iPhone 14 Pro CAD renders hint at slimmer bezels, more screen real estate

More screen in the same size phone, without anything getting bigger
Thinner bezels and a redesigned notch allow the iPhone 14 Pro to reclaim display space.

Each year, the small distances shrink a little more — bezels narrow, cutouts recede — and the screen quietly expands to meet the eye. The latest design blueprints for Apple's iPhone 14 Pro suggest that this incremental reclamation of space is continuing, with slimmer borders and a redesigned front camera cutout expected to deliver a more immersive display without enlarging the device itself. These are the kinds of changes that rarely announce themselves loudly, yet accumulate into a meaningfully different relationship between a person and the glass they spend their days looking through. Apple's September reveal is expected to confirm whether the rumored shifts — in display, camera, and chip — hold true.

  • Leaked CAD renders from a known industry source show the iPhone 14 Pro's bezels measurably thinner than those on the current iPhone 13 Pro, signaling a quiet but real expansion of usable screen space.
  • Apple's iconic wide notch — a design that has defined the iPhone's face for years — is rumored to be replaced on Pro models by a less intrusive pill-shaped cutout and a separate punch-hole camera.
  • The camera system on the back is also growing, with a thicker bump expected to house a new 48-megapixel main sensor, a substantial leap from the current generation.
  • Speculation swirls around chip exclusivity, with the new A16 Bionic potentially reserved for Pro models while standard iPhone 14 units carry forward the existing A15 processor.
  • All eyes are on Apple's expected September event, where these accumulated leaks will either be validated or quietly revised by the company's official reveal.

The iPhone 14 Pro is shaping up to offer more screen than its predecessor, at least according to new CAD renders obtained by leaker Ice Universe. The comparison images show noticeably thinner bezels on the Pro model relative to the current iPhone 13 Pro — a subtle shift, but one that matters. Even with the phone maintaining its existing 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes, reclaiming that border space could mean more pixels, sharper visuals, or simply a display that feels more generous without the device growing in hand.

The more dramatic change is at the top of the screen. Rather than Apple's familiar wide notch, the Pro models are rumored to adopt a pill-shaped opening alongside a separate punch-hole camera — a cleaner, less intrusive design that frees up additional display territory. The standard iPhone 14 is expected to retain the traditional notch, making this a Pro-exclusive refinement. Together, slimmer bezels and a reduced cutout would create a cumulative sense of expanded screen without any change in the phone's physical footprint.

Around back, the camera bump is expected to grow thicker to accommodate a new 48-megapixel main sensor — a significant generational jump. A purple color option has also been floated for both standard and Pro models, though that detail remains unconfirmed.

Apple will hold its cards until September, when the official reveal is expected to settle the remaining questions: whether the A16 Bionic chip will be exclusive to Pro models, whether the selfie camera gains autofocus across the lineup, and whether these renders have been telling the truth all along.

The iPhone 14 Pro is shaping up to give you more screen than before, at least according to the latest design blueprints making the rounds. New CAD renders obtained by leaker Ice Universe show the Pro model with noticeably thinner bezels—those black borders that frame the display—compared to the current iPhone 13 Pro sitting beside it in the comparison image. It's a subtle change, but one that matters for how much actual screen real estate you get to work with.

Thinner bezels mean the space they currently occupy can be reclaimed for the display itself. Even though the iPhone 14 Pro is expected to come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes as its predecessor, that extra margin of screen could translate into either more pixels packed into the same footprint or simply larger pixels for sharper visuals. Either way, it's a gain for the user. The change has been visible in earlier leaks of the phone's design, though it's easy to miss when other, more dramatic modifications are happening at the same time.

The bigger visual shift, though, is what's replacing Apple's signature notch at the top of the screen. Instead of that familiar wide cutout, the Pro models are rumored to adopt a pill-shaped opening paired with a separate punch-hole camera, a design that's less intrusive and frees up even more display territory. The standard iPhone 14 is expected to keep the traditional notch, but the Pro variants could be getting this cleaner approach. Combined with the slimmer bezels, the cumulative effect is a display that feels more expansive without the phone itself getting any bigger.

Behind the phone, changes are afoot as well. The camera bump on the back is expected to grow noticeably thicker, likely to accommodate a new 48-megapixel main sensor—a significant jump from the current generation. There's also speculation about a purple color option joining the lineup for both standard and Pro models, though that remains unconfirmed.

What remains certain is that Apple will keep its cards close until the official reveal, which typically happens in September based on the company's historical pattern. When that event arrives, we'll get confirmation on several other rumored upgrades: a new autofocus system for the selfie camera on both models, and the A16 Bionic chip, which may end up being exclusive to the Pro versions while the base iPhone 14 carries over the current A15 processor. Until then, these renders are our best window into what's coming.

The bezel of iPhone 14 Pro is narrowed
— Ice Universe, leaker
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Inventor

Why does a thinner bezel matter so much? It's just a border.

Model

Because that border is dead space right now—it's glass that doesn't show you anything. Reclaiming even a few millimeters means more room for actual content, more pixels, or sharper text. On a phone you use all day, that adds up.

Inventor

But the phone size isn't changing, right? So where does all that extra screen go?

Model

It doesn't go anywhere—it just fills the space the bezel used to occupy. You're not getting a bigger phone; you're getting more usable display in the same physical footprint. That's the whole point.

Inventor

And the pill-shaped notch is better than the current notch how?

Model

It's smaller and less visually intrusive. The current notch is wide because it houses the Face ID sensors and camera in a single housing. The pill design splits them—the camera gets its own small hole, Face ID gets its own space. Less black bar eating into your screen.

Inventor

Is this a big enough change to make someone upgrade?

Model

Probably not on its own. But combined with the camera improvements and the new chip, it's part of a package. The display refinement is the kind of thing you notice over time—less distraction, more screen to work with.

Inventor

When will we actually know if these renders are accurate?

Model

September, when Apple announces it. These leaks are usually reliable, but they're still educated guesses based on supply chain information and CAD files. Apple could surprise us.

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