iPhone 14 review

It’s tough to evaluate an iPhone with out evaluating it to the one which got here earlier than it. To that finish, 2022’s iPhone 14 is extremely much like 2021’s iPhone 13, and a little bit boring due to it.

It has the very same design and barely brings something new. When you have an iPhone 13, you most definitely don’t want an iPhone 14.

However for those who’re right here questioning whether or not to purchase the iPhone 14, you most likely don’t personal an iPhone 13. You’ll have an older iPhone, perhaps the iPhone XR or iPhone 11, otherwise you need to swap from Android and aren’t certain you want the bells and whistles of the iPhone 14 Professional.

In that case, the iPhone 14 is a superb telephone. It has display, wonderful battery life, very good cameras, and excellent efficiency. It’s the default iPhone selection and can seamlessly match into your life.

All that stated, it’s costlier than the iPhone 13 was within the UK and Europe at $799/£849/€1,019, and although its display is nice, it’s caught at 60Hz when most Android telephones at this worth have slicker 120Hz refresh charges. Apple additionally purposefully leaves out options the {hardware} can address to try to upsell you to the iPhone 14 Professional, which is annoying.

Basically, the iPhone 14 is an excellent telephone, however Apple has stunted simply how good it might be so it may cost extra for the iPhone 14 Professional.

Design and construct

• Premium really feel
• Nicer in hand than the Professional
• No Dynamic Island

The iPhone 14 continues the design language Apple started with 2020’s iPhone 12: flat aluminium sides with curved edges and a flat back and front. I prefer it. It feels premium and I nonetheless choose the matt sides and shiny again to the iPhone Professional line’s shiny metal sides and matt again. I additionally choose the lightness of this mannequin in comparison with the Professional, which is way heavier.

This feels just like the ‘proper’ dimension for an iPhone, and certainly will not be mini, Max, or Plus – that is the plain previous ‘iPhone’ for this 12 months. Apple now not makes a mini mannequin after the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini, as an alternative providing the iPhone 14 Plus, which is popping out later than the 14. I’ve small palms, so personally missed the dimensions of the iPhone mini whereas utilizing this regular-sized mannequin.

The iPhone 14 has the identical dimension notch for the entrance digital camera and Face ID system because the iPhone 13, lacking out on the iPhone 14 Professional’s fancy Dynamic Island cut-out digital camera and sensor with its software program tips and new methods to show info. Apple’s new always-on show tech can be unique to the Professional.

On the again, there are two digital camera lenses in a bump which means the telephone rocks on a desk if not in a case (the bump can be greater so is not going to slot in any iPhone 13 instances). The perimeters have quantity buttons on the left edge beneath the mute swap, with the facility button on the fitting. There’s additionally a SIM tray in each nation besides the US, as Apple has made the swap to eSIM just for its North American fashions.

In the event you don’t like the concept of that coming to your nation, you then may need to get the iPhone 14 because it might be one of many final iPhones with a bodily SIM tray.

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It may be the final 12 months the iPhone makes use of the 10-year-old Lightning port because the iPhone is rumoured to be switching to USB-C quickly, however a Lightning port does reside on the underside of the telephone right here nonetheless, subsequent to the down-firing speaker that pairs with the earpiece for twin speaker sound.

The telephone can be absolutely waterproof with an IP68 score, and I can fortunately report the iPhone nonetheless has the most effective haptics – vibration suggestions – of any telephone in the marketplace.

My evaluate pattern was within the new gentle blue color, however I nonetheless assume the most effective hue is the Product Crimson model. You too can get the telephone in midnight, starlight, or purple.

Show and audio

• Shiny 6.1in display
• Solely 60Hz
• Twin stereo audio system

The iPhone 14 is likely one of the most costly telephones you should buy that also has a 60Hz refresh fee display. The iPhone 14 Professional and lots of mid-range and high-end Android telephones have 90Hz or 120Hz screens that make content material scroll smoother and seem extra fluid, notably in menus or apps with loads of textual content.

