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Differences between iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models will include pixel quality

The expected differences between iPhone 14 base and Pro models keep growing. A new report today says that not only will ProMotion displays be limited to the Pro models, but even the pixels themselves will reportedly be higher-quality in the top-tier models.

Display supplier Samsung is reported to be using their highest grade of OLED materials for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, while the two base models will use lower-grade materials …

Differences between iPhone 14 base and Pro models

We’re expecting a number of differences between this year’s base and Pro iPhone models.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is said to have a new design, improved cameras, and even a better processor. This phone will also feature a high-end finish in stainless steel and glass, a telephoto lens, LiDAR scanner, and ProMotion technology.

Lacking all of these “premium” features, the iPhone 14 Plus/Max will be less than $1,000, being the perfect option for those who want a bigger iPhone but without the need for paying the “Pro” price that starts from $1,099.

But a new supply chain report suggests that’s not all.

Pixel differences too

The Elec reports.

Samsung Display will be applying different grades of materials on the OLED panels it will manufacture for the upcoming iPhone 14 series depending on the model tiers, TheElec has learned.

It will use its latest and most advanced material set for the higher tier iPhone 14 models while it will use its prior generation set for the lower tier ones, sources said. The move is being made to save cost, they said […]

An OLED material set is comprised of dopant, host, prime and others used to form the red, green and blue pixels […]

Samsung Display will use its M11 material set for the standard 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models in the iPhone 14 series [while] the two higher-tier models in the iPhone 14 series will use Samsung Display’s M12 material set.

It seems unlikely that the average iPhone user would notice much, if any, difference, but it does add to the evidence that Apple is intending the base and Pro models to increasingly diverge in both features and materials.

Farewell, mini; hello Plus/Max

Another key difference we’re expecting this year is that Apple will abandon the iPhone mini model, which suffered from poor sales, and replace it with the opposite: a larger non-pro model with the same size screen as the Pro Max.

Just two months after the iPhone 12 lineup was released, a report from analysts at CIRP indicated that the iPhone 12 mini had accounted for only 6% of iPhone sales in those first two months […]

In fact, the iPhone 12 mini, despite being one of the new “flagship” iPhones, was often outsold by older models, including the iPhone SE, iPhone 11, and iPhone XR. 

The iPhone 13 mini was released in September of 2021, and despite improvements to battery life and display brightness, sales were still sluggish. Recent data from CIRP suggested that the iPhone 13 mini only accounted for 3% of all iPhone sales in Q2 […]

The iPhone 14 (code-named D27 and D28) will be available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch form factors. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max (code-named D73 and D74) will also be available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch form factors.

If you do want an iPhone mini, the iPhone 13 mini is expected to remain on sale, probably with a price cut once the iPhone 14 is launched.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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