Which cutout to choose this year: iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro review

This time, the company carried out the annual update of the iPhone line a little earlier. As always, the high-profile event attracted a lot of attention. Traditionally, the most attention went to the iPhone 14 Pro, but as it turned out later, the simpler iPhone 14 received other important changes. The “older” model received an update in the area of ​​the display cutout, new cameras and processors, and the “younger” fundamentally changed the internal layout and some technical additions. The new models arrived in the editorial office for just a few days, and in this material, we will try to quickly answer which user will fit each of these models better.

The editorial staff express their thanks to the online store STYLUS.UA for providing official models iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro for review

Specifications

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro configuration

In addition to the new smartphone and updated packaging design, you shouldn’t expect anything more from the new iPhones. They are the same for both models. There’s also just a pin to unlock the SIM card slot (not in the US), a USB-A-to-Lightning cable, and some paper with a branded sticker. Many competitive flagships are equipped in the same way. The only thing that caught my attention was the color of the box of the Pro model, which used to be black and now is also white. And for the user, all this means only that the price of the necessary accessories that will help use all the capabilities of the smartphone should be added to the price of the smartphone itself.

To begin with, the protective cases from last year’s Pro-models will not fit the new ones. Manufacturers of iPhone accessories very quickly update their products for new models, so it will not be difficult to find any interesting item for the smartphone. But the new smartphones will completely accommodate existing induction charging stations and power units (if their power meets the needs of previous gadgets), car mounts, etc.

Design and usability

In a global sense, the design of the iPhone 14 Pro has not changed much compared to the previous two models. Among the changes in the updated smartphone is a minimally taller and thicker case (147.5×71.5×7.85 mm vs. 146.7×71.5×7.65 mm), which weighs 2 grams more (206 vs. 204) for iPhone 13 Pro. It is unlikely that there will be many users who will somehow experience such a transformation. The camera block has also increased slightly, which can be understood only next to last year’s model. But that is why the old case will not fit the new model. We already went through something similar last year with the iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro.

The situation with the iPhone 14 is completely different. Its body has undergone drastic changes only in the middle. It now disassembles on both sides and also has a new metal panel between the display and internal components. The first should simplify the repair (which was already noted by the specialists of iFixit), and the second is to reduce damage in the event of a fall. The ability to easily replace the back panel significantly affects the cost of the service. Yes, replacing the broken back glass for the iPhone 14 Pro will cost (in the US) $499, while for the iPhone 14 – only $169 (which is almost three times cheaper than last year’s prices for this model).

Also, iPhone 14 has almost not changed its case. “Almost”, because the case of the new model dropped as much as 2 grams and became wider by a whole tenth of a millimeter: 146.7×71.5×7.8 mm and 172 grams are against the old 146.7×71.5×7.7 mm with 174 grams. And yes, this means that changing the previous model to a new one will not have to buy a new cover. Likewise, you won’t feel any difference when using it.

However, the latter applies to both of today’s editorial guests. If it weren’t for the cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro display, I personally wouldn’t feel any difference when changing models. Especially with the iPhone 14, which is practically identical to the iPhone 13. At the same time, in terms of ease of use, in my opinion, the “younger” model will win, because it is a little lighter. But the iPhone 14 Pro feels a lot nicer because of the brushed steel frame (which collects fingerprints on the frame at a crazy rate and almost never looks tidy) rather than aluminum, and the incredibly nice matte back. Again, this is only noticeable when using the smartphone without a case, which is not a good idea for most people (especially given the cost of repairing or replacing the entire device). In any case, you won’t have to get used to any of these models, they are very similar in use. Also, both smartphones can be immersed in water up to 6 meters for 30 minutes (IP68), which we still do not advise to do because of the possible refusal of warranty service in case of any failure.

Among the colors presented this year, the iPhone 14 received the following options: Midnight, Purple, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, and Blue. Deep red looks very cool. The test model in the color Blue is very calm, with a neutral shade that is unlikely to disturb anyone’s eye. And the iPhone 14 Pro has the traditional Space Black, Silver, and Gold, to which Deep Purple has been added. It skillfully changes the shade, which not every camera is able to convey at all, but subjectively, this is the best color of all that was in the iPhone. Considering this model in a different color, I advise you not to waste time and find Deep Purple on store test stands and take a closer look at it. It is really pretty.

