MacRumors

With pre-orders for the iPhone 14 lineup now open, many iPhone customers will be weighing up whether or not now is the time to upgrade their device.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ models offer some substantial upgrades with Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, camera improvements, and more, but some customers will now be casting their mind forward to next year, when it may be a more appropriate time to upgrade for them. It is still early days for iPhone 15 rumors and everyone's individual circumstances for the best time to upgrade will be different, but what to expect from next year's new iPhones will be important to many of those who are choosing to not upgrade to an ‌iPhone 14‌ model.

In 2023, it will be 10 years since the launch of the popular ‌iPhone‌ 5s, and five years since Apple revealed the first large full-screen ‌iPhone‌ design with the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max. 2023's presumably-titled "‌iPhone 15‌" lineup is currently rumored to feature:

• USB-C port
• "Pill" display cutout in place of the notch on the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus
• Under-display Touch ID fingerprint scanner
• A17 chip, manufactured using a 3nm fabrication process
• Periscopic telephoto camera, likely exclusive to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max

USB-C Instead of Lightning

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that at least some ‌iPhone 15‌ models, set to launch in the second half of 2023, will feature a USB-C port instead of Lightning to improve data transfer and charging speeds. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman went on to corroborate Kuo's claim, saying that Apple is testing iPhones with USB-C ports instead of Lightning. Gurman added that if Apple switches the ‌iPhone‌ from Lightning to USB-C, it will release a Lightning to USB-C adapter to allow USB-C iPhones to connect to Lightning-based accessories and cables.

Initial speculation suggested that Apple will retain the Lightning port on the ‌iPhone‌ until it no longer requires any ports at all, relying singularly on MagSafe instead. ‌MagSafe‌ was first introduced on the ‌iPhone‌ with the ‌iPhone‌ 12 in 2020, and it remains a relatively new technology on the ‌iPhone‌ with no data transfer capabilities. Now, Apple has seemingly changed its plans.

One possible reason for the change is regulatory pressure to standardize ports in countries like India and Brazil. The EU is once again moving forward with legislation to force Apple to adopt USB-C on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods sold in Europe by the fall of 2024.

Apple has used the Lightning connector on all iPhones since 2012's ‌iPhone‌ 5, as well as a wide range of iPads and accessories. Most other devices, including many of Apple's own iPads and Macs, have switched to USB-C as a versatile and highly capable connector, in a small, reversible form factor. Calls for Apple to switch to USB-C on the ‌iPhone‌ have grown in recent years, citing the benefits of faster data transfer speeds, especially for large ProRes video files, and consistency between devices.

It is not clear which ‌iPhone 15‌ models will feature a USB-C port, but it seems plausible that Apple could reserve the feature for the "Pro" models. USB-C was exclusive to the iPad Pro for several years before it expanded to the iPad Air and iPad mini, so a similar pattern for the ‌iPhone‌ is a possibility. If so, after 10 years of the Lightning connector dominating the best available ‌iPhone‌, this year's ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro could be the final flagship iPhone with a Lightning port.

Kuo went on to claim that accessories like AirPods, the MagSafe Battery Pack, and the Magic Keyboard, Mouse, and Trackpad trio will also switch to USB-C in the "foreseeable future."

Dynamic Island: No More Notch on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

Display expert Ross Young, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, was the first analyst to reveal that the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro would feature "pill-shaped" and circular cutouts following component leaks. It then emerged that the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro's cutouts would appear as a single, unified "pill" thanks to software, in a feature we now know to be called "Dynamic Island."

The ‌Dynamic Island‌ is not a static cutout, and can shift in size and shape to blend itself into the UI and provide new visual tools front and center on the ‌iPhone‌'s display. In standard usage, it is a small pill-shaped cutout, but Apple uses pixels to expand it to match different tasks such as Apple Pay payments and Face ID authentication.

• How the iPhone 14 Pro's New 'Dynamic Island' Works

Young believes that this design will trickle down to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus next year, unifying the entire ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup under one front-facing design. This could offer a substantial upgrade for users of the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models, with the ‌Dynamic Island‌ being among the most eye-catching and popular ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro features.

Under-Display Touch ID

Apple reportedly tested under-screen fingerprint scanner technology for at least some ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, according to The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but Apple apparently decided not to move forward with the idea at that time.

