iPhone 14 and 14 Pro 3 Months Later: Highs and Lows of Apple's Newest Phones - CNET

In a twelvemonth packed with galore telephone releases, Apple's iPhone 14 lineup is curious. There is the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which correspond the pinnacle of the company's design, bundle and hardware. The iPhone 14 Pro is notably defined by an oval-shaped surface chopped retired for the True Depth camera, which replaces the notch, called the Dynamic Island. But then, there's the iPhone 14 which seems similar a repackaged iPhone 13 Pro without the stainless alloy assemblage oregon the 3rd rear camera for telephoto pictures.

Apple discontinued the iPhone 13 Mini and replaced it with a bigger mentation of the 14 called the iPhone 14 Plus. Starting astatine $929, it's meant to beryllium a somewhat "more affordable" mode to get a ample surface iPhone without crossing that $1,000 line. Taken successful total, you person 2 high-end Pro iPhone models, a big-screen regular iPhone and the modular iPhone 14, which connected the aboveground doesn't look similar overmuch of an upgrade from the iPhone 13. Apple's lineup offers breathtaking caller features portion besides seeming similar a funny repetition of what came retired past year.

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Over the past 3 months, I utilized the iPhone 14 arsenic my regular operator and the 14 Pro arsenic my enactment phone. During that time, I ran in-depth artillery tests, took galore photos, utilized them to film CNET videos and tried retired the caller Emergency SOS via Satellite feature. Several of my CNET colleagues person besides tested the cameras and compared them to the likes of the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Here are my thoughts connected the iPhone 14 household since my archetypal reviews backmost successful September.

The iPhone 14's artillery doesn't past arsenic agelong arsenic the iPhone 13

I've ne'er met a azygous idiosyncratic who said, "Wow, I get excessively overmuch artillery beingness connected my phone." But I person decidedly met galore who person wanted more. A phone's artillery beingness lands astatine an absorbing crossroads. You person the carnal and chemic limits of modern lithium batteries arsenic good arsenic the clever bundle and processing optimizations that purpose to marque those batteries much efficient.

Apple doesn't disclose the size of the batteries successful its phones, but I privation it did due to the fact that they're comparatively tiny compared to the batteries successful Android phones. This isn't astir shaming Apple, but highlighting however overmuch longevity the institution ekes retired of that artillery done bundle optimizations and the ratio of its A-series chips. In fact, past year's iPhone 13 Pro Max lasted longer connected a azygous complaint than immoderate different telephone we tested.

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The aforesaid can't beryllium said for this year. The iPhone 14 bid gets bully artillery beingness but is decidedly a measurement down from the iPhone 13 family, which gets longer artillery life. The quality wasn't drastic, and I ideate astir radical aren't upgrading their telephone each twelvemonth and would ne'er beryllium the wiser.

At CNET, we tally a fewer artillery beingness tests and enactment however agelong the phones past successful existent life. The archetypal trial I ran with each telephone was an endurance test. For 45 minutes, I played video games (some were online) arsenic good arsenic watched videos, scrolled done societal media apps similar TikTok and Instagram and made a video telephone implicit FaceTime. During that time, the iPhone 14's artillery decreased 10%, the 14 Plus dropped 5%, the 14 Pro mislaid 8% and the 14 Pro Max went down 7%.

I besides afloat charged each phone, past played a downloaded video looped successful Airplane mode with the surface astatine 50% brightness. We've been moving this trial astatine CNET for years, and are successful the process of phasing it retired since bundle and chips present optimize for video playback. And astir radical ticker streaming videos. 

So wherefore tally this test? It allows america to comparison Apple's claims for video playback arsenic good arsenic with the result we got with the iPhone 13 series. The results are below.

These times besides travel up abbreviated erstwhile compared to the iPhone 13 series. The regular 13 lasted 21 hours and 51 minutes, the 13 Pro went 22 hours and 4 minutes and the 13 Pro Max scored an outstanding 31 hours and 19 minutes. I should besides enactment that the 13 Mini lasted 18 hours and 19 minutes which is astir arsenic agelong arsenic the regular iPhone 14.

There has been a batch of chatter astir the always-on show connected the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max and however it's draining the battery. In our tests, the always-on show didn't alteration the artillery beingness successful immoderate important mode compared to having it off.

I charged some phones to 100% and near them connected my table with the always-on surface enabled. After 6 hours, the 14 Pro dropped 4% and the 14 Pro Max mislaid 2%. I ran the aforesaid script again, but this clip turned disconnected the always-on display. The results were fundamentally the same: the 14 Pro dropped 4% and the 14 Pro Max dropped 3%.

A batch of this volition beryllium connected your fastener surface wallpaper, since the always-on show isn't a achromatic surface and alternatively shows a darkened mentation of your wallpaper photo. Luckily, iOS 16.2 has caller always-on show settings that fto you crook disconnected the wallpaper and person conscionable a achromatic screen.

Emergency SOS via Satellite helped 3 radical get rescued

Emergency SOS via Satellite and Car Crash Detection (or possibly it should beryllium called "I'm connected a roller coaster with an iPhone 14 detection") mightiness beryllium 2 of the champion features connected the regular iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. But they are mostly invisible tools that astir radical volition hopefully ne'er person to use.

