Essentials

Hands on with the new Apple iPhone 14: Is it worth upgrading?

By Kaylyn McKenna

September 21, 2022 / 8:00 AM EDT / Essentials

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The new lineup of Apple iPhones was officially released on Friday. We got our hands on the newest Apple phone the day that it launched and have tested it out to see whether or not it's actually worth your money. Here's what CBS Essentials has learned.

What's new in the Apple iPhone 14?

To learn the latest about Apple's new generation of iPhones, I pre-ordered the iPhone 14 Pro through Verizon and received it last Friday morning. Now I'm ready to give you my honest opinions on the new features and whether you should upgrade your phone or wait for the next one.

Apple's iPhone 14 offers several improvements over the prior model, including a new operating system with iOS 16. It is getting a camera upgrade, improved retina display and a larger battery. The new iPhones will feature 6GB of RAM, an increase over the 4GB offered in the iPhone 13.

The iPhone 14 has a new 12MP main camera with a larger sensor and wider aperture. The upgraded smartphone also includes an improved front-facing camera with autofocus for better selfies. Apple states that the new camera system will provide strong improvements for low-light photography through its new Photogenic Engine. Apple also introduced Action Mode for improved video quality for capturing moving subjects.

One notable design change is the pill-shaped cutout at the top of the phone screen. This cutout features small privacy indicator lights that alert users that the microphone or camera is in use. One the iPhone 13, these indicator lights are easier to miss but the iPhone 14 has redesigned them to appear brighter (even in sunlight) and placed them front and center at the top of your phone screen.

Another new feature with the new iPhone is eSIM. This is an electronic SIM card that will allow users to activate new phones and transfer data without a physical SIM card.

There are also two new safety features; crash detection and emergency SOS. Crash detection uses motion sensors to detect when a severe car crash has occurred. When your phone detects a severe crash, it will contact emergency services and alert your emergency contacts. Emergency SOS is designed to help users connect with help and transfer the necessary data if an emergency occurs in an area with limited connectivity.

Apple iPhone 14 (128GB), $800 (free with eligible trade-in)

Free with eligible trade-in

Up to $1,000 offer with eligible trade-in

$Free with eligible trade-in on Magenta Max plan at T-Mobile

Those wanting a bigger screen can pre-order the iPhone 14 Plus with a 6.7-inch Retina display. This model will begin delivery on Oct 7.

Apple iPhone 14 Plus (128GB), $900 (free with eligible trade-in)

Free with eligible trade-in

Up to $1,000 offer with eligible trade-in

Free with eligible trade-in on Magenta Max plan

What's new in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Plus?

The higher-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are also getting major upgrades. Arguably the biggest update is the inclusion of Apple's new A16 bionic chip. Apple is sticking with the A15 chip for the standard iPhone 14, but shoppers that opt for a Pro model will get the enhanced chip for even better performance. The new iPhone Pro will also offer a brighter display, always-on display option and a more personalized lock screen.

The iPhone 14 Pro will include Apple's new Dynamic Island, a design change that will display alerts at the top of your phone without disrupting your current activities. Each alert will have a different alert design to easily differentiate them. The Dynamic Island will also help you track background activities such as music, timers, or calls. The Dynamic Island will replace the notch seen in prior iPhone Pro models.

The Pro models are also getting even more camera upgrades than the standard iPhone 14. The new model will see significant improvements with a 48MP main camera. It also includes a new 12MP ultra-wide camera. The new camera system will offer improved focus, range and color. Apple has also made improvements to the flash system.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (128GB), $1,000 (free with eligible trade-in)

Free with eligible trade-in

Up to $1,000 offer with eligible trade-in

Free with eligible trade-in on Magenta Max Plan

The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes with a larger 6.7-inch screen.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (128GB), $1,100 (as low as with eligible trade-in)

$As low as $400 with eligible trade-in at AT&T

Up to $1,000 offer with eligible trade-in

Up to $1,000 offer with eligible trade-in on eligible plans

Choosing an iPhone

Before I could test the new iPhone, I had to decide which model was the best phone for me. Shopping for a new iPhone used to be simple, but now you have four different models to choose from; the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

I went into Apple's Far Out event expecting to decide on an iPhone 14. I ultimately decided on the iPhone 14 Pro over the standard iPhone 14 for two reasons: the camera and the A16 Bionic chip. For me personally, upgrading didn't make sense unless I was going to get the newest processor and the best camera.

When it comes to screen size, it's really a matter of personal preference. I bought myself the iPad 9 for the holidays last year, so I have a bigger screen to read or watch videos on already. As such, I chose the more compact iPhone option. Truthfully, the 6.1-inch screen just seems to fit better in women's pockets than the larger version. (PSA to clothing manufacturers: we want big pockets too!)

