The Apple iPhone 14 is the cheapest iPhone currently available, and its key selling point is the $200 reduction over the iPhone 14 Pro. If you don't want to shell out for an iPhone 14 Pro and don't have any pressing need for its three cameras or always-on display, this is the first iPhone you should look at. Even though it looks quite similar to last year's model, the iPhone 14 remains a formidable rival. There's a brand-new phone inside. The bigger iPhone 14 Plus, the first iPhone to include a 6.7-inch screen without the associated price increase that comes with becoming a Pro model, is equipped with the same upgraded internals as the basic iPhone. Many more people's wallets can accommodate the largest iPhone now.

The iPhone 14's starting price is $799, and it sports a 6.1-inch screen, much like the iPhone 14 Pro. Its CPU is an incremental upgrade over the one found in the iPhone 13 Pro, released the year before. The front and primary cameras on this year's model have been upgraded.

The iPhone 14 Plus begins at $899, $100 more than the regular 14, and features a bigger 6.7-inch display, the same size as the iPhone Pro Max (which retails for $1,099). The Plus is identical to the standard iPhone in terms of functionality and design, including the iPhone 13 Pro's chipset, with the exception of its bigger size, larger battery, and higher price.

Some of the new capabilities of this year's iPhones include better computational photography, accident detection, increased video stabilisation, and the ability to transmit emergency messages via satellite. Find out if I think the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are worth the money by reading on!


The New Apple iPhone 14: Detailed Specs

The starting price is $799. The phone has an OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a size of 6.1 inches. It has a resolution of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch. The storage capacity of the device is 128GB, which can be expanded up to 512GB. The battery can last for up to 20 hours of video playback. The dimensions of the item are 5.8 inches in length, 2.8 inches in width, and 0.3 inches in thickness. It weighs approximately 6.1 ounces. The processor is called Apple A15 Bionic. The camera setup includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 12-megapixel wide lens, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.


Details about the Apple iPhone 14 Plus, Including Detailed Specs

The phone has an OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a size of 6.1 inches. It has a resolution of 2,778 x 1,284 pixels, which results in a pixel density of 458 pixels per inch. In terms of storage, it comes with 128GB of internal storage, with the option to expand it up to 512GB. The battery life is impressive, lasting up to 26 hours of video playback. The dimensions of the item are 6.3 inches in length, 3.1 inches in width, and 0.3 inches in thickness. It weighs approximately 7.2 ounces. The price starts at $899 and can go up from there. The camera setup includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 12-megapixel wide lens, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. The processor is called Apple A15 Bionic.


Design of the Apple iPhone 14 and Apple iPhone 14 Plus

The iPhone 14 is an iteration of a design introduced in 2013. The Apple iPhone 14 is virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor. The iPhone 14 Plus looks identical to the iPhone 14, except it is bigger. Identical style, although larger in scale.

The colours, the hole at the top of the display, and the back cameras are the most noticeable changes from the iPhone 13. The shifts in hue are rather muted: In addition to Midnight, Starlight, and Purple, now we have a brighter product (Red) as well. A softer, pastel version of blue is the fifth option. The iPhone 14's notch has been slightly redesigned to be smaller and have a deeper cutout, while the Dynamic Island has been added to the iPhone 14 Pro series.

Unlike the matte finishes of the iPhone Pro series, the iPhone 14s sports a glossy chassis. Frame-wise, they're both made of lightweight aluminium. When held in one hand, the 1.2-ounce weight difference between the normal iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro is noticeable. The iPhone 14 Plus is also noticeably lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, by 1.3 ounces.

The iPhone 14 Plus has a massive form factor. If the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be your first large-screen smartphone, it's a good idea to hold one in person before making a purchase. People with tiny hands shouldn't try to use it.

The iPhone 13 Pro was the first to use this type of notch for the front cameras. Despite looking considerably different from the iPhone 14 Pro and its tiny capsule-like cutout, the iPhone 13's design has been improved.

The lens on the new iPhone 14's primary camera is much larger. For this reason and to maintain visual harmony, Apple has increased the size of both of the back cameras, which are still set up in a diagonal configuration. (Because of these changes, your old iPhone cover won't work with the iPhone 14). The cameras on the bigger iPhone 14 Plus are the same physical size as those on the smaller iPhone 14, but their relative size is reduced.

