Apple iPhone 14 review: the familiar iPhone I can’t help but love

“It’s just another iPhone.” That’s how I’ve heard a lot of people refer to the iPhone 14 — and for good reason. Compared to last year’s model, the iPhone 14 is a very familiar smartphone. It has the same design, screen, chipset, and a very similar camera system.

But here’s the thing. Those similarities shouldn’t come as a disappointment. The iPhone 14 takes a very strong foundation, keeps what works, and adds a few subtle improvements that make it a better overall handset. It’s far from the year’s most invigorating or jaw-dropping release, but if what you’re in the market for is “just another iPhone,” the iPhone 14 makes a great case for itself.

If you’re more interested in Apple’s higher-end models, see our iPhone 14 Pro review and iPhone 14 Pro Max review.

 

iPhone 14 design

This welcome familiarity is seen immediately with the iPhone 14’s design. The iPhone 14 still has a 6.1-inch display with a notch, Apple’s Ceramic Shield covering that display, and an aerospace-grade aluminum frame. You’re also treated to the same square camera housing on the back with the angled sensors, though they are slightly larger than the iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 is also 0.15mm thicker and 2g heavier, but otherwise, it’s the same looking and feeling phone as last year.

In my book, this is nary a bad thing at all. Maybe it’s because I switched to the iPhone 14 from my much heavier iPhone 13 Pro, but the iPhone 14 feels wonderful to hold. It’s sturdy, lightweight, and the aluminum sides are impervious to fingerprints.

I also quite like Apple’s selection of colors this year. Apple sent me the iPhone 14 in purple, which looks like a muted lavender in person. It’s very subtle and not too vibrant, but I’ve loved carrying it around with me while reviewing the iPhone 14. The redesigned blue color is also great (and looks better than the iPhone 13’s blue, in my opinion). The red color is significantly more vibrant this year, plus midnight and starlight remain trusty neutral options.

Other mainstays of the iPhone 13 are also present on the iPhone 14. An IP68 rating protects it from dust and water, it’s fully compatible with MagSafe accessories, and — yes — there is still a Lightning port on the bottom instead of USB-C.

Is this a fresh or exciting design? Not at all. Aside from the different colors, the iPhone 14 really does look identical to the iPhone 13. I get that some people were hoping for a drastic redesign, but I’m happy Apple stuck with this body for another generation. The iPhone 14 has proven practical and comfortable in daily use, and it has looked good while doing so. Call it boring if you want, but it’s a smartphone design I can’t help but thoroughly enjoy.

iPhone 14 screen

Apple’s recycling of last year’s hardware also works out well for the screen … mostly.

The iPhone 14 is equipped with a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a 2532 x 1170 resolution. There’s HDR support, up to 800 nits of max typical brightness, and 1,200 nits of peak HDR brightness — all the same specs we got with the iPhone 13.

In almost every regard, this remains a great display setup for the iPhone 14. Colors are punchy (but not overly saturated), text and icons look great, and the display is plenty visible in bright rooms or outside on a sunny day. Whether I’m watching a YouTube video, looking at old photos, or reading an article from one of my colleagues, the iPhone 14’s screen allows all of it to pop.

Where the iPhone 14 display disappoints is with its refresh rate. Like the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max last year, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max again have 120Hz screens. The baseline iPhone 14, however, is again stuck with a 60Hz one. Compared to phones with 120 or 90Hz refresh rates, things like scrolling and swiping look choppier on the iPhone 14.

iOS 16’s smooth animations and the great performance out of the A15 Bionic keep the iPhone 14 from ever feeling slow or sluggish, but it’s still disappointing not to see any improvement here. In the Android space, it’s not uncommon to see phones for $600, $500, or even $400 with 90 or 120Hz refresh rates. Being stuck with 60Hz on the iPhone 14, a phone that starts at $799, is a shame.

What about the ultrawide camera? Even though it’s the same as the iPhone 13’s, it’s been extremely reliable during my testing. Colors are nearly identical to the main camera, the wider view is helpful, and details look pretty good considering the ultrawide nature of the thing.

And, of course, we have to talk about the new selfie camera. I’ll say upfront that I’m not a selfie guy. I’ve never been one to take a lot of selfies, and I don’t anticipate that the iPhone 14 will change that about me. But even so, it’s pretty remarkable how much better the iPhone 14’s new selfie camera really is.

Thanks to the addition of autofocus, photos generally look sharper all around. From finer details in your hair and face to taking up-close shots of you and your friends, autofocus adds a new layer of flexibility that can really take selfies to the next level. And like the main camera, the larger aperture results in better natural bokeh and decent results even when the lights go down.

iPhone 14 performance

One of the most controversial changes with the iPhone 14 is something that didn’t change at all. Usually, Apple gives every new iPhone a new chipset to power it. The iPhone 12 series got the A14 chip, the iPhone 13 lineup was powered by the A15, and all iPhone 14 handsets have the A16 — right? Not exactly.

While the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have a new A16 chipset, the iPhone 14 (and iPhone 14 Plus) still have the A15. It’s the more powerful version of the A15 used in the iPhone 13 Pro with five GPU cores instead of the four used in the normal iPhone 13, but otherwise, it’s the exact same processor.

There’s been plenty of backlash against this decision as another way for Apple to stifle innovation and save a buck. And maybe it is! But I’d be lying if I said I was upset about having the A15 in the iPhone 14.

Simply put, this is still an incredible mobile chipset. Daily apps like Twitter, Outlook, and Instagram run without a hitch. Games are great, too. I’ve played a lot of Call of Duty: Mobile on the iPhone 14, and from the graphics to frame rate, everything performs perfectly. The iPhone 14 also touts a new thermal design, giving you better heat dissipation compared to the iPhone 13. I only got the iPhone 14 to get noticeably warm once during testing, and that was after 30+ minutes of downloading numerous files for CoD: Mobile with the display on. Otherwise, the phone has run cool as a cucumber regardless of which apps or games I’m running.

iPhone 14 eSIM

Speaking of controversy, we should take a minute to talk about eSIM. If you buy an iPhone 14 in the U.S, it doesn’t come with a physical SIM card. Instead, cellular service is only accessed via a virtual eSIM. We’ve had eSIM technology in smartphones for years, but the iPhone 14 is the first major smartphone to only have eSIM and no option for a physical SIM card.

In my own experience, this hasn’t been a problem at all. I already had my number as an eSIM on my iPhone 13 Pro and transferred it to the iPhone 14 in about two minutes. Apple guides you through this process during setup, and you can access eSIM transfer/activation settings at any time in the Settings app. And even if you have an older iPhone that’s still using a physical SIM card, Apple’s worked with major carriers in the U.S. to make the transfer process as seamless as possible.

While I’ve had no issues with eSIM on the iPhone 14, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been causing headaches for some people. If you have service through a smaller provider like Mint Mobile, transferring your SIM may require using your carrier’s app or having to call customer service. Transferring your SIM from an Android phone also comes with its own headaches, and there have been some reports of eSIM transfers taking hours (or even days) with some numbers.

This is one of those things where your mileage will vary. If you’re coming to the iPhone 14 from an old iPhone, the eSIM transfer process should be fairly simple — regardless if you’re already using eSIM or still have a physical SIM card. Things stand to be more complicated if you’re switching from an Android phone, and if you plan on doing a lot of international travel, there are challenges to consider there, too. There’s certainly still work to be done here, and although eSIM is far from perfect, it hasn’t done anything to tarnish my time with the iPhone 14. Here’s to hoping Apple and carriers can make that the case for everyone sooner rather than later.

By Joe Maring