Hands on with the Apple iPhone 14 Pro

I spent the last five days with the new iPhone. Here are my key takeaways.

Dynamic Island

In Apple's advertising of the new iPhones, the company heavily emphasized the new Dynamic Island feature. The Dynamic Island is a little oval at the top of the phone screen that shows what you're listening to, who you're on a call with and some other app notifications. You can press down on the small oval to expand the Dynamic Island to easily skip songs, mute calls, or make other adjustments. To me it looked like the type of feature that could either end up being helpful and convenient or really annoying.

After using the new iPhone 14 Pro for a few days, I'm ultimately fairly neutral on the Dynamic Island. Is it the most exciting feature of the new iPhone? No. Is it mildly helpful for multi-tasking? Yes. I do like that it tracks and displays the ETA of your food deliveries if you order through apps like Uber Eats.

Camera quality

My favorite thing about my new iPhone 14 Pro is the camera quality. Both the standard iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro got an improved front-facing camera. The new selfie camera does produce crisp, clear photos and videos. I think that this makes the phone worth the upgrade for users that post frequently on TikTok or Instagram.

The Pro does features a better back camera system than the standard model. Apple emphasizes how both the hardware and software in the new iPhone 14 Pro would come together to pick up the smaller details in your photos, and I can now officially say that they were not lying.

I tested the iPhone 14 Pro camera this weekend on my favorite photo subject, my dog. He is adorable, but very hard to photograph. My dog has jet black hair and lots of floof -- so he sometimes looks like an ominous dark blob without the right camera and lighting. The iPhone 14 Pro impressed me. It picked up each hair (or at least each curl) on my dog and also adapted well to both indoor and outdoor lighting. When we went to the park, the phone camera performed well on the brightly-lit landscapes as well.

Always-On Display

The always-on display is another iPhone 14 Pro (and Pro Max) exclusive. I wasn't sure if I necessarily would prefer an always-on display, and I did worry that it might drain the battery. However, the display has really grown on me -- and it doesn't seem to be noticeably hurting the battery life.

I like to keep my phone on silent, but still be able to glance over and check my notifications without having to interact with my phone. I find that having notifications displayed on the dim always-on display is less distracting than having to pick-up my phone or touch it to turn on the display and check my notifications. It feels like a solid middle ground where I can limit distractions without fully disconnecting.

E-SIM card

I saw a lot of discourse on Twitter about whether the switch to electronic SIM cards was a good or bad thing. One thing I will say about the new E-SIM card is that it makes setting up your new phone a breeze. My last few phone swaps have been done in-person at the Verizon or Apple stores and I've always found setting up the new phone and transferring my data over to be an obnoxiously lengthy process - even with assistance from trained associates. This time, I had the phone delivered right to my door and had to do almost nothing. All I had to do was enter my passcode, verify my number and place my old phone next to my new phone. Everything transferred over via Bluetooth in less than 30 minutes.

Overall performance

The phone features a new A16 Bionic chip for faster performance. I spend a lot of time on my phone during the day and have been happy with the phone's performance so far. Streaming YouTube videos and TikTok or Instagram livestreams has been a really smooth and easy experience. Everything loads quickly and works well, even when multi-tasking or using the picture-in-picture feature. My previous iPhone did seem to slow down or overheat a bit if I had too many things going at once, but the iPhone 14 Pro does feel like it's built for multitaskers or more active phone users.

I think that for the average person, the battery life on this phone will last all day. I sometimes have to charge it mid-day, but I would estimate that my screen time is above average and I do find that watching videos on TikTok drains the battery a fair amount.

Is it worth upgrading to the Apple iPhone 14?

With the great deals going on at the major wireless carriers right now, upgrading is a no-brainer for most people. After all, the phones are free with trade-in for eligible customers.

The new phones do also offer some important new safety features. I wasn't quite committed enough to this review to crash my car to fully test the crash detection. However, I do like knowing that the feature is there. I could see this phone making a great back-to-school or holiday gift for new drivers. If I had a high school or college-aged student on the road or riding in teenaged friends' cars, I'd probably want them to have an iPhone 14 (especially during the winter when the roads are wet or icy).

After using the phone for almost a week, I do think that the Pro is a better choice for most customers looking to upgrade. The standard iPhone 14 still has the A15 chip, so you won't get as much of a performance upgrade with the iPhone 14 as you do with the iPhone 14 Pro.

Most people that I know, regardless of age or gender, also get a fair amount of use out of their phone cameras. Whether it be for making videos on TikTok or capturing happy memories of their children (or fur children), the higher-quality camera offered by the iPhone 14 Pro will be worth the extra money for the majority of users. Many of the free upgrade deals even extend to the iPhone 14 Pro, so I would personally suggest choosing the iPhone 14 Pro (or Pro Max if you like a larger screen) instead of the standard iPhone 14.