Apple's rumored iPhone 14 will likely get its big reveal at the company's Sept. 7 reveal event, with many signs pointing to a mid-September launch for the new phones. These reports have been trickling in alongside rumors of the next iPhone line's design, price and new features.
Since iPhones usually go up for preorder on the Fridays of the same week of its event, we'd expect that to happen this year on Friday, Sept. 9. IPhone release dates are usually a week and a half after Apple's announcements. Sometimes launch dates are staggered for specific models, especially when introducing a new design or size. So it's possible the iPhone 14 lineup will have more than one release date.
Now playing: Watch this: Everything We Hope Apple Will Add to iOS 16s
This year's event also follows the Labor Day hypothesis that CNET has been diving into since 2018. It hasn't always followed suit, as the hypothesis did not come true in 2020 nor 2021, and it's still possible that reported supply chain issues for the iPhone 14 could impact its eventual release date. A recent Bloomberg report, however, suggested the Sept. 7 launch along with a release date of Sept. 16. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has quelled some of those supply chain fears, saying it should only have a "limited" impact, in a July post on Twitter.
For a more in-depth look at iPhone rumors, check out every rumor we've heard about Apple's iPhone 14 and our story on whether there will be a foldable iPhone. Also, check out whether you should upgrade to an iPhone 12 or 13 this year, if you're not interested in the rumored iPhone 14.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max: See Apple's biggest mobile flex this year See all photos.
Android flagships like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Pixel 6 Pro are great, but not everyone has upward of $1,000 to spend on a new phone. That’s where the new $499 Motorola Edge comes in. The latest version of Motorola’s mid-tier handset might not have the same bells and whistles as its fancier counterparts, but it promises a pretty compelling set of features for the price — including a few things you won’t always find on more expensive devices.
The 2022 Motorola Edge is set to launch sometime in the next few weeks, and we got to spend some hands-on time ahead of release to see how this aggressively priced phone stacks up to the competition. Here’s what you need to know.
Motorola Edge price and preorders
The new Motorola Edge will first launch on T-Mobile “in the coming weeks,” according to Motorola. The phone will then hit most major carriers as well as Best Buy, Amazon and Motorola’s website shortly after that, for a special launch price of $499. We’re not sure how long the launch window is set to last, but the phone will eventually jump to $599 after that.
The new Motorola Edge’s curvy edges and nearly borderless display look slick from a distance, but once you pick one up, it very much feels like a $500 phone. The handset’s plastic exterior felt pretty cheap compared to the aluminum bodies on the iPhone 13 and Galaxy S22 I typically use, and the Edge’s silver backside picked up fingerprints pretty quickly. A plasticky design isn’t a deal breaker at this price — and it allows the Edge to be significantly lighter than many flagships — but it is something you’ll notice if you’re coming from a more expensive phone.
But while the Edge’s overall build is what I’d expect from a low-cost phone, the handset’s display was a pleasant surprise. This device’s seamless 6.6-inch OLED screen doesn’t quite have the same rich level of color I’m used to from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but it offered plenty of detail and clarity when I fired up the trailer for “Star Wars: Andor.” More crucially, it has a whopping 144Hz refresh rate, which means that scrolling through documents and bouncing between apps feels more than twice as smooth as it would on most phones at this price.
This feature made swiping through the CNN Underscored website feel incredibly responsive, and allowed the high-speed racing action of Asphalt 9 to look strikingly fluid. Considering that rival budget phones like the Google Pixel 6a — and even more expensive phones like the iPhone 13 — are still stuck at a slower 60Hz, the Edge’s ultra-smooth display gives it a big advantage over other affordable handsets.
I’m not expecting the Edge’s MediaTek Dimensity 1050 processor to smoke the latest iPhones, Pixels and Galaxy devices on our benchmark tests, but Motorola’s latest phone performed perfectly fast enough in my limited testing time. Mobile games ran without a hitch, switching between apps was fast and I could even watch a YouTube video in picture-in-picture while browsing the web without any noticeable slowdown. We’ll have to see how the Edge shakes out under our typical everyday workload, but if you’re just texting friends, checking email and visiting websites, you should be just fine.
A decent camera experience and promising features
The new Motorola Edge packs a triple-camera system that has a lot of the fancy tech specs you might find on a more expensive phone, including a 50-megapixel main lens as well as a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens for nice panoramic shots. The phone is designed to take good shots in low light, which mostly proved to be the case when I snapped a few photos of a dim, neon-lit arcade area that Motorola set up for its event. The Edge’s optical image stabilization also allowed for some decently smooth video of someone playing Skee-Ball in said area.
The standard selfies I snapped on the phone’s 32-megapixel front camera weren’t the best, though I got much better results when I switched to portrait mode, which blurred out the background for more dramatic and clear shots. I’m not expecting the Edge to hold up to a Galaxy or Pixel — especially with all of the latter’s software smarts — but I’m looking forward to seeing how its cameras hold up in real-world use.
You must be logged in to post a comment.