Analysis of the iPhone 14 in depth and opinion

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models are the most affordable, while those bearing the surname “Pro” are the most advanced. The iPhone 14 features a 6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED display, A15 Bionic processor, wide-angle (12MP, f/1.5) + ultra-wide (12MP, f/2.4) rear cameras, wide-angle (12MP , f / 2.4 ) front-facing camera. 1.9) and 128GB / 256GB / 512GB storage options.

I have been testing the iPhone 14 for the past few weeks, and here is my in-depth review of this phone.

Index

1. Design
2. Screen
3. Performance
4. Biometrics
5. Drums
6. iOS 16
7. Multimedia
8. Camera
9. Precio
10. conclusions

design and construction

iPhone 14 retains the attractive industrial design that debuted with the iPhone 12 series, with flat edges and straight lines.

The screen diagonal remains at 6.1″  which, personally, is a size I quite like as it offers a great balance between a large viewing area and a reasonably compact body.

While the Pro models have said goodbye to the notch in favor of the “dynamic island”, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus keep the notch that came with the iPhone X.

I would have liked Apple to extend the dynamic island to these models as well, but in practice, that’s not a problem either. When you are using apps, you end up focusing on the content and ignoring the notch or the island.

In fact, during these weeks in which I have been alternating between the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14, I have found myself many times using the iPhone 14 when I thought I had picked up the iPhone 14 Pro.

Last year the notch was made a little narrower and a tad higher. This year, the notch has not undergone any change, but maintains the same dimensions.

Obviously, I’d prefer no screen cutout , notch, or island, but technology today doesn’t allow you to hide all the components under the screen while maintaining the same functionality. Although other manufacturers use a more unique single cutout for the front camera, they don’t have Face ID, so they have an easier time.

In my opinion, the advantages of Face ID in security, speed and comfort (it works even without light) make up for the presence of the notch, even more so now that Apple has finally incorporated the remaining battery percentage into the battery icon — something that we had lost since the iPhone X.

iPhone 14 notch vs. iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

If we look at the front, the frames that surround the screen are quite narrow. Some smartphones have curved screens that better hide the side frames, but at the cost of producing reflections, changes in the color tone in that area and, sometimes, ghost pulses.

The frames are quite symmetrical on all four sides, something that not all smartphones can boast of. Some have a considerably thicker lower frame (“chin”) that breaks the symmetry of the device, but this is not the case with the iPhone 14.

Traditionally, iPhones have always been fairly thin and light smartphones. Last year, Apple increased the thickness of the iPhone 13 to 7.7mm, and this year, it takes a small jump again to 7.8mm. In practice, this increase is imperceptible in the hand.

The weight has been reduced from 175 to 172 grams . Again, nothing significant, as it’s not a difference you’re going to notice in the hand. For all this, the iPhone 14 is a smartphone that feels very comfortable in the hand .

(*) Screen-to-body ratio data obtained from GSMArena

The chassis of the iPhone 14 is not made of steel, as is the case in the Pro models, but Apple uses aluminum , less resistant to falls and bumps, but, at the same time, lighter and less prone to scratches on its surface.

The iPhone 14 screen is protected by the Ceramic Shield glass that the company introduced last year. As Apple explained, it is the most resistant glass ever used in a smartphone, since it is obtained by inserting nanoceramic crystals into the glass, harder than most metals.

The screen is flush with the edge of the phone instead of having a small lip (known as 2.5D glass), so it’s even more protected. As a result, the iPhone 14 should be more resistant to drops than other smartphones.

On the other hand, the back is made of a glass that, according to Apple, is the most resistant you can find in a smartphone, although it does not specify what type of protection it has.

This year, iPhone 14 is available in five finishes: Blue, Purple, Midnight, Star White, and (PRODUCT)RED . All five variants have a black front, but both the aluminum frame and the back are in the color of your choice.

The model that I have had the opportunity to try is the blue one, which has a light “baby” blue tone that looks pretty (if you like this color, of course). It has a glossy finish that attracts fingerprints, but being a clear finish, they are not as visible.

At the rear, the camera module is located in the upper left corner . This module is sculpted from a single sheet of milled glass and houses the two cameras, which are placed diagonally. The rear camera protrudes slightly from the surface of the phone, which causes the phone to wobble slightly when you tap on the screen while sitting on a table. If you’re worried about scratching your camera glass, rest assured it’s protected by sapphire (and sapphire can only be scratched by diamond or other sapphire).

The size of the iPhone 14 screen makes it somewhat difficult to reach the upper area with your finger. If the height of the screen is a problem for you, iOS incorporates the “Easy Reach” functionality that lowers the upper half of the screen. This function is not activated by default, but we must do it in the Accessibility options. The way to use it is by dragging the screen down near the bottom edge, but in my experience it doesn’t always recognize the gesture first time.Next, we are going to review the four sides of the iPhone 14 to see what elements we found.At the top we do not find any button or connector, except for an antenna line.

At the bottom is the Lightning connector and the speaker on the right side. To the left we find an antenna line.

On the right side we find the power button and, at the ends, two small antenna lines.

Finally, on the left side is the switch to activate Silent mode and the two buttons to control the volume.

A little further down we find the compartment for the nanoSIM card, with a tray that is removed by inserting a sharp object included in the phone box. At the ends we also find two small antenna lines.

At this point, it’s worth noting that in the US, the iPhone 14 ships without a SIM card slot , as Apple has made the full jump to eSIM. In the rest of the countries, luckily, the tray for a SIM card is still available, since, at least in Spain, the eSIM is not very widespread.

Apple includes the set of MagSafe magnets on the back, which allow you to magnetically attach accessories such as the MagSafe charger or the leather wallet that sticks to the back. In online stores there are many MagSafe accessories: car mounts , tripod adapters , etc. The iPhone 14 offers IP68 dust and water resistance , being able to withstand up to 30 minutes at a depth of 6 meters. Therefore, we will not have to worry if a drink is spilled on our phone or if it accidentally falls into the bathtub or swimming pool. We can even choose to wash it under the tap if it gets dirty, which is sometimes practical.

Now, we must not forget that the guarantee of smartphones does not cover water damage, so you should not submerge the iPhone except by accident — no underwater photos in the pool or, even less, in the sea. Nor is it convenient to wet the phone if it has suffered any repair or blow, since the seals that prevent the entry of water may have been damaged.

