References to the ‘iPhone 14‌ Max’ moniker have been found on Apple’s website, suggesting that it was originally decided for the low-end 6.7-inch iPhone to be called iPhone 14 Plus, and the company changed its mind just before launch.

Publicate iCreate spotted two references to the iPhone 14 Max name on Apple’s official website. The first evidence has been found in a support document. The document published by Apple helps users identify their iPhone model.

Upon right-clicking the image of ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus models, the default image name is “iPhone-14-Max-colors” suggesting Apple was planning to call iPhone 14 Plus the ‘iPhone 14 Max’ prior to its launch. 

Furthermore, Apple has listed “iPhone 14 Max” with the model number A2886 (which is the model number of the 6.7-inch low-cost model) on a page that provides compliance and regulatory information about the company’s products.
 

And this is not the only place where Apple falls short. Even Apple’s own Newsroom still talks about the iPhone 14 Max – although you’ll have to search hard. The name is here in the alt tag of an image: this is the text that blind and partially sighted people can have read aloud, so that they know what is in the image. You can see the text in the source code.

Rumors were widely referring to the iPhone 14 Max as the lineup’s large low-end model. Apple’s launch event was only a week away when a leak suggested it would be known as the iPhone 14 Plus instead. 
 
Apple, possibly, made the last-minute decision due to the significant differences between the base and Pro models this year. It could be to avoid any confusion among consumers who may believe that anything with “Max” in the name has all the features.
 
While the iPhone 14 Plus model was announced alongside the iPhone 14 series, it’ll only be next week when the model is available on open sale for the first time. Until now, you could only place a pre-order for the iPhone 14 Plus.

Source: iCreate