Apple hasn’t utilized the Plus branding since 2017 and with the launch of the new iPhone 14 series, they have chosen to replace the Mini with this iPhone 14 Plus. Is bigger always better?
Apple iPhone 14 Plus Design
So the iPhone 14 Plus is just an iPhone 14 that has been enlarged in terms of design. Since they are flawlessly constructed and have a quality look and feel throughout, there is nothing wrong with them even having the same 7.8mm thickness. The power button is on the right, while the usual mute toggle and volume controls are located on the flat sides.
The dual speaker grilles and the Lightning charging connector are located at the bottom. There are rumors that USB-C will eventually be added to the iPhone, so let’s see how true that is. There are thus important distinctions between the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus devices and the Pro variants.
First off, love it or hate it, the original notch is still present. And I’ve actually become accustomed to it, so I don’t mind. But if you actually require the new Dynamic Island feature, you are forced to choose the Pro.
Second, in contrast to the Pro’s stainless steel and glass body, the iPhone 14 Plus features an aluminum structure. If you’re wondering what the perks are, there is one that you should definitely appreciate. You have a larger display, then, without having to sacrifice weight like the Pro versions do. because it weighs significantly less—203 grams—than the Pro Max, which weighs 240 grams—about 40 grams more.
Actually, compared to the smaller iPhone 14 Pro, this iPhone 14 Plus is considerably lighter. Along with the traditional Midnight, Purple, Starlight, and (PRODUCT) RED, it also comes in a variety of new colors for 2022, including Blue. The aluminum frame matches the color of the rear glass.
The iPhone 14 plus has an IP68 rating, so it is obviously resistant to dust and water. This indicates that the phone can withstand a 30-minute complete immersion in fresh water at a depth of 6 meters.
Apple iPhone 14 Plus Hardware
From a hardware standpoint, the iPhone 14 Plus differs from the current iPhone 14 series in a few significant ways. For those of you who prefer a larger screen, the iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with a high pixel density of 458 PPI and a resolution of 2778 x 1284 pixels.
Now, obviously, you won’t get the ProMotion display that you see on the Pro versions, but you will get the typical 60Hz refresh rate rather than the extraordinarily smooth 120Hz. If you don’t play a lot of mobile games or engage in intense multitasking, it probably won’t matter too much.
It’s also less power-intensive, so you’ll experience significantly better battery performance than with any other iPhone in the company’s lineup. This is truly worth emphasizing. And I believe it is unquestionably a fantastic trade-off that the majority of people will be delighted with.
Additionally, because it is not an LTPO panel, it lacks the new Always-On Display found on Pro model devices. However, based on my everyday usage, it still offers a really remarkable display with a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits and an average brightness of more than 800 nits. Still, you get extremely bright colors and deep blacks with exceptional color accuracy.
Apple doesn’t mention the audio quality of the 14 Plus too much, but the bigger form size and Dolby Atmos-certified stereo speakers make it sound as fantastic as ever. Wide soundstage and powerful, clear audio make it ideal for watching movies, playing video games, and, of course, using the phone to make calls. That’s why smartphones were developed, right?
The iPhone 14 Plus boasts the best battery life of the whole iPhone 14 family, according to Apple, which claims up to two days of charge. And I questioned whether this was accurate. The phone supports up to 20W quick charging if you run out of juice. Even though it did not meet the highest industry standards, it was still excellent for my needs and one of the best when it came to longer battery life. Additionally, there are up to 7.5W of Qi wireless charging and 15W charging via MagSafe. Additionally, you can charge to roughly 50% using the 30W charger in around 28 minutes.
Next, the iPhone 14 Plus receives the same A15 Bionic chipset from the iPhone 13 Pro from a year ago, but with an additional graphics core. Is having a “old” processor in a phone a concern then?
The performance is precisely the same as what you would expect from an iPhone, so no, not at all. It is quick, incredibly responsive, and can handle almost anything you can throw at it, including graphically demanding games like Genshin Impact. The Crash Detection function is another new addition to the entire iPhone 14 Series.
