While the lion's share of iPhone 14 rumors pouring in over the last several weeks have centered around the iPhone 14 Pro models, a pair of recent leaks have offered clarity on the new big-screen iPhone 14 Plus.
What's that? You thought it was iPhone 14 Max? You're not wrong, that has been the general consensus for quite some time, and understandably so as Apple dropped the "Plus" naming convention in 2019 with the release of the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. However, based on the claims of 9to5Mac's sources and alleged photos of an Apple Clear Case with MagSafe that shows the iPhone 14 Plus name, the Plus is back.
What does this mean for the iPhone 14 Plus?
Nothing really, an iPhone 14 Max by any other name would smell as sweet. Assuming these rumors are true, and given the reliability of 9to5Mac's sources and the credibility of the case image I believe they are, then Apple is likely seeking to add clarity to the naming of its lineup.
Who said Plus? pic.twitter.com/O7GJAsKT8bAugust 31, 2022
While "Plus" did indicate the larger and better iPhone in the past, it was clearly left behind following the iPhone XS Plus. The Max name has added baggage in the Apple lineup now with M1 Max chips in the MacBook Pro and Apple Studio and presumably M2 Max chips somewhere on the horizon.
As such it would be a bit confusing to have a "Max" product slotted into the middle of the iPhone model lineup, whereas iPhone 14 Plus can pretty safely just mean the big iPhone 14, which is all we expect it to be.
While I would be the first to say that I don't love Apple's current naming conventions (M1 Ultra? Seriously?), this one makes sense to me both as a callback to a familiar name and a name that makes the order of the new quartet of iPhones 14s clear.
We'll have our answer as to whether it is really the iPhone 14 Plus soon enough with Apple's September 7 event a virtual lock as the launch for the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8.