In a September 2021 research note, Kuo forecasted that Apple will launch at least one new ‌iPhone‌ model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023, which would line up with the launch of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, but he has not shared any further information about the feature since then.

3nm A17 Chip, But No Custom 5G Modem

Apple has committed to order chips fabricated using TSMC's 3nm process, which will reportedly be used for the iPhone 15 lineup's A17 chip. The ‌3nm‌ process yields 30 percent better power consumption and 15 percent better performance over the 5nm process behind the A14 and A15, indicating notable advancements.

It is not clear if the A17 will be available in all of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, but Apple could continue the trend started with the A15 chip in the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, and use the 4nm A16 Bionic down for these devices instead.

Taking cues from its work on Apple silicon, Apple was rumored to be working on a custom 5G modem to debut in all of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models in 2023 for over a year. With the aim of moving away from Qualcomm, Apple is believed to have kickstarted the work by acquiring Intel's modem chip business in 2019. TSMC, the Taiwanese company that currently supplies all of Apple's custom silicon SoCs, was also reported to be preparing to supply Apple with its custom-designed 5G baseband modem.

Kuo said that Apple's efforts "may have failed," with development on the chip reportedly stalling behind the scenes. This means it now looks like Qualcomm will remain the exclusive supplier for all of the 5G chips for the 2023 ‌iPhone‌ models, rather than just 20 percent as previously thought.

It is not clear why Apple will no longer have its modem ready in time for 2023's ‌iPhone‌ lineup, but the company has been aiming to move away from Qualcomm for several years. Apple had a protracted legal battle with Qualcomm and planned to use Intel 5G chips in the 2020 iPhones, but that was not ultimately possible because Intel was not able to manufacture 5G chips that met Apple's standards. Apple ended up settling its lawsuit with Qualcomm in 2019 and has used Qualcomm 5G modems in the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad lineups since then.

Kuo expects Apple to continue developing its own 5G chip, but it will likely take more time for the work to be completed to a satisfactory standard for use in iPhones and other devices in the future.

Periscope Camera on iPhone 15 Pro Max

In 2023, the ‌iPhone‌ is expected to adopt a "periscopic telephoto lens" for the first time after years of rumors about the feature.

Apple has allegedly run into trouble developing its own periscope camera system because much of the technology is guarded by other patents, though it has still filed periscope camera patents of its own, and is reportedly exploring purchasing the components from existing patent holders instead. Samsung, for example, owns the "ball-type actuator" technology used in many periscope lenses.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max will be the sole Apple smartphone of 2023 to get a periscope camera lens and benefit from greatly enhanced optical zoom, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, with the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro model retaining the current telephoto lens for optical zoom.

In a periscope system, light entering the telephoto lens is reflected by an angled mirror towards the camera's image sensor. The change in direction in which the light travels allows for a longer "folded" telephoto setup inside phones, enabling users to zoom in further without any blurriness. Largan and Genius are expected to be Apple's main suppliers of such a lens in 2023.

There are already some Android smartphones with periscope lenses. Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra for instance features up to 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. With the addition of a periscope lens, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max would follow suit. Kuo says the 1/3-inch sensor will have 12-megapixel resolution with an f/2.8 aperture, up to 6x optical zoom, and sensor-shift stabilization. For context, ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models are limited to 3x optical zoom.

Final Thoughts

It is essential to take rumors surrounding future iPhones with a pinch of salt and there is still plenty of time for Apple's plans to change. Nonetheless, given the track record of many of the analysts and leakers from whom these rumors are derived, it is highly likely that there is some truth to them.

USB-C is likely to be one of the most meaningful upgrades for most users, but the periscope camera, potential under-display ‌Touch ID‌, more advanced technology to deliver the A17 chip, and even the ‌Dynamic Island‌ expanding to the entire lineup could make for a fairly significant overall upgrade regardless of which device customers opt for. Kuo believes that the ‌iPhone 15‌ models could have more feature differentiation between each of the devices, so customers could face more of a dilemma about which one to buy to get the features they want.

For now, eyes are set on the ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro, which will start arriving to customers on Friday, September 16.

Update: iOS 16 is now rolling out to all eligible devices, though it may take a few minutes to show up for all users.

---

First announced in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, ‌iOS 16‌ and ‌iPadOS 16‌ are Apple's next-generation operating systems for iPhone and iPad. Developers and public beta testers have spent the past few months trying out the new versions while Apple has been refining them, and a full public release is now right around the corner...at least for iOS 16.

