iPhone 14 tipped to launch alongside new Apple Watches, iPads and AirPods Pro 2

the airpods 3 next to an iphone playing apple music
(Image credit: TechRadar)

Apple usually has a bunch of new products launch at the end of each year, but it sounds like the iPhone 14 might get more than its fair share of gadget companions, according to a big name in Apple leaks.

This comes from Mark Gurman, in his weekly Power On newsletter about upcoming Apple news and rumors. Gurman mentions loads of products expected to launch "between the fall of 2022 and first half of 2023" - or peak Apple period.

The main one of these is the iPhone 14, with Gurman saying there will be four models - we've heard this many times before from leakers, with the expected line consisting of the standard model as well as an iPhone 14 Max, Pro and Pro Max.

Much of the other information provided about the upcoming iPhone Pro models are things we've already heard about like its always-on display, high-res rear camera and improved front camera - but the non-Pro versions are supposedly weaker.

Next up is the AirPods Pro 2, though all Gurman says is "I’m also still expecting new AirPods Pro earbuds with an updated chip and support for higher-quality audio", so there's not much information on these.

Apple is said to be releasing new iPad Pros for 2022 that are packed with the new M2 chipsets - Gurman says there will be 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions, but does address the rumors of a larger 14-inch one by saying this could come in the next year or so.

That's not all in the iPad party though, as a new entry-level iPad (2022) is tipped with 5G, a new chipset and a USB-C port - this is all stuff we've heard before.

As the headline says, more smartwatches are expected too, and it's not just the top-end Apple Watch 8 (though not many changes are expected for that device).

No, a new Apple Watch SE 2 has been tipped, as well as a ruggedized version of the standard model intended for extreme sports users.

Gurman also lists plenty of new Macs coming up using multiple versions of the M2 chipsets, with MacBooks and Mac Minis expected.

Finally, Gurman points to a 'mixed-reality' headset using the M2 chip and 16GB of RAM, something that fans expected to hear about at WWDC 2022 (an annual Apple tech launch in the middle of the year) that never actually debuted.


Analysis: one huge iPhone 14 launch?

Let's recap what we've just heard about:

  • Four iPhone 14s
  • Three Apple Watches
  • Several iPad family updates
  • The AirPods Pro 2
  • A mixed reality headset
  • Many, many Macs

Apple usually has one big launch event at the end of each year - usually around September - and normally, we'd see loads of products all show up at the same time.

But given how long that list is, there's no way they're all showing up at one event - not unless they get five seconds of screen time each and Eminem has to do the announcing - so they'll likely show up at multiple events.

This isn't something that's a total surprise - in 2020, the company had two launch events, one for iPads and Apple Watches, and the other for iPhones. Apple will likely have to repeat that in 2022 for all the aforementioned products - or even have a third launch. Gurman does say that some of the devices could come in early 2023.

Either way, if there is a launch event for the iPhone 14 and Gurman's projections don't all come true, that doesn't necessarily mean these devices aren't coming.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.