No main elements of the body were changed. Therefore, it will be difficult to add something here. This is not the first year that the iPhone has been released in this design, and probably only a different color model (which the user will quickly get used to) can really add new sensations here. Such a sequence, of course, is not bad. But those small changes that occur in the design of the iPhone every year are sometimes completely imperceptible. At the same time, when buying a new expensive smartphone, you still want some new sensations from using it.

And without noticeable changes, there are no fundamentally different impressions from the new models. However, they are still devices that are a pleasure to use every day. And most importantly, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have relatively compact dimensions. This is an indescribable “plus” of both models, because not every modern smartphone with such capabilities can be so convenient. It will not fit except for people with large palms. But this is also a matter of personal preferences.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro displays

There is nothing to tell about the iPhone 14 display, it remained unchanged: Super Retina XDR, OLED, 6.1 inches, 2532×1170 pixels (460 ppi), 19.5:9, HDR support, True Tone, DCI-P3 color space, a peak brightness of 1200 cd/m² and a cutout for the front camera and Face ID sensors on top. Everything is the same as last year.

As always, Apple does not leave its users the opportunity to influence the color rendering in any way, and all that can be adjusted on the display is the brightness (which, by the way, it can adjust just as well on its own) and turning off True Tone. As expected, the colorimeter shows very familiar measurement results (with temperature correction turned off), and indoors will provide even more than the promised maximum brightness of 840 cd/m² (minimum – 1.9 cd/m²):

There are already more drastic changes in the iPhone 14 Pro display. But first, let’s list the main specifications: LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 2556×1179 pixels (460 ppi), support for HDR, True Tone, DCI-P3 color space, and peak brightness of 2000 cd/m². At the time of testing, there was not so much sunlight that the difference in maximum brightness with the previous generation was clearly visible.

Colorimeter measurements, in this case, show almost no difference with either the previous model or the “younger” (with True Tone also turned off), the typical brightness is 855 cd/m² and the minimum is 2 cd/m²:

But then everything becomes more interesting. First, the display has a higher than usual frame rate, which reaches 120 Hz. But now its minimum indicator is 1 Hz. And this is done for the second interesting point – the Always-On function, which has never been in the iPhone before. And here Apple has traditionally followed a slightly different path. The lock screen image is fully displayed in Always-On mode, instead of displaying a separate widget, time and notifications (although for this there is a logical option in Focus Mode). It glows quite brightly and at first, you can really think that the display is still in working mode. But you can get used to it quickly, and next to the display of the “regular” iPhone 14, the function (sometimes) seems not superfluous. In addition, its implementation is different from how it looks on most Android devices.

And here we come to the biggest change on the “face” of the iPhone 14 Pro, which made the most noise for the new model – the notch in the display.

Dynamic Island in iPhone 14 Pro

Since the release of the iPhone X, Apple smartphones have had large cutouts at the top of the display. Last year, these cutouts were narrowed, raising the speakerphone higher. But the principle remained the same. This year, the cutout of the Pro models has been changed, lowering the Face ID sensors and separating them from the front camera. That is, the display has two cutouts at once. And for a more aesthetic look, the system “paints” the space between them black, so that the cutout seems like one.

In principle, this does not change anything, because the black “spot” still remains in the display. In different lighting conditions, you can even see separate cutouts with a gap between the camera and Face ID. This is probably a subjective point, but personally I hardly felt such a change when using a smartphone. Most of the content is placed below it anyway, and the eyes have long been accustomed to this “spot” on top (or on the side when watching videos, games, etc.). Just as quickly, I get used to different cutouts of Android smartphones, where they hardly bother me either.

But the fact that Apple involved a cutout in the system is already felt more significantly. It zooms in and notifies the user when the smartphone is connected to the charger, headphones, animates the timer, calls, music, etc. For some of these things, there was no indicator at all before. And it looks like a fresh idea for the cutout in the screen that is already familiar to everyone. What’s more, Dynamic Island can show two tasks at the same time, when a completely different application is running on the display. That’s how Apple turns a flaw in technology into something useful.