On ‌‌iPhone‌‌, ‌iOS 16‌ includes a completely overhauled Lock Screen with extensive personalization features and widgets. There are new Focus filters, Passkeys, Safari Shared Tab Groups, and more.

‌iPadOS 16‌ gets a Weather app for the first time, and also offers a range of "pro" features that are exclusive to ‌‌iPad‌‌ models with the M1 chip. For example, Stage Manager brings a new way to multitask with multiple overlapping windows and full external display support.

‌‌iOS 16‌ and ‌‌iPadOS 16‌‌ also share a number of new features and changes such as updates to apps like Notes, Mail, and Messages, Live Text, Visual Look Up, and Dictation Enhancements.

iOS 16 Release Date and Time

iOS 16‌‌ and ‌‌iPadOS 16‌‌ became available for registered members of Apple's developer program immediately following the WWDC keynote on June 7, and Apple released the public beta on July 11.

Apple originally said iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 would be officially be released in "the fall" of 2022, without specifying a precise date. It has since been confirmed by Apple at its September "Far Out" media event that iOS 16 will be available on Monday, September 12. Apple's iOS releases typically happen around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, but Apple has not announced an exact time for the iOS 16 release.

Assuming the typical 10:00 a.m. Pacific launch time, iOS 16 will be available at approximately these times around the world:

• Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
• Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
• Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
• Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
• Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
• New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
• London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
• Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
• Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
• Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
• Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
• Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
• Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
• Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day
• Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
• Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
• Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
• Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day
• Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day
• Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. ACST next day
• Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. AEST next day
• Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST next day

In early August, Bloomberg reported that Apple was planning to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 until October, which means the ‌iPad‌ software will not launch alongside the new iOS as it typically does. Apple has since confirmed that iPadOS 16 will indeed be launched sometime in October, some weeks after iOS 16.

Device Compatibility

‌iOS 16‌ is compatible with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 8 and newer, while ‌iPadOS 16‌ is compatible with the ‌‌iPad‌‌ (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), and all iPad Pro models.

Popular 1996 shooter Quake 1 has been ported to all kinds of devices, and now it's even able to run on the Apple Watch. YouTuber MyOwnClone in late August ported Quake to the Apple Watch Series 5, with the game offering touch screen and Digital Crown controls.

In a post on Hacker News, MyOwnClone explains that he built the port on top of existing ports for iOS and Mac, with lots of tweaks to get it to work within the watchOS framework. It runs at 60 frames per second with a 640x480 resolution, and it can run at a higher resolution with a lower framerate.

The port is available on GitHub, with a demonstration and more information on the build process available on YouTube. Installing the game on an Apple Watch will require code compiling with a Mac, Xcode, and the copyrighted Quake assets.

Apple today shared its first ad for the iPhone 14 Pro, highlighting new features like car crash detection, the upgraded rear camera system with a 48-megapixel main lens, and an always-on display with the new Dynamic Island feature.

"iPhone 14 Pro comes with Crash Detection, a vital new safety feature that can detect a severe car crash and automatically call for help, even when you can't," says Apple, in the video's description. "Add this to the new 48MP Pro camera and a totally reimagined display, and iPhone 14 Pro redefines what a smartphone can do. Again."

With a new dual-core accelerometer, barometer, and other sensors, Apple says iPhone 14 Pro models can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services if a user is unresponsive after a 10-second countdown. Apple says the feature relies on "advanced Apple-designed motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data" for increased accuracy.

The crash detection feature is also available on the new Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, and second-generation Apple Watch SE models.

Exclusive to iPhone 14 Pro models, the Dynamic Island replaces the traditional notch found on iPhone 13 models. Aided by software, the pill-shaped cutout morphs into different shapes and sizes for things such as incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, Face ID authentication, timers, turn-by-turn navigation, Live Activities, and more.

With an always-on display, the time, widgets, and Live Activities are always available at a glance on iPhone 14 Pro models. The display also has up to 2,000 nits peak brightness outdoors, which is up to twice as bright as the iPhone 13 Pro display.

iPhone 14 Pro models became available to pre-order earlier today and launch on September 16.

An early benchmark for the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max suggested only modest speed improvements, but an additional score uploaded to Geekbench today indicates that we could see a more significant jump in performance compared to the A15 chip.