Screen

The iPhone 14 has a spectacular Super Retina XDR screen , whose name is inspired by the Pro Display XDR monitor sold by the company. It is a 6.1″ OLED panel with Super Retina HD resolution (2,532 × 1,170 pixels), which offers a high pixel density of 460 dpi.Manufacturers like Sony incorporate panels with 4K resolutions, but the improvement in sharpness compared to the iPhone 14 is imperceptible, so it is not something that I miss. As is well known, OLED displays have advantages over LCDs in terms of brightness from extreme angles, color range, image uniformity, contrast, and energy savings.

iPhone 14 more than covers the two most important color spaces in the industry: the sRGB / Rec. 709 space , which is the standard used by most apps, and the broader DCI-P3 used in the industry . of the cinema. The DCI-P3 color gamut is 26 percent greater than the sRGB/Rec. 709 space. iOS offers an automatic color management system that automatically switches to the DCI-P3 space when the content to be displayed has been created under that space (for example, photos taken with the phone’s camera). In this way, the colors always look the right way, neither over nor under saturated. Despite Google’s best efforts, few Android smartphones can boast color management to match.

The iPhone 14 is compatible with the reproduction of HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision content that expand the color, contrast and brightness for a better visual experience. As of today, it is already possible to enjoy movies and videos with this technology on Apple TV+, iTunes, Netflix, HBO Max, YouTube and other services.

For the first time, Apple uses two ambient light sensors in the iPhone 14 family. This means that iPhone 14 is equipped with a new ambient light sensor on the back of the device, while previous models only had a single ambient light sensor. ambient light on the screen. This second sensor helps adjust the brightness of the screen when you’re looking at it against a bright background.

According to the data sheet, the maximum brightness of the screen is 800 nits in normal situation and 1,200 nits when playing HDR content. In this aspect, it falls below the iPhone 14 Pro, which obtains 1,000 nits in normal conditions, 1,600 nits in HDR content and 2,000 nits (peak value) outdoors. .

To analyze the quality of the iPhone 14 screen, I have carried out various tests with the professional software CalMAN Ultimate and an X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter .

The brightness that I have measured on the iPhone 14 screen with the brightness in automatic mode and showing a completely white image (100% APL, Average Picture Level ) is 816 nits , in line with the typical value that Apple gives.

In the following comparative graph, the maximum brightness value is shown with the screen at 100% in white, since it is the usual way to measure and compare the brightness of a screen.

Focusing on color reproduction, the fidelity of the iPhone 14 panel is excellent, since the average error in color reproduction is only 1.1dE (a value below 4 dE is considered excellent and above 9 is considered unacceptable) and the maximum error is only 2.2 dE. The gamma value is good, 2.4, quite close to the desired value of 2.2.

Screen test results with Calman Portrait

The iPhone 14 screen shows a totally pure black color, since the OLED panels are capable of keeping each sub-pixel off. In fact, the colorimeter has not measured any level of brightness when displaying the color black, which means that the contrast is, theoretically, infinite (Apple talks about 2,000,000:1, which amounts to the same thing).

The iPhone 14 has True Tone functionality to adjust the white balance to the ambient light. The device has four-channel ambient light sensors that adjust the white balance based on the color of light in the room so that the screen behaves like a sheet of paper, absorbing light from the environment.

With the True Tone functionality turned off, the color temperature turns out to be 6,329ºK , which implies a value close to the ideal white of 6,500ºK, although somewhat more orange. By activating True Tone, the screen tone adapts to the environment.

The iPhone 14 offers a Night mode that changes the white balance of the screen to reduce the emission of blue light, since according to certain studies it negatively affects sleep. The iPhone 14 allows you to adjust the level of blue light emitted by the screen, as well as schedule the on and off of this screen mode at certain times (but not when the sun sets and when the sun rises).

OLED screens have the advantage that brightness is reduced less when viewing the screen from an angle than LCD screens, but in return colors are more distorted.

The iPhone 14 offers very wide viewing angles , both in terms of brightness, which is hardly affected, and in terms of colors, which only change slightly in tone when looking at the screen from an extreme angle.

While the “Pro” models have an LTPO panel that offers a dynamic refresh rate from 10 to 120 Hz, the screen of the non-“Pro” models does not offer a variable rate, but is limited to 60 Hz . Therefore, the experience when scrolling is not as smooth.

It’s a shame Apple didn’t include a variable refresh rate panel, as many other smartphones in this price range already include this functionality at 90 or 120 Hz.

Similarly, Apple hasn’t included the always-on screen either, as in the Pro models. The screen remains off when not in use, although it turns on with just a touch to check the time and notifications.

The iPhone 14 offers a Night mode that changes the white balance of the screen to reduce the emission of blue light, since according to certain studies it negatively affects sleep. The iPhone 14 allows you to adjust the level of blue light emitted by the screen, as well as schedule the on and off of this screen mode at certain times (but not when the sun sets and when the sun rises).

OLED screens have the advantage that brightness is reduced less when viewing the screen from an angle than LCD screens, but in return colors are more distorted.

The iPhone 14 offers very wide viewing angles , both in terms of brightness, which is hardly affected, and in terms of colors, which only change slightly in tone when looking at the screen from an extreme angle.

hardware and performance

The iPhone 14 incorporates Apple’s A15 Bionic processor that debuted in the iPhone 13, while the new A16 Bionic processor is exclusive to the Pro models.

The A15 Bionic chip, despite being a year old, is still extremely powerful, so at the performance level you won’t notice a difference. However, the A16 Bionic chip is manufactured in a more efficient 4nm process and therefore consumes less power than the A15 Bionic.

Although Apple does not provide information on the amount of RAM in its iPhones, any benchmark tool reveals that the iPhone 14 has 6 GB of RAM.

This is the same amount that we find in the iPhone 14 Pro and, although it is less than almost any high-end Android smartphone, the management that iOS does means that not as much memory is necessary for similar performance.

Next, we are going to see in the benchmarks how the iPhone 14 behaves against other high-end rivals.

In the AnTuTu benchmark,  the iPhone 14 has achieved a result of 867,596 points, in line with last year’s iPhone 13 with the same chip.

In the Geekbench 5 benchmark focused on the CPU, it has achieved 1,741/4,558 points in mono/multi-core tests, which are values ​​similar to the iPhone 13.

Focusing on its graphics capabilities, in the 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited test , the iPhone 14 has obtained excellent results.

In the graphical GFXBench test based on modern low-level and high-efficiency APIs (Metal/OpenGL and Vulkan), the device has obtained very high results, as can be seen in the graph.

In the GFXBench graphical test with traditional APIs, the device has also achieved excellent results.

In addition to point performance, it is important to know if the phone is capable of sustaining this performance over time or if it is reduced by the increase in processor temperature.

The 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test precisely measures the variation in graphics performance after 20 minutes of running the 3DMark Wild Life test.

The phone has obtained a result of 54% , which means that the graphics performance may suffer after a long period of use. In practice, you might see performance drops in long games if you play very demanding 3D titles, although given the great performance that the iPhone 14 offers, you probably won’t notice the FPS drop.

I have tried several demanding 3D games and all of them have run smoothly on the iPhone 14, with high FPS rates.

