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Apple iPhone 14 + iPhone 15 Rumor Roundup: Goodbye notch, hello punch-hole Face ID

Is it time for you to upgrade or to wait longer?
Concept By Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

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Just a few months after the iPhone 13 announcement from Apple, several leakers have already announced what the iPhone 14 will look like. Not only is it a bold move, it’s also creating more chaos among fans whether they’ll buy the iPhone 13 or wait for the iPhone 14 this 2022 (or just patiently wait for the iPhone 15 in 2023).

Like with any other rumors, take these with a grain of salt. Everything you see here is just leaks and rumors and nothing has been confirmed yet.

iPhone 14 series

Out with the mini, in with the Max

With the less exciting number of sales of the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini compared to its bigger siblings, it’s finally time to say goodbye to the littlest iPhones ever made.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Instead, Apple is taking a different route and will instead create a bigger version of the iPhone 14 base model and will call it “iPhone 14 Max”. This is also coherent with its “Pro” sibling. There’s even a tweet by Ross Young, the CEO of a display supply chain company, about the key specs of the whole iPhone 14 lineup.


The regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro share the same 6.1-inch screen size. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Max and Pro Max will have a gigantic 6.7-inch display with slimmer bezels based on the dimensions of these leaked CAD drawings. When it comes to refresh rate, the 120Hz ProMotion displays might still be limited to the Pro models. Meanwhile, the base variants will stick to the usual 60Hz panel.

Punch-hole Face ID

Punch-hole displays are far from being a fresh feature. It first made its debut through the Samsung Galaxy A8s and the Huawei Nova 4 merely three years ago. Still, Apple users will mostly like to be fascinated to see a notch-less screen after years of sticking to it since the iPhone X.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

With the notch staying for another year on the newer iPhone 13 series, rumors suggest that Apple has finally reached the peak of implementing a Face ID system with a punch-hole cutout. Albeit an unusual one with one pill-shaped cutout for the TrueDepth camera system sensors, and the other for the front camera.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

This rumor came all the way from a March 2021 report by Ming-chi Kuo stating that the 2022 iPhone 14 will likely ditch the notch for a punch-hole camera layout. This also debunks the rumor that the iPhone 14 will have an under-display Face ID system as the technology is still far from happening.

If you’re getting your hopes up for Apple to get rid of that notch completely, well it will still stay at least in the non-Pro models.

Always-On Display

After years of being rumored, Apple might finally bring the Always-On Display feature to the iPhone.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Ever since the announcement of the new lock screen style in iOS 16, a lot of people have noticed how the widgets bar coincidentally looks better with Always-On Display. While it was suggested that AOD has been tested for the iPhone 13 Pro series, the display technology isn’t enough to make the battery last longer.

But as rumor claims that the next-gen iPhone 14 Pro will feature an LTPO display that can go down as low as 1Hz instead of 10Hz on the latest iPhone 13 Pro series, iPhone users will finally become a reality! I guess we won’t need to jailbreak iPhones just to make Always-On accessible.

Way bigger (and better) cameras

Every year, phone manufacturers tend to invest in rear cameras that are bigger both in size and performance. Of course, Apple is also taking a leap forward by implementing larger camera sensors. Rumored as early as April 2021, the iPhone 14 might have a 48MP camera sensor with support for an 8K video recording.

Concept By Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

In the Android universe, it’s nothing grand. But in the Apple world, it’s a huge feat of engineering considering the current iPhones still rock a 12MP sensor. But as we all say on this site, numbers are not everything. In photography, having a better camera sensor still is the fruit of every pudding. Google’s Pixel line from the Pixel 3 until the Pixel 5 with the same ol’ Sony IMX363 proves that.

Better internals… for the Pro models

According to a Nikkei Asia report dated back in July 2021, the 2022 iPhone 14 could come with an even more efficient 3-4nm (nanometer) A16 Bionic chipset from TSMC — a Taiwan-based semiconductor company in Taiwan that provides chips for Apple.

Not only is it efficient, but it also brings way faster performance than one could ever imagine in a smartphone. Aside from the newly-announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the A15 Bionic Chip is one of the smallest chips in the market with a 4nm process.

