Apple iPhone 14 Plus review: It’s an iPhone, but bigger

Apple surprises us every year with new additions to its device line-up. The iPhone 14 Plus is one of these twists. Apple finally has a big-screen, affordable option for everyone who doesn’t want or need the $1,099 iPhone 14 Max Max.

We’ve already had a good look at the vanilla iPhone 14 We’ve already reviewed the vanilla iPhone 14.

Pros

• Bigger 6.7-inch screen
• Incredible battery life
• iPhone 14 Pro Max Max is cheaper than iPhone 14 Pro Max

Cons

• No 120Hz refresh rate
• No USB-C port yet

The basics

The iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7 inch OLED screen and a resolution of 2778 x 1284. It is approximately the same size as Pro Max but weighs in at 203 grams instead of 240. Despite having a smaller screen, the iPhone 14 Pro weighs in at 206 grams. This is due to the iPhone 14 Pro’s triple rear cameras and heavy, stainless steel frame.

The basic features of the iPhone 14 Plus are the same as the standard iPhone 14. The iPhone 14 Plus offers a wider range of colors (blues, purples, starlight, midnight, and red), but you are unable to access more advanced tech like Apple’s Dynamic island, the A16 Bionic chip, or a dedicated Telephoto camera. You get the A15 Bionic processor, the same as last year’s models, just two rear cameras (including the 12-megapixel main sensor from iPhone 13 Pro) and a 12MP TrueDepth selfie camera in front.

It still feels premium, but it has enough power to handle any task you throw at it. For all you butterfingered folks out there, the iPhone 14 Plus and 14 Plus come with a new mid-frame. It is easier to replaceIf there is an accident, the panels of glass at the front and rear will break.

You can’t transfer your physical SIM card to the Plus. It works with eSIMs only, like the iPhone 14 series. Apple has been supporting eSIMs on its phones for years, so this shouldn’t be a big deal. For those who have not yet made the switch, it is worth taking the time to call your carrier to make the change.

Display

The most obvious advantage of the iPhone 14 Plus’ increased dimensions is its ability to fit a bigger screen, and over the course of about a week, using it has been a delight. Apple claims peak brightness can reach 1,200 nits when displaying HDR content. I tested the unit with a light meter and found that it was just shy 825 nits brighter than its 800 nit brightness. Because it is an OLED panel, you get excellent contrast and bright colours.

It’s surprising to me that a phone this large and vibrant feels so light. It is lighter than the Pro Max and other big-screen phones, making it easier to use while watching movies. The downside is that the iPhone 14 Plus and 14 Plus still have 60Hz panels. Display aficionados might notice that fast action or UI animated may not look as smooth on these phones as they would on iPads or iPhones with a 120Hz ProMotion display.

Battery life

The iPhone 14 Plus’s battery life is the other major improvement over the standard model. It is simply incredible. Many device manufacturers talk about making phones that last several days. However, I have found that the iPhone 14 Plus actually performs. After going through the setup process, I watched a few YouTube videos, followed by benchmarks and finally, playing through several levels of Ustwo’s charmant tactics game. Desta, I finished the day with 45 percent juice remaining. This meant that even with moderate usage, I didn’t have any need to worry at all about recharging the battery until I went to sleep the next night.

Although I’m an Android user, I have to say that I love the standby time of iPhones. I am used to phones losing three to five percent overnight. However, with the iPhone 14 Plus, it is only one, maybe two percent. Although it doesn’t seem like much, it shows how efficient Apple’s handsets really are. In our standard video rundown test, we found that the iPhone 14 Plus lasted for 21 hours and 17 mins. That’s second to the OnePlus 10T at 22:59.

Cameras

The iPhone 14 Plus has only two rear cameras, unlike the Pro line. A 12MP primary camera and an ultra-wide 12MP with a 120-degree field-of-view. The iPhone captures rich, vibrant colors in daytime shots. There isn’t much to criticize. If I were really being critical, I noticed that the iPhone 14 Plus sometimes overexposed certain shots compared to Pixel 6 Pro. This resulted in slightly less dynamic range and washed out colors.

In low light, the iPhone 14 Plus nearly matched Google’s Night Sight mode, which captures bright images with great detail. The iPhone 14 Plus captured a beautiful golden glow from nearby lamps in one night shot of Grogu (aka baby Yoda). However, the Pixel 6 Pro’s photo shows the same effect but with slightly more balance. The image also features Grogu’s robe, and plants in the back.

The Photonic Engine is by far the most important upgrade to the iPhone 14 Plus’ photo experience.6 PhotosLow6 Photoslight photo processing is up to two and a half times faster, which means there’s less waiting around between shots, and more importantly, there’s also a smaller chance you’ll miss out on capturing that magic moment.

Apple’s enhanced camera experience extends to the iPhone 14’s 12-megapixel front-facing camera. Because the iPhone 14’s front-facing camera has a true autofocus system instead of a fixed distance focus like many other phones, you can take sharper selfies in a fraction of the effort. This makes it much easier for me to get decent photos even if I don’t have the same tried-and-true selfie pose as Cherlynn Low.

Wrap-up

Although the iPhone 14 Plus is a slightly larger iPhone, it’s not a game-changer. But the iPhone 14 Plus really completes the line-up. The Pro Max model was more expensive than the iPhone 14 Plus, and it had a large screen. You can now get the same size screen with the 14 Plus without paying for expensive features that you may not need. Its thermal management is better than the standard model so your hands will almost never get sweaty.

It’s a bit disappointing that the Mini line was discontinued in order to make room for the Plus. The Plus would allow the iPhone family to offer a wider range of sizes and pricing options. Google has a similar-sized screen as the Plus and a dedicated telephoto lens at the same price in their Pixel 6 Pro (and possibly the Pixel 7 Pro). It is absurd to ask long-time Apple users for their OS preferences. The 14 Plus is the new iPhone for those iPhone users who want a familiar device, with a larger screen and superior battery life.