iPhone 14 review: Not a year's upgrade for most
The iPhone 14 series is both controversial and disappointing. With its latest phones, Apple has chosen to ditch the physical SIM card slot, but has continued to avoid embracing USB-C, and on non-Pro models there's still the notch. At the same time, the iPhone 14 looks almost identical to its predecessor, at least on the outside. It has slightly improved cameras, a new high-speed accelerometer for collision detection, and the ability to connect to satellites for emergency communications.
Apple also decided to relaunch a larger Plus model this year instead of a new iPhone mini, and kept the same A15 Bionic chip instead of switching to the A16 Bionic powering the iPhone Pro line. The Plus won't be available until October, and we only have the smaller $799 model to review right now. So far, barring some controversial changes and emergency apps, iPhone 14 is the very definition of an incremental upgrade.
88Score
Commitment
88
Reviews - Not rated yet
N/A
Users - Not rated yet
N/A
The easiest way to tell the difference between the iPhone 13 and 14 is to look for the SIM tray on the left. The new phone does not. Other than that, the only difference this year is the new color options (purple and blue). I love them, but they don't inspire the same kind of lust in me as the green iPhone 12 or the pink iPhone 13.
Lack of change isn't a bad thing, by the way. Apple's handsets may seem predictable, but they still feel expensive and well-made. They also have the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, as well as the same ceramic screen protecting the screen from scratches. It feels like the company has picked a design for the foreseeable future and won't deviate much from it.
In fact, the iPhone 14 has almost the same dimensions as the iPhone 13. Although it's a hundredth of an inch thicker, it's two grams (or 0.07 ounce) lighter. For comparison, the iPhone 14 is also heavier than the Galaxy S22, but otherwise the same size.
While not much has changed on the outside, Apple said at its "Far Out" event last week that it had redesigned the internals of the iPhone 14 by separating the aluminum casing and the glass from the back of the phone so that they become one enclosure. This brings two advantages:...
The iPhone 14 series is both controversial and disappointing. With its latest phones, Apple has chosen to ditch the physical SIM card slot, but has continued to avoid embracing USB-C, and on non-Pro models there's still the notch. At the same time, the iPhone 14 looks almost identical to its predecessor, at least on the outside. It has slightly improved cameras, a new high-speed accelerometer for collision detection, and the ability to connect to satellites for emergency communications.
Apple also decided to relaunch a larger Plus model this year instead of a new iPhone mini, and kept the same A15 Bionic chip instead of switching to the A16 Bionic powering the iPhone Pro line. The Plus won't be available until October, and we only have the smaller $799 model to review right now. So far, barring some controversial changes and emergency apps, iPhone 14 is the very definition of an incremental upgrade.
88Score
Commitment
88
Reviews - Not rated yet
N/A
Users - Not rated yet
N/A
The easiest way to tell the difference between the iPhone 13 and 14 is to look for the SIM tray on the left. The new phone does not. Other than that, the only difference this year is the new color options (purple and blue). I love them, but they don't inspire the same kind of lust in me as the green iPhone 12 or the pink iPhone 13.
Lack of change isn't a bad thing, by the way. Apple's handsets may seem predictable, but they still feel expensive and well-made. They also have the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, as well as the same ceramic screen protecting the screen from scratches. It feels like the company has picked a design for the foreseeable future and won't deviate much from it.
In fact, the iPhone 14 has almost the same dimensions as the iPhone 13. Although it's a hundredth of an inch thicker, it's two grams (or 0.07 ounce) lighter. For comparison, the iPhone 14 is also heavier than the Galaxy S22, but otherwise the same size.
While not much has changed on the outside, Apple said at its "Far Out" event last week that it had redesigned the internals of the iPhone 14 by separating the aluminum casing and the glass from the back of the phone so that they become one enclosure. This brings two advantages:...
What's Your Reaction?