Concept By Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Due to a chip shortage, it is also reported that only the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models would come with the newer A16 Bionic chipset. Meanwhile, the base iPhone 14 and 14 Max variants will still ship with the A15 Bionic Chip from the iPhone 13 series.

While the Pro series of the iPhone 13 doesn’t come with 1TB internal storage options, both iPhone 14 Pro models might have it all along. Even support for 6GB RAM is said to come — which is a blessing for super power users.

iPhone 15 series

A blast from the past

If you haven’t noticed lately, Apple has been slowly bringing back its past designs. From the inspiration of the iPhone 12’s flat-edge design with the likes of the iPhone 5/5s and the first-gen iPhone SE, all the way to the 2021 iMac M1 that’s reminiscent of the iMac G3 from 2003. Like it or not, the upcoming iPhone 15 won’t be any different.

Concept By Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

As Jon Prosser stated in his latest report, the iPhone 15 will most likely borrow the design of the iPhone 4 from a decade ago. Instead of that protruding camera bump, Apple might actually make the phone thicker for the cameras to get flushed.

Titanium frame, thicker chassis

As early as August 2021, it was already rumored that the 2022 iPhone 14 will have a titanium chassis instead of the usual stainless steel ones. However, it may not make its debut on the iPhone 14. Instead, it will be at least in the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Titanium is a wiser choice considering it’s stronger and more durable, yet lighter. This is why it’s a rare (and expensive) model when buying an Apple Watch before, specifically the Watch Series 5.

Concept By Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The lack of camera cutout might look like it was inspired by Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra but the iPhone 15 will still be different.

Unlike those protruding camera lenses, its thicker chassis makes it possible to remove the camera bump and protruding lenses. The cameras, LiDAR scanner, and LED flash are flushed beneath the iPhone’s glass layer. It’s just like the good ol’ iPhone 4. This makes it look cleaner and uniform.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

There’s little to no word about what colors we will get for the iPhone 15. My guesses are graphite, silver, and gold will still stay. I’ve also included a matte black option a la iPhone 7 and 7 Plus together with a rose gold (or pink) variant since Apple never brought it back after the iPhone 6s series and the first-gen iPhone SE from 2016.

Still on the waitlist

Portless iPhone

While the 2020 iPhone rumors suggested a “portless iPhone” is coming very soon, it might not be as soon as this year. Apple is in the hot seat as the European Union (EU) wants Apple to comply with the new port standard and equip upcoming iPhones with USB-C instead of the Lightning port. If that pushes through, it’s a win for people who use USB-Cs for most (if not all) of their devices.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The introduction of MagSafe on iPhones just started last year, but it doesn’t mean it’s a tech feature we all need. And we all know Apple isn’t ready to fully adapt the technology on the newer iPhones just yet. Not only is it slower than the iPhone’s regular Lightning-based wired charging, but it’s also unconventional (at least for now).

iFold

If portless iPhones are not in Apple’s priorities now, what more with foldable iPhones?

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Even with early Apple patents submitted such as the folding iPad with Apple Pencil support, dual screen with hinge system, or even a clamshell iPhone such as the Galaxy Z Flip3 and motorola razr, it’s still a blurry sight if Apple will really pursue foldables in the near future. For now, we can only look at patent illustrations.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

iPhone SE 3

Mac Otakara and Ming-Chi Kuo’s reports about it being launched in April 2021 together with the new AirPods Pro were scrapped. Instead, Ross Young said it will be delayed until Q1 2022. But is it really the time for Apple to update the second-gen iPhone SE?

The design of the upcoming iPhone SE 3 is quite uncertain. Some say it will take cues from the ‘Plus’ versions of the iPhone 6/6s/7/8 with a 5.5-inch Retina Display. Others say it’s a direct copy of the iPhone 11 and XR with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina Display. A minority even stated that it’ll have a punch-hole camera instead of a notch with iPhone 12 mini’s minuscule 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR display.

Concept by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

But disproving all those what-ifs, the latest leak says that Apple will still use the design of the old iPhone 8 / SE 2 and will just equip the budget iPhone with a 5G-supported A15 Bionic Chip.

Currently, the iPhone 12 is currently the best-selling smartphone in the world. And with the iPhone 13 on the roster, it’s more likely that the iPhone SE 3 will be sold at a cheaper retail value — and might even cheaper than the launch prices of the 1st and 2nd generation iPhone SEs.

