January 10 update: If the iPhone 14 Pro seems too expensive for you, you might want to check out the iPhone SE 3, rumored to be coming in a few months.

Year after year, Apple seems to be differentiating between the Pro line of iPhones and the regular models. And the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max upgrades coming this fall may be the biggest yet.

There is no guarantee that the regular iPhone 14 will not be improved and become a contender for our best phones list. So far, we've heard that it will have a more powerful 4nm A16 Bionic processor, which we're sure will enable all sorts of features, as well as a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem.

Another rumor points to Apple giving the iPhone 14 a sleeker design, making the chassis slightly thicker instead of almost eliminating the bump on the rear camera. This extra space may allow for a larger battery and better cooling. And faster Wi-Fi 6E will reportedly be included in all iPhone 14 models.

The biggest change for the iPhone 14 family may be the rumored death of the mini. Apple is reportedly ditching the 5.4-inch size for a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max. This means that those on a tight budget can get a larger screen without spending more than $1,000. This is progress.

But the more we hear about the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the more we feel like Apple is establishing a new class of flagships. For starters, the iPhone 14 Pro is said to feature Face ID under the display, which means Apple will finally do away with the notch and adopt a punch-hole camera. Presumably, the regular iPhone 14 model will continue to have the same size notch as the iPhone 13 series.

Furthermore, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the 2022 iPhone Pro model will have a 48-megapixel main wide camera. Additionally, only the Pro model will offer 8K video recording capability.

Another potent rumor is that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max may feature a USB-C connection. This is apparently not to appease the European Union (EU) for Apple's reluctance to adopt the industry standard, but to provide faster connectivity for various Pro-level peripherals and faster video and photo transfers to the Mac.

There are reports that Apple may continue to limit the 120Hz ProMotion display to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, although this does not seem certain. This will allow for smoother scrolling and animations, and will allow for more fluid gameplay and better movie playback on supported titles. And once you try a 120Hz panel on your iPhone, you'll never go back.

We also speculate that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will continue to offer only telephoto zoom. Some do not mind its absence and feel that the ultra-wide camera is sufficient for regular iPhones. Personally, however, I would not want to give up the flexibility when shooting, even if I cannot expect a more powerful periscope zoom until the iPhone 15.

All of this combined, including the possibility of up to 2 TB of storage, could make the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max literally in a league of their own in 2022. On the one hand, this is a good thing, as it means they can justify a more expensive price than the regular models. But if iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max buyers can't get away from the notch, 60Hz display, low-resolution camera, and Lightning port, they may find it lacking.

Which of these rumors is true remains to be seen, but for now, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are the models I want.