It’s wonderful to know that you can automatically detect when you’re in a car accident or any other kind of mishap since it’s not just available for the Pro Models. In order to determine whether a crash has been detected, the feature combines a variety of mechanical sensors, including the microphone, gyroscope, and accelerometer. I haven’t personally tested this feature out, but I have seen numerous YouTube videos where it has been put to the test and has passed with flying colors.
Apple iPhone 14 Plus Camera
Now, the iPhone 14 Plus has the same cameras as the iPhone 14 when it comes to photography. In other words, the 12-megapixel f/1.5 sensor-shift stabilized main camera and the 12-megapixel f/2.4 super wide camera on the back are identical. Of course, you don’t get the Pros’ brand-new, high-resolution 48-megapixel camera. However, let’s face it—not everyone needs a picture with a 48-megapixel resolution to post on Instagram.
What about Instagram? Does that still exist? Gram? Although the hardware may be the same, Apple’s upgraded image processing technology, known as the Photonic Engine, which uses machine learning to obtain better and faster low-light performance and higher overall details, does benefit the camera system.
Now, regardless of the lighting situation, the images and videos still had very high-quality results; therefore, it was truly flagship level. It was interesting to learn that there was a slight variation in camera capability between this model and the iPhone 13 or even the Pro variants.
I did observe an improvement in the low-light performance in terms of both processing speed and general quality. The back cameras often function like an iPhone would. I do miss having the optical zoom or the telephoto zoom as an iPhone Pro user, and for some people, this may be a deal-breaker. Speaking of video, the Action Mode, which is once again available on the entire iPhone 14 lineup, is one of the best features on the iPhone 14 Plus.
This is intended to provide extremely fluid action with performance that is virtually gimbal-like. The camera does have a lot of punch, and you’ll need a lot of light for it to be adequately stabilized. Despite the crop, though, I like that it still records at 2.8K, which is greater than the standard 1080p on other Android smartphones. Therefore, the increased resolution is a significant PLUS. Intended pun.
What’s nice is that the front and back cameras on this Plus model, as well as the non-Pro variant, can both shoot in 4K 30 frames per second in Cinematic Mode. And that was pretty wonderful, my buddies. The upgraded 12-megapixel f/1.9 wide-angle selfie camera, which is also equipped with a new autofocus feature, is then hidden inside the notch on the front. The results are excellent, with some tack-sharp images taken simply by pointing and shooting, much like how iPhones have always done with their rear camera lenses.
I tend to like the iPhone’s more lifelike color science because it produces more natural colors, especially for skin tones in front-facing selfie photos.
Apple iPhone 14 Plus Software
In terms of operating system, the iPhone 14 Plus comes pre-installed with iOS 16. There are now many great things about this latest software version. Thanks to the redesigned Lock Screen with widgets, the iPhone experience feels brand-new and exciting. I really adore the tiny practical features like the option to edit and undo sent texts, as well as the battery % indicator’s return.
Conclusion
So sure, everything you’ve read and heard about the iPhone 14 Plus being a larger model or the bigger sibling of the iPhone 14 is accurate. The same processor, same display technology, and of course the same cameras are what you get. The iPhone 14 Plus is definitely a superior phone than its smaller sibling, it has been evident after using it for the duration of this review.
The iPhone 14 Plus is an obvious choice for those of you who like a larger phone. And while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is undoubtedly out of some people’s pricing range, it is the least expensive large phone in the iPhone 14 lineup.
In addition, not everyone requires the Pro features, despite claims that the iPhone 14 Plus is a “old phone”; but, I digress.
With the possible exception of the new colorway, it may not appear much different, but when it comes to performance, there isn’t much to dislike. Of course, what truly impresses me the most is the battery life? As promised by Apple, this iPhone 14 plus regularly provided two days of battery life while I went about my usual activities and even under very intensive use.
Therefore, whether you are referring to any benchmark testing or even during real-time usage, the A15 Bionic chipset offers superb overall performance. It is as fluid and fast as ever. In light of this, the iPhone 14 Plus will be ideal for you if you’re searching for a larger, simpler iPhone. Yes, it isn’t the newest and best model from Apple, but it offers a wonderful compromise between the normal 14 and the 14 Pro versions without the Pro model’s customary expensive price tag.
So, bigger really better? Absolutely, it is!