UPDATE: The Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) was officially announced by Apple during the 2022 March Event. It still retains the same design as the iPhone SE 2 from 2020.

This article will be updated regularly. Updates will include new leaks and/or rumors on the Apple iPhone 14 and 15 series.

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Apps

Bard is now available to try for Google One users

Join the waitlist now

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March 22, 2023

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The race for artificial intelligence is a hot trail. Amid the unbridled popularity of ChatGPT, several companies have started pushing their own language models out the gate. Google, eager to compete in the emerging industry, has now opened Bard to users.

Today, Google has started issuing invitations to Google One subscribers for a chance to try the new chatbot. Subscribers can enter a waitlist to test the technology for themselves.

In essence, Bard acts the same as ChatGPT. Users can talk to the bot conversationally, and it will respond perfectly, as if you were talking to another human being. It’s a language learning model. By talking to so many users, the model can learn the best way to reply to certain prompts.

Although Google has access to its search engine, Bard is currently meant to complement it. The company warns users that the chatbot is still prone to occasional mistakes. As an example, it gave the wrong scientific name for a plant. While this example is innocuous, there can be more nefarious errors that the developers are still trying to fix. With a wider test now open to the public, Google hopes to fix more egregious mistakes ahead of a wider launch.

For now, if you subscribe to Google’s premium subscription service, you can wait in line to try out the new technology.

SEE ALSO: Google is working on a ChatGPT competitor called Bard

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Gaming

EA is delisting classic Battlefield games

And Mirror’s Edge

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March 22, 2023

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EA is a mixed bag nowadays. Formerly one of the biggest names in gaming, the company’s public reception is more varied these days. However, no one can argue against the studio’s earlier eras with more notable titles. Unfortunately, that era is coming to a more definitive close. EA is officially delisting a few notable Battlefield titles and the original Mirror’s Edge from digital stores.

In an official statement from the company, EA has announced the retirement of four online titles this year. Starting April 28, users will no longer be able to buy Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Mirror’s Edge online. Additionally, the online services for these games will cease on December 8.

Still going strong today, the Battlefield franchise is EA’s answer to the Call of Duty franchise. While the latter focuses on more arcade-like shooting, Battlefield tries to infuse more strategic gameplay into historical and modern-day shooting.

On the other hand, Mirror’s Edge is a classic first-person parkour adventure. At the time, the title was notable for its fluid movement and easy-to-read visuals. It even spawned a sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.

Anyone who owns these titles can still play through them after April. However, come December, players can only go through the offline single-player campaigns of these games.

SEE ALSO: Blumhouse is getting into gaming

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Apps

TikTok enlists users’ help to fight against ban

Ahead of a hearing this week

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March 22, 2023

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TikTok is in for another fight. Recently, the American government upped its efforts to ban the video-sharing platform from the country. The company is preparing to fight back. Ahead of a potential ban, it is enlisting the help of its most precious resource: TikTok users.

Today, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared a video to update the entire community about his impending congressional hearing later this week. In the video, the CEO thanks the American userbase in helping the platform grow, enumerating important numbers ahead of the hearing. For example, TikTok now has 150 million users — which, Chew notes, is half of the population of the United States — and 7,000 employees in the country.

The video then goes on to share the government’s plans to ban TikTok, potentially taking the app away from the big numbers that Chew mentioned. Further, the CEO is asking all these users to share what they love about the app in the comments of the video.

@tiktok

Our CEO, Shou Chew, shares a special message on behalf of the entire TikTok team to thank our community of 150 million Americans ahead of his congressional hearing later this week.

♬ original sound – TikTok

For years, the American government has hounded the app over its Chinese ownership. The company — especially parent company ByteDance — has the potential to act as a conduit for Chinese surveillance, the government argues. The company has tried to counter these claims by increasing its employees in the country.

Now, the fight is coming to a head with several government bodies and other countries banning the app outright. It’s unknown how Chew is planning to attack the incoming congressional hearing. However, it’s likely that the company will leverage user feedback to buoy the app as an essential part of the current American landscape.

SEE ALSO: UK starts banning TikTok

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