One example is Asphalt 9 , a graphically demanding 3D car racing game that moves smoothly on the iPhone 14. If you like to play on mobile, you’ll be happy to know that you can link PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch controllers with your iPhone to play games more comfortably.

The benchmarks have confirmed that the A15 Bionic chip of the iPhone 14 continues to offer great power despite being one year old. Its performance still outperforms most current Android flagships, and realistically, you don’t miss a more powerful chip.

Benchmarks aside, the behavior of the iPhone 14 on a day-to-day basis is excellent. The system moves with great fluidity. Apps and games open and operate quickly, with no stutters or signs of sluggishness.

This is also helped by the fact that developers have an easier time optimizing their apps for iOS since the variety of devices and live versions of operating systems is smaller.

I have also not experienced any problem when multitasking within what iOS allows, since it limits the execution in the background except for certain applications for music playback, GPS navigation, etc.

The iPhone 14 continues to use a Lightning connector, despite the fact that other brand products, such as the iPad, have already made the leap to the USB-C connector. The connection speed is USB 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps) , so if you intend to transfer content via cable, you must be prepared for long transfer times.

I wish Apple would jump on the USB-C connector, which is becoming the standard for electronic devices, and support USB 3.x speed for faster transfer of videos and other content, especially when USB 4 is available. just around the corner. In any case, at least in Europe, it is a matter of time.

The iPhone 14 is marketed in 128, 256 or 512 GB storage variants . Apple doesn’t offer the ability to expand the space via micro-SD cards, so you should choose your storage capacity carefully, especially if you plan to capture videos in 4K resolution at 60 FPS with Dolby Vision, which requires a lot of space.

While it’s true that photos and videos are saved by default on the iPhone in very efficient formats (HEVC/HEIC instead of JPG/MPG), apps and games are taking up more and more.

In my opinion, if you don’t usually take a lot of photos and videos, the 128GB option might be enough. However, if you can afford it, the 256 GB variant will give you more peace of mind for the future. In my case, being a regular iPhone user for almost ten years, I have just over 300 GB occupied, mainly with photos and videos, but also with games and dozens of apps.

In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 14 supports Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6 (802.11ax) wireless technologies.

The iPhone 14 is not compatible with the new WiFi 6E standard that makes use of the 6 GHz band for higher performance, although very few smartphones (and even fewer routers) support this type of network at the moment.

In terms of cellular connectivity, the iPhone 14 is compatible with Gigabit class LTE/4G networks and also with 5G networks.

While in the United States the iPhone 14 can connect to sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks, in the rest of the world it only connects to sub-6GHz networks.

ℹ️ Info: Conectividad 5G: Sub-6 vs. mmWave

The spectrum used for 5G is divided into two bands: below 6 GHz (Sub-6) and above 24 GHz (mmWave).

The main difference between the two is speed and coverage. The Sub-6 band provides better coverage but top speeds are only 20 percent faster than 4G LTE, so it’s not nearly as impressive.

The mmWave band offers a very high download speed (up to 10 Gbps) but the coverage is much worse, around 200 meters, so it can happen that your phone spends more time connected to 4G than to 5G, especially when you are inside a building.

This type of technology is designed for open spaces or areas with a high density of users where many antennas are installed. The lower coverage of mmWave is the reason why operators want to fill cities with 5G antennas, so that there is always one with which you have direct vision.

In Spain, the only band that is available for 5G is sub-6GHz, so having a smartphone with 5G mmWave connectivity is useless today — at least until the corresponding frequency band is put out to tender.

In the United States, however, some operators have deployed these networks, which is why only iPhones sold in the US offer access to 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) networks.

Apple offers three data modes in Settings > Cellular data > Options > Data mode . By default, “Standard Mode” is active, which allows automatic updates and background tasks to occur with mobile data, but limits video and FaceTime quality.

If you have an unlimited data plan, you may want to turn on “Allow more data over 5G” mode which provides higher quality FaceTime calls, HD content on Apple TV, songs and videos from Apple Music, software updates, copies of automatic security in iCloud, and iOS updates through mobile.

This setting also allows third-party apps to use more mobile data for a better experience.

There’s also a “Low Data Mode” that decreases mobile data usage by pausing automatic updates and background tasks.

In the tests that I have carried out, the connection speed for both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity has been very high. I have reached 300 Mbps upload and download with a symmetrical 300 Mbps fiber connection, and 56/59 Mbps download / upload with a Movistar 5G connection.

The iPhone 14 arrives with the possibility of inserting a physical SIM or activating an eSIM. In the United States, the iPhone 14 has abandoned the SIM card and is only marketed with eSIM, so it would not be unusual for future iPhones to also arrive only with eSIM in Spain.

Apple offers Dual SIM functionality , which Apple implements differently from other manufacturers in that instead of using a second physical SIM, it uses an eSIM. It is possible to use two eSIMs to make use of the Dual SIM functionality.

In Spain, today , Movistar, Orange, Pepephone, Truphone, Vodafone and Yoigo offer eSIM compatible with the iPhone.

To use the eSIM, you have to activate the mobile plan with a QR code provided by the operator. Although some operators outside of Spain allow you to easily transfer the eSIM from one iPhone to another, Apple’s support page indicates that no operator allows it in Spain. This is inconvenient the day you renew your smartphone or if you have to take it in for repair.

Another functionality present in the iPhone 14 is the possibility of making calls over WiFi. If your operator allows it, this functionality allows you to make calls in areas with WiFi coverage even if you don’t have mobile network coverage or it is very poor. In my house, I use this functionality very frequently, since the coverage is quite poor.

The iPhone 14 launches satellite connectivity to send text messages to emergency services if you do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. You can even manually update your location in the Find My app using the satellite connection.

This communication is only possible if the iPhone 14 is “looking” at a satellite, so Apple has devised a way to indicate on the screen where you have to point the phone. Sending an emergency message can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes depending on sky visibility, and to reduce back-and-forth messaging, Apple has added some key questions to an initial questionnaire.

This is especially useful for adventurous people who may face emergency situations in places where a conventional call is not possible. Satellite connectivity will initially be available in the United States and Canada at no cost for two years, but Apple’s intention is to extend it to more countries.

It also incorporates an NFC chip that can be activated just by having the screen on. It is enough to bring the iPhone close to an NFC tag so that it suggests opening an application or web page, or one of the automatic shortcuts is executed.

The iPhone 14 does not have FM radio , something that can put off users who use their smartphone to listen to analog radio. However, there are apps that allow you to listen to the radio using mobile data.

The iPhone 14 integrates ultra-wideband (UWB) technology for spatial detection of objects thanks to the U1 chip.