Tapping on the active image on Dynamic Island will take the user to the corresponding application, and holding the finger on it will open the widget (if there is one for the application). As noted by other journalists who had time to familiarize themselves with the new iPhone earlier, it would be more convenient to switch these actions, or give the user a choice. And I completely agree with that. Currently, there is no other scheme.

However, it is still quite convenient to use. The main thing is completely new functionality for the iPhone, which is also original among competing gadgets. And in everyday life, it really helps with multitasking. And pleasant animations only improve the user experience. Also, all system messages (headphones connected, Face ID confirmation, switching to silent mode…) are also animated through the “island” and not in different places of the display. And next year, the entire iPhone line, not just the Pro models, should get Dynamic Island.

Among the shortcomings of the cutout, it was placed lower. This means that non-adapted applications from third-party developers did not immediately adapt their interfaces to Dynamic Island. This is a temporary issue. But what can’t be fixed simply like that, is the cutout left on the display, which is still there when viewing wide-format video or images, in social media feeds, etc. Not that it critically interfered, but sometimes, as they say, “consuming content” would be more pleasant without it.

Face ID

The main reason why the notch is not going away is not only the front-facing camera, but also the way the iPhone is unlocked. Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro can help the user bypass the passcode by scanning the face. Regardless of the model, the sensors justify themselves just as well, working equally quickly in any lighting conditions and with glasses or a mask on the face. And with the advent of iOS 16, even previous models can be unlocked in a horizontal state relative to the user. It’s all really convenient and fast.

What the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are still missing is a fingerprint scanner. Yes, Face ID does a really good job in the vast majority of cases, but there are exceptions (when the user hides half of the face while lying down, for example, or in a closed helmet while riding a motorcycle or mountain biking). It would be nice to have a choice of ways to quickly unlock at times like this. But (so far) there is no such thing.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro sound

Not much has changed in this section. Apple has always paid a lot of attention to sound, so it becomes increasingly difficult to make noticeable leaps from year to year. Therefore, as always, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have two speakers each, which are capable of providing very good sound. The speakers of both models are expectedly in the old place, but the shape of the slot in the Pro model has changed a little. Here it has become longer and narrower, and now it is also almost unnoticeable.

On the opposite side, there are no changes. At the bottom, also around the Lightning port, there are small holes for the main speaker and microphone. It looks just as neat and does not catch the eye too much.

There is no very noticeable difference in the sound of both smartphones. I’m also not sure what it is compared to last year’s models. Music and videos are accompanied by good stereo sound, so watching something in a quiet place with sound will not disappoint. But the larger model will have a more voluminous sound with a nicer bass (as far as the smartphone allows). Everything is also good during conversations (only the iPhone 14 has a slightly worse noise reduction system than the iPhone 14 Pro, during conversations, for example, near the road).

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro cameras

One of the biggest and fundamental differences between these models is the number and quality of cameras. In addition to wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle, the iPhone 14 Pro has telephoto and LiDAR (to estimate the depth of the image, which also helps with augmented reality tasks). In addition, the older model has a completely new main camera, the resolution of which has increased to 48 MP. That is why the fundamental choice between these two smartphones lies in the user’s requirements for cameras (if, of course, it is not a question of money).

The main specifications of the iPhone 14 cameras are as follows:

• wide-angle — resolution 12 MP, matrix size 1/1.7″, aperture value ƒ/1.5, focal length 26 mm, Sensor-shift stabilization system;
• ultra-wide-angle — 12 MP, ƒ/2.4, 13 mm and a capture angle of 120°.

The iPhone 14 Pro, of course, has comparatively more exceptional indicators, but against the background of competitors, some numbers are not surprising:

• wide-angle — 48 MP, ƒ/1.78, 24 mm, 1/1.28″, second generation Sensor-shift;
• ultra-wide-angle — 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 13 mm and a capture angle of 120°;
• telephoto — 12 MP, ƒ/2.8, 77 mm, optical stabilization system and 3x optical zoom.

