Apple’s next big-screen iPhone might not be called the iPhone 14 Max after all. According to reliable leaker Lanzuk, the 6.7-inch model will launch with a more familiar name, “iPhone 14 Plus”.
If that’s true, it would be the first “Plus” model since the iPhone 8 Plus back in 2017. The rest of the lineup will stick to its expected naming pattern — iPhone 14 (6.1-inch), iPhone 14 Pro (6.1-inch), and iPhone 14 Pro Max (6.7-inch). Only the larger non-Pro device is getting the name change.
Apple hasn’t used the “Plus” tag in years, as the company preferred “Max” for its big models and “Pro” for the premium ones. But now with two 6.7-inch iPhones set to release, one high-end, one not, the company probably needs a way to differentiate the top of the line Pro Max from the budget big-screen model.
A Few Expected Reasons Behind the Name Change
The reasoning seems straightforward, which is to have brand clarity. Having both an iPhone 14 Max and an iPhone 14 Pro Max in the same lineup will be a recipe for customer confusion. So swapping “Max” for “Plus” makes the cheaper model unique in a way and maybe nostalgic for longtime iPhone users.
There’s also the matter of replacing the now-defunct Mini line. If Apple is retiring the compact model, the “Plus” name offers a clean way to introduce a large alternative without reusing “Max” twice in one series.
There won’t be any Plus. pic.twitter.com/dr58nnomtT
— ShrimpApplePro ? (@VNchocoTaco) June 28, 2022
Of course, not all leakers agree. Twitter tipster @ShrimpApplePro has consistently dismissed the “Plus” theory, with logic that Apple sticking with the “Max” branding it introduced with the iPhone XS line. Lanzuk’s post is the first time they’ve explicitly claimed the switch to “Plus,” allegedly based on info from supply chain sources — but until Apple confirms it, it’s still speculation.
Whether it’s iPhone 14 Max or iPhone 14 Plus, the takeaway is the same: Apple is probably planning a big, non-Pro iPhone for users who want size without the premium price tag. Name aside, that alone is news worth noting.