Should You Buy the New iPhone 14?

Is the new iPhone 14 worth it?

After the launch of the first iPhone in 2007, Apple has released 13 more versions with the new iPhone 14 available Sept. 16, 2022. The iPhone 14 Plus will be available three weeks later on Oct. 7. Is there a big difference from its previous versions? If you believe what Apple is saying, it is the best one ever. But with prices ranging from $799 for the iPhone 14 to $1,599 for the 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max, is it worth the hit to your personal finances?

What does the iPhone 14 offer?

There are currently four new models being released:

• iPhone 14 ($From 799): 6.1-in display with 20 hours of battery
• iPhone 14 Plus (From $999): 6.7-in display with 26 hours of battery
• iPhone 14 Pro (From $999): 6.1-in display with 23 hours of battery
• iPhone 14 Pro Max (From $1,099): 6.7-in display with 29 hours of battery

Below are the major differences between the new iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, and its two predecessors.

Dynamic Island

According to Apple, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature the Dynamic Island -- a new way to interact with the phone. Per Apple's press release, "The Dynamic Island enables new ways to interact with iPhone, featuring a design that blends the line between hardware and software, adapting in real time to show important alerts, notifications, and activities." The regular iPhone 14 does not have Dynamic Island.

Display

The iPhone 14 offers an Always-On display, a first for the iPhone series. The lock screen will show the time, widgets, and Live Activities, similar to what the Samsung Galaxy phones have. The display for the new phone offers OLED technology that is twice as bright as the iPhone 13 Pro. The Super Retina XDR display is also 21% bigger and made from ceramic shield, offering more protection from drops, spills, and dust. Here are the different display sizes:

• iPhone 14 6.1-in display
• iPhone 14 Plus 6.7-in display
• iPhone 14 Pro 6.1-in display
• iPhone 14 Pro Max 6.7-in display

Safety

Using 1 million hours of real‑world driving and crash data, the new iPhone 14 can recognize accidents. The iPhone 14 can detect a severe car crash or accident, then call 911 and notify your emergency contacts. This is especially useful if you are unconscious and therefore unable to make a call. It also introduces Emergency SOS via satellite. This allows the phone's antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when you don't have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

Camera system

Probably one of the biggest updates is the iPhone 14's new camera. Here are some of the features of the new camera:

• A new Main camera features a bigger sensor and a larger aperture that lets in 49 percent more light and up to 2.5 times better low‑light photos.
• The Ultra Wide camera allows you to capture more of a scene with up to 2 times better low‑light photos
• The new Photonic Engine merges the best pixels from multiple exposures to deliver more colors and detailed textures in even lower light.
• The camera's Night mode automatically kicks in for dark scenes so you get brighter, sharper photos with up to 2x faster Night mode exposures.
• The camera's Smart HDR 4 recognizes up to four people in your shot and automatically refines contrast, lighting, and skin tone for each one.
• The iPhone 14 Pro has a 48MP Main camera that has a Telephoto camera that offers 3 times optical zoom so you can shoot close‑ups from far away.
• Cinematic mode automatically shifts focus to the most important subject in a scene, just like filmmakers do.

Security

The TrueDepth camera and A15 Bionic chip powers Face ID, and protects personal information like your data, contacts, and more. With the new iPhone 14, there is no SIM tray. It uses eSIM, where you can activate your new iPhone or add carriers digitally. And unlike a physical card, eSIM can't be removed if your iPhone is lost or stolen. You can also add multiple phone numbers and data plans on one phone. When traveling internationally, you can activate an eSIM for the country you're visiting.

Battery life

The battery life is the best yet for the iPhone 14. It has a built-in rechargeable lithium‑ion battery with MagSafe and Qi wireless charging. The MagSafe Charger is designed to quickly and safely wirelessly charge your iPhone.

• iPhone 14: Up to 20 hours video playback
• iPhone 14 Plus: Up to 26 hours video playback
• iPhone 14 Pro: Up to 23 hours video playback
• iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to 29 hours video playback

Speed

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have the new A16 Bionic chip, Apple's fastest one yet. According to Apple, the new 6-core CPU is up to 40% faster than the competition, easily able to handle demanding workloads. "A16 Bionic features an accelerated 5-core GPU with 50 percent more memory bandwidth — perfect for graphics-intensive games and apps — and a new 16-core Neural Engine capable of nearly 17 trillion operations per second," Apple states in its press release. While the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have the A16 chip, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro, the A15 Bionic. The one difference is that it has a 5‑core GPU compared to the 4-core GPU of the iPhone 13 Pro.

Should you buy it?

If you currently have the iPhone 13, you may not see a major difference. The iPhone 14 Pro is a little faster compared to the iPhone 13 Pro that was just released a year ago. However, if you have an older iPhone or Android phone, you may see a noticeable difference. The new iPhone isn't cheap, however. The basic iPhone starts at $799, the Plus starts at $899, the Pro starts at $999, and the Pro Max starts at $1,099. The 1TB Pro Max costs $1,599 and can easily be beyond one's budget. The basic iPhone 14 is not much different from the iPhone 13 so you won't be missing out by not upgrading.

There is also a big difference between the basic model and the Pro Max. The 1TB Pro Max is double the price of the basic model, and for good reason. It has the A16 chip, longest-lasting battery life, the best camera system, and larger screen. If you are willing to pay the big bucks, then it may be worth it if all of these features are important to you. The Pro is a smaller version of the Max, so if you want the Pro features in a more palm-friendly package, then it may be a good fit.

With four new models to choose from, you should visit your local Apple store for a test run. Get a feel for the fit, use the apps you frequent the most, and see if the upgraded features are worth the cost.