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I didn’t overly miss a better refresh fee utilizing the iPhone 14, however after I in contrast it aspect by aspect to telephones which have one, just like the Google Pixel 6 Professional (a telephone that prices about the identical), the distinction is stark. For the asking worth, Apple needs to be providing the ProMotion 120Hz show of its Professional telephones, nevertheless it continues to go away it off the common iPhone to try to upsell you.

Fortunately the 6.1in OLED panel of the iPhone 14 is superb. It has wonderful sharpness and brightness, and Apple has completely rounded the corners to suit the aesthetic it has had for the reason that iPhone X.

For FaceTime calls and the occasional podcast, the stereo audio system on the telephone are stable. Enjoying Apple Music via them at a excessive quantity is grating although, and it distorts, as you’d anticipate on any smartphone.

Specs and efficiency

• A15 Bionic
• Blazing quick
• Nearly as good because the Professional for many

Apple has modified techniques in 2022, giving the iPhone 14 Professional the brand new A16 Bionic chipset, however not placing it on this common iPhone 14. The underside line is that this doesn’t matter, because the model of the A15 within the iPhone 14 could be very quick and succesful certainly – actually it’s the identical one discovered within the iPhone 13 Professional.

Apple doesn’t say how a lot RAM it places in its telephones, however teardowns have revealed there’s 6GB. iFixit’s teardown additionally discovered Apple has redesigned the iPhone 14 on the within, making it far more repairable – a small win.

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The telephone comes with 128, 256, or 512GB of non-expandable storage. I like to recommend at the least 256GB if in case you have loads of pictures and apps and need to preserve this telephone for a number of years.

Utilizing the telephone as my predominant system, I got here throughout completely no efficiency points. Regardless of the year-old chipset, the iPhone 14 nonetheless feels comfortably extra fluid and performant than many present Android flagships. That’s to not say it’s, nevertheless it simply feels so slick as a result of Apple has full management over the {hardware} and software program, and its high quality management could be very excessive.

Flicking between apps is seamless, and the telephone retains apps in reminiscence so you’ll be able to proper again to the place you left off. There’s additionally not one of the aggressive background snoozing of apps you discover on some Android gadgets, which means notifications got here via with out fail.

In benchmarks, the telephone went toe to toe with the iPhone 13 Professional, which is sensible given it’s virtually the identical {hardware}. The telephone additionally received a better rating than the 14 Professional in Geekbench’s multicore CPU check, proving the positive aspects you’ll really see by going ‘professional’ with an iPhone are negligible.

Battery and charging

• Excellent battery life
• Gradual to cost
• Qi and MagSafe wi-fi charging

Apple additionally annoyingly doesn’t say how large the batteries in its telephones are, however you may not care because it doesn’t replicate how lengthy the telephone lasts on a cost. I discovered battery life on the iPhone 14 to be wonderful. The telephone recurrently lasted me a day and a half of use earlier than I wanted to recharge – that’s off the charger at about 8am and solely simply dipping beneath 20% by noon the subsequent day.

The cell (for those who do care) is 3,279mAh, a lot decrease than the 5,000mAh now generally seen on Android telephones. Apple controlling all its {hardware} and iOS software program means battery effectivity is great, so it may obtain longevity with smaller cells.

In the event you actually hammer your telephone, you may need to go for the bigger 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Professional Max which have bigger batteries.

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A draw back to the iPhone 14 is its sluggish charging. In comparison with Android telephones that may cost to 100% in lower than half an hour, the iPhone stays glacial. From empty, I charged the telephone to 60% in half-hour utilizing the included Lightning cable and a 30W Apple USB-C charger (there’s no charging brick within the field).

Gradual charging received’t matter if you wish to cost your telephone in a single day, but when it hits low battery throughout the day it takes longer to cost than rival telephones.

There’s additionally wi-fi charging utilizing the Qi customary, in addition to Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging circle constructed into the again so you should use magnetic wi-fi chargers or equipment like Apple’s neat three-card pockets.

