iPhone 14 review, dedicated to those who do not have a recent Apple smartphone

iPhone 14 review

This 2022 continues to prove to be a year of continuity for some brands rather than a period of revolution for the mobile smartphone market. Even Apple is no exception to this statement, with its recent 14 series devices just arriving on the market representing an evolution rather than a real innovation.

This reasoning is particularly valid for the "base" iPhone 14 protagonist of today's review, which inherits many elements from its direct predecessor with its own list price but has been revised upwards.




All the (legitimate) fears of lack of innovation following Apple's official presentation just a few days ago are more than ever the subject of careful consideration during this review iPhone 14, well aware that never as for Apple does the rule apply not to consider the technical data sheet as the only element of judgment to evaluate the user experience of a terminal.

If it is true in fact that on an aesthetic level, and we will talk about it shortly in detail, it is difficult to see real differences with the previous models of the 13 series as well as it is also true that we have witnessed for the first time a generational leap that has not brought a new processor, ever as with this iPhone 14 it is worth dwelling on the details, which has always been a pride of Apple.| ); } Why then let's face it, when a company starts with a high-performance device such as the iPhone 13 (with power and performance still superior to many top of the range presented in this 2022 by the competition), why go and want to change a winning formula? So here's the review of the iPhone 14, looking for the details that make the difference.

Design and Display: for the changes please knock on the Pro models

My passionate eye always looking of novelties and new designs within the smartphone landscape, this year has often had to be satisfied. Maybe it's because the competition in these 9 months hasn't presented so much innovative and different models compared to last year, I can hardly criticize the lack of aesthetic novelties in this iPhone 14 compared to the past.

It's true, seeing the front of the Pro models more than a thought on how beautiful a whole line-up would have been retiring the dear and old notch I did it. But knowing Apple's “conservative” streak, this would have been a rash move, as well as unnecessary, starting from a design universally recognized (and copied) by users and the market.


Credit: Mark Spoonauer of sportsgaming.win Guide

Here is how trivially the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 would be easily interchangeable for each other (the covers for example are interchangeable !!!) , were it not for a different chromatic variety. Same design of the photographic module, same notch, same feeling to which Apple has accustomed us. Whether this is good or bad I leave it to you to judge, as I leave to you to judge the constant of 60Hz which still represent the maximum refresh rate value of the contents on the display.

After a few days in the company of Pixel 6a in the past few weeks I can say that if on the one hand it is objective that 90Hz / 120Hz are able to return smoother animations, it is not a function capable of determining an improved or pejorative user experience. What is certain is that when you enter a very high spending area, the user can logically expect the best of technology (net of its real usefulness) and from this point of view as much as the display of the iPhone 14 is pleasant to use. in every context, it does not represent the best of technology from this point of view.

It is not even the processor that changes

For a design that does not change (an element that is now canon in history iPhone and which is now almost no news being used to this company policy), the fact that iPhone 14 also shares the beating heart of the iPhone 13 as far as the processor is concerned, represents an element of analysis and interest.





Apple A15 Bionic continues to be the protagonist, with the novelty of the A16 chip relegated to the Pro models only. To talk about this choice, I could take the same reasoning adopted for design as an example or for the absence of the king higher fresh rate. Although a new generation of mobile devices is generally expected by the market with transversal hardware improvements, Apple demonstrates its strength by trying to undermine this belief. Armed with an important performance gap compared to the competition (and in a historical period where the lack of chips is more than a detail), being able to afford not to insert the latest processor is a more unique than rare fact, being able to offer users performances that continue to be at the top of the category.

Using iPhone 14 is therefore, net of the technical data sheet, an always pleasant experience, as however it is what you could get with the last year's model, and that's the important thing. Apple knows this and rightly has chosen the conservative way, focusing on the user experience, determined more by the great consistency between hardware and software rather than by the presence of the best technologies in terms of processor and memories.

What changes then?

It is therefore legitimate to ask ourselves what is to change with this new device and what are the reasons for considering the iPhone 14 in favor of the previous model. The "biggest" element of hardware differentiation is represented by the new and renewed photographic sector (the main camera is the same as the 13 pro of 2021), which for the first time in some time also features the front camera and not just the module rear.



Credit: Mark Spoonauer of sportsgaming.win Guide In a historical period that sees the contents made by the selfie camera as prevalent, just think of the exponential phenomenon of selfie videos on social media, it appears as if Apple's desire to improve the front camera is of great importance, providing stabilization and autofocus support after years. These are details (on the other hand from the title of this review of the iPhone 14 you will have understood that they are precisely the details to be evaluated to better understand this model) not able to distort the photographic performance compared to the past but of a clear direction taken by Apple in trying to "target" users with this new model.

