Apple's iPhone 14 Lineup: Should you upgrade?

Apple recently revealed the all-new iPhone 14. The new lineup has 4 distinct iPhones, featuring different specs and sizes: 2 base models (iPhone 14 and 14 Plus) and 2 Pro models (iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max). All phones pack a punch, specifically the Pro versions; but is it enough to upgrade? Or to make the switch from Android?

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

The iPhone 14 sports a 6.1-inch display and the 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Both phones feature beautiful OLED super-retina XDR panels, which are great for content consumption. The iPhone 14/14 Plus are also great for outdoor usage. The screens are rated with a peak brightness of 1200 nits (HDR).

iPhone 14 & 14 Plus Design

Both versions of the iPhone 14 look very similar to their predecessor. From the front display to the notch, the design language is familiar. However, the rear camera housing is noticeably larger. Overall, the phone is aesthetically pleasing, solid and premium.

In addition, there are five available colors: Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Product Red and Blue. All colors look spectacular, with my personal favourite being Midnight.

iPhone 14 & 14 Plus Perfomance

Unfortunately, the iPhone 14/14 Plus will feature last year’s A15 Bionic Chip. It’s still an amazing chip with great performance, however, it’s hard to ignore paying full price for a phone that’s featuring an older processor.

Compared to the iPhone 13 which also uses the A15 Bionic, the iPhone 14’s chip has a slightly better GPU with 5-Cores versus 4-cores of the iPhone 13. Furthermore, the phone is snappy, the user interface is fluid and everything just works as it should. Paired with iOS 16 with all of its cool features, such as the new lock screen, it’s a match made in heaven. Like previous iPhones, the iPhone 14 will receive updates for years to come.

Storage starts at 128GB, 256GB and up to 512GB with 6GB of RAM.

iPhone 14 & 14 Plus battery

Regarding battery life, Apple’s done an amazing job with the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Both phones easily last throughout the day. Both phones can also be wirelessly charged up to 15W (with MagSafe).

Apple has rated the larger 14 Plus as having longer battery life, with an estimated 26 hours of video playback compared to 20 hours of video playback on the iPhone 14.

Features

Always on display

Finally, Apple did it! A feature that has always been on Android is now available on iOS. Always on display looks great on iPhone, though it would have been great if Apple made the background darker.

Satellite Emergency SOS

When out of range, for example in remote locations, all iPhone 14 models can communicate with satellites to help you connect with emergency services. This is one of those features that most people won’t regularly use, but will appreciate when a situation presents itself.

Great camera

If you like taking photos, the iPhone 14 produces some of the best images. Colors are well balanced, HDR is on point, low light photography is a step up from last year’s iPhone 13 and the pictures look spectacular, thanks to that Photonic Engine. Of course, if your main reason for upgrading is the camera, consider checking out the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max instead. Since the iPhone 14 lacks the telephoto lens.

Robust hardware

Protected by aerospace-grade aluminum and ceramic shield on the front display, the iPhone 14/14 Plus is made to last.

Crash detection

iPhone 14 can detect when a crash happens by using the phone’s internal g-force accelerometer sensor to detect abrupt changes in speeds and it uses the microphone to hear loud sounds of impact. The phone will then call emergency services if you’re unresponsive. Now that’s really cool.

Pricing

$799 for the iPhone 14
$899 for the iPhone 14 Plus

Is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 14?

It depends, if you’re coming from an older iOS device, the new iPhone 14 should be a deserving upgrade. However, it probably won’t be worth it if you already own an iPhone 13, or the iPhone 13 Pro. Other than the subtle improvements and features, there’s really nothing substantial to justify an upgrade. Moreover, if you currently own an iPhone 13 mini and you realized that you don’t like the smaller form factor, the iPhone 14 might just be the next big phone to get. Also, for people looking to switch from Android, the base iPhone 14 is a good entry point to iOS.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple’s latest and greatest, the iPhone 14 Pro truly delivers. It’s a spectacular phone with impressive software features, enclosed in a premium design. On the front, the smaller Pro features a beautiful 6.1-inch OLED display, while the bigger version has an enormous 6.7-inch OLED display.

