This is the new iPhone that the majority of people want. It’s not the iPhone, which has cool new display features and a high-resolution camera. It’s an iPhone with a big screen and a battery that lasts for days.
To be honest, that’s all you need to know about it. If you prefer an iPhone with the best battery life over an iPhone with the most recent features, the iPhone 14 Plus is the one for you.
It’s impossible to assess an iPhone without comparing it to the one before it. As a result, 2022’s iPhone 14 is eerily identical to 2021’s iPhone 13 (mini review), and a touch uninteresting as a result.
The Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Outstanding battery life Great performance Superb dual cameras Top build quality | 60Hz display Slow charging No RAW photo shooting |
It has the same design and offers very little new. If you already have an iPhone 13 (still great), you don’t need an iPhone 14.
If you’re here debating whether to buy the iPhone 14, you almost certainly don’t own an iPhone 13. You’ll have an older iPhone, like the iPhone XR or iPhone 11, or you’ll be switching from Android and aren’t sure whether you need all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone 14 Pro.
In that case, the iPhone 14 is an excellent device. It has a good screen, a long battery life, excellent cameras, and excellent performance. It’s the default iPhone setting and will fit in perfectly with your lifestyle.
All of that said, it’s more expensive in the UK and Europe than the iPhone 13 was at $799/£849/€1,019, and while its screen is good, it’s stuck at 60Hz when most Android phones at this price have slicker 120Hz refresh rates. Apple also purposefully excludes features that the hardware can support in order to upsell you to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is annoying.
Essentially, the iPhone 14 is a very good phone, but Apple has limited its potential so that it can charge more for it.
Specs and performance
| A15 Bionic Blazing fast As good as the Pro for most 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm 172g 6.1in Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) IP68 dust and water resistance A15 Bionic Main 12Mp camera, f/1.5, sensor-shift OIS | 120-degree 12Mp ultrawide, f/2.4 4K@60fps with Dolby Vision HDR support 12Mp f/1.9 front-facing camera with autofocus Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 6 with 2xMIMO NFC Satellite connectivity Car Crash detection |
In 2022, Apple changed its strategy, putting the new A16 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro but not in the regular iPhone 14. The bottom line is that this is unimportant because the A15 in the iPhone 14 is very fast and capable – in fact, it is the same one found in the iPhone 13 Pro.
Apple does not specify how much RAM is installed in its phones, but teardowns have revealed that it is 6GB. Apple has redesigned the iPhone 14 on the inside, making it much more repairable, according to iFixit’s teardown – a minor victory.
The phone comes with a non-expandable storage capacity of 128, 256, or 512GB. If you have a lot of photos and apps, I recommend at least 256GB.
I encountered no performance issues while using the phone as my primary device. Despite its year-old processor, the iPhone 14 feels more fluid and performant than many current Android flagships. That’s not to say it’s not, but it feels so slick because Apple has complete control over the hardware and software, and its quality control is extremely high.
The phone keeps apps in memory so you can pick up where you left off when switching between apps. There’s also no aggressive background snoozing of apps like on some Android devices, so notifications came through without a hitch.
The phone competed with the iPhone 13 Pro in benchmarks, which makes sense given that the hardware is nearly identical. In Geekbench’s multicore CPU test, the phone outperformed the 14 Pro, demonstrating that the benefits of going ‘pro’ with an iPhone are minor.
Design and Build of the iPhone 14
| -Premium feel -Nicer in hand than the Pro -No Dynamic Island |
The iPhone 14 has the same notch size as the iPhone 13 for the front camera and Face ID system, but it lacks the iPhone 14 Pro’s fancy Dynamic Island cut-out camera and sensor with its software tricks and new ways to display information. The Pro also gets Apple’s new always-on display technology.
There are two camera lenses in a bump on the back, which means the phone will rock on a table if not in a case (the bump is also bigger so will not fit in any iPhone 13 cases). The volume buttons are on the left edge, below the mute switch, and the power button is on the right.
There’s also a SIM tray in every country except the US, as Apple only uses eSIM in its North American models.
If you don’t want that to happen in your country, you might want to get the iPhone 14, which may be one of the last iPhones with a physical SIM tray.
It may also be the last year that the iPhone uses the 10-year-old Lightning port, as the iPhone is rumored to be switching to USB-C soon, but a Lightning port is still present on the bottom of the phone, next to the down-firing speaker that pairs with the earpiece for dual speaker sound.
There’s also a SIM tray in every country except the US, as Apple only uses eSIM in its North American models.
If you don’t want that to happen in your country, you might want to get the iPhone 14, which may be one of the last iPhones with a physical SIM tray.
It may also be the last year that the iPhone uses the 10-year-old Lightning port, as the iPhone is rumored to be switching to USB-C soon, but a Lightning port is still present on the bottom of the phone, next to the down-firing speaker that pairs with the earpiece for dual speaker sound.
Display and audio
| Bright 6.1in screen Only 60Hz Dual stereo speakers |
In that case, the iPhone 14 is an excellent device. It has a good screen, a long battery life, excellent cameras, and excellent performance. It’s the default iPhone setting and will fit in perfectly with your lifestyle.
All of that said, it’s more expensive in the UK and Europe than the iPhone 13 was at $799/£849/€1,019, and while its screen is good, it’s stuck at 60Hz when most Android phones at this price have slicker 120Hz refresh rates. Apple also purposefully excludes features that the hardware can support in order to upsell you to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is annoying.
Essentially, the iPhone 14 is a very good phone, but Apple has limited its potential so that it can charge more for it.