Digicam and video

• Wonderful predominant 12Mp lens
• Autofocus on selfie cam
• No RAW seize

Whereas a lot reward is heaped on the Professional iPhones’ cameras, the common iPhone 14 isn’t any slouch. It’s among the finest digital camera setups I’ve used on a telephone this 12 months, and can suffice as long as you don’t actually need an optical telephoto lens.

Alongside the Google Pixel, the iPhone has the most effective point-and-shoot digital camera expertise of any telephone model. You’ll be able to shoot with both a 12Mp predominant f/1.5 lens with optical picture stabilisation (OIS) or a 12Mp ultra-wide f/2.4 lens with a 120-degree area of view.

You don’t get the 48Mp predominant lens discovered on the iPhone 14 Professional, and nor does Apple allow you to shoot in Apple’s ProRAW RAW format, which might profit individuals who need to edit their pictures however don’t need to fork out for a Professional iPhone. Not permitting RAW pictures on the iPhone 14 when the {hardware} is clearly able to it’s galling – particularly when the primary sensor used right here is in the identical one as on the iPhone 13 Professional, which may shoot in RAW.

The HEIF (if Dwell Photographs is on) or JPEG pictures out of the primary lens are gorgeous although, capturing tons of element, although outcomes are a little bit over-sharpening by Apple’s computational processing. Low gentle efficiency is healthier than on the common iPhone 13, nevertheless it’s solely noticeable whenever you examine photos aspect to aspect. 12 months on 12 months, these are very marginal positive aspects.

There are stable software program choices like Photographic Kinds that allow you to shoot with barely totally different distinction and publicity presets that give totally different feels to pictures in comparison with the default setting. I like Wealthy Distinction the most effective out of those because it offers pictures a moodier, extra film-like color.

Portrait mode is nice due to the ever-improving software program impact, and I like how the iPhone helps you to shoot these at 1x, whereas many Android telephones should crop in to 2x or extra to do that. The principle lens also can deal with pure bokeh too, although generally these out-of-focus areas are a little bit shaky. As there’s no telephoto lens, any zoom is digital from the primary lens. It goes as much as 5x, however something over 2x doesn’t look nice.

Extremely-wide pictures from the devoted lens are stable, although do warp on the edges of some pictures regardless of Apple’s lens correction algorithms.

If Apple holds again some options from the common mannequin, at the least the iPhone 14 does get Motion Mode, a stabilisation mode for video. You toggle it on with a working particular person icon in video mode within the digital camera app, and it very efficiently reduces pure shake on video. Outcomes are very spectacular and can profit something from skateboarding movies to recording your little one’s dance recital.

Any characteristic like this to cut back shaky video is welcome. It’s far more helpful for most individuals than Cinematic Mode, which tries to recreate the rack focus impact of specializing in foreground or background planes. With a little bit endurance, you will get some enjoyable footage, although.

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The 12Mp f/1.9 selfie digital camera on the iPhone 14 is likely one of the finest enhancements this 12 months. It has autofocus for the primary time on any iPhone, and pictures are crisp and clear. Like pictures from the rear cameras, it additionally advantages from Apple’s so-called Photonic Engine, the corporate’s advertising and marketing time period for low-light picture processing.

I didn’t anticipate to take pleasure in capturing pictures with the iPhone 14 as a lot as I did, and I didn’t miss the telephoto lens an excessive amount of both. I’d choose it was there, however in any other case, this can be a very achieved digital camera setup.

Software program and updates

• iOS 16 at launch
• Lengthy software program help
• Considerate touches

The most effective issues in regards to the iPhone 14 is its projected longevity. Purchase one near launch on the tail finish of 2022, and you’re just about assured 5 years of software program updates. Given the telephone ships with iOS 16, it’s cheap to anticipate it’s going to get iOS 20. 2017’s iPhone 8 received iOS 16, and even older iPhones nonetheless get safety patches. Shopping for an iPhone will get you the most effective software program help within the smartphone recreation, and you may take iPhones into any Apple Retailer for a paid battery substitute if it’s worn out after a number of years.