Apple’s U1 chip uses this technology to accurately locate other Apple devices that also have a U1 chip . The advantage of UWB technology over other location technologies such as Bluetooth is that it can be accurate to centimeters, rather than meters, which makes it possible to locate objects much more accurately.

With the U1 chip, when you point your iPhone at someone else’s, AirDrop prioritizes that device so you can send files faster. Another use of this technology is to be able to open your vehicle with your mobile thanks to a digital key and locate lost objects with precision thanks to AirTags tracking labels. The case of the latest AirPods Pro also has this technology.

New, iPhone 14 is capable of detecting a serious car accident and automatically initiates a call to emergency services if you are unconscious or unable to dial yourself, reporting your location. It also notifies emergency contacts you’ve designated in the Health app with a text message and location.

This is made possible by a new dual-core accelerometer, capable of sensing the high-g force typically experienced in severe crashes up to 256 g, a new high-dynamic-range gyroscope that is capable of sampling 4 times faster, making which helps ensure that it detects the high g-forces experienced in a severe crash.

For obvious reasons, I have not tested this functionality. However, it has been tested by a YouTuber and works as described by Apple. We have also already heard the first real use cases of this functionality.

Face ID

With the arrival of the iPhone X in 2017, Apple ditched the Touch ID fingerprint reader in favor of the Facial ID recognition system , which is based on TrueDepth technology, which resides in the notch.

An emitter projects thousands of points of infrared light onto the user’s face and obtains enough information about the user’s features to recognize the user reliably and quickly, even when the user is wearing glasses or a mask, in low light conditions or if the user has stopped to shave.

New to iOS 16, Face ID works horizontally across the entire iPhone 14 family (and iPhone 13 too). This is useful if, for example, you need to unlock your iPhone while you are carrying it horizontally in the car acting as GPS, you have it placed on a horizontal tripod or you are watching videos.

One limitation of Face ID is that you can’t unlock the iPhone 14 while lying flat on a table , unless you put your face right on top of it or lift it off the table.

Apple allows you to hide text from lock screen notifications until it detects your face. Only some notifications can be hidden from strangers, so you can set all notifications to be shown except, for example, those from WhatsApp or other apps whose messages you consider private.

Face ID almost never fails to recognize . One security measure to prevent inadvertent unlocks is that Face ID requires “your attention,” which means the user must have their eyes open and looking at the device for Face ID to take action. This way, no one can access your phone while you sleep, for example.

The 3D model of the face generated by Face ID is not stored in the cloud, but locally on the iPhone , so it is safe from possible access to Apple’s servers.

Face ID not only allows you to unlock your phone, but can also be used to make payments with Apple Pay, access third-party applications (for example, banks), authenticate on the web using Apple ID or access certain areas of the system such as private or deleted photo folders.

Drums

Apple does not provide technical details on the battery capacity, but indicates the number of hours of autonomy under certain activities.

In view of these data, we can deduce the iPhone 14 improves the autonomy of its predecessor between 5 and 7 percent.

Some people who have disassembled the iPhone 14 have found out that it incorporates a 3,279 mAh (12.68Wh) battery , compared to the 3,240 mAh (12.41Wh) of the iPhone 13 Pro. This represents an improvement of around 2%.

With some pretty heavy use of the iPhone 14 — multiple email accounts, messaging apps, social media, always-on connection to the Apple Watch — I’ve gotten to the end of the night with around 15 percent battery.

Obviously, the experience of each user is different since if you consume a lot of YouTube or TikTok streaming videos, spend a lot of time playing games or take a lot of videos, your battery will drain more quickly.

As is well known, Apple no longer includes the charger in the box to reduce the impact on the environment. The good news is that it supports the USB-PD standard , rather than proprietary protocols from other, mainly Chinese, manufacturers.

According to the Apple website, the iPhone 14 allows fast charging by cable at 20 watts. It is not a particularly fast speed if we compare it with other smartphones on the market, which offer speeds that reach up to 200 watts in the most extreme cases.

In this regard, I would like to see faster charging speeds, although Apple is probably reluctant to do so due to the increased degradation of the batteries. In any case, I think it would be useful to be able to activate a super fast charge in certain circumstances, even if the rest of the time it charges at normal speed.

Using a USB-PD charger of more than 20W like the Anker Nano 3 ( €24.99 ), the battery charge time from 0 to 100% has been 1 hour and 38 minutes , reaching 60 percent charge. in about 30 minutes.

iPhone 14 battery charging

If you need to extend the autonomy, the iPhone 14 incorporates a low consumption mode to save battery when we need it most.

However, I miss some features that allow to reduce battery consumption , for example, temporarily limiting the background activities of certain non-critical apps.

iPhone 14 Battery section

Apple includes an option called Battery Health that allows you to know the real capacity of the battery, which, as we well know, is reduced over time due to the deterioration caused by continuous charging and discharging processes.

In my experience with other iPhones, after a year of use, the battery has deteriorated by around 5%. Of course, I have not yet had a chance to know how the iPhone 14 behaves in this regard.

iOS incorporates a feature called Optimized Charging that reduces battery drain that occurs when the phone spends many hours with a charge close to 100%. This feature learns your daily charging habits and adjusts the charging process so that it reaches 100% at the time you usually remove your iPhone from the charger, rather than in the middle of the night.

New in iOS 16, if your phone gets very hot during the charging process, a message appears on the screen that charging will resume when the device’s temperature drops.

The iPhone 14 is compatible with wireless charging using the Qi standard . Simply place the device on top of a compatible charging base for it to start charging, without the need to connect any cables.

Apple allows 7.5W wireless charging with a conventional charger, and reaches 15W if you use the MagSafe charger ( €39 ). It’s not particularly fast either.

This charger is attached to the back using magnets, which ensures that the phone and the charger are perfectly aligned. This avoids situations when, after having left the phone charging, you realize that it has been useless because the devices were not properly aligned and it has not charged.

Now, so as not to take the charger with you when you pick up the phone from the table, I recommend using a base like Spigen mag Fit ( €13.99 ) that is fixed to the table with a suction cup type mechanism.

While some smartphones offer the ability to wirelessly charge another device, the iPhone 14 does not feature reverse wireless charging . In my experience with other smartphones, this charging is very slow and tends to stop as soon as the devices get misaligned, so it’s not something I miss either.

iOS 16

The iPhone 14 arrives from the factory with iOS 16, the latest version of Apple’s operating system that was presented in June. At the time of writing this review, the latest version available is iOS 16.0.2.

One of the advantages of iOS over Android is that Apple takes care of updating the devices. New versions of iOS are coming to all devices at the same time, even quite old models — for reference, iOS 16 has arrived on the iPhone 8, which was released in 2017.

Apple has introduced several improvements in iOS 16, which we will review briefly. The main protagonist is the lock screen , which has undergone the biggest redesign in the history of iOS with new customization options and functionality improvements.

