Verdict
An iPhone 14 with a bigger silver screen – and far better battery life .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The iPhone 14 Plus is an easy sell , as it ’s essentially just aniPhone 14with a big screen and battery .
However , it ’s not a just time to buy the iPhone 14 Plus , with theiPhone 15series carry to be unveiled within a matter of days . I expect to see a novel iPhone 15 Plus with the same purpose , but with add features such as theDynamic Island , USB - Ccharging and the fasterApple A16 Bionicprocessor .
Does that rule out the iPhone 14 Plus as being a worthwhile purchase in 2023 ? Not quite , as we ’re expecting to see a price bank discount accompany the reveal of the iPhone 15 series . And since the iPhone 14 Plus meld a big screen with a easy body and a Mary Leontyne Price that undercuts the high - endiPhone 14 Pro Max , it remains a tempting prospect .
Screen and Design
In the most canonical terms , the iPhone 14 Plus is just a bigger iPhone 14 . The overall design , size aside , is the same one Apple has been using for a few year now . The back is covered in showy chicken feed , the sides are flat and lustrelessness , and the screen houses a notch at the top – rather than theDynamic Islandyou’ll discovery on the Pro models , and expected to arrive on the intact iPhone 15 range .
Itlooksvery familiar , but it doesn’tfeelfamiliar – and that ’s really what sets this phone aside . I ’ve always enjoyed the sizing of the iPhone Pro Max serial , yet the hefty weight often put me off using the big of the iPhones once I had terminate test them each year . That meant I had to deal with the smaller presentation on the other models , which is hardly ideal for gaming or video watching .
The iPhone 14 Plus is surprisingly unclouded and comfortable to have in a way that the Pro Max is n’t . The former ’s 203 g weightiness is 37 g lighter than the 14 Pro Max and , also , ever so slightly thin . It just feels cracking – the stark combination of the other iPhones .
The pattern itself is nothing to get worked up about , yet it still reckon good . The colours are gracious and tasteful – although I do get the Red framework a littletoored – and it ’s astonishingly indestructible . I ’ve found theCeramic Shielddoes a salutary business of observe the sieve intact after fall , though it ’s still very prostrate to scar . IP68 dust and body of water resistance is always welcome too .
The screen is now 6.7 inches , as opposed to 6.1 inches on the veritable iPhone 14 , and it feels far spacious . Apps have more space to spread out , video is more immersive and games are less cramped – it ’s just a much more comfortable sizing , at least in my opinion .
size of it jump apart , the rest of the sieve is very much the same as the iPhone 14 . It ’s a sharpOLED panelwith a max brightness of 800 nits , according to Apple . However , in my screen tests , it was closer to 600 nits in maxed - out even use . Put it next to theiPhone 14 Pro Max , and it ’s no surprise the pricier simulation do a dependable business at reproduce HDR message , with a lot more kick to smart scenes .
The notch remains – rather than the more functional Dynamic Island – and the max refresh rate is stuck at 60Hz , rather than theProMotion120Hz on the Pros . For a phone that ’s close to breaking the £ 1000/$1000 barrier , this showing is escape some features that have now become common across the ripe Android telephone . ThePixel 7 Pro , for example , is a flock cheaper and has both a 120Hz refresh rate and high brightness level .
Camera
The camera organisation on the iPhone 14 Plus dwell of two rear snappers , along with another on the front . On the back , there ’s a pair of 12 - megapixel detector , one with a regular all-embracing electron lens and another with an ultrawide lens .
It ’s a setup I ’ve seen on non - Pro iPhones for a number of years now , and it mostly gets the job done . However , with similarly priced competition from Samsung – like theGalaxy S21 Plus – offering a telephoto too , the iPhone 14 Plus can again feel a bit stingy .
The television camera are all the same as on the iPhone 14 and only marginally unlike to those on theiPhone 13 . The master sensor is slightly orotund and has a faster f/1.5 aperture , while there ’s also been tweaking on the package processing side of thing .
After a few weeks of shooting with both the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus , the grown upgrades over the iPhone 13 are in tough experimental condition . There ’s more point retain in dark shot and the Night Mode does n’t postulate to kick in quite so often . The ultrawide camera is better in misfortunate atmospheric condition too , and as the same sensor is being used here , this is clearly the superior image processing kicking in .
Selfies are much better too , with the iPhone 14 Plus play out more facial item and natural cutis tones . If you take a lot of selfies , you ’ll welcome the upgrades here .
In daytime experimental condition , the iPhone 14 Plus is an excellent tv camera , and you ’ll really remark the jump in quality if you ’re follow from something like aniPhone 11 . people of color are rich and born , and detail is ripe – unless you start surge in . There ’s also a more rude - look background fuzz thanks to the bigger detector . Overall , it ’s a groovy tv camera , but do n’t expect much departure in daylight when compared with the iPhone 13 .
The tv set adverts for the iPhone 14 Plus highlight the new Action Mode quite heavily , and this is just another chain in the telephone set ’s telling videography skillset .
