Leaked iPhone 14 Pro Schematics Depict ‘Pill & Hole Punch’ In Place Of Notch

A closeup shot of 2021’s iPhone 13 Pro with its triple-lens configuration. Photo 238146522 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com

Apple’s moving on to the next status symbol that, when viewed from afar, makes its iPhone an iPhone. A feature that tech insiders have been reiterating of late is a unique “hole and pill design” to replace the notch on the higher-end models of the iPhone 14 lineup.

It was previously thought that the hole-punch cutout would be tiny and a less obstructing version of the notch, but newly-surfaced schematics supposedly for the iPhone 14 Pro suggest a design that’s larger than expected. The design file, which first appeared on Chinese social network Weibo and was subsequently picked up by Apple-focused news sites, reportedly shows the pill and hole in their actual sizes.

An alleged image of an iPhone 14 Pro front schematic has surfaced, giving us a first look at the true size of the pill + hole cutout. The cutouts appear to be larger than expected. What do you guys think? pic.twitter.com/hD2xvZpY4x

— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) February 28, 2022

A possible boon for Apple’s branding, the new “notch” resembles the letter ‘i’ (for iPhone) rotated sideways, but whether this is merely a coincidence remains unclear.

Sharing the mockup in a YouTube video, renowned Apple leaker Jon Prosser added that he had “independently been able to verify” that this is the “likely size” of the notch replacement.

The design appears slightly different to the renders released by leaker Ross Young in January. Despite the dissimilarities, the images corroborate the notion that Apple’s pill and hole-punch look will stand out from the front-facing camera designs of Android phone makers like Huawei. “The two-hole concept will be unique to Apple,” Young noted back then.

It was reported last week that Apple had begun producing iPhone 14 Pros in small batches to test the model’s final design, so it’s possible that the company made a few changes to the front-facing camera along the way.

Apple might have the blueprints to fully phase out the notch, but it’s not ready to implement it just yet. At least for the year ahead, users would have to live with a notch or a version of it.

Elsewhere, it is believed that all four iPhone 14 models—which would arrive in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes—will feature slimmer camera bumps, circle volume buttons, and flat edges reminiscent of the iPhone 4.

[via 9to5Mac and MacRumors, cover photo 238146522 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com]