With five months to go until Apple unveils its late-2021 iPhone update, we’re starting to form a solid idea of what to expect from the 13-series generation. But the years beyond have remained a mystery – until now.
According to a new report from the (generally well-informed) analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, quoted by MacRumors, Apple plans to again launch four handsets in 2022, but these will not fit the same pattern of screen sizes – one 5.4in model, two 6.1in, and one 6.7in – that we got in 2020 and expect to get in 2021.
The 14-series iPhones, Kuo predicts, will instead be organised as two pairs, with two handsets at 6.1in and two at 6.7in. More specifically, we will see an iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro at the smaller size, and an iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max at the larger.
In other words, it looks like there will not be a 5.4in iPhone 14 mini, which means that those who want a small mobile phone must be content with the iPhone SE and its successors.
This isn’t a complete surprise. Apple does not reveal individual sales numbers for specific products, but changes to production orders suggest the company grossly overestimated demand for the iPhone 12 mini. In an analysis article discussing the reasons for this error, we’ve argued that Apple should not make an iPhone 13 mini, but acknowledged that it was unlikely to change course after a single attempt at the 5.4in form factor. Read: Why Apple will make an iPhone 13 mini.
In related news, Kuo also reckons it’s likely to take until 2023 before the notch disappears, as this presupposes that the technology for Face ID will be built into the screen itself.
Given that the iPhone 14 will not be released until the autumn of 2022, there is of course a lot that can be changed before then, so the information should be taken with a pinch of salt.
For the latest news and rumours about future iPhone generations (including a section on the iPhone 14), check our regularly updated guide to the iPhone 13. If you can’t wait until September – or 2022 – then pick up a bargain on the current models with our roundup of the best iPhone deals.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation by David Price.