Compared to last year’s characteristics, there are also enough differences here, which once again confirms that Apple engineers really have enough work to do between different models. So let’s look at some examples of pictures from the new products. And let’s start with the main iPhone 14 camera, which during the day without any hesitation takes quite predictable pictures, traditionally for an iPhone, trying to convey images of objects that are as close to natural shades as possible. Considering that most other cameras in standard mode take pictures with the same size, there are no comments about the detail either, although a strong crop will show that there could be a little more detail.

At night, the camera takes several pictures in a second or two and forms them into one. Not so long ago, the iPhone learned how to do this, and it succeeds quite well. Of course, it still loses detail, and some parts of the photo generally look “soapy”. There are also comments on the lighting sources, which are obviously overlit. However, Apple will update the software more than once and over time some details in the post-processing work will improve the situation a little. This happens every year.

The iPhone 14 Pro’s wide-angle camera also takes 12-megapixel photos in the main mode. It already handles shadows noticeably better and has more detail in individual shots, but their search needs to be done carefully (especially compared to the previous Pro). Therefore, it is unlikely that the average user will feel it at all. At the same time, minimal time is spent on photo processing. But there is a RAW mode, which will already take a full 48-megapixel picture. Here there will be much more details, but it will take extra time to process the photo. Accordingly, such a photo will have much more details, although the general appearance of the picture may differ slightly from the standard mode. And it should be taken into account that the size of such photos will sometimes reach more than 100 MB, which will take up too much extra space on the drive, and when viewing the photo on a not the latest computer, it will take time even just to open the file. Examples of such photos can be found at this link.

At night, it’s much easier for this camera to get light, because thanks to the higher resolution and sensor size, there are more opportunities to get light into a 12-megapixel photo. And here the difference in camera capabilities is really more noticeable. The Pro has more detailed night shots, but has a similar problem with light sources. Night mode still has room for improvement. Of course, compared to the first attempts, the progress is very noticeable, but compared to the capabilities of last year’s models, expectations were much higher.

For video recording, any of the new iPhones will be one of the best options today. This has always been a strong point of these smartphones’ cameras, and it still is. The biggest difference in the capabilities of the test models is the Pro’s ability to record video in ProRes. The limit of such recording this time: 1080p for models with 128 GB, and 4K only for larger drives. In both cases there will be a maximum of 30 FPS. 

An example of video recording with the iPhone 14 camera:

An example of video recording with the iPhone 14 Pro camera:

You will have to look for the difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro ultra-wide-angle cameras both during the day and at night. If there is one at all. Only in one case did the camera work differently at night. And with such lighting, both models still have a lot of work to do. The difference between the other shots was only a slight change in the lighting during the day.

iPhone 14 ultra-wide-angle camera:

Video recording with the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 14:

iPhone 14 Pro ultra-wide-angle camera:

Video recording with the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 14 Pro:

But the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 14 Pro still has a macro mode. The rules of use remained from the iPhone 13 Pro, but the capabilities look much better.

The ability to “zoom” the scene with a separate camera was still left only in Pro. And there are 2× and 3× options (before digital zoom). The first one is realized by the crop of the main camera from the full size, and the second one is already a separate lens. At night, the smartphone will still, depending on the situation, abandon the telephoto and make a digital zoom with further processing by its own algorithms. But during the day, such a camera is always ready and can really help to compose a better shot.

Action Mode for video has become a separate mode for new models. It should replace the various gimbals used by bloggers and fans of action scenes where you need to follow objects in motion. For this, the smartphone switches to an ultra-wide-angle camera reduces the resolution to 2816 × 1584 pixels, and add digital image stabilization. A test recording on the iPhone 14 Pro showed that this mode still needs refinement because even ordinary steps appear as artifacts in the picture. Therefore, it is worth waiting for possible updates and improvements of this mode. By the way, it should also work on the iPhone 14, which can also now shoot in Cinematic Mode.

The front cameras should be the same — 12 MP with ƒ/1.9 (last year the aperture value was ƒ/2.2). Among the capabilities, they have a difference only in video recording in ProRes, which, of course, was left by the Pro models. Among other things, their capabilities are identical. And the iPhone, in its style, continues to try to depict the real picture, only slightly brightening the shadows and accentuating the face. And portrait mode can still miss with hair. In everything else, the pictures are not bad.