Credit: Mark Spoonauer of sportsgaming.win Guide nominally modified the number of MPs of the cameras (also here an exclusive novelty of the Pro models) brings with it several innovations compared to the past. In fact, the same 12MP for both the wide-angle and the ultra-wide-angle lens, which however now become equipped with an aperture and a larger sensor for better shots and videos, especially in low-light contexts. The main innovations guaranteed by these new lenses are then enhanced by the software innovations, with the new Action mode able to guarantee excellent results even in difficult conditions. Also worth mentioning is the new update to Cinema mode which now enables resolutions up to 4K and the new Photonic Engine image processing process for even more detailed shots and videos.

So more news than ever before. related to software

We have seen how the hardware details of novelties related to the multimedia sector are enhanced by the increasingly present and important software improvements. This concept then extends to the entire smartphone, with the new release of iOS 16 fully representing Apple's desire to optimize every hardware aspect as much as possible thanks to skilful software work.

All the news from iOS 16 and compatible models iOS 16 brings with it many aesthetic innovations related to customization, without distorting those that are the dictates of Apple that we have come to know over the years, continuing to offer the usual very high level of quality and reliability. If in the past it could be pointed out to Apple to reach high levels of optimization by offering fewer options to its users (in relation, for example, to Android competitors), now this sentence no longer finds its field of application, with many "modification" options in many interfaces of the UI, starting from the lock screen passing through the home screen. We are far from the practically total freedom to which the robot has accustomed us, but knowing that you can now modify your iPhone to your liking while continuing to count on the aesthetic support of Apple, represents for me (who have always been an Android user) an excellent compromise.

Some details will take time to be evaluated

There are still some elements that I would like to highlight in the course of this review of the iPhone 14, even if not purely evaluable in the current present. The current reference goes to the new satellite connection options (for now only USA and selected markets excluding Italy) and to the abandonment (for now only here only USA) of the physical SIM trolley in favor of models equipped with eSim only.





The iPhone 14's support for satellite connectivity represents an unparalleled demonstration of strength within the branded smartphone. Even if only in an embryonic stage, and the localized expansion of the service proves it, it is an exclusive and unique detail, capable of potentially representing a purchase element on its own for a certain category of users. In the same way, having wanted to push as the first to the exclusive adoption of eSIMs represents an important and decisive evolutionary step, waiting for this policy to be applied to all markets.

Finally, I mention the security functions linked to the new accelerometer sensors and "Crash Detection" (obviously not tested in the course of this review) as a distinctive feature of Apple's attention to the safety issues of iPhone users, remembering that exclusivity sometimes does not pass directly from the power of a phone but also with the unique services it is able to offer. Here, however, Apple did not arrive earlier, with Google's Pixels that for some time have already been able to recognize the dangerous situations that motorists may encounter.

A battery capable of covering the 'full day

Hearing about 100 / 120W recharges in the Android world obviously puts Apple's backwardness in this area in a bad light. However, putting aside the concepts related to the charging speed (and the absence of the USB Type-C port), what matters for the user is the fact that he can count on a battery that can cover the whole day. of use. In this iPhone 14 it does not differ from the previous model (and otherwise it could not be considering that there are no improvements on the processor side) with an intense use that will never put you in difficulty during your days.

It seems that iOS 16 has some small optimization problems but it also seems that, given the media hype, these are problems that can be solved with future updates from Apple.

How to orient yourself in Apple's proposal after launch iPhone 14?

iPhone 14 sees its list price rise compared to the previous generation, with now a request of 1029 euros for the basic variant (always equipped with 128GB of non-expandable memory). Reading the review, and wanting to welcome it with a critical eye and attentive to the few "visual" changes, one might be tempted to give a negative opinion towards the newcomer.

The truth in my opinion is that as always Apple has been able to work best with the potential of a product, without the need to overturn it. This is obviously not the best phone on the market, but one that can do every action at its best. From this point of view, its top-of-the-range soul is undoubtedly evident and tangible.



Credit: Mark Spoonauer of sportsgaming.win Guide

Not intended as a direct improvement and is not intended for users of the iPhone 13 and as such should be understood, or as an upgrade from previous iPhones released in recent years. From this point of view it is once again the best entry point into the iPhone world, in terms of performance and future support, without having to enter Pro territory, even more exclusive products in terms of price.

Considering that this is in my opinion the goal of Apple every year, I would say that from the analysis of this review we can only define iPhone 14 as able to guarantee this result.