The U.S. editions of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus no longer support SIM cards, opting instead for eSIM. This eliminates the phone's ability to use a SIM card, while international models of the iPhone still include a SIM card slot. This adjustment prepares Apple for a day when eSIMs are standard, and the company may reorganise its internal components to make better use of the extra room.

Sensors in modern smartphones may now determine whether you've been in a vehicle accident and immediately notify emergency personnel of your specific position. If you are off the grid and without access to Wi-Fi or cellular service, you will be able to connect to a passing satellite for emergency communications beginning in the month of November across the United States and Canada thanks to the newly constructed antennas. iPhone users must go outside and follow on-screen instructions to learn where to aim their device, but Apple provides two years of free service. These are two instances of how Apple may make use of its seamless hardware and software integration to provide users with enhanced privacy and security.



The Screen of the Apple iPhone 14 and Apple iPhone 14 Plus

There has been no change to the screen since the iPhone 13. It boasts a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels (or 460 ppi) and a refresh rate of 60 hertz.

The resolution of the 6.7-inch OLED display on the iPhone 14 Plus is 2,778 by 1,284, which is an increase for the larger size but results in a somewhat lower pixel density of 458 PPI due to the higher refresh rate. The displays on both devices seemed identical to me when in use, with peak brightness of 800 nits (and 1,200 nits with HDR) generating brilliant visuals. The display and the phone are both water-resistant up to 50 metres and are protected by a ceramic barrier at the front.

The larger display area of the iPhone 14 Plus is a welcome addition. You have the option of making the text as large as on the iPhone 14 or making it somewhat smaller so that more text is displayed. The programme is intelligent enough to reformat the copy so that it looks its best in the final product.


Cameras on the Apple iPhone 14 and Apple iPhone 14 Plus

Apple's camera engineers are among the best in the industry, and the latest iPhones include an upgraded primary camera. Interestingly, it's different from the Pro models' brand-new primary camera.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus include a lens with a bigger f/1.5 aperture and a larger, higher-resolution picture sensor and pixel count. Apple's computational photography capabilities are enhanced by a new software feature called the Photonic engine, which moves image processing upstream in the workflow. Because of this, Deep Fusion (Apple's term for stacking many pictures and sifting through them to build a richer final output) occurs before any compression is applied, which is a more advantageous spot for it to be in the computational process. Because Apple uses higher-quality input data, the final product is more impressive. Every single iPhone has Apple's cutting-edge Photonic engine.

Apple claims that the main cameras of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are 2.5 times more capable in low light thanks to new hardware and enhanced software. This is difficult to measure, but the camera is excellent. Even in low light and challenging shooting situations, I was able to get detailed, rich, and clear shots. On rare occasions, Apple's camera technology can make even mediocre images appear spectacular.

The ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 14 is unchanged from previous models, but it now makes use of Apple's new Photonic engine. The new front-facing camera has 12 megapixels instead of 7, making it comparable to the one on the iPhone 14 Pro. And unlike previous iterations, its front shooter no longer relies on a fixed-focus lens; instead, it employs an autofocus mechanism. Once again, the focus is on enhancing low-light performance, as I discovered while comparing a selfie shot taken with the iPhone 13 and 14 at the same brightness level. The way it processed light and details seemed vastly improved. Meanwhile, the flash on the two new iPhone 14 versions is 10% brighter and more evenly distributed than before.

Apple's latest innovation for recording video is called Action Mode, and it enhances optical image stabilisation for more stable footage. To activate this function, open the Camera app and press the tiny runner icon that appears above the video recording menu. The camera is able to counteract the effects of motion blur in part by cropping into the scene it views.

I've tried out Action Mode on both the iPhone 14 Pro and the regular iPhone 14. The Pro has a better camera and sensor (an amazing 48 megapixels), so the end result is better, but otherwise the experience is equal. Video recorded in Action Mode is so fluid and enjoyable to watch that I'm beginning to question whether or not I really need a dedicated gimbal for the purpose.


The Power and Longevity of Apple's New iPhone 14 and 14 Plus

The A15 Bionic CPU from last year serves as the brains of the iPhone 14. The iPhone has never experienced this before. To be clear, the iPhone 14 doesn't use the same chip as the iPhone 13, but rather the upgraded chip that debuted with the iPhone 13 Pro. This iPhone has the same processor as last year's Pro model. If this is Apple's recipe going forward, only time will tell. The iPhone 14 Plus is not any different in any of the aforementioned respects.