In the visual aspect, the lock screen allows you to apply depth effects and color filters to the chosen wallpaper image, so that the phone extracts the silhouette of the subject or object in the foreground and superimposes it on the time, even even if the photo was not taken with the Portrait effect. The result is quite striking.

If you want to know how to take photos to take better advantage of the depth effect of iOS 16, we advise you to read our article.

Examples of lock screens with depth effect, both portraits and conventional backgrounds

It is possible to select several images as wallpaper and set a frequency of photo change: every day , every hour , on lock or on touch .

Furthermore, it is possible to choose the font and color of the date/time and add useful widgets,  both above and below the time.

Among the available widgets are some of Apple’s own — calendar events, activity rings, battery, alarms, etc. — but also from third parties. You should keep in mind that if you add widgets under the time, the depth effect is disabled.

I hope that in future versions, Apple will allow you to have both at once, as well as decide if you want the widgets below the time to appear in the center or on the sides.

Apple also offers some special lock screen designs like Weather, which includes the weather forecast with cool weather effects, Astronomy, which shows the Earth, Moon, or Solar System with cute animation when you unlock your phone; o Emoji , which allows you to combine several emojis forming a pattern on the screen.

On the new lock screen, notifications appear by default grouped at the bottom, although we can drag them up to display them in a list.

Another novelty of iOS 16 are the Live Activities to, for example, know the time until your food order arrives, see how your taxi / VTC is approaching, follow the live result of a sporting event, monitor a training fitness, control a running timer, etc. This functionality is not yet active, but is expected to arrive with iOS 16.1.

Apple allows you to define multiple lock screens and associate each one with a Focus mode so that it activates automatically when you switch to that lock screen.

The Messages app has received some improvements, although, in our country, the use of Apple’s messaging system is residual compared to WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger. In any case, those who do use it now benefit from the possibility of editing messages that you have sent, recovering messages sent by mistake or marking messages that you want to attend to later.

iOS 16 makes it easier to discover apps that support SharePlay from FaceTime, and also lets you use SharePlay while chatting with another person in the Messages app.

The Mail app offers interesting improvements, since it now allows you to schedule the sending of an email and you can even configure a time interval (up to 30 seconds) during which it is possible to cancel the sending of an email.

You can also show a message again any other day and time with the option to remind later, and follow-up suggestions automatically remind users to keep an eye on an email if they haven’t received a response.

Finally, the Mail app also detects if the user has forgotten to include an important part of the message, such as an attachment, although this is only available in English and French languages ​​for now.

The dictation functionality has been improved, as it now allows you to combine voice dictation with typing. While you dictate, the keyboard stays onscreen, so you can use it whenever you want. For example, it is possible to select a word that you want to change with your finger and dictate the new word.

Also, for the first time, it is possible to activate the haptic vibration when typing, but you must take into account that this may slightly reduce the autonomy of the phone.

Live Text , the functionality that allows you to recognize text in images, now extends to video and allows you to recognize text in a frame of a paused video. In addition, translation, currency conversion, etc. features have been integrated.

The image segmentation capabilities have improved so much that it is now possible to click on, for example, a dog in a photo, and it will automatically separate the subject from the background so that you can copy it to the clipboard or save it to the gallery. This allows you, for example, to easily create stickers for WhatsApp from your photos.

Apple Maps has also received some interesting improvements, such as multi-stop routes (up to 15 stops) and information on the cost of public transport, even allowing the payment of the fare from the app thanks to transport cards stored in Wallet (for the moment , only in Japan, Hong Kong, the United States and China).

The Fitness app is now available to all iPhone users who want to track and meet their fitness goals, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch. Also, you can set a daily Movement goal and see how your active calories help them close that ring. iPhone motion sensors can track steps, distance, floors climbed, and workouts done with third-party apps,

Medication is a new feature of the Health app that allows you to keep track of the medications you take. In addition, you can invite your family members to securely share the information they store in the Health app.

Family Sharing allows you to share purchases and services with members of your family. With iOS 16, Apple has made it easier to set up devices that will be used by children. Options have also been added that make it easier, for example, adding Screen Time directly from the Messages app when a child requests that they want to continue using the mobile once the maximum time has been exceeded.

The Home app has received a redesign to show device categories, new multi-camera views, and more. Lastly, Apple has reaffirmed its commitment to Matter , a smart home device communication standard that a host of accessory makers have already joined.

Multimedia

The iPhone 14 has two speakers that offer 3D sound and have Dolby Atmos support. The speakers are quite powerful, so it is possible to watch videos or listen to music in moderately noisy environments.

The sound quality of the iPhone 14 is very good, even compared to other smartphones that have two speakers.

Apple does not include a headphone jack on the iPhone, instead we have to resort to Bluetooth headphones or use a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter to connect traditional wired headphones.

Of course, you can also go for Apple AirPods / AirPods Pro / AirPods Max headphones. All of them offer good sound and, above all, a very comfortable user experience since they are perfectly integrated with iOS.

The latest versions of iOS allow you to connect two pairs of AirPods headphones at the same time to one device to share what you listen to with another person. This has been useful for me on planes to watch a movie or a series on the iPad screen together with my companion, each with their AirPods.

Focusing on multimedia applications, Music plays songs transferred to the phone via the iTunes application, purchased from the iTunes Store, stored in iCloud through iTunes Match or through the Apple Music subscription (€ 14.99 / month for family use, 9, €99/month for individual use and €4.99/month for exclusive use with Siri).

Apple also offers Apple One, a set of subscription packages to various services that offer a more advantageous price:

• Individual Plan includes Apple Music , Apple TV+ , Apple Arcade and 50 GB of iCloud storage for €14.95 per month
• Family Plan includes Apple Music , Apple TV+ , Apple Arcade and 200 GB of iCloud storage for €19.95 per month and can be shared with up to six family members
• Premium Plan (available from November 3, 2021) includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and 2TB of iCloud storage for €28.95 per month and can be shared with up to six people in the family.

When the phone is locked, from the lock screen itself or the always-on screen we can control the player, both from the Music application and from others that we have installed (for example, Spotify). We can also control playback from the Control Center.

In the General Settings section of iOS, not in the application itself, we can control some options of the Music application, such as adjusting the equalizer, limiting the maximum volume, etc.

Regarding the reproduction of content, the iPhone 14 is an appropriate device to enjoy movies or videos . The screen has a 19.5:9 ratio, so 16:9 videos show black bars on the left and right. If you want to see the video in full screen, you can, but you must take into account that a part of the image is hidden by the screen notch.

As I have commented in the Screen section , the iPhone 14 panel is capable of reproducing HDR content in HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats, reaching a very high brightness of 1,200 nits according to Apple.

Of course, we can use streaming video apps such as Apple TV +, YouTube, Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime TV or HBO Max , which work perfectly on the iPhone 14.

