Apple iPhone 14 Plus review

Alternatives

The iPhone 14 Plus makes total sense in the grand Apple design - the maker has turned the SE model into a special mini edition iPhone, and that's why the mini had to go from the flagship series. In fact, the vanilla iPhone 14 is so compact and lightweight that we can argue it has been the mini one all along.

Meanwhile, the absence of a larger iPhone for the masses has been quite obvious for the last couple of years, and it was only time for Apple to answer that call. And it did, in its own way.

The iPhone 14 Plus is essentially a supersized iPhone 14 and not much else. What you get is a Max-size display of non-Pro quality and better battery life thanks to the larger battery.

Now, all those Apple users who wanted a large iPhone that's not overweight and 'oh so premium' can have the iPhone 14 Plus.

But, if you are still on the fence about this new Plus model, probably because of its €1,150 price tag, we can understand why you would want to explore more options.

For example, you can get the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is pretty much the same phone but with an additional zoom camera, a better ultrawide shooter with AF, and a 120Hz ProMotion display. It can be purchased for €1,200 - which is quite an offer to consider. Yes, it is heavy because of the stainless-steel frame and the extra parts like LiDAR and the telephoto, but it's a tradeoff many would take.

The iPhone 14, as we established, is the most compact current iPhone in circulation, and it's quite the treat despite the 60Hz screen. It has the same specs as the Plus; it's just smaller in size and incredibly pocketable. Oh, and it's €150 cheaper.

Finally, Apple is also selling the older iPhone 12, which is basically an iPhone 13, and so on, starting at €800 for the 64GB model at Apple Store, or about €650 from third-party retailers. So, if you want the cheapest premium iPhone officially available, that's the one.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max • Apple iPhone 14 • Apple iPhone 12

Of course, there are plenty of cheaper offers you can consider for their large screens outside Apple's lineup. The €780 Xiaomi 12T Pro impressed us with its screen, charging speed, all-around performance and camera quality. The same goes for the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra - a phone with a 144Hz OLED screen, one of the first 200MP imagers, a 60MP selfie camera, and 125W fast charging. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G has a large 120Hz OLED, one of the fastest Android chips, and an excellent trio of cameras on the back, including a zoom one.

Xiaomi 12T Pro • Motorola Edge 30 Ultra • Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G

Our verdict

The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made, as usual. It does exactly what it is supposed to do - offering the non-Pro experience on a larger display. A big bonus from the new size is the larger battery capacity and hence - the better battery life.

The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the lightest 6.7-inch smartphones around with a flagship-grade design, screen, speakers, battery life, performance and video quality. Meanwhile, its new cameras, including the AF-capable selfie one, are as controversial as usual - it's like their quality hasn't changed for generations because of the heavy processing and over-sharpening.

Still, this iPhone 14 Plus finds its way to the hearts and pockets of people despite the lack of a high refresh rate screen or zoom camera. A lot of users won't mind this.

Its price tag may be too close to the 13 Pro Max for its own good, but last year's flagship model has been officially discontinued, so you'd have to source it from an independent retailer but it's definitely the better one between the two.

That doesn't make the iPhone 14 Plus a bad smartphone and it's well worth considering if you don't need the extra features that the Pro models bring.

Pros

• Sturdy design and sleek looks.
• Excellent OLED, Dolby Vision, HDR10, high brightness.
• Very good battery life.
• Top-notch stereo speakers.
• Flagship-grade performance even if not the latest chipset.c
• Dependable photo quality from the main and selfie cameras.
• Outstanding video quality and stabilization across the board, great action clips.
• Every iPhone gets at least five years of iOS updates.

Cons

• Wide feature gap with the 14 Pro family: no 120Hz refresh rate, A16 Bionic, zoom camera or AF on the ultrawide.
• Priced too close to last year's iPhone 13 Pro Max, which has most of the above.
• No charger in the box, somewhat slow charging.
• Apple's iOS restrictions can be off-putting to newcomers to the ecosystem.