Camera Upgrades, Screen Size Bump, Possible Satellite Connectivity: What This Apple Analyst Sees In iPhone 14 Lineup

The release schedule for Apple, Inc.'s AAPL next iPhone iteration is months away but rumors have been flying in thick and fast regarding variants, dimensions, specs, pricing, and other specifics.

Minimal Hardware Changes:  Apple's iPhone 14 lineup may have the same flat edges and round corners, going by the pattern of the company shifting to a three-year cycle for new hardware designs, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said in his weekly "Power On" newsletter.

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The Apple specialist, however, expects a new notch on the Pro models and larger camera bumps to fit in new sensors. The notch, according to Gurman will have a "pill-shaped cutout" for Face ID and a circular cutout for the camera.

Screen Size Shakeup:  Gurman expects a big shakeup in screen sizes in the upcoming iteration. Given that the mini model hasn't been selling well, Apple will likely stop selling the 5.4-inch model. The non-Pro lineup will comprise a 6.7-inch screen-size model. This will likely be "extremely popular" as users can now get the largest iPhone for at least $200 less, the columnist said.

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Differentiation between the Pro and non-Pro models will likely be achieved by keeping the new 48-MP sensor for the wide-angle camera and the A16 chip exclusive to the Pro model, Gurman said. The non-Pro variants could come with the 12-MP sensor and A15 chips.

Users, particularly camera buffs, could be swayed by the "vastly' improved sensor but a single-generation processor leap may not influence their decision, Gurman said.

Satellite Connectivity Coming?  Apple could add satellite connectivity in the iPhone 14 models, Gurman said, although it could only help report emergencies or send short texts to emergency contacts rather than making calls over satellite networks.

That could provide an alternative to Garmin Ltd's GRMN inReach Explorer, Gurman said. He also said his guess for the "unnamed customer" mentioned by Globalstar, Inc. GSAT in February in a satellite communications supply deal could be Apple.

Price Action: Apple shares closed Friday's session down 2.78% at $161.79, according to  BenzingaPro data 

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