Update: The iPhone 14 Max with 120Hz LTPO display could launch in 2022.

Good news, iPhone bargain hunters. A prominent analyst says that future Apple flagship phones will be cheaper. Now the bad news: he does not mean the iPhone 13. Instead, that cheaper iPhone is expected to arrive in 2022.

This prediction comes from Apple's leading analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a pretty good track record for predicting Apple's future moves. In a research note discovered by 9to5Mac, Kuo mentions the pricing of the iPhone 14. Yes, not the iPhone 13, which is expected to arrive this fall, but the model that will appear the following year.

According to Kuo, Apple will again bring out four iPhone models in 2022: two low-end devices with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, and two Pro models with the same screen size. The 6.7-inch, tentatively named the iPhone 14Max entry-level model will be priced below $900, making it the cheapest 6.7-inch phone Apple offers. Apple's current 6.7-inch offering is only the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which sells for $1,099.

Cell phone prices have been rising slowly for years, but recently, cell phone manufacturers have been trying to lower costs as consumers hold onto their phones longer. in 2019, Apple introduced the iPhone 11, which is $50 cheaper than the iPhone XR's introductory price. The company also announced a new phone, the Galaxy S21, which will be priced at $50 less than With this spring's Galaxy S21 update, Samsung cut $200 off the equivalent version of the S20; Ming's report would suggest that Apple wants to keep that trend going, at least for the iPhone 14.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves because we haven't even seen the iPhone 13 launch yet. It is expected to happen around September and when the phone arrives most analysts - including Kuo - are predicting Apple will introduce the same four models as last year. Rumors about specific pricing for the iPhone 13 have yet to emerge, but the general consensus is that this year's phones will be priced roughly the same as the iPhone 12 models, with the iPhone 13 mini starting at $699 and the iPhone 13 Pro at $999.

The iPhone 13 is expected to introduce a fast updating display on Apple's Pro models, and all four models will likely include LiDAR sensors in their current camera arrays to aid AR-based apps and features. It is also expected that this year's Apple phones will feature new processors.

As for the iPhone 14, rumors are not painting a very detailed picture at this time - not surprising since the phone will be 15 months away from its debut. Kuo believes the future phone will bring back Touch ID in the form of a sensor under the display and other rumors point to a 48-megapixel main camera. Kuo's report would also suggest that the iPhone 13 mini is the last compact phone Apple will feature unless there is an update to the iPhone SE line.