The Photos app allows you to view all your photos and videos, and it is even possible to retouch and rotate videos in a very comfortable way.

New is iCloud Shared Photo Library , which is a new iCloud photo library designed for sharing photos with the whole family. You can manually move photos or send them directly from the camera when you take them, as well as set photos taken when other family members are around to automatically move. This functionality will come later.

Camera

The iPhone 14 brings news in terms of the hardware of its cameras, since it incorporates improvements in sensors and optics.

The iPhone 14 has two rear cameras:

• 12MP (1/1.7″, 1.9µm pixel size) wide-angle (26mm) camera, 7P lens with f /1.5 aperture , autofocus with 100% Focus Pixels and optical sensor-shift stabilization.
• 12MP ultra -wide angle (13mm, 120º) camera, 5P lens with f /2.4 aperture .

The iPhone 14 has a front camera:

• Wide-angle camera (23mm) with 12MP (1/3.6″) sensor, 6P lens with f/1.9 aperture and autofocus with Focus Pixels.

The flash now offers 10 percent more brightness and produces more even lighting.

The Camera app makes use of the Photonic Engine, which improves photos taken in low or medium light, such as indoors.

This is how Photonic Engine works

The Photonic Engine is a computational photography technique that modifies the iPhone’s image processing stack to improve photos taken in low or medium lighting conditions. It helps iPhone deliver higher color fidelity, more detail, and brighter photos.

According to Apple, you can expect up to two times the performance in low and medium light conditions for photos taken with the various cameras on the iPhone.

Apple claims that the Photonic Engine dramatically improves the quality of photos taken with all iPhone cameras by employing its Deep Fusion technology earlier in image processing than on previous-generation iPhones, and is applied to uncompressed images. .

Deep Fusion is also a computational photography technique that Apple introduced in iOS 13.2 for the iPhone 11 series. It has since appeared on all newer iPhones except the second-generation iPhone SE.

Deep Fusion takes nine photos taken at different exposure levels and combines them to produce the best possible single photo. During processing, the technology goes pixel by pixel through all the millions of pixels to select the best elements from each of the nine photos to use in the final photo. This helps the iPhone to reduce noise and improve detail.

Now, by applying Deep Fusion earlier in the image capture process, Apple claims it can preserve textures, deliver better color, and maintain even more detail. So you get essentially everything that Deep Fusion allowed for in the previous generation of iPhones and more.

Wide-angle camera (main)

The main camera of the iPhone 14 has a larger sensor that provides, according to Apple, an improvement of 49 percent in low light conditions. It offers a 12 MP resolution with 100% Focus Pixel for better focus.

Additionally, the lens features sensor-shift stabilization to improve low-light performance.

Below we can see some photos taken with the wide-angle camera during the day, which offers excellent image quality.

Photos taken with the main camera (wide angle) during the day

Apple introduced Night mode with the iPhone 11 , which uses software processing to take photos in low light. When you take the picture, the camera takes several photos that are then aligned and combined to produce a cleaner, brighter image.

Night mode is automatically activated when necessary , and is indicated by a full moon icon next to the flash icon. By clicking on the icon we can deactivate the effect, see the automatically selected shooting time and, in some cases, increase it.

The shot can take a little longer, but the results are worth it, as we can see in the most extreme cases.

Below we can see some photos taken in low light conditions with the wide-angle camera, which look really good.

Photos taken with the main camera (wide angle) in low light

If you’re wondering how the iPhone 14’s wide-angle camera compares to other flagships, then you can see the same image captured by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Pixel 6, Huawei P50 Pro, Vivo X80 Pro, OPPO Find X5 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro.

Wide angle lens shots

Below, we can see a detail of the image area to better appreciate the differences.

In general, all smartphones do a good job, although some devices, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and, to a lesser extent, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra opt for somewhat aggressive noise reduction that removes textures in certain areas.

The iPhone 14, along with the iPhone 14 Pro, lets through a bit more noise than other devices, but this also means textures look better than on other devices. For example, while the Pixel 6 and Huawei P50 Pro do a great job, some of the tile lines on the building on the left look blurred.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Vivo X80 Pro and OPPO Find X5 Pro, which does not have much to envy to the best high-end devices in terms of noise reduction. Now, OPPO’s white balance, like Xiaomi’s, misses the shot with an orange tone that is not real.

Comparison of shots with wide angle lens

Portrait mode

Apple pioneered the introduction of Portrait mode , which allows you to simulate the background blur of an image produced by DSLR cameras by identifying what is in the foreground and what is in the background of the image.

Portrait mode photos are best done at 2x zoom or higher, as wide-angle cameras tend to distort the face when you get too close to take a close-up. The iPhone 14 does not have a telephoto camera, so it is better to avoid close-ups.

The results offered by the iPhone 14 are good, as we can see in these examples, although on some occasions it has some difficulties in distinguishing certain areas of the body, such as hair, from the background.

Below, we can see some examples of photos taken in Portrait mode.

Photos taken in Portrait mode

The iPhone 14 offers, in addition to the usual Portrait mode, the possibility of applying lighting effects on the face, making it possible to adjust the intensity of the light to our liking.

ultra wide angle camera

The ultra-wide-angle camera allows you to take spectacular photos that capture four times more elements than would normally fit in a wide-angle photograph. Therefore, it is ideal for photographing closed spaces or capturing wide landscapes.

According to Apple, thanks to the Photonic Engine, this camera achieves photos in low-light environments that are up to 2 times better.

One of the things I like best about iPhones is that all cameras are calibrated to deliver the same color tone, so you won’t notice a difference when taking photos with the ultra-wide camera versus those you take with wide-angle or telephoto.

Below are some examples of photos taken with the ultra-wide camera during the day , which produces spectacular images and perfectly corrects the distortion of the lines to make them look straight.

Photos taken with the ultra-wide camera during the day

Below, we can see several photos taken with the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 14 at Night, which offer quite good quality, although much more noise is appreciated than with the main camera.

Photos taken with the ultra-wide camera at night

If you’re wondering how the iPhone 14’s ultra-wide camera compares to other flagships, then you can see the same image captured by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Pixel 6, Huawei P50 Pro, Vivo X80 Pro , OPPO Find X5 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro.

Captures with ultra wide angle lens

Below, we can see a detail of the image area to better appreciate the differences.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, along with the Pixel 6, let through more noise compared to other smartphones to maintain a higher level of detail. In the case of the Pixel 6, it is necessary to comment that it plays with a window since its ultra-wide angle is smaller (114º) and, therefore, the cut made for this comparison contains many more pixels than its competitors.

Some manufacturers that opt ​​for too aggressive processing, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or the Huawei P50 Pro, which eliminate noise at the cost of losing textures.

