We're less than two weeks from the launch of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. We've been hearing rumors about these new iPhones for almost a year, and while many rumored features have been reported repeatedly, there are a few wildcard features we've heard about that we aren't so sure we'll see on the upcoming iPhones, and we've listed four below.
Satellite Connectivity
Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on satellite connectivity that will let users send texts in emergency situations and report major emergencies in areas where there is no cellular coverage using their iPhone. Rumors at one point suggested this advanced capability would come with the iPhone 13, but that did not happen.
According to a reliable industry expert, Apple is indeed planning to announce satellite connectivity capabilities for the iPhone 14 during its event planned for September 7. The expert says Apple is likely to partner with Globalstar for the feature on the upcoming iPhone.
Vapor Chamber Thermal System
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a wide-ranging report covering Apple's early development of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, said high-end iPhones in 2022 would feature a vapor chamber thermal system for heat management. Kuo said that Apple was "aggressively testing" such a solution for its iPhone at the time. Vapor chamber thermal systems are already present on high-end Android devices, such as those made by Samsung, Razer, and LG, which help keep the device cool under heavy workloads.
Apple has continued to make the iPhone more powerful with each new generation of its A-series chip. The iPhone 14 Pro is expected to be powered by the new A16 Bionic chip, while the lower-end models of the iPhone 14 will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the current iPhone 13. Whether or not Apple adopts a vapor chamber thermal system remains to be seen, but no mention of it has been made since Kuo's original report in January 2021.
2TB of Storage
With the iPhone 13 Pro, Apple started offering customers 1TB of storage. With the iPhone 14 Pro, a sketchy rumor has suggested Apple could offer an even larger 2TB storage option for customers, offering the highest amount ever in an iPhone. The added storage could be helpful for videographers who take high-quality professional videos on their iPhone, but whether Apple chooses to make this an option remains to be seen.
WiFi 6E
Apple's latest iPhones, Macs, and iPads support WiFi 6, which is not the newest WiFi standard. WiFi 6E is the latest WiFi standard, offering faster speeds and better capabilities to handle high-capacity workloads. The iPhone 13, despite speculation, did not end up supporting the newest WiFi standard, so it may be on the table for the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup.
Conclusion
While there is a lot we know and some things we don't know about the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, the good news is that we won't have to wait long to learn about the real deal. Apple will hold a special event on Wednesday, September 7, with the tagline "Far Out," where it's expected to announce the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, the new Apple Watch Series 8, an updated Apple Watch SE, and possibly a new Apple Watch "Pro."