The iPhone 14 has the same notch size as the iPhone 13 for the front camera and Face ID system, but it lacks the iPhone 14 Pro’s fancy Dynamic Island cut-out camera and sensor with its software tricks and new ways to display information. The Pro also gets Apple’s new always-on display technology.
There are two camera lenses in a bump on the back, which means the phone will rock on a table if not in a case (the bump is also bigger so will not fit in any iPhone 13 cases). The volume buttons are on the left edge, below the mute switch, and the power button is on the right.
iPhone 14 Charging and Battery
| Superb battery life Slow to charge Qi and MagSafe wireless charging |
Apple annoys me by not revealing the size of the batteries in its phones, but you might not mind since this doesn’t affect how long the phone is usable between charges. The iPhone 14’s battery life was outstanding in my opinion. The phone would typically last me a day and a half of usage before I needed to recharge; in other words, I would take it off the charger around 8am and it would barely be at 20% by midday the following day.
The battery (if you care) is only 3,279mAh, which is significantly less than the 5,000mAh now frequently found on Android phones. Because Apple controls all of the hardware and iOS software, the battery efficiency is excellent, allowing for longer battery life with fewer cells.
If you use your phone a lot, you might want to consider the larger 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which have larger batteries.
One disadvantage of the iPhone 14 is its slow charging. In comparison to Android phones, which can charge to 100% in less than 30 minutes, the iPhone remains glacial. I charged the phone from 0% to 60% in 30 minutes using the included Lightning cable and a 30W Apple USB-C charger (no charging brick is included).
Slow charging isn’t an issue if you want to charge your phone overnight, but if you run out of juice during the day, it takes longer to charge than rival phones.
Additionally, Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging circle is built into the back of the device, allowing you to use magnetic wireless chargers or accessories like the company’s stylish three-card wallet. Wireless charging using the Qi standard is also available.
iPhone 14 Camera and video
- Excellent main 12Mp lens
- Autofocus on selfie cam
- No RAW capture
The regular iPhone 14’s camera isn’t a slouch, despite the Pro iPhones’ cameras receiving a lot of attention. As long as you don’t require an optical telephoto lens, it ranks among the best camera systems I’ve used on a phone this year.
The iPhone offers the best point-and-shoot camera experience of any phone brand, right up there with the Google Pixel. A 12MP main f/1.5 lens with optical image stabilization (OIS) or a 12MP ultra-wide f/2.4 lens with a 120° field of view are both options for shooting.
If you use your phone a lot, you might want to consider the larger 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which have larger batteries.
One disadvantage of the iPhone 14 is its slow charging. In comparison to Android phones, which can charge to 100% in less than 30 minutes, the iPhone remains glacial. I charged the phone from 0% to 60% in 30 minutes using the included Lightning cable and a 30W Apple USB-C charger (no charging brick is included).
Slow charging isn’t an issue if you want to charge your phone overnight, but if you run out of juice during the day, it takes longer to charge than rival phones.
You are not granted access to Apple’s ProRAW RAW format, which would be useful for those who want to edit their images but don’t want to spend the money on a Pro iPhone, nor do you receive the 48MP main lens featured on the iPhone 14 Pro. It is infuriating that the iPhone 14 cannot shoot in RAW images despite having technology that clearly supports it. This is especially true given that the primary sensor utilized in this device is the same as that found in the RAW-capable iPhone 13 Pro.
Though the images are a little over-sharpened by Apple’s computational processing, the HEIF (if Live Photos is active) or JPEG shots taken with the main lens are stunning and capture loads of detail. Low-light performance is improved over the standard iPhone 13, but only when comparing images side by side. These are only marginal gains year on year.
Price and availability
The 128GB model of the iPhone 14 starts at $799/£849/€1,019 (approximately). While it costs the same as an iPhone 13 in the US, it costs £70 more in the UK and a significant €120 more in Europe.
Direct from Apple is the best place to purchase it in any region because you can also buy Apple Care insurance there. Check out our article on where to buy the iPhone 14 for more retail options.
The price increases to $899 (£959/€1,149) for the 256GB model and $1099 (£1179/€1,409; the model I tested) for the 512GB model.
You might prefer to buy the iPhone 14 on a two-year contract to mitigate the price increase, but if you want to buy it outright, consider cheaper, premium Android alternatives such as the $599/£599/€649 Google Pixel 6, which has a 90Hz display and a similar main and ultra-wide camera.
Is it worth buying iPhone 14?
The iPhone 14 Plus is for you if it’s time for an upgrade and you’ve been eyeing the large iPhone but would rather have the best battery life over the most up-to-date features. For less than $1,000, you can get an iPhone with a really large screen and excellent battery life. Many people will find that combination of features appealing, and the 14 Plus lives up to its promises.
In Apple’s lineup, the iPhone 14 takes the place of the iPhone 13 and continues to be the most popular iPhone model. It features excellent cameras, a long battery life, and a wonderful display—even though it runs at 60 Hz.
It’s worth noting that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max offer more noticeable upgrades. Everything new in the 14 is included, as well as an upgraded main camera with a larger 48-megapixel sensor, an ultrawide camera with Macro capabilities, and a third camera with a telephoto lens. If you can get a good trade-in deal that significantly reduces the price of the iPhone 14 Pro, upgrading from the regular iPhone 12 is a good step up.
It isn’t excessively huge, unlike the Plus and Max variants of the iPhone, and it won’t weigh down your pocket or bag. I also prefer the aluminum sides of the iPhone 14 over the glossy, fingerprint-attracting sides of the Pro iPhones.
Bottom line: Keep your iPhone 12 for another year because the iPhone 14 isn’t significantly different. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, bring more significant changes that may be worthwhile if you can find a good trade-in deal.
