Before the new iPhone 14 series began to be delivered to customers on Friday, September 16, Apple opened evaluation permissions to some media and YouTube bloggers. Compared to the iPhone 13, the new iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade, with the same overall design, the same A15 Bionic chip and additional GPU cores, and slight improvements to the rear and front cameras.
Display
The iPhone 14 series has two models, the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 Plus won't start shipping to customers until Friday, October 7, so the review focuses on the smaller iPhone 14 Standard Edition model. The display on the standard iPhone 14 is nearly identical to the one on the iPhone 13, which The Verge editor Allison Johnson says is a good display, but other Android phones offer a premium display with a 120Hz refresh rate for the same price.
Performance
The Apple iPhone 14 has the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Compared to the A15 Bionic chip in last year's standard iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 chip adds a GPU core. CNET says the iPhone 14 is "fast," with smooth animations and no issues with performance.
The iPhone 14 also includes an improved internal design that better manages heat, allowing users to play high-intensity games longer without overheating the device. Engadget says the device manages to stay "cool to the touch" during gaming sessions, and the phone remains capable in terms of performance. "When repeatedly testing the autofocus of the selfie camera in low light, it got hot, but not very hot."
Battery life
The battery of the standard iPhone 14 is slightly larger than that of the standard iPhone 13. Apple promises up to 20 hours of video playback and 80 hours of audio playback for the iPhone 14, similar to last year's iPhone 13.
In real-world testing, "after three to four hours of screen-on time," the iPhone 14 had about 40 to 50 percent battery remaining at the end of the day, The Verge said, adding that while testing was limited and usage varied, it hard to compare to the iPhone 13, but should be enough for most users.
Camera
The front and rear cameras of the iPhone 14 have received some upgrades. On the front, the selfie camera is a brand new 12MP camera with autofocus. Apple says the new camera can deliver up to 2x better low-light photos thanks to its wider aperture.
On the back, the iPhone 14 has the same dual-camera setup as the iPhone 13, but now features an improved primary lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens. The new main camera has an ƒ/1.5 aperture that lets in 49% more light per shot. The main camera also benefits from a new workflow for Apple's "Photonic Engine." The Photon Engine combines multiple pixels from multiple exposure levels to provide brighter and "more realistic" colors in low light conditions.
According to CNET, the iPhone 14 takes acceptable photos in low-light conditions and handles details well. "Taking photos of dogs indoors in a coffee shop that's not too bright. The iPhone 14 captures the texture and detail of the dog's fur. Even when the dog is moving its head when the photo is taken, the motion is captured very well."
On the video side, the iPhone 14 includes a new motion mode that provides stable video when activated. The Verge says the Sport mode is "great for use in bright outdoor light," noting that in any other conditions, the video looks "lots of speckled."
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