Apple

A new iPhone 14 leak could mean the end of the Max version (updated)

The iPhone 14 Max might not be called the Max.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
September 8, 2022

Image: KnowTechie

We’ve heard so much about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 range that we thought we knew it all. Now, a new leak has us questioning the naming scheme we thought Apple was going to use.

Up until now, we’ve all thought the 6.7-inch screen size would be called the iPhone 14 Max. Apple has used the Max naming scheme for years now, so why expect anything different? That could actually change this year, if this leak is true.

UPDATE 9/8/2022 2:07 PM ET: Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 range, and the early leak was correct – instead of the iPhone 14 Max, we have the iPhone 14 Plus.

A leaker from Korea, lanzk, posted a short prediction on his blog on the Korean social media site Naver. The content that has our heads spinning? He says that Apple is going back to the “Plus” naming scheme this year for the iPhone 14.

That means the previously-talked-about iPhone 14 Max would become the iPhone 14 Plus. Apple used to use this naming scheme until the iPhone 8 Plus, which was the last device to use Plus to denote the larger screen size.

READ MORE: What will the iPhone 14 look like?

Image: KnowTechie

Now, lanzk has a “mixed, but generally accurate, track record” according to TechRadar. We can’t immediately discount his prediction, even if he’s the only voice of dissent in leakland. Even when another leaker of similar accuracy, ShrimpApplePro, has said that the Plus name isn’t coming back.

There could be something here. Apple has started using the Max naming scheme for more powerful devices in recent times. AirPods vs AirPods Max, M1 vs M1 Max, etc. With the base model iPhone 14’s using a lower-power processor than the Pro models, it is possible Apple wants to remove the Max branding.

We’ll likely hear more about the iPhone 14 naming scheme in the run-up to its release. Until then, we’ll keep bringing you all the leaks and news about Apple’s newest devices.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.