Some have suggested that Apple could just rename the iPhone 14 the iPhone 13s, in reference to the years when the updates were less significant and there were fewer phone variants. Even if the new iPhone might be lacklustre at times, Apple made the correct choice in naming it. In its current configuration, I found the phone to be quite efficient and quick to use. You probably wouldn't wonder if the chip was a year old if you weren't told.

The iPhone 14 Plus is a whole new smartphone while sharing the same CPU and design as the iPhone 14. Because of its larger screen, it's a better option for people who prefer to read larger text or watch more immersive videos.

As expected, the iPhone 14 has a battery life of a whole day. You may recall that the iPhone 13 was a significant improvement over the iPhone 12, yet despite the new capabilities, the battery life of this iPhone is on par with that of the iPhone 13.

The iPhone 14 Plus's massive battery life is a major selling point. Apple claims that this iPhone has the longest-lasting battery in company history. The iPhone 14 Pro Max outperformed it in some tests, such as while playing videos, but in others, its battery simply refused to die. This is due to the larger cell size and the absence of an always-on display, both of which are present in the iPhone 14 Pro Max but not here. It's a great solution for those who suffer from battery anxiety and lasts for far longer than a day.


The verdict on Apple's new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

It's true that, compared to last year's iPhone, this one seems dated. True, neither the screen resolution nor the number of pixels in the back camera have changed. It's true that it has a Pro  processor from the previous year.

However, the iPhone 14's CPU is strong enough to support Action Mode's enhanced computational photography and video. Even when the light is poor, the cameras are able to capture clear images. Then there are the cutting-edge modern safety measures, such as automatic crash detection and SOS alerts.

So, yeah, the iPhone 14 may appear like the iPhone from last year, but it's actually much different. Those who want a smaller screen and aren't in need of the iPhone 14 Pro's enhanced camera or always-on display might consider the standard iPhone 14. Choosing the 14, though, will save you money but won't include those powerful extras.

The iPhone 14 Plus has the same functionality as the iPhone 14, but the screen and keypad are both bigger to accommodate those with larger hands. Both the smaller and bigger versions of the iPhone 14 perform identically; however, the larger Plus model's battery life is superior.


Should You Get the New Apple iPhone 14?

The iPhone 14 is a sleek and quick mobile device. Is it worthwhile to go from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 Pro, as the iPhone 14 Pro was to the iPhone 13 Pro? No. The iPhone 14 is nonetheless an excellent mobile device. The iPhone 13 is still for sale at $699, but if you're thinking about getting one now, I'd recommend saving up the extra $100 and getting the iPhone 14.

The iPhone Pro and Pro Max are the best iPhones you can buy. Although both versions are more expensive, they definitely seem like an improvement over the 14. The iPhone 14's camera isn't as good as the one on the Pro, so if you can afford the upgrade, do it. However, if a sleek, fast-performing smartphone is all you need, the iPhone 14 is an excellent choice.

The Plus is a different animal altogether. If you're thinking of upgrading and want a larger display, you no longer have to shell out the exorbitant amount of money for the Pro Max. If you found the iPhone 14 to be an adequate improvement over the iPhone 13, then the iPhone 14 Plus would be a remarkable boost.


What I Know Best

For more years than I care to count, I've been a tech writer. Phones have been the subject of the vast majority of my writing, even dating back to the days when Nokia dominated the industry and batteries lasted for weeks on end. I've used phones in every conceivable form, from "soap bar" to "flip" to "slide" to "lipstick," no joke. In the beginning, I had a Nokia 7650, which only had a 0.3-megapixel camera. There have been many advancements since then, but several things have stayed constant in their significance: the value of simplicity, adaptability, efficiency, and battery life.

I've put these devices through their paces by capturing hundreds of photos in a wide variety of lighting conditions, watching hours of film, streaming videos, using navigation applications that use the GPS, and so on. I've made sure the movie plays smoothly and that the phones actually work as intended (making and receiving calls). I tested their lightning-fast performance using widely popular apps. The phones are comfortable in the hand, provide excellent value, and are a joy to pull out of your pocket and use, all of which I have ensured.