On September 7, Apple will announce the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Or so we thought…
In a surprisingly late leak, it has been reported that Apple will not launch an “iPhone 14 Max”. Instead, the company’s first sub-$1000 6.7-inch smartphone will be called the “iPhone 14 Plus.” And this makes sense for many reasons.
Apple’s iPhone 14 lineup based on multiple leaks: Expect iPhone 14 Plus to replace iPhone 14… [+] Max
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First, the leak, and it was divided into two parts. The first part hit Twitter when a photo of an apparently genuine next-gen iPhone case was branded “iPhone 14 Plus”. This prompted further investigation by 9to5Mac, which later verified the name and instructions given to third-party case makers.
“Sources familiar with the matter say Apple has opted to name the next-biggest iPhone the iPhone 14 Plus. Also, since at least July, iPhone case makers have been told not to use the iPhone branding 14 Max, as it won’t be the actual name of the product,” wrote 9to5Mac’s José Adorno.
And that makes a lot of sense because Apple has consistently used the “Max” brand to indicate a premium version of something: it’s both the flagship iPhone and a high-end version of Apple’s M1 chipset. Significantly, “Max” sits above “Pro” in the M1 range: M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra.
Consequently, telling iPhone owners that an iPhone 14 Max is lower in the range than an iPhone 14 Pro, but an M1 Pro is lower than an M1 Max, would have been confusing.
In contrast, the “Plus” brand is simpler. It was associated with the bigger (but not necessarily better) iPhone for four years, and the iPhone 8 Plus sat below the iPhone X when the pair launched in 2017, meaning it doesn’t have the same elite status as Max. Ultimately, it doesn’t require the same mental gymnastics for buyers.
Interestingly, this late brand leak is part of a larger pattern with iPhone leaks in 2022, where established leaks are countered by smaller names, which change the narrative. With that in mind, Apple fans should get excited because the latest example claims that iPhone 14 prices will be much cheaper than expected.
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