In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is still working on satellite features for at least some models of the upcoming iPhone 14.
Last year analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 13 would feature low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication connectivity. This will allow users to make calls and send messages in areas without 4G or 5G coverage.
He said the iPhone 13 would likely pack a customized Qualcomm X60 baseband chip that supports satellite communications. Qualcomm announced its upcoming X65 chip would support Globalstar’s Band n53 tech. He was wrong, but it’s possible that the iPhone 14 will be the first mainstream smartphone model to add this functionality.
Gurman also says that new 48-megapixel Wide camera will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max models, while the standard iPhone 14 models will retain a 12-megapixel Wide camera like the iPhone 13 lineup.
Other rumors about the upcoming iPhone 14 line-up include:
° Four new iPhone 14 models in the second half of the year are likely upgrade to AF (autofocus) and about f/1.9 aperture. This compares to the iPhone 13’s FF (fixed-focus) and f/2.2.
° Only the iPhone 14 Pro models will have the “A16” chip, while the standard iPhone 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13.
° At least some of the models will be eSIM-only.
° The iPhone 14 Pro will contain 8GB of RAM.
° Some will sport 120GHz displays.
° The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models will have a hole + pill design.
° The two high-end models will sport a 48 million pixel camera.
° The top two models have also have OLED screens.
° They will support the Wi-Fi 6E standard.
° Black, white, blue, red and purple will be the color options for the iPhone 14, while graphite, gold, silver and purple will be available on the iPhone 14 Pro.
° There will be a new purple colorway for both iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro that shifts in tone depending on the lighting.
° The new flash is described as “a small circle in a big circle,” rather than the dual circle design we’re accustomed to.
