So what exactly is new with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus?
As heavily rumored before its announcement, Apple has decided to ditch the iPhone mini's small display for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. It essentially brings a big-screen form factor to the regular iPhone lineup, allowing consumers to opt for the 6.7-inch model without paying for all the extra features and functionality of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The benefit of the new iPhone 14 Plus, in addition to the 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, is improved battery life, with Apple claiming that the iPhone 14 Plus has the longest battery life of any iPhone to date – including this year's Pro models. If battery life is important, the iPhone 14 Plus could be the way to go.
It sits alongside the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 with the same cutting-edge Super Retina XDR display technology as last year. However, both models max out at 60Hz – still the difference between the standard and Pro models.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus offer improved rear camera setups – although the real hardware improvements are limited to the main 12Mp sensor. This 12Mp sensor boasts both a larger sensor and larger 1.9-micron pixels, which Apple claims improve low-light performance by up to 49%, along with sensor-shift OIS and a faster aperture that's better for snapping fast images. Although the 12Mp ultrawide snapper remains physically unchanged, improvements to Apple's image processing technology mean it offers up to 2x better low-light performance with better detail and more accurate colours.
There's also a front-facing camera upgrade with a new 12Mp TrueDepth camera that offers an improved f/1.9 aperture for low-light shots, but the bigger improvement for many will be the introduction of autofocus. Using a combination of the camera sensor and the Face ID sensor, it can quickly focus on faces in the frame, even in low light.
Video is another area where the iPhone 14 series sees improvement; Apple introduces a new Action Mode that uses full-sensor overscan and roll correction technology to provide motion-level stabilization ideal for recording videos while running and cycling.
Satellite connectivity is a new addition to the iPhone 14 range and is one of the first smartphones on the market to offer this technology. While smartphones typically connect to cell towers several miles away, a new line of smartphones can connect to satellites hundreds of miles above the ground traveling at 15,000 mph. Impressive stuff.
The iPhone 14 has its own hardware built into the antenna, as well as a custom user interface designed by Apple in conjunction with first responders to provide emergency SOS via satellite in areas without coverage. You'll need to point the iPhone at a specific area in the sky to maintain connectivity, but it's a great addition for those traveling off the beaten path.
The only real surprise of the evening was the confirmation that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will once again feature the A15 Bionic chipset, albeit with the caveat that it's the improved A15 Bionic used in the Pro models rather than the standard models. Given that it's still faster than most of the Android competition, it probably won't matter to most, but it's certainly a change from the iPhone upgrade as we know it.
Other improvements coming to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus include the same crash detection technology found in the Apple Watch Series 8, which can detect when you've been in a serious car accident and contact emergency services, as well as remove the US SIM tray. US consumers have no choice but to opt for an eSIM connection, although most other regions around the world will still boast a SIM tray.
iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are available in five colors Midnight, Blue, Star, Purple, and Red at launch.
It wasn't the only announcement Apple made; the company also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 8, the new affordable Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Ultra for exercise, as well as the second-generation AirPods Pro.
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