On the other hand, the OPPO Find X5 Pro and the Vivo X80 Pro do a particularly good job of taking these shots if we look at, for example, the windows of the building on the left, which are very sharp. I have the same feeling when I look at the full image, since they are one of the few smartphones that allow me to read the illuminated sign of the restaurant.

Comparison of shots with ultra wide angle lens

Unfortunately, while the iPhone 14 Pro’s ultra-wide camera doubles as a macro lens, the same is not true of the iPhone 14, which lacks this functionality.

Video recording

When it comes to recording video , the iPhone 14 cameras can record video at 720p at 30fps, 1080p at 25/30/60 fps, and 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps. It is also possible to record slow-motion video at 1080p at 120/240 fps.

Some users may miss recording in 8K, although, to tell the truth, few people have screens compatible with this resolution and the file sizes increase considerably compared to 4K.

iPhone 14 offers 10-bit HDR video recording, which means you can capture 60 times more colors than standard video. In addition, iPhone 14 can record video in Dolby Vision format at [email protected] with the rear camera and at [email protected] with the front camera.

Another functionality that Apple offers is Audio Zoom , which consists of the sound recording being centered on the object at which we are pointing the camera when zooming. This works best with static sound sources and not too much noise around you.

During video recording, it is possible to switch between the two rear cameras and a smooth, zoom-like transition occurs when moving from one camera to the other. What is not possible is to switch between the rear cameras and the front camera during a recording.

Below, we can see some shots with the iPhone 14 during the day at [email protected] and [email protected] resolutions, which offer excellent image quality and impressive stabilization.

When it comes to recording in low light, the iPhone 14 offers exceptional performance, as can be seen in these videos recorded in low light (the first two) and at night (the last two).

Regarding the audio recording, I would like to point out that in the first two videos, the singer’s microphone was set too low, so strange as it may sound, that was how it actually sounded.

Last year, Apple added a Cinema mode that lets you blur the background (bokeh effect like Portrait mode) when recording people or pets in 1080p video at 30 fps. This year Apple has added support for 4K recording at 24fps or 30fps.

The camera focuses on the person in the foreground, but if the person turns their head to look at someone else or another person enters the frame (the phone “sees” you approach thanks to the ultra-wide angle lens), the focus progressively passes to the new person.

Along with the video, depth information is saved, so it is possible to edit the video and select which element should appear in focus at any given time afterwards.

Below is a video shot in Cinema mode , where we can see how the focus is on the singer in the foreground and only shifts to the second near the end of the video.

Apple has added a new video recording mode called Action that is specially designed for recording on the move — for example, if you are running, riding in a car over potholes, etc.

It supports up to 2.8K resolution and 60 fps and can be combined with Dolby Vision or ProRes recording. By default, it is activated on the ultra-wide camera, but it is also possible to use it with the wide-angle and telephoto cameras. When recording, it crops the image to compensate for movement, so the field of view is smaller.

Apple has incorporated a quite powerful video editor that makes things much easier when it comes to rotating videos, applying filters, retouching the image, etc. This is very interesting since today there are few video editors prepared to work with advanced formats such as Dolby Vision.

You can even edit recorded video in Dolby Vision and apply filters to recorded videos without the need for a powerful computer. When you share a video with another person or app (such as WhatsApp), iPhone automatically converts the video to a supported format. If you want to share videos in Dolby Vision, you can upload them to Vimeo.

Frontal camera

The front camera of the iPhone 14 has a 12 MP sensor, a lens with an f / 1.9 aperture that lets in 38% more light and, for the first time, supports autofocus, which allows you to obtain clear selfies at different distances.

It is possible to switch between group and individual selfies by pressing a button on the screen. By default, using the smartphone vertically takes individual selfies, but switching to landscape takes group selfies.

The iPhone Pro screen can act as a front flash and illuminate the face if we are taking selfies in very low light conditions. In addition, it is possible to take selfies in Night mode, which significantly improves image quality.

Next, we can see some selfies captured by the front camera. Unlike other smartphones, the iPhone 14 does not offer a control to retouch the face and apply a beauty effect, but Apple is more committed to natural beauty.

Selfies taken with the front camera

Thanks to the True Depth sensor, the front camera capable of taking pictures in Portrait mode blurring the background.

Here we can see some examples of selfies taken in Portrait mode.

Selfies taken in Portrait mode with the front camera

The front camera of the iPhone 14 can record video up to 4K at 60 fps, something that is not common in smartphones. In addition, it is also possible to apply the Cinema mode to selfies.

Precio

The new iPhone 14 can be purchased in the Apple Store online store starting at €1,009 for the 128 GB variant, which represents a price increase compared to the iPhone 13.

The reason for this increase must be found in the weakness of the euro against the dollar, since prices have not increased in the United States.

If the iPhone 14 is too small for you, the iPhone 14 Pro Plus has a larger screen and has the same technical features: 6.7″ Super Retina XDR OLED display, A15 Bionic processor, wide-angle rear camera (12MP, f /1.5 ) + ultra-wide (12MP, f /2.4), wide-angle front camera (12MP, f /1.9), and 128GB/256GB/512GB storage options.

If you prefer a more powerful model, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have the same size as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, but have superior screen, processor, and camera features.

conclusions

Apple has released four new iPhone models this year, with the iPhone 14 being the most affordable model in the new series.

The iPhone 14 maintains the industrial design that Apple launched with the iPhone 12 family. It is made of aluminum and glass, and has completely flat side edges.

Although the iPhone 14 Pro has dispensed with the notch in favor of the Dynamic Island , this novelty has not reached the iPhone 14, so it continues to have the traditional notch at the top of the screen.

The screen is protected by Ceramic Shield which, according to Apple, is the strongest glass ever used in a smartphone.

The rear doesn’t show any major changes either. It is made of reinforced glass and has a square module in the corner that houses two cameras arranged diagonally. In addition, MagSafe is present that allows accessories to be attached magnetically to the back.

Apple has opted for a glossy finish for the rear glass, so fingerprints aren’t as well hidden as on the matte-finish Pro models. iPhone 14 is available in five colors to match the side edges: Blue, Purple, Midnight, Star White, and (PRODUCT)RED .

The phone has slightly increased the thickness from 7.7 to 7.8mm , while the weight has dropped from 175 to 172 grams from its predecessor. In any case, they are practically imperceptible changes in the hand.

Face ID allows you to conveniently and securely unlock your device using your face, even in the dark. The iPhone 14 recognizes the face from different angles and, now, thanks to iOS 16, also when the phone is horizontal.

The Super Retina XDR display is, once again, excellent in all aspects thanks to its sufficiently high maximum brightness (about 816 nits with 100% of the screen lit in white according to my measurements) and spectacular color fidelity . In addition, it has True Tone to adjust the white balance to ambient lighting.

