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

Yearly Apple has a shock or two in retailer for its machine lineup, and for 2022 a type of twists is the iPhone 14 Plus. That is as a result of as an alternative of continuous to make a mini model of the fundamental iPhone, Apple has lastly created a extra reasonably priced big-screen choice beginning at $899 for anybody who would not want or need to shell out for a $1,099 iPhone 14 Professional Max.

That stated, we have already taken a giant take a look at the vanilla iPhone 14. So in lieu of rehashing what is basically the identical cellphone however with an even bigger show, this evaluation goes to deal with a very powerful elements together with what’s completely different on this yr’s new Plus mannequin.

Professionals

• Larger 6.7-inch display
• Excellent battery life
• Cheaper than iPhone 14 Professional Max

Cons

• No 120Hz refresh fee
• Nonetheless no USB-C port

The fundamentals

Packing a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 2778 x 1284 decision, the iPhone 14 Plus is similar measurement because the Professional Max, however with a a lot lighter physique (203 grams vs 240 grams). In actual fact, on account of issues like its triple rear cameras and heavy stainless-steel body, the iPhone 14 Professional really weighs a tiny bit extra (206 grams) than the 14 Plus, regardless of having a considerably smaller display.

The iPhone 14 Plus has the identical fundamental options as the usual iPhone 14. You get a extra playful collection of colours (blue, purple, midnight, starlight and purple) than the Professional line, however lose out on some extra refined tech comparable to Apple’s Dynamic Island, the brand new A16 Bionic chip or a devoted telephoto digital camera. As an alternative, you get an A15 Bionic processor (the identical as final yr’s fashions), simply two rear cameras (together with the 12MP most important sensor from the iPhone 13 Professional), and a brand new 12MP TrueDepth selfie cam in entrance.

The cellphone nonetheless feels premium although, and has greater than sufficient efficiency to deal with something you possibly can throw at it. And as one other perk for all of the butterfingered people on the market, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have a brand new mid-frame that makes it simpler to interchange back and front glass panels within the occasion of an accident.

Simply do not attempt to carry over the bodily SIM card out of your earlier cellphone, as a result of like the remainder of the iPhone 14 line, the Plus solely works with eSIMs. This alteration should not be an enormous deal as a result of Apple has supported eSIMs on its cellphone for years. However for many who have not made the change, simply keep in mind to avoid wasting time to contact your service with a purpose to convert your bodily card right into a digital one.

Show

The obvious benefit of the iPhone 14 Plus’ elevated dimensions is its capacity to suit an even bigger display, and over the course of a few week, utilizing it has been a delight. When displaying HDR content material, Apple says peak brightness can go as excessive as 1,200 nits. In the meantime, utilizing a light-weight meter, I discovered that our evaluation unit really exceeded its claimed typical brightness of 800 nits, hitting simply shy of 825 nits. And since it is an OLED panel, you get excellent distinction and shiny colours.

Truthfully, from time to time I discover myself pleasantly shocked {that a} cellphone with a display this massive and vibrant is as gentle as it’s. That weight discount makes it just a bit bit simpler to carry than the Professional Max or related big-screen telephones whereas watching motion pictures. The one draw back to that’s as a result of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus nonetheless function 60Hz panels, show aficionados might extra simply discover that quick motion or UI animations do not look fairly as clean as they could on an iPhone or iPad with a 120Hz ProMotion display.

Battery life

The opposite massive improve on the iPhone 14 Plus over the usual mannequin is battery life, which is solely superior. A whole lot of machine makers discuss making handsets that may final a number of days, however in my expertise, the iPhone 14 Plus is without doubt one of the few that truly delivers. Even with me going by means of customary setup, operating a slate of benchmarks, watching a handful of YouTube movies and plowing by means of a bunch of ranges in Ustwo’s charming ways sport Desta, I nonetheless completed the day with greater than 45 p.c juice left. That meant even with average use, I did not have to fret about recharging till going to sleep the next evening.

And whereas I am primarily an Android consumer, I additionally need to commend the wonderful standby instances you get with iPhones. Usually I am used to telephones shedding between three and 5 p.c battery in a single day, however on the iPhone 14 Plus, I am taking a look at one, possibly two p.c. I do know that does not sound like a ton, nevertheless it actually goes to point out how environment friendly Apple’s handsets are. And in our customary video rundown take a look at, the iPhone 14 Plus lasted a whopping 21 hours and 17 minutes, which is the second longest time we have seen from any cellphone this yr, solely behind the OnePlus 10T’s mark of twenty-two:59.

Cameras

Not like the Professional line, the iPhone 14 Plus solely will get two rear cameras: a 12MP major shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree discipline of view. In daytime pictures, the iPhone captured wealthy, punchy colours and plenty of element that does not depart a lot room for critique. Nevertheless, if I am actually nitpicking, I did discover that when in comparison with the Pixel 6 Professional, the iPhone 14 Plus sometimes overexposed some pictures, which resulted in barely extra washed-out colours and a bit much less dynamic vary.

In the meantime in low gentle, the iPhone 14 Plus nearly matched the efficiency of Google’s Evening Sight mode on the Pixel 6 Professional, capturing shiny pictures with good element. In a single shot at evening of Grogu (aka child Yoda), the iPhone 14 Plus captured a stunning golden glow from close by lights. Sadly, that impact was considerably exaggerated as evidenced by the Pixel 6 Professional’s picture, which appears extra balanced whereas additionally that includes barely sharper particulars on Grogu’s gown and the crops in again.

I believe the largest improve to the iPhone 14 Plus’ common picture expertise, although, is the Photonic Engine. Low gentle picture processing is as much as two and a half instances quicker, which suggests there’s much less ready round between pictures, and extra importantly, there’s additionally a smaller probability you’ll miss out on capturing that magic second.

Apple’s improved digital camera expertise carries over to the iPhone 14’s 12MP front-facing digital camera as nicely. That is as a result of due to the addition of a real autofocus system (as an alternative of a set focus distance like on plenty of different telephones), you possibly can take sharper selfies with manner much less effort. And for somebody like me who would not have a tried-and-tested selfie-taking posture like our resident selfie queen Cherlynn Low does, this makes it quite a bit simpler to seize an honest trying shot once I do.

Wrap-up

Now I do know that the addition of a barely bigger fundamental iPhone to the road is way from a sport changer. However, the introduction of the iPhone 14 Plus actually fleshes out the lineup. Beforehand, in the event you wished an iPhone with a giant display, you had no alternative however to shell out for the Professional Max mannequin, which prices over $1,000. However with the 14 Plus, you may get the identical measurement display with out having to pay for fancy options you won’t need or want. As a bonus, its thermal administration is even higher than the usual mannequin, so that you nearly by no means have to fret about getting sweaty fingers.

I am nonetheless just a little bummed that it looks like the Mini line needed to die to make manner for the Plus, as a result of then the iPhone household would have a very nice vary of sizes and costs. I also needs to level out that Google gives a equally sized display and a devoted telephoto lens for a similar value within the Pixel 6 Professional (and shortly, the Pixel 7 Professional, in all probability). However I do know asking longtime Apple customers to modify OSes is pointless. So for all of the iPhone followers who simply desire a acquainted machine with an even bigger display and excellent battery life, nicely then you definately’re in luck as a result of the 14 Plus is your new champion.