If the iPhone 14 isn’t too thrilling a {hardware} improve 12 months on 12 months, then pleasant moments with the telephone may be discovered within the software program. iOS 16 provides new lock display customisation so you’ll be able to add widgets and alter the color of the time and textual content.

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Utilizing Face ID continues to be unparalleled comfort, much more seamless than any Android telephone’s biometric system.

Utilizing AirPods with an iPhone continues to be the simplest manner to make use of any Bluetooth headphones due to fast pairing that doesn’t require you to go anyplace close to the Bluetooth settings on the telephone. Utilizing SharePlay to push audio to a second pair could be very helpful, too.

With Apple Music, Dolby Atmos tracks get nice separation via my three-year-old AirPods Professional, and a few albums have Spatial Audio help, although Apple nonetheless doesn’t help hi-res wi-fi streaming to any of its personal headphone merchandise, which is odd.

The Discover My app continues to be intelligent, and because of the U1 Extremely-Wideband chip within the iPhone 14 you’ll be able to find AirTags, AirPods, or any Apple product linked to your Apple ID a lot simpler.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I additionally actually take pleasure in utilizing the Pockets app after I use an iPhone because the storing of cost playing cards, loyalty playing cards, and occasion tickets is extra seamless and extra polished than Google Pockets. You too can lastly get haptic suggestions from the keyboard when typing, a characteristic Android telephones have had for years.

New to the iPhone 14 is automotive crash detection, a characteristic I hope you’ll not have to make use of however calls emergency providers within the occasion of a crash, and is unique to the 14 and 14 Professional telephones. Apple has additionally added satellite tv for pc connectivity to the telephones for sending texts when out of mobile vary, however for the time being it’s solely coming to the US.

Privateness-wise, I admire the Conceal My E-mail characteristic whenever you log into apps utilizing your Apple ID. Logging in with Google or Fb means sharing your e mail with the developer, however Apple’s system helps you to use your ID however generates a novel e mail redirect which means your information stays personal. It’s touches like this that win prospects over.

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Value and availability

The iPhone 14 prices from $799/£849/€1,019 for the 128GB mannequin. This is identical worth within the US because the iPhone 13 however is £70 extra within the UK and an enormous €120 extra in Europe.

The perfect place to purchase it in any area is direct from Apple as it’s also possible to buy Apple Care insurance coverage on the identical time. For different retail choices, take a look at our the place to purchase the iPhone 14 article.

The value goes as much as $899/£959/€1,149 for the 256GB mannequin and $1099/£1179/€1.409 for 512GB, the mannequin I examined.

You may choose to purchase the iPhone 14 on a two-year contract, which is able to soften the blow of the worth rise, however if you wish to purchase it outright, you may contemplate cheaper, premium Android alternate options such because the $599/£599/€649 Google Pixel 6, which has a 90Hz show and comparable predominant and ultra-wide digital camera.

Verdict

The iPhone 14 replaces the iPhone 13 in Apple’s line-up and continues to be the default iPhone selection for most individuals. It has excellent cameras, excellent battery life, and an amazing, if 60Hz, show.

It’s not too giant just like the iPhone Plus and Max fashions are, and it isn’t a lead weight in a pocket or bag. I additionally choose the aluminium sides of the iPhone 14 to the shiny sides of the Professional iPhones that decide up greasy fingerprints.

Add in full waterproofing, wi-fi charging, and high software program help, and you’ve got an iPhone that may final you for 4 or 5 years. It’s simply similar to the iPhone 13, and for this worth ought to have a excessive refresh fee show and the power to shoot in RAW format so individuals can use the digital camera as knowledgeable instrument.

Specs

• 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm
• 172g
• 6.1in Tremendous Retina XDR show (2532 x 1170)
• IP68 mud and water resistance
• A15 Bionic
• Major 12Mp digital camera, f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS
• 120-degree 12Mp ultrawide, f/2.4
• 4K@60fps with Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR help
• 12Mp f/1.9 front-facing digital camera with autofocus
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Wi-Fi 6 with 2xMIMO
• NFC
• Satellite tv for pc connectivity
• Automobile Crash detection