Apple iPhone 14 Review: Iterative Upgrades

As I used to be getting a haircut final week, my hairdresser requested if I’d seen the new iPhone. She didn’t know my occupation however noticed my Apple Watch and, as is compulsory in that line of labor, was making small speak. “Does it look any different?” was the primary question. I reached into my again pocket and with a flourish handed her the iPhone 14. A shocked smile rapidly gave method to disappointment. “It’s exactly the same as my iPhone 11,” she mentioned. 

This is the issue for Apple. The few components the general public would possibly acknowledge as new have gone to the iPhone 14 Pro models, such because the Always-On show and Dynamic Island. The Pros even have new 48-megapixel sensors for the first rear digicam, one thing Apple hasn’t fiddled with since 2015. This means the telephones seize extra element so you may print your pics giant, for instance, and it permits for extra modifying choices. But be trustworthy—how many individuals have you learnt who print poster-sized images or delve into RAW settings on their handset?

The vanilla iPhone is arguably an important handset for Apple. After all, it sells the most by some margin. If Apple needs you to improve, there must be an apparent motive, or causes, to take action—ones the typical individual can acknowledge and get enthusiastic about. So let’s check out what Apple needs us to think about when wanting on the new iPhone 14.

Hello Again

Yes, it appears precisely the identical as the iPhone 13. Well, I’ll provide you with a prize for those who can detect the 0.31-inch thickness in comparison with the predecessor’s 0.30 inches, or the almost 2 grams shaved off in weight. You get the identical 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR show, nonetheless—sure, nonetheless—operating at 60 Hz. Unlike most other phones at this worth, you received’t get a slick 120-Hz screen refresh rate. You’ll need to improve to a Pro mannequin for those who really need it. 

Apple has ditched the iPhone Mini design (it bombed, sadly) and returned to “bigger is better,” including in a 6.7-inch Plus mannequin. This iPhone 14 Plus is just about the identical because the iPhone 14, besides it’ll have barely longer battery life and arrives on October 7 (you can preorder it now). 

These iPhones stay IP68 water- and dust-resistant. You get the identical toughened ceramic glass and aluminum as on the 13. The similar brightness ranges. Even the processor powering it’s the similar—the A15 Bionic chip as an alternative of the A16 within the Pro, however right here at the very least Apple has given you the iPhone 13 Pro model with an additional graphics core. Apple has fiddled with the battery to present you an virtually unnoticeable additional hour of video playback, from 19 to twenty. But the bigger design of the iPhone 14 Plus bumps this as much as 26 hours.

Load up the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 on Apple’s personal comparison tool and you’ll see for your self how few variations there are between the 2. 

Got Your Back

Two of probably the most important upgrades for the brand new iPhones are options that you’ll hopefully by no means use and which can be onerous to check. I really like my job, however I’m not about to get right into a automotive accident or fall off a mountain on objective. Sorry. 

Assuming Crash Detection works as acknowledged, it’s certainly a intelligent addition. A brand new dual-core accelerometer and high-dynamic-range gyroscope, together with sound monitoring, can detect extreme crashes as much as 256 gs. Once a prang is registered, the iPhone 14 can mechanically dial emergency companies and play a voice loop notifying responders of the crash and offering your location. The iPhone may alert emergency contacts within the Health app. 

If you come to hurt in a distant space the place there’s no telephone service, SOS Emergency through Satellite makes use of customized antennas to hook up with Globalstar satellites in orbit, permitting you to textual content chat with emergency responders or Apple’s personal Relay Center. The trick right here will likely be having sufficient battery left to search out these satellites (it additionally doesn’t work indoors). 

eSIM

With the iPhone 14, you don’t want a bodily SIM card to hook up with mobile networks. Instead, you should use an eSIM (electronic SIM). This will not be new tech—it’s been accessible because the iPhone XS. However, Apple has utterly nixed the bodily SIM card slot for iPhones within the US. People within the UK (and the remainder of the world) nonetheless get the choice to make use of one.