The A16 chip in the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro that was benchmarked earned a single core score of 1887, a 10.5 percent improvement over the 1707 score earned by the A15 in the iPhone 13 Pro.

As for multi-core performance, there are notable speed gains. The A16 earned a multi-core score of 5455, up 17.1 percent from the 4659 score earned by the A15 chip.

The result that we saw earlier this week from an ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max suggested that multi-core performance was at around 4664, which would put the A16 barely over the A15 in terms of performance. Given that the A16 is running on an updated 4-nanometer process compared to the 5-nanometer process of the A15, the latest score shared today is more in line with expectations. Multi-core performance could perhaps even be somewhat higher if the ‌iPhone‌ that was benchmarked is still going through its initial setup process and uploading content to iCloud.

Apple's A16 chip is limited to the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max, and we'll need additional benchmarks to get a better average for what we can expect in terms of performance improvements. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus are still using the A15 chip from last year, but with the 5-core GPU that was originally limited to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models.

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of macOS 13 Ventura, the next-generation version of the Mac operating system that's set to launch this fall. The seventh beta comes two weeks after Apple provided the sixth beta to developers.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new feature that lets Mac users focus on a task while keeping other apps at the ready for easy swapping between tasks. The update adds Continuity Camera, which is designed to let you use the iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. It supports Center Stage, Desk View (for showing off your desk), and Studio Light.

Handoff is now available for FaceTime so you can transfer calls between ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac at will, and Messages supports features for marking an iMessage as unread, unsending an iMessage, and marking as unread. SharePlay also now works in the Messages app.

The Mail app supports scheduling and undoing emails for up to 10 seconds after they're sent, and there are now Weather and Clock apps that are available on the Mac. System Preferences has been renamed System Settings, and it features an iOS-like design.

Safari supports Shared Tab Groups and Apple is working on Passkeys, a next-generation credential that replaces the password. There are updates to Spotlight, Photo Library has new features, and Metal 3 is included in macOS Ventura for better graphics in games.

For everything new in macOS Ventura, we have a dedicated roundup that goes through all of the features. macOS Ventura is set to see a public release this fall.

It's iPhone launch week, and that means this week's best Apple deals center around iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro carrier deals and accessories. Outside of these sales, you'll find solid offers on iPad mini 6, M2 MacBook Pro, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iPad Mini 6

• What's the deal? Take $99 off iPad mini 6
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Following the long Labor Day weekend, Amazon kicked off the work week with a major discount on Apple's iPad mini 6 lineup. You can get the 64GB Wi-Fi model in every color for $399.99, down from $499.00, and the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $549.99, down from $649.00. These are both all-time low prices, and cellular versions of the iPad mini 6 are being discounted as well.

M2 MacBook Pro

• What's the deal? Take $200 off M2 MacBook Pro
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon also knocked the price of the 512GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro down to $1,299.00 this week, from $1,499.00. At $200 off this is the best price we've ever tracked. You can also get the 256GB model for $1,149.00, a solid second-best price.

iPhone 14 Carrier Deals

• What's the deal? Take up to $1,000 off iPhone 14
• Where can I get it? AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

With the launch of the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, carriers in the United States have introduced a wide variety of various offers and bargains on Apple's newest smartphone generation. The popular deal this year has you getting $1,000 off the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro if you trade in an eligible smartphone and sign up for an installment plan via AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. Be sure to read our full guide for all the details.

Disney+

• What's the deal? Get first month of Disney+ for $1.99
• Where can I get it? Disney+
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

This week Disney celebrated "Disney+ Day," which is an annual event where the company launches new content onto its streaming service. To coincide with the event, it also introduced a new offer where you can get your first month for $1.99, down from $7.99 through September 19.

This is available to new and eligible returning Disney+ customers, and after your first month ends it will renew for the regular price of $7.99/month unless you cancel. We have more information about the promotion in our article.

More Deals

We've tracked a few additional deals this week worth mentioning, including up to 50 percent off at 1Password and new discounts from Grid Studio.

• 1Password - Get 50 percent off your first year of 1Password Family
• 1Password - Get 25 percent off 1Password Business
• Grid Studio - Get up to 40 percent off

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Garmin has reacted to Apple's new rugged Apple Watch Ultra, saying in a tweet following the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch event that it measures battery life in "months" and "not hours," promoting its latest Enduro 2 watch for athletes.

