The iPhone 14 is likely to come before the end of 2022. And one source says it may very well have a full-screen; the notch will become a thing of the past. Let’s explore what the iPhone 14 will be and why Apple users are keen to ditch “the notch”.
About the latest iPhone: The iPhone 13
Before we look to the future, it may be wise to look at the present, to see where the iPhone is today, with the iPhone 13. Apple’s current latest phone has an A15 bionic processor to enable users to access games, social media, and other apps in far less time than it used to. Apple intends to keep this feature for the iPhone 14.
With 128GB of storage, you can store plenty of photographs, videos, and more than enough apps. The iOS 15 that it comes with is the latest operating system, giving people a smoother phone experience. And the 15MP camera allows for professional quality photographs.
What is “The Notch”, and why do people dislike it?
One of the biggest criticisms of iPhones is the so-called “notch” at the top of the screen. Many iPhone users don’t notice this, but many more are thrown off.
In case you’re confused, the notch is that little black rectangle at the top of the iPhone. In it, you’ll find the camera, microphone, and speaker. But, because of the FaceID technology that iPhone 13 uses, it has some other features too.
- Ambient light sensor
- Proximity sensor
- Flood illumination
- infrared camera
- Dot projector.
Why is the notch so unpopular? Nobody is entirely sure, but the most likely explanation is that we are biologically wired to like symmetry. Therefore, when the top and bottom of our screen are different, it can throw us off a bit. Another reason is simply that it takes up screen space.
Predictions for the iPhone 14
Ming-Chi Kuo is an analyst with “TF International Securities”, an Asian financial services company. Due to his contacts with people on the Asian side of Apple’s supply chain, he can talk to those developing the latest iPhone technologies. This isn’t some guy online telling you what he thinks might happen. Ming is probably the most reliable source for Apple’s future plans.
He says that we can probably expect full-screen iPhones by 2024. Although the Samsung Galaxy Z, which used full-screen technology, failed, Apple hopes to avoid a similar fate.
Challenges for “Under-Display” Cameras
Although having an iPhone that uses an “under-display” camera or a “hole-punch” camera is not without its challenges.
One of the reasons why iPhones are popular among young people is that they have a reputation for being great at selfies. If coloured screen lights surround the camera, the picture quality may not be as good.
Another issue is face ID. We listed all the things on the notch that help with Face ID. But, when the notch is gone, they will need to either find a way to have them “under-display” too or revert back to fingerprint security.
For Apple to create the iPhone 14 with a full screen, they will need to find a way to overcome these challenges. Thankfully, they’re a multi-billion dollar company that can hire as many experts as required.
Apple vs Android Cameras
To understand different phone cameras, it may be helpful to compare the iPhone to Android phones. We don’t expect Apple to copy anyone, but it’s interesting to look at how others do it to see what may or may not be incorporated. On most Android phones, there is no notch.
Some of them use a “Hole Punch Camera”, which is when the camera is embedded within the screen. It looks like someone has hole-punched the screen and put a camera in the hole. Other android phones will have a phone with a border and put the camera in the top section of the border. However, Android is stereotyped as having poor camera quality. We don’t think this is always justified, but it is clear that when you think of great camera phones, the iPhone is usually the first to come to mind. So, copying and pasting the android camera probably won’t work for Apple.
Conclusion
Apple has done well to maintain what appears to be an unbroken delivery schedule for this year’s iPhone, despite a world constrained with supply chain shortages of the components necessary to build the devices. Unfortunately, this year, there may not be a great deal for iPhone buyers to look forward to in their 2022 Apple product suite beyond some funky new colours and a better camera. Put simply, the rate of improvements in smartphones has plateaued in the last few years, giving buyers fewer reasons to upgrade (and extending the time people hold on to their phones for.)
Major discussions in Australia around this year’s iPhone are likely to be more commercial than technical in nature. Rumours around the price of the iPhone 14 are till just that – rumours. with inflation at near 7% in the US, where Apple is based, the prices we’ve seen for the hardware could well rise. Optus and Telstra have already announced increases in the price of the plans they sell. The major question for buyers, this year, will be whether to get their iPhone under contract from one of the tier 1 telcos and pay those elevated tariffs or to buy the phone themselves and add a sim from a more affordable MVNO or compare a range of plans for iPhones.