During a prerecorded keynote, Apple announced the Apple iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max. The first two devices are Apple's entry-level phones. Especially the iPhone 14 Plus stands out. It is a larger version of the entry-level model. A mini iPhone is missing this year.
On paper, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus fail to impress. For example, like the Apple iPhone 13 from a year ago, the iPhone 14 features the same A15 Bionic processor. It is the first time Apple has equipped a new iPhone with an older processor. According to Apple, the competition cannot match the performance of the A15. The Pro models do get an updated processor.
Like last year, the iPhone 14 features a 6.1-inch XDR OLED screen with Dolby Vision and Ceramic Shield protection. This year, there are five colors: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (product)RED. The amount of storage also sounds familiar; 128, 256, and 512GB. The asking price, however, goes up. Especially for European customers, it is a bit of a shock. According to Apple, this is because of the lower Euro exchange rate. Prices start at €1,019 for the 128GB version and go up to €1,409 for the model with 512GB of storage.
Photonic Engine
According to Apple, especially the camera is new. The primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras have a 12MP sensor, but the main sensor is larger. Moreover, the f/1.5 aperture of the lens is a lot brighter. Apple claims a 49% greater light intake as a result. And through a new algorithm called Photonic Engine, the iPhone camera should shoot better shots in the dark across all cameras. This applies to both the iPhone 14 and the larger iPhone 14 Plus.
iPhone 14 Plus
The iPhone 14 Plus can be seen as the bigger brother of the iPhone 14. In addition to a larger 6.7-inch screen, it features a larger battery. According to Apple, the 14+ boasts the longest battery life ever. Apple claims 26 hours of video playback, 20 hours of video streaming, and 100 hours of audio playback.
Emergency SOS via satellite
Apple also announced a new connectivity mode which can come in handy in emergencies. You can connect via a satellite in places without signal reception or WiFi. Pointing your iPhone to the nearest satellite makes it possible to send messages. The iOS software helps you find the right satellite. Apple uses Low Earth Orbit satellites from Globalstar.
Emergency SOS via satellite can deliver messages as text or voice to various emergency centers and, for now, only works in the US and Canada. The service is free for the first two years and will start in November. It is unclear what the rates will be after that and when the service will be rolled out elsewhere.
iPhone 14 and 14+ in stores
Apple's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available for order starting September 9 and will be in stores September 16 and October 7, respectively.