While the Apple Watch Ultra has the longest battery life of any Apple Watch to date, with Apple promising up to 36 hours of normal use and up to 60 hours with watchOS 9's new Low Power Mode setting and other optimizations, the Enduro 2 can last significantly longer depending on usage scenarios.

Despite Garmin's claim that it measures battery life in months, the company actually advertises the Enduro 2 as having "up to 150 hours of battery life in GPS mode with solar charging" and "up to 34 days of battery life in smartwatch mode." The Enduro 2 has a 1.4-inch solar-powered display, compared to the nearly 2-inch display on the Apple Watch Ultra that can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the brightest ever in an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Ultra also has a wide range of advanced sensors, including the ability to take an ECG, measure blood oxygen level, alerts for high and low heart rates, and a new body temperature sensor focusing on women's health.

The Apple Watch Ultra is offered in a 49mm case and costs $799, while the Enduro 2 costs $1,099. The Apple Watch Ultra was made available for pre-order earlier this week and will begin shipping on Friday, September 23.

Apple-focused YouTuber and podcaster Luke Miani joins us this week on The MacRumors Show podcast to talk through some of our immediate reactions after Apple's "Far out" event.

We discuss all of Apple's major announcements, including the Apple Watch Series 8, second-generation Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Ultra, second-generation AirPods Pro, iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max. We also touch on our highlights from the event and what we thought stood out, the target market of the stainless steel Apple Watch, and the retrospective meaning of Apple's event invite. See Luke's work on his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter @LukeMiani.

Listen to The MacRumors Show via apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or subscribe by copying our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. You can also watch a video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Sam Kohl, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, Andru Edwards, Jon Prosser, and Mark Gurman. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover going forward.

A new concept has imagined what it could be like if Apple brought the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPad, utilizing the company's new user interface design and hardware and software integration approach to provide iPad-specific controls and functionality.

The concept created by Parker Ortolani envisions an iPad Pro with thin bezels and pill-shaped cutout to house the TrueDepth system and the front-facing camera on the top of the ‌iPad‌ in landscape mode. Like on the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro, the concept highlights ‌Dynamic Island‌ utilizing the pill-shaped cutout to deliver contextual information to ‌iPad‌ users across the entire top of the display in the status bar.

In one instance, ‌Dynamic Island‌ on ‌iPad‌ could be used to show relevant controls in Safari, such as Translate, Reader mode, and the current tab. In other cases, the concept also considers using ‌Dynamic Island‌ for multitasking controls with "Island Menus." The concept implies that the ‌iPad‌ could only be used in landscape orientation, given the placement of the ‌Dynamic Island‌ and pill-shaped cutout.

The concept is purely speculative and imaginative, and given ‌Dynamic Island‌ is still a new feature for Apple, it may decide to wait a few years, if ever, before bringing it to other devices. ‌Dynamic Island‌ on ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro has received an overwhelmingly positive response from users, with some saying it's "Apple's best design in years."

Have you ever been outside and found yourself unable to use your iPhone because it's too dim in the glaring sun? For those upgrading to Apple's latest high-end models, the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max are able to get significantly brighter when used outdoors in sunlight, thanks to more advanced displays.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max feature Super Retina XDR displays that Apple calls the "most advanced displays in any smartphone." The new displays have a peak brightness of 2,000 nits when used outdoors in sunlight, two times the peak brightness of previous models.

When viewing HDR photos, videos, and movies, the new displays can reach a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, higher than older iPhones. With 1,600 nits of brightness, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max now deliver the same level of brightness as the high-end $4,999 Pro Display XDR when watching HDR content, according to Apple.

Apple is able to deliver these higher brightness levels thanks to a more advanced OLED panel and a new Display Engine in the A16 Bionic chip that powers features like Dynamic Island, always-on, and the 120Hz variable refresh rate.

There are also smaller changes in the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max displays compared to their respective predecessors. For example, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max has a 2,796 by 1,290 resolution compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max at 2,778 by 1,284. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro also gets a small bump in resolution at 2,556 by 1,179 compared to 2,532 by 1,170 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max, alongside the lower-end ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, were made available for pre-order earlier today and will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 16. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus will begin shipping on Friday, October 7.

Shortly after Apple started accepting pre-orders for all four iPhone 14 models, delivery estimates are beginning to slip into October on its online store in the U.S. and select other countries. Exact availability varies by configuration ordered.