Examples of pictures taken by the front camera of the iPhone 14:

Examples of pictures taken by the front camera of the iPhone 14 Pro:

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro performance

This year, the gap between the “younger” and “older” models increased, using last year’s chip in the iPhone 14. Therefore, now the difference in the cost of these devices is also in performance. The iPhone 14 received a processor from the 13 Pro — a 5-nanometer A15 Bionic (2 Avalanche 3.23 GHz cores and 4 Blizzard 1.82 GHz cores, with 5-core graphics), while the iPhone 14 Pro — a 4-nanometer A16 Bionic (2 Everest 3.46 GHz and 4 Sawtooth 2.02 GHz cores, with also 5-core graphics). In addition, separate accelerators for photo processing — Photonic Engine — appeared in these chips. At the same time, both models have 6 GB of RAM. Storage options start at 128GB, but end at 512GB in the iPhone 14 and one terabyte in the Pro.

Their communication capabilities (almost) match: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, several navigation systems (dual-band A-GPS in iPhone 14 Pro), NFC and UWB. American models have their own characteristics. First, they support mmWave, which is not at all relevant for Ukraine, and in general is not a fundamental point even in the States. Second, they completely abandoned physical SIM cards in favor of eSIM. Ukrainian operators still have their own peculiarities with the use of eSIM, therefore, most likely, to connect, you will have to go to the appropriate store and pay extra money for the connection service. In other countries, the same is not excluded. When traveling, such nuances can add extra steps to connect to local networks.

In addition, users in the US and Canada will be the first to use emergency satellite communication, which is now also available on new models. And in case of getting into an accident, the device will even be able to report it to emergency services on its own. This function was already tested. But, unfortunately, such services do not currently work in Ukraine. And whether they will work at all is a separate question.

During our tests, a noticeable difference between the models appeared only in the tests. When performing everyday routine, smartphones behave the same. The “aging” process may allow the Pro model to feel better in a few years, when the current OS will need more power. But at the moment it is difficult to say that the “younger” model lacks power. The iPhone 14 Pro may also feel a little faster to respond, but in my opinion, this is simply an effect of the faster screen, which makes scrolling pages or animations look much smoother.

iPhone 14 performance tests:

iPhone 14 Pro performance tests:

Test applications also made it possible to evaluate the level of thermal regulation of devices, where the iPhone 14 Pro could heat up more. However, users who do not play games are unlikely to ever know about it. Gadgets also heated up when updating the system, but in this case, it was difficult to say who “won” in this “confrontation”. However, in most cases, smartphone cases are almost always cool with absolutely comfortable speed.

We already told what’s new in iOS 16. Apart from the animations around Dynamic Island and the difference in camera settings, there are no differences in the system for these models. And it behaves the same for both smartphones. Immediately after the start of sales, there were a couple of popular errors in the work, but they are corrected quite quickly. In a couple of updates, the developers will “polish” the remaining shortcomings, although now it is difficult to complain about anything a lot. So you don’t have to worry about the stability and quality of work of new iPhones.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro battery life

As for the work, here we can rely only on test indicators, because there were too few test models left in the editorial office for more or less adequate conclusions. At first glance, not much has changed, even with Always-On in the 14 Pro. This year, the iPhone 14 has a battery capacity of 3,279 mAh, and the 14 Pro has a battery capacity of 3,200 mAh. But the battery life test showed the difference in the other direction: the iPhone 14 lasted more than nine hours, while the iPhone 14 Pro — 10 hours and 42 minutes. A significant difference, which demonstrates the better energy efficiency of the new processors. And it is worth remembering that in real use such indicators will be lower than the test results.

iPhone 14 battery life test:

iPhone 14 Pro battery life test:

There are many options for charging the iPhone, and all of them will take a different amount of time. There is no very fast charging in the iPhone, but the best result for both models is an hour and a half for a full charge from the MacBook Pro power supply. 20-watt Satechi managed to charge a smartphone in two hours. Inductive charging will also show different times, because 15 W is supported through the proprietary MagSafe, and 7.5 through Qi. The iPhone still hasn’t received reverse charging (although the Plus and Max models could).