Action Mode aims to add some special stabilization to video , in the same way that a GoPro would . It works , to a point . If you ’re in burnished situations in a bouncing off - road elevator car , then the footage is a good deal more stable than with the mode turned off – you just have to lot with a lower resolution and a more or less cropped view . But it ’s fundamentally useless in darker term , so keep that in mind .
Performance
In a move that seems in spades un - Apple , the iPhone 14 Plus does n’t have the best chipset go . TheA16 Bionichas been reserve for the Pro series this twelvemonth , leave the 14 and 14 Plus with the sameA15 Bionicthat power last year’siPhone 13 Pro . The A16 Bionic is also have a bun in the oven to make it on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus , making the iPhone 14 Plus find even more outdated .
While this might be a shame for those who value specs above all , I do n’t think anyone will be disappointed with the functioning in tangible - humankind habit . Every biz or app I tried ran with ease , with even intensive title earmark full control of graphical options . If I was separate this was a fresh flagship chipset , I would believe it .
My only care about the older Saratoga chip is that it could bowdlerise the lifespan of the phone in paying attention to software package updates . I ’d go for this is tolerate for as long as the iPhone 14 Pro is around , but at this stage , there ’s no way of relation .
There are three warehousing configurations : 128 GB , 256 GB and 512 G . I ’ve been survey the top model and I ’ve fulfill up about 100 GB with legion games , exposure and TV , so I think the 256 GB option is the safest bet .
5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate is standard across the control board , and if you ’re in the US , the phone swear only oneSIMtech . That means there ’s no physical slot to pop in a nano SIM – a meaning change . While the UK and European devices still have the expansion slot , I would say this is a sign of things to come with future iPhones .
While the chipset is the same as on the iPhone 13 Pro , there are some new addition here . Car Crash DetectionandEmergency SOSare two new safety feature film , designed to give you sluttish , or reflex , direction of contact service if you ’re ground .
Emergency SOS has n’t arrived in the UK yet , although a wide of the mark launch is coming soon . This lets you get in touch sensation with help via Apple ’s satellites , rather than your phone web , and could be a life ring if you get hold yourself caught up in the muckle or a woodland . It ’ll be free to begin with but will finally require a subscription .
As with every previous iPhone I have reviewed , the bedrock are handled well . Call quality is unassailable , the Wi - Fi connexion is stable ( although there ’s noWi - Fi 6E ) and the onboard speakers vocalize nifty . As ever , the lack of a headphone port means you ’ll need some wireless cans , Lightning buds or a dongle .
Battery Life
If you ’re after the iPhone with the good battery life , then the 14 Plus is the way to go .
It live on longer than both the iPhone 14 and the 14 Pro Max in my tests , and it ’s the only current iPhone that can – with some slight usage direction – last two Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
An time of day of Netflix look at off 6 % ( down from 8 % on the iPhone 14 ) , and even on meddling days , I had 40 - 50 % left at the end of the Clarence Day . I have n’t view battery life like this on iPhones for a few yr , and it ’s wondrous to behold .
A full charge with an prescribed Apple 20W charger ( not include ) and aUSB - Cto Lightning cable system ( included ) took just over 90mins , while an 80 % charge acquire just over an time of day . plug the speech sound in for 30mins take on me to 45 % . There are a few wireless solution too , although none are quite as quick .
This looks to be the last iPhone to utilize Lightning , as Apple looks all determine to switch to the USB - snow touchstone for the iPhone 15 range , in furrow withEU regulation .
Latest Deals
Should you buy it?
Out of all the iPhone 14 poser I ’ve review this year , this is the best for battery life story .
While the iPhone 14 Plus ’s concealment is swelled , it still miss some of the acquisition of the Pro model . There ’s no ProMotion for fast refresh rate , for deterrent example , which feel a bit of a misfire for a phone of this Leontyne Price .
Final Thoughts
I really like the iPhone 14 Plus and it ’s easy one of thebest iPhonesaround . It ’s the one Modern iPhone that ’s a little unlike , combining some of the best bits from the cheaperiPhone 14and the pricier Pro theoretical account into a enticing proposition . While it ’s far from the most feature - rich iPhones , have a bigger sieve in a lighter shell is welcome .
The biggest issue with the iPhone 14 Plus is that it ’s about to be superseded by a new iPhone 15 Plus that is expected to swank upgrades such as the Dynamic Island , more powerful processor and USB - C charging . As a event , we recommend waiting to contain out the newer models , or keep an heart out for a grown terms cutting for the iPhone 14 Plus , as it remains a cracking speech sound in 2023 .
Trusted Score
How we test
We examine every mobile phone we review thoroughly . We use industry standard examination to compare features properly and we use the telephone as our main gimmick over the review menstruum . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
FAQs
There is no battery charger included , just a USB - coke to Lightning cable length
The iPhone 14 Plus is useable in Blue , Red , Midnight , Starlight and Purple
