The Apple iPhone is an iconic product that has captured the imagination of many over the years. Every year, we see an even improved range of models, and like clockwork, Apple showed off more than a couple of new iPhones this year as well. No, we are not talking about just colour variants, but the introduction of a new iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max form the highest steps on the pedestal, followed by the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Besides their long naming conventions, what makes these smartphones different, and which one should you buy when they arrive soon, here at Reliance Digital? Let us find out.
The iPhone 14 is part of the staple diet and thought process for any mobile phone enthusiast. It is among the most accessible devices, with a lower price tag, considering the now lack of the corresponding Mini model, that we saw with the iPhone 13 launch. There are enough changes and reasons for any iPhone user to upgrade to the 14, or even for someone considering switching from Android to the iPhone. This is all familiar ground, but some things have changed with the new iPhone 14, not the processor though. The iPhone 14, much like the larger iPhone 14 Plus come with the Apple A15 Bionic chip seen on the last year’s iPhone 13 Pro series. There is a tiny improvement with the inclusion of a 5-core GPU over the older 4-core GPU seen on the iPhone 13 devices, benefits of which may be noticed in games and graphics intensive apps.
Some smart features make their way into the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. One of them is the improved Crash Detection. This can be a lifesaver if you happen to have an accident, allowing you to call for help. The design and feel of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are still quite like last year’s devices. If you are still wondering about the iPhone 14 Plus, it has all the features of the iPhone 14, but with a larger display. The iPhone 14 sports a 6.1-inch display while the iPhone 14 Plus has a larger 6.7-inch display. Each of those devices is better for, either portability or for media consumption and gaming.
Improvements can be seen to the cameras too, with the rear camera running a 12 MP sensor, but with a wider field of view. This should offer more flexibility while shooting photos and videos. The front camera also sees an upgrade, again with a wider field of view. Apple claims their new Photonic Engine which use the power of machine learning to improve details and low-light performance. It is an added feature on the new iPhone 14, missing on older devices.
Other areas of improvements can be seen in the battery department. The iPhone 14, Apple claims offers 20 hours of battery life with video playback, which is marginally better than the iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 Plus, despite its larger screen can offer 26 hours of video playback, which is a lot more. In every other area, the new devices are much like the older ones, and the prices should reflect that too. You can read more about all the details of the iPhone 13 from our feature from last year.
The spotlight this year however, was on the new iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. These two phones have all the features covered in the iPhone 14, and more. One of the biggest changes in designs is the evolution of the notch from the top edge, into a punch-hole bar. Apple calls this bar the Dynamic Island. It may still be a physical gap in the screen to hide the front-facing camera, the Face ID sensors and more, but aesthetically, it looks better but also doubles up as an area to display information, control media, and other apps. The ‘island’ resizes itself depending on the notifications and controls for the apps you are using.
The screen has seen some attention. For one, it now is an Always-On display, so you can spot notifications without having to turn on your display and login. This has been long awaited, and is finally here but only on the new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Pro ships with a 6.1-inch screen while the Pro Max model has a 6.7-inch screen. The displays both run OLED Super Retina XDR Displays. The brightness levels have been cranked all the way up to 1600 nits, and even 2000 nits when you are outdoors. All the goodness of past displays and more can be experienced on the new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
The cameras are the next in line for improvements. The rear ones on the Pro models now officially sport 48MP resolution sensors. The sensors are a lot larger, allowing for more detail to be captured. Apple claims the new sensor is about 65 per cent larger than the iPhone 13 Pro. By design, the resulting images will still be 12 MP unless you opt for the higher-quality RAW format. With the zoom in and out configuration available to the iPhone 14 Pro series cameras, you get the resulting 6x of zoom, but also up to 15x if you include some digital zoom. There are three cameras at the rear, one primary one, alongside a telephoto and an ultra-wide one. All this jargon simply means you can shoot great photos, but also 4K videos at 24 fps in HDR. That is incredible for a smartphone putting it alongside some of the premium, professional cameras used by enthusiasts. The front-facing camera receives improvements, with TrueDepth support and a larger aperture so group selfies are no problem.
Battery life on the new iPhone 14 Pro Max spans an incredible 29 hours, and 23 hours for the smaller iPhone 14 Pro. All the features we explained are powered by an all-new processor, exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. It is called the A16 Bionic and it is received improvements in all areas – performance, improved AI even battery life. If you’re looking for cutting-edge performance and features, then the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max models are the ones for you. If you’re upgrading from a much older iPhone or another platform, but want to stay within a budget, consider the iPhone 14 or 14 Plus.
So, if you are now tempted to get your hands on the new iPhone 14 series, that wait should soon be over. As always, the best place to find the latest technology is your nearest Reliance Digital store. You should see the phones there very soon, and if you want more information on pre-orders or availability, you will find it here first at reliancedigital.in.
This year’s arrivals – the new Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Pro series