The screen offers a wide range of colors, since it covers the DCI-P3 color gamut and is compatible with HDR content, reaching 1,200 nits of brightness. iOS performs automatic color management, so the screen switches to the appropriate color mode based on the content — something few smartphones can boast of.

What I miss on the iPhone 14 screen is, on the one hand, the always-on display functionality, which is available on the iPhone 14 Pro, and on the other hand, the ProMotion adaptive refresh rate from 10 to 120 Hz that it is also offered by the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 14 incorporates the same A15 Bionic chip that we found in last year’s iPhone 13. It is a very powerful chip manufactured in a 5 nm process, although it is somewhat below the power and energy efficiency of the new 4 A16 Bionic nm .

In benchmark tests, the A15 Bionic has proven to still be a beast, outperforming nearly all of its Android rivals in CPU and GPU performance, and in many cases falling just short of the iPhone 14 Pro.

In practice, this means that the iPhone 14 moves with great fluidity and, in my daily use, I have not missed more power.

The iPhone 14 is available in 128, 256 and 512 GB of storage . The 128GB option should be enough for most users, but if you can afford it, the 256GB option is a safer value for the future, especially if you like to take a lot of videos — a good reason to buy this phone.

On the connectivity side, the phone supports Bluetooth 5.3, Ultrawide Band (UWB) and WiFi 6 (802.11ax), though not the more recent WiFi 6E standard.

In addition, it is compatible with 5G networks in the Sub-6GHz band. Although in the United States it does not come with a SIM slot, in the rest of the world it does. It supports Dual SIM through physical SIM + eSIM or double eSIM.

As a novelty, it incorporates a satellite connection to report an emergency in places where there is no coverage, although for the moment this functionality is only available in the United States and Canada.

The iPhone 14 has stereo speakers that offer a good sense of space and also support Dolby Atmos. Unsurprisingly, it lacks the headphone jack, so you’ll have to resort to an adapter or Bluetooth headphones like the excellent AirPods.

The phone offers wired charging via Lightning connector (we can’t enjoy USB-C yet) up to 20W if you use a standard USB-PD charger (no charger comes in the box). Apple offers 7.5W wireless charging with a conventional charger, and reaches 15W if you use the MagSafe magnetic charger.

Compared to other smartphones, it is not a very high charging speed. By cable, it takes about 30 minutes to charge 60% battery, and about 1 hour and 38 minutes to charge 100%. I would like faster charging speeds in future models.

In my experience, with fairly heavy use and the always-on display on, I get to the end of the day with around 15 percent battery.

Another interesting novelty in the hardware section are the improved accelerometer and gyroscope, which make it possible to detect a car accident and automatically notify the emergency services.

The phone comes with iOS 16 out of the box, which incorporates interesting new features, such as the new lock screen with depth effect and customizable through widgets.

It also adds new features such as Live Activities (to follow the result of a live game, the arrival of food at home or an Uber, etc.) and improvements in some apps such as Mail, Maps and Health.

One of the big advantages iOS has over Android is updates . iOS 16 is coming to devices that are six years old, so expect the iPhone 14 to stay up to date for a long time.

The rear camera of the iPhone 14 has also seen some improvements. It consists of two cameras: wide angle and ultra wide angle.

Apple has incorporated the Photonic Engine, a computational photography technique that modifies the iPhone’s image-processing stack to improve photos taken in low- or medium-light conditions. It helps iPhone 14 deliver higher color fidelity, more detail, and brighter photos.

The main camera has a new, larger sensor that provides a 49 percent improvement in low-light conditions, according to Apple.

In my tests, the images captured by the iPhone 14 offer excellent sharpness, true-to-life color reproduction, and very accurate exposure. Both during the day and at night, the results are excellent and, in my comparisons, they have nothing to envy to other high-end smartphones.

The ultra wide-angle camera achieves images with a very spectacular perspective. It offers good quality both during the day and at night, which is usually the biggest problem with this type of camera, although clearly below what the main camera obtains.

Portrait mode is present on the iPhone 14 , although with the limitation that, since it does not have a telephoto camera, it is not convenient to take close-ups, since the face tends to look deformed if photographed from very close with that type of lens.

In the video section, the rear camera of the iPhone 14 offers 10-bit HDR video recording, which means that you can capture 60 times more colors than conventional video.

In fact, you can capture video in Dolby Vision format to [email protected] with the rear camera and [email protected] with the front camera.

Apple has improved the Cinema mode that allows you to capture video with bokeh effect (video blur), and is now available at 4K resolution at 24 or 30 fps.

This mode tracks faces to know which one to focus on at all times and these settings can be modified later when editing the video, resulting in more professional sequences.

Apple has introduced an Action mode that allows you to take incredibly stabilized videos in high-motion situations. This mode uses the ultra-wide camera and the results are excellent.

The 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera takes good shots and, for the first time, supports autofocus, allowing for sharp selfies at different distances. The lens is wide angle and allows you to take individual or group selfies. It is possible to record 4K videos at 60 fps in Dolby Vision, as well as in Cinema mode.

In my opinion, the iPhone 14 is a very complete smartphone, although it can be blamed for a certain continuity with respect to the previous model. That is why many users will opt for the iPhone 14 Pro, which brings significant improvements in multiple aspects, although the price increase is substantial.

The best:

• Attractive design with aluminum structure with flat edges, glass back cover and screen protected by Ceramic Shield.
• Speed ​​and fluidity in handling the interface, games and demanding apps thanks to the performance of its A15 Bionic processor, which continues to hold its own a year after its debut.
• Face ID facial recognition that is reliable and fast.
• Screen with a wide color gamut, very high color fidelity, good maximum brightness and excellent contrast.
• iOS 16 operating system that will receive updates for several years and with interesting features such as customizable lock screen, live activities and more.
• Wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras that offer great image quality in multiple situations thanks to the Photonic Engine and Night mode.
• Portrait mode with good separation between the subject and the background, and very striking lighting effects.
• Video recording in 4K HDR Dolby Vision format with the front and rear cameras with excellent stabilization. Cinema modes to record video with a blurred background and Action to record sequences with a lot of movement.
• Dual SIM support through the combination of physical SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM
• Satellite connectivity for emergencies (although only in the US and Canada at the moment) and car accident detection.
• Solid autonomy thanks to efficient components and iOS optimization.
• Powerful stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos spatial sound.
• Ultra-wide band U1 chip (UWB) for locating objects with AirTags.
• Dust and water resistance IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)

Worst:

• Design without novelties compared to previous models, with the notch still present.
• Display without dynamic refresh rate or always-on display functionality.
• Fast charging slower than other high-end smartphones.
• Lightning USB 2.0 connector, instead of a more widespread and faster USB-C connector.
• Price jump compared to last year’s model.

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