Apple iPhone 14 review

Introduction

Apple loves a good "buzzword" as much as the next company, probably even more. The trendy "r words" arguably get the most love and attention. Words like Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle. But arguably, one of Apple's greenest practices to date is the repackaging and reselling older designs as new products after a refresh. It's been done time and time again, be it with iPhone SE models or Macbooks.

The new iPhone 14 sort of fits into this category of product. Just sort of, though, since Apple has redesigned the internals quite a bit to facilitate easier repairability, among other things. Plus, you do get new cameras and a few other new features. Externally, though, the iPhone 14 is essentially the same as the iPhone 13, and so is the core experience these devices offer. If Apple still did "s" models in their naming scheme, the iPhone 14 would probably be the iPhone 13s.

Apple iPhone 14 specs at a glance:

• Body: 146.7x71.5x7.8mm, 172g; Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
• Display: 6.10" Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak), 1170x2532px resolution, 19.48:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm): Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard); Apple GPU (5-core graphics).
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM; NVMe.
• OS/Software: iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 16.0.2.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120-degree.
• Front camera: Wide: 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6", PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), Cinematic mode (4K@30fps), stereo sound rec; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 3279mAh; Fast charging, 50% in 30 min (advertised), USB Power Delivery 2.0, MagSafe fast wireless charging 15W, Qi wireless charging 7.5W.
• Misc: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer; NFC; stereo speakers; Ultra Wideband (UWB) support, Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving).

The vanilla iPhone 14 even starts at $799 in the US, just like its predecessor, so it occupies the same segment and fills the same shoes if it were. That said, most markets outside the US have a price hike on the iPhone 14, and the iPhone 13 has come down in price since its launch. Even in the US, it is now $100 or so cheaper.

So, we have our work cut out for us, and the real question here is clear as day - is the iPhone 14 better than the iPhone 13 and is it worth shelling out a bit more for it instead?

Unboxing

Before we really dig into the iPhone 14 to see just how much different and potentially better it is, let's start simple with its retail package. Apple basically created the new standard for the "bare minimum" accessory package and is not about to suddenly become more generous in that department.

We have the typical Apple affair - minimal in and out. The two-piece white cardboard box is very small in every dimension.

Inside the box, you'll find a relatively short 1-meter long USB Type-C to Lightning cable, a SIM ejector tool (outside the US, where the iPhone 14 is e-SIM only and lacks a physical SIM tray) and some leaflets. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.