The 5 Best Features of the iPhone 14, Ranked

Will these features convince you to buy an iPhone 14?

On Wednesday, Apple made a long-awaited announcement, introducing the new iPhone 14 series. This consists of a lineup of four different iPhone 14 models: the standard iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

If you're deciding whether to buy any of the phones in this lineup, it can be helpful to know about some of the best new features introduced before you reach for your credit card. Here are five of them, ranked from least to most impressive.

5. Upgraded internal chips

Both the iPhone 14 and the 14 Plus will come with A15 Bionic chips just as the iPhone 13 did. But, the GPU (which processes graphics) and the CPU are both improved on these older chip models. And the Pro and Pro Max models both come with new chips entirely. The A16 bionic chip in the higher-end models puts less strain on the battery while running around 40% faster.

While you won't immediately notice these improved chips like you will the other new features on this list, they'll be working behind the scenes to improve your user experience if you choose the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max.

4. An always-on display for the Pro and Pro Max

If you're tired of having to turn on your phone to check the time or see if you have notifications, this feature is going to make a big impact for you. Both the Pro and Pro Max will now have screens that are always on even when the phone is locked.

The new always-on display can show the time, as well as live activities, notifications, and widgets. If you opt to do so, you can also see your lock screen wallpaper.

And, best of all, even though your screen will now display the basics all the time, battery life isn't compromised.

3. Added safety tools

The iPhone 14 lineup adds two important new safety features to every phone in the series.

You can sign up for a subscription service to make satellite calls to 911 even if you do not have cellphone service or internet. Your location will be sent to emergency services and you'll be asked basic questions including whether you're alone or hurt. You'll get two free years of this service when you buy any iPhone 14, but will have to pay after that.

The iPhone 14 also has a force sensor that activates while you're driving and detects if you're in a collision based on air pressure changes from airbag explosions as well as crash noises. After a crash is detected, the phone will ask if you want to call emergency services and will call automatically if you don't respond.

2. An improved camera

Camera upgrades are standard with iPhone releases and the iPhone 14 series continues that trend. Specifically, some of the improvements include:

• A new "Action Mode" which stabilizes the camera so you can take better action shots even when in motion.
• Autofocus on the front camera, which will enable better selfies even when people included in them are standing different distances from the phone.
• Extra upgrades on the Pro model including a double zoom lens that can record 4K video.

1. A Dynamic Island on the Pro and Pro Max Models

On both of the premium models in the iPhone 14 series, the infamous iPhone notch is gone and has been replaced instead by a Dynamic Island. This standalone cutout is responsive, it's sized differently for different apps, and it can display information within it even when you're using other apps. It also contains the Face ID sensor and selfie camera.

This feature alone may be enough for anti-notch iPhone users to upgrade. But ultimately, you'll need to consider whether all of these features are worth upgrading for or whether you'd prefer to wait for the next model.