Many customers who managed to work around issues with Apple's online store and place an order quickly are set for launch day delivery. iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Friday, September 16, while the iPhone 14 Plus launches on Friday, October 7.

For customers who have yet to order, however, many iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models are now estimated for delivery in the first half of October from Apple. Availability of the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models has held up better.

It's a similar situation in Canada, where nearly every iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max configuration is estimated for October delivery as of writing.

Customers who really want one of the new iPhone 14 models on launch day might still have luck with arranging in-store pickup at their local Apple Store during the checkout process on Apple's website, but availability varies. It is also common for some Apple Stores to have limited stock of the new iPhones for walk-in customers on launch day.

While the standard iPhone 14 models have very few changes this year, including an A15 Bionic chip with an extra GPU core and new car crash detection and satellite texting features for emergencies, the Pro models feature an always-on display with an all-new pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout, a 48-megapixel rear camera lens, and more.

Pricing continues to start at $799 for the iPhone 14 and at $999 for the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 14 Pro is among Apple's latest iPhone models and follows 2021's ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, but how different are the two successive high-end ‌iPhone‌ generations?

In 2021, Apple unveiled the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro as the successor to the popular ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, featuring ProMotion displays, an improved rear camera system, the A15 Bionic chip, longer battery life, and more. The ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max have now been discontinued by Apple, and as slightly older models, low prices can be found for the device at third-party resellers As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to upgrade to an ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro or an ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro.

As the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro share a large number of features and the same fundamental design, should you consider buying or sticking with the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro to save money? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two ‌iPhone‌ models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see the differences that the ‌iPhone 14‌ brings to the table.

Comparing the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro

Although the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro share most of their basic features, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro offers a large number of notable upgrades over its predecessor, such as the A16 Bionic chip, an all-new "Dynamic Island," an always-on display, and significantly improved cameras.

Differences

Final Thoughts

Overall, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro is a fairly significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, introducing meaningful features like the ‌Dynamic Island‌ and the always-on display that provide new ways to interact with the device. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro also brings major advancements to photography and videography in almost all areas, increasing the main camera's megapixel count for the first time since the ‌iPhone‌ 6S and introducing a new quad-pixel sensor, improving Cinematic mode and introducing Action mode, adding autofocus to the front-facing camera, enhancing low-light performance across the whole device with Photonic engine, and more. That is not to mention Emergency SOS via satellite, new color options, an additional hour battery life, and the A16 Bionic chip – Apple's first chip made with a 4nm fabrication process.

Due to the scale and breadth of these improvements, some ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro users could justify upgrading to the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro if they highly value camera capabilities or simply like the ‌Dynamic Island‌. Customers coming from an older model certainly have good reason to preference the latest "Pro" model over the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

Following the launch of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max pre-orders, the release of third-party smartphone cases has arrived for the new iPhone generation. Verizon has opened up a new 20 percent discount across a wide variety of these iPhone 14 cases, as well as screen protectors.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Verizon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can browse the full sale by heading to Verizon's landing page, where you can get 20 percent off iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max accessories. This includes products from brands like Kate Spade New York, Case-Mate, Spigen, Gear4, and Incipio.

The sale has a wide variety of MagSafe-compatible cases, like the Speck Presidio Grip Case for iPhone 14 Pro for $39.99 ($10 off) and the Incipio Duo Case for iPhone 14 Plus for $35.99 ($9 off).

You can also prepare for your iPhone 14's arrival with ZAGG's InvisibleShield Glass Elite Screen Protector for $39.99 ($10 off). For the iPhone 14 Pro, there's the ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Screen Protector for $47.99 ($12 off).

Notably, Verizon also has the official MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00. This is just $2 higher than the previous all-time low price and one of the best deals we've tracked in months.

If you need a breakdown of all the best carrier discounts for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, be sure to check out our guide. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Following the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro becoming available for pre-orders, customers are facing a multitude of issues on Apple's online store and through the Apple Store app, seeing errors, the inability to confirm a purchase, and more.

Customers facing issues on Apple's online store and within the ‌Apple Store‌ app are advised to try reloading the page and app or trying again later. The issues facing customers are causing mass inconveniences as shipping dates for the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max begin to slip. The ‌iPhone 14‌, the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro, and the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 16. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus will begin arriving on Friday, October 7.

Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 14, ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max, and the AirPods Pro 2, with orders accepted through the online storefront and the Apple Store app. The Apple Store app is often the quickest way to get a pre-order in as it is typically up ahead of when the website comes up.

Pre-orders are available in more than 30 countries and regions around the world, and in the United States, those who used Apple's "Get Ready" feature should just need to hit a button to get their orders placed.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ and 14 Plus are Apple's most affordable flagship iPhones starting at $799 and $899, respectively, but they are not as feature rich as the more expensive ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max, which are priced starting at $999 and $1,099.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ models did not receive design changes and use the same A15 chip that was in the iPhone 13 Pro models, but they do have updated camera technology, support for satellite connectivity for emergencies, and car crash detection, among other features.

With the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and Pro Max, Apple made notable design changes, doing away with the notch in favor of the "Dynamic Island," a pill-shaped cutout that can change shape and context using software, offering up notifications, tracking of background tasks, and more.

Apple's ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models are equipped with a 4-nanometer A16 chip that's an improvement over the A15, and they have new camera technology that includes a 48-megapixel Wide camera. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models have some of the biggest differences that Apple has ever introduced between the standard and the Pro lines, with the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and 14 Pro Max offering a more expansive feature set.

As for the the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, Apple added a new H2 chip that allows for 2x better Active Noise Cancellation and an updated Transparency Mode that can cut down on loud, persistent sounds like sirens and construction work. Audio has been improved, there are new touch controls, and the battery lasts longer. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 are priced at $249.

There's no word yet on whether we can expect shortages of the new ‌iPhone‌ models and the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, but it is a good idea to pre-order right away just in case. New colors, such as deep purple, could be particularly popular and could sell out quickly.

U.S. carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are also accepting preorders for the new devices, as are other carriers worldwide. Retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart have pre-orders available too.

Customers who pre-order one of the new ‌iPhone‌ models can expect to begin receiving their deliveries on Friday, September 16 for the ‌iPhone 14‌, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus will be available on October 7, and the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 will begin arriving to customers on September 23.

Apple's new second-generation AirPods Pro look to address a common complaint of ‌AirPods Pro‌ users: My ‌AirPods Pro‌ don't fit. For the first time, Apple is now offering a new extra small silicone ear tip size with its ‌AirPods Pro‌ earphones, helping customers who may have found the previous generation difficult to use.

The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will now come with extra small, small, medium, and large silicone ear tips. Ear tips on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are interchangeable, and Apple offers an ear tips test within iOS to ensure customers get a tight seal to make sure features like Active Noise Cancelation can work properly.

• How to Perform an Ear Tip Fit Test on AirPods Pro

In terms of the actual design of the new ‌AirPods Pro‌, not much has changed. The new ‌AirPods Pro‌ have the same stem as the previous generation with the same silicone ear tip functionality but they come with added features. The new ‌AirPods Pro‌, thanks to the new H2 chip, can now offer Active Noise Cancelation that is twice as effective.

The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ also comes with a new MagSafe Charging Case that includes a speaker for Find My and alerts for pairing and low battery, a hook to attach a lanyard, and the ability to charge using an Apple Watch charger. The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ are available to pre-order from Apple on Friday, September 9 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time and will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 23.

If you're planning to make the most out of the camera system in the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max using the full 48-megapixel Main camera sensor, then be ready for your pictures to consume a significant amount of storage.

According to code found by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser within the iOS 16 release candidate released this week, 48-megapixel ProRAW photos taken on the Main camera will be approximately 75MB in size, three times larger than photos taken with the 12-megapixel sensor on an iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro. In a brief hands-on video by YouTuber Sara Dietschy following Apple's "Far out" event, a photo taken with the 48MP sensor can be seen in the Photos app at 80.4MB in size at an 8,064 by 6,048 resolution.

While logical, the increased storage consumption of 48-megapixel ProRAW photos is an important aspect to consider for customers when choosing how much storage they wish to have on their ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro or ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max. The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max are offered in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options

The new 48-megapixel sensor can capture ProRAW photos in sharp and crisp detail and comes with a "new machine learning model [that] delivers sharper images and less noise for unprecedented detail." The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max have a new quad-pixel sensor that can merge four pixels into one to deliver sharper and brighter 12-megapixel shots.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 9, and will begin shipping to customers on Friday, September 16.