I can’t decide if this iPhone 14 rumour is good news or bad news

iPhone 13 render
A fan-made render of the iPhone 14 (Image credit: the Hacker 34 on YouTube)

With the release of the iPhone 14 (hopefully) less than six months away, the rumours and leaks are coming in thick and fast. From a new design to a mega battery, we've heard all manner of tidbits – but this might just be the most divisive yet.

It's no surprise that the iPhone 14 Pro is rumoured to be getting the brand new A16 Bionic chip. But unlike previous generations, apparently this time the Pro model won't be sharing the love with the standard iPhone. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 13 Pro deals available now.)

iPhone 14 render

A fan-made render of the iPhone 14 Pro (Image credit: Volodymyr Lenard)

As spotted by MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just claimed that the A16 chip will be limited to just the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, with the regular 14 retaining the same A15 Bionic chip as last year's iPhone 13 line up. 

In previous years, the standard and 'Pro' models have been differentiated by aspects like design and camera tech, but not by the chip itself. If this is true, the gulf between the two iPhone versions could be about to get a lot wider.

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So is this good news or bad news? It probably depends on whether you prefer the Pro or standard iPhone. For Pro users, knowing you've got the best of the best could help to justify splashing out the extra cash – and allow you to truly look down on the mortals with a mere iPhone 14.

On the flip side, if you prefer not to spend upwards of four figures on your smartphone, it could be a little disappointing to know that you're getting the exact same chip as last year, especially when in previous years the basic model has been afforded the same chip as the Pros. If anything, it's bound to make choosing a model more difficult in 2022 – and perhaps nudge more than a few users, particularly creatives who need all the power they can get, towards the Pro. 

We'll be adding this one to the pile of tantalising iPhone 14 rumours we've heard over the last few months. From a brand new design to the first every periscope lens in an iPhone, it's already sounding like a worthy upgrade to the iPhone 13. Not that the current model is a slouch – check out today's best deals below.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).