Last month, I got to test retired Emergency SOS via Satellite successful a objection astatine Apple Park. I was impressed however casual it was to usage and link to a satellite, adjacent successful the rain. In fact, since then, the diagnostic helped prevention a stranded snowmobiler successful Alaska and two radical whose car went disconnected the broadside of a mountain.

Now playing: Watch this: I Tried Emergency SOS via Satellite connected the iPhone 14

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Features similar these are important, and I bash deliberation they assistance the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus basal out. But I don't cognize if astir radical would prioritize them arsenic thing they indispensable person connected a phone. After a fewer months, it's crystal wide that the modular iPhone 14 is aimed astatine radical upgrading from an iPhone 11 oregon older and not from past year's iPhone 13.

More Dynamic Island, please

The Dynamic Island displays antithetic tiny icons and animations. During a FaceTime call, a greenish camera icon shows connected the near side.

Celso Bulgatti/CNET

The Dynamic Island works well. but it's not without quirks. For example, the Dynamic Island sticks retired further into the surface than the notch did, which is noticeable erstwhile watching immoderate videos. I besides privation that much non-Apple apps took vantage of the Dynamic Island. 

Also, we haven't had the afloat acquisition with the Dynamic Island that Apple intended. It's portion of a trinity of features that besides includes the always-on show and Live Activities, which tracks the advancement of definite activities similar showing you the unrecorded people of a hoops squad connected your fastener screen. The Dynamic Island volition genuinely radiance erstwhile apps afloat follow Live Activities which should beryllium sooner than aboriginal now that iOS 16.2 is out.

There are scratches connected my Ceramic Shield

My iPhone 14 Pro Max already has a mates of tiny scratches.

Celso Bulgatti/CNET

All 4 models successful the iPhone 14 bid person Apple's Ceramic Shield that covers the display. And each 4 of the phones I tested person scuffs oregon insignificant scratches connected the beforehand glass. I haven't coddled the phones, but I haven't been reckless with them either. After astir 3 months, I'm shocked that each of these phones person scratches.

The iPhone 14 Pro's cameras are excellent

The main camera connected the backmost of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max has a 48-megapixel sensor.

James Martin/CNET

The cameras connected the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are good. But the cameras connected the iPhone 14 Pro's and 14 Pro Max's are great. Does that mean you can't get prime photos connected the 14 and 14 Plus? Absolutely not. But the ones I captured connected the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max and their 48-megapixel main camera are consistently great. Unfortunately, you person to sprout ProRaw photos to instrumentality afloat vantage of the iPhone 14 Pro's afloat camera resolution, and these images person dramatically larger record sizes. I privation determination was a built-in mode to prevention and rapidly person the ProRaw photos into JPEGs.

One astonishment for maine has been Cinematic mode. It tin grounds successful 4K video astatine 24 frames per 2nd oregon 30fps, and I've really utilized it to movie respective CNET videos. The prime is good, and the wide acquisition with Cinematic mode is overmuch amended than it is connected the iPhone 13. (Apple's erstwhile telephone was constricted to 1080p solution astatine 30fps successful that mode.) One instrumentality I usage to get much earthy looking videos is to driblet Cinematic mode's aperture mounting to f/8. I find this gives the inheritance a much realistic out-of-focus look portion keeping the taxable successful focus.

The iPhone 14 is much costly adjacent if the terms didn't spell up

The baseline iPhone 14 is $829, which is the aforesaid arsenic the iPhone 12 and 13 erstwhile they launched. But determination is simply a difference. In 2020 and 2021, Apple besides sold the iPhone 12 Mini and 13 Mini astatine $729. That fundamentally means the obstruction to introduction for a caller iPhone is present much expensive, since the Mini isn't portion of the iPhone 14 lineup. To alleviate the price, Apple and US carriers person a ton of trade-in deals. Apple besides inactive sells the iPhone 13 for $729, which tin prevention you immoderate money.

Read: Apple's Next iPhone Might Not Get a Price Increase. Here's Why

Then there's the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which are Apple's astir costly models. They person the aforesaid starting prices arsenic the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max and arsenic the 2018 iPhone XS and XS Max erstwhile they came out. Basically, the prices for Apple's top-of-the-line models haven't accrued but they are hard to find. Apple scaled backmost accumulation connected the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max due to the fact that of COVID-19 lockdowns successful China. Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro is showing shipping times of three-and-a-half weeks.

If you're trying to get an iPhone 14 Pro arsenic a gift for someone, your champion stake is to effort carriers and third-party retailers. However, Apple's retail stores typically get much restock. And I wouldn't dissuade you from ordering an iPhone 14 Pro. It's an fantabulous telephone and volition inactive beryllium 1 successful three-and-a-half weeks.

Three months later, I americium inactive impressed with the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro. The cameras are great, Emergency SOS provides much bid of mind, but the ceramic shield isn't arsenic durable arsenic I expected. And the artillery beingness isn't arsenic agelong arsenic past year's iPhone 13 lineup. But whether you're upgrading from an older iPhone to an iPhone 14 oregon conscionable privation Apple's implicit best, the iPhone 14 Pro, you should find thing that fits your needs, fund and tastes.