technology for two decades and am routinely struck by how the sector swings from startling innovation to persistent

Source: Apple Insider Reveals Exciting New iPhone 14 Pro Upgrade

Critics by Roland Moore-Colyer

Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro is set to be the phone that could shake up the iPhone range by potentially bringing in a notably different design from the iPhone 13 Pro. So far the rumors have hinted at everything from the death of the notch to the return of Touch ID.

This is probably well overdue; as good as the iPhone 13 Pro is, it’s arguably not a definitive upgrade over its predecessor. And overall, the iPhone hasn’t taken a huge leap forward since the iPhone 11 Pro.

In the face of stiff competition from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 6 Pro, it looks like Apple will need to bring its A-game to the iPhone 14 Pro. Thankfully, going by the leaks and rumors so far, Apple’s next Pro model might be doing just that. And the iPhone 14 Pro could have some big differences from the other iPhone 14 models.

Naturally, Apple is extremely tight-lipped about any information concerning its next iPhones, especially when it comes to release dates and price. But going by previous launches, we’d say it’s a safe bet to expect the iPhone 14 range to debut in September. The most recent leak has the iPhone 14 launch tipped for September 13, supposedly based on insider information. That date seems to track with other rumors and Apple’s general cadence of iPhone launches.

Given the disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused on supply chains, Apple appears to be taking action to mitigate the risk of the iPhone 14 range hitting long wait times due to manufacturing disruption among its major suppliers. That includes possibly ditching one supplier who wasn’t making components up to Apple’s standards, although that hopefully won’t cause a delay to the phone’s production.

However, one report says that one of the four iPhone models is three weeks behind schedule due to Covid lockdowns in China. The somewhat reliable leaker LeaksApplePro has claimed three of the four iPhone 14 models are tipped for a price hike, but it’s definitely just a rumor. If true, the iPhone 14 Pro would start at $1,099, which is a $100 hike over the $999 iPhone 13 Pro. And the iPhone 14 Pro Max may see a similar increase, with it hitting $1,199.

This relatively significant leap in launch price would certainly sting the wallet of anyone hoping to score a high-end next-gen iPhone 14. Another leaker, Shadow_Leak, has posted on Twitter that he also expects the regular iPhone 14 Pro to cost $1,099 (opens in new tab). Do also check out our early look at the iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro — get ready for the biggest differences in years.