Apple today announced the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, as part of its September media event. The phones come in a new color lineup of midnight, starlight, blue, purple and red.
The big change here is that the iPhone 14 Plus features a new large 6.7-inch screen size, the same as the Pro Max, and the prior base model 5.4-inch mini size is no longer available. Other new iPhone 14 features include upgraded cameras, better battery life, and satellite connectivity …
The new base model iPhone is available in two sizes, with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen diagonals. The 6.7-inch model is the same size as the previous most expensive iPhone. So although it doesn’t have all the Pro features, Apple is bringing the defining characteristic of the Pro Max — the really big screen — to a much more accessible price point for the first time.
In addition to matching screen size, the iPhone 14 Plus will also offer the same long battery life as the Pro Max. Apple said the iPhone 14 lineup offers the best battery life ever in an iPhone.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is powered by the A15 chip, the six-core variant previously used in iPhone 13 Pro.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature a new dual camera system. The main 12-megapixel camera features a new larger sensor to take in more light and thereby produce better images with more detail and less grain, especially in low light environments.
The new front-facing camera also improves low-light performance and includes autofocus for the first time.
Apple is also upgrading its image processing pipeline, and will now apply its Deep Fusion algorithms earlier in the pipeline. They are calling it the ‘Photonic Engine’ and tout up to 2x improvement in low light environments across all camera lenses.
Apple is also pushing eSIM this year. For US iPhone models, the SIM tray is no longer included in the body. That means US customers will have to sign up to cellphone plans using eSIM.
Emergency satellite SOS service
A big new launch for the iPhone 14 is the addition of an emergency SOS mode, using satellite connectivity. It lets users send short text messages when away from cellular connectivity, to get help in emergency situations. The service even integrates with Find My. It will be available from November and will be offered for free for two years.
iPhone 14 also integrates Car Crash detection, which uses accelerometers to notice if the worst happens whilst driving, and automatically invoke Emergency SOS if needed.
iPhone 14 pricing and availability
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will go up for preorder this Friday, September 9. The iPhone 14 will go on sale around the world beginning September 16; the Plus follows a couple of weeks later, from October 7. The iPhone 14 starts at $799, and the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899.