Pro iPhones will have different colors from the regular iPhone 14s such as; Deep Purple, Gold, Silver and Space Black.

The dynamic island

The most exciting new feature of the iPhone 14 Pro lineup is the Dynamic island. It’s a great software feature that transforms the front-camera pill cutout into an immersive notification playground. The island satisfyingly changes shape to show you notifications from different apps in a convenient manner. For example, if you have a timer, instead of regularly opening the clock app to check the timer, you can now conveniently see the timer on the island. In addition, the dynamic island supports multiple apps at the same time.

Apple has done a great job with the software as transitions and effects look incredible. It won’t be surprising to see Android manufacturers copying this feature in their next smartphones.

iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max Performance

The iPhone 14 Pro (and Pro Max) comes with an impressive chip, the A16 Bionic. It’s hands down the most powerful chip of any smartphone, beating out its biggest rival, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This chip is so powerful that it could power a desktop operating system without sweat. In simpler terms, performance won’t be an issue with the new iPhone 14 Pro. In fact, this phone should last a buyer for years and years to come, if they choose to keep it.

Click this link to view a detailed spec sheet of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.

iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max battery life

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have amazing battery life. It’s absolutely ridiculous how good battery tech has gotten on iPhones. Both phones should last you through the day, with the Pro Max possibly hitting the 2-day mark depending on your usage. Nevertheless, the older iPhone 13 Pro Max is still the king of battery longevity, but that shouldn’t deter you from considering the newer 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max camera

If I could describe the Camera on the iPhone 14 Pro with one word, I’d say it’s “phenomenal”. Apple is raising the bar with photography, specifically with video recording. If you love taking videos, no smartphone camera comes even close to competing with this camera system.

So what exactly makes this camera special? Apple is now using a 48mp sensor which is 4x the resolution of the iPhone 13 Pro. The main sensor is also 65% larger, meaning more light is captured. This translates to better low-light photos. Overall, the camera system is robust, pictures are well-detailed, HDR is really good, colors are balanced and most importantly, it’s very consistent.

Zoom has also been improved, with 6x optical zoom and up to 15x digital zoom. It’s nothing crazy like Samsungs 100x Space Zoom on the S22 Ultra, but it’s good enough.

To get detailed specs of the camera, click this link.

Extra features of the iPhone 14 Pro

The display is crazy bright

You won’t have trouble viewing the display on a bright sunny day, as it can reach a peak brightness of 2000 nits. That’s more brightness than the already impressive 1750 nits of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Durable and premium

Built with surgical-grade stainless steel and ceramic shield on the front glass, the iPhone 14 Pro is no slouch. The phone is also water and dust-resistant, with a rating of IP68.

All features of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus

The Pro phones are better in every way. All features available to the normal iPhone 14 line-up are available to the Pro and more.

Is the iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max worth the upgrade?

Like anyone interested in Apple products, you might be wondering if any of the new Pro models are worth the upgrade, especially if you already own an iPhone 13 Pro.

Other than the dynamic island and camera improvements, there is no major reason to upgrade to the iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max if you’re coming from an iPhone 13 Pro. But if you score a good trade-in deal or have extra cash to spare, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 14 Pro.

However, if you’re using an older iPhone, the iPhone 14 Pro will be a suitable upgrade. It’s also a fitting choice for Android users who would want to switch to iOS.

Things to consider before buying an iPhone 14

If you live in the US, all iPhone 14s won’t have a SIM card tray.
The older iPhone 13 Pro is now cheaper.
The phone comes with no charger.
Prices start at ($799 for the iPhone 14), ($899 for the iPhone 14 Plus), ($999 for the iPhone 14 Pro) and ($1099 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max)

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