When Apple launched the iPhone 14 series last September, the model that attracted attention was the iPhone 14 Plus. This is the first time the Plus model is back after the last leg was offered through the iPhone 8 Plus five years ago. The last time this model was introduced was with the iPhone 8 Plus in 2017.
The specifications of the iPhone 14 Plus are the same as last year's iPhone 13 Pro. The difference is in screen size, camera configuration and battery capacity. Last year's A15 Bionic processor is also recycled which makes this the first time a model with the same serial number uses a different processor chip. For those in the know, the iPhone 14 Pro is equipped with a more powerful A16 Bionic chip.
As an iPhone 13 Pro user, I've tried the iPhone 14 Plus as an everyday device for over a week. All I can say is that even though the mighty Plus model is back, it still has some flaws that readers should know before buying it. In this review I will share my usage experience and give an opinion for who this iPhone 14 Plus is really for.
Specifications And Design
Apple iPhone 14 Plus
6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR OLED screen
2532 x 1170-pixel, 460 ppi
HDR, 60Hz
A15 Bionic processor (5nm)
2x 3.23 GHz Avalanche chips
4x 1.82 GHz Blizzard
5-core Apple GPU Graphics Chip
RAM 6GB LPDDR5 RAM
128/256/512 GB NVMe Internal Storage
Main Camera 12MP, f/1.5, sensor‑shift, OIS (Main)
12MP, f/2.4, 2x optical zoom (Ultra-wide angle)
Photonic Engine, Photographic Styles
Selfie Camera 12 MP, f/1.9
Autofocus with Focus Pixels
4,323 mAh battery
Wired, around 20W
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano+eSIM
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Face ID Scan System
Selling Price 128GB – RM4699
256GB – RM5199
512GB – RM6199
I'll be honest, when the iPhone 14 was launched, what got me excited was only the Pro model because it has a Dynamic Island that makes the iPhone's screen design look more unique. My reaction to this iPhone 14 Plus model is simply "Oh, the enlarged iPhone 13". The design of the screen is still notched and there is no difference whether there is reduction or not. Except for the size of 6.7-inches which is the same as the size of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
On the right side there is still the power button, the left side remains with the volume button and the notification switch, then there is the SIM card slot which remains with one SIM support but there is eSIM support for the second. There is still nothing on the top, and the bottom shows the speaker grille and the Lightning port. The back of the device has only one not-so-large camera bump that we've all known since the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14 Plus still uses a dual-camera configuration with a main 12MP sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. But the main sensor is newer with better capabilities. Sensor-Shift stabilization support is also retained. The selfie camera is also still the same which is 12MP, only this time it supports an auto-focus system which has not been on any iPhone so far.
The processing chip is the Apple A15 Bionic (5nm), which uses 2x 3.23 GHz Avalanche and 4x 1.82 GHz Blizzard CPUs and the same five-core Apple GPU as the previous iPhone 13 Pro. Unlike the previous iPhone 13 with 4GB of RAM, all iPhone 14s use 6GB of RAM.
Use And Software
As I said in my iPhone 13 review, the iPhone 14 Plus screen is also TERRIBLE!. It has the best quality I have ever seen. The screen is bright enough even when used in bright sunlight. Colors that look alive, attract attention and provide a satisfying video watching experience because it also supports Dolby Vision content. The larger 6.7-inch size also provides a more satisfying video viewing experience.
But this big screen size is not for me. It's strange that Android devices with large screen sizes are no problem for me to use but on iPhone I feel awkward. I'm more comfortable with the iPhone 13 Pro I'm using now. Another disappointing thing is that the screen is only 60Hz and there is no Always-On Display even though the device is sold at a price starting at RM4699. Even the worst mid-range, cheaper Android devices support 90Hz.
After using many Android devices with 120Hz screens as well as the iPhone 13 Pro with ProMotion, using the iPhone 14 Plus felt a bit slow. Animation of the device at a rate of 60Hz gives an experience as if the device has a lag issue. This happens because I'm used to 120Hz. For iPhone users without ProMotion before, the screen will still feel smooth and fast.
After sixteen iOS interactions the multi-window feature is still not supported. It's already been given to iPadOS but the waiting period for it to arrive on iOS adds another year. The Dynamic Island feature that can run some selected applications on top of other applications is only given to the 14 Pro model only. This is the reason why I don't like using iPhone with a large screen because the space is not used optimally like on Android devices.
But what's interesting about iOS 16 is that it gives users more freedom to customize. Core device is more personal when compared to previous iOS.
If previously there was widget support on the home screen, it is now offered on the lock screen as well. iOS 16 lock screen customization is more diverse and beautiful than what exists on Android. I also love the Focus feature, because it's pretty smart and works better than Do Not Disturb on Android. It can set background images according to locations such as home or work and control notifications to display only important ones while at work.
There are many more interesting features of iOS 16 such as Family Sharing, hiding photos from Gallery and editing messages in iMessage and many more. The complete list of interesting features has been listed before and can be accessed via the link below. Through this operating system, the features on the iPhone are now more and more comparable to those that have existed on Android for years.
Read the article – 16 Most Interesting Features In iOS 16
Features like vehicle crash detection are also supported on this device, but I haven't tested it and based on reports it seems to work well. There is also a feature of calling and sending messages due to emergency via satellite but it cannot be used in Malaysia at the moment.
Bench mark
Before testing, I expected the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 13 Pro benchmark scores to be the same given the same A15 Bionic and 6GB RAM specs. But as you can see for yourself below, the scores recorded are not very consistent.
In AnTuTu 3D this device can reach a score of 798,843 but sometimes it has no problem reaching over 830,000. In Geekbench 5 it received a score of 1713/4625 which is more or less the same as the iPhone 13 Pro and finally through 3DMark after several tests it is seen to always have a higher score which is 2429 marks compared to the iPhone 13 Pro which only managed to record 2335 marks.
AnTuTu 3D
iPhone 14 Plus: 798,843
iPhone 13 Pro: 801,200
Galaxy Z Flip4: 804,731
Geekbench 5
iPhone 14 Plus: 1713/4625
iPhone 13 Pro: 1726/4427
Galaxy Z Flip4: 1282/3686
3DMark Wildlife
iPhone 14 Plus: 2,429
iPhone 13 Pro: 2,335
Galaxy Z Flip4: 2867
Playing for the first time on the iPhone 14 Plus is very satisfying. Although not marketed as a device for beginners, the iPhone has a pretty good reputation for beginners from my experience in the our lab.
The performance is fast launching, smooth with high frame rates, and you can play for hours thanks to the good battery life. The device is also difficult to experience problems with heating and as far as use is concerned there is no more time lag problem. Among the first that I had time to test on the iPhone 14 Plus was Asphalt 9 and also PUBG Mobile.
Telephony And GPS
For telephony like phone calls, VoLTE and VoWiFi support – iPhone 14 Plus is one of the best with clear phone calls. But for mobile data connection, it's quite disappointing it's quite slow and it's hard for me to get fast internet access. Still no iPhone in Malaysia is supported by DNB's 5G network. As for the GPS performance, the device provides an accurate, fast location and no problem with the intricacies of the instructions.
Camera
The iPhone 14 Plus still uses a 12MP dual-camera configuration, one with a wide-angle lens and the other with an ultra-wide-angle lens. Only the wide-angle lens is equipped with the OIS Sensor Shift system. The 12MP selfie camera includes auto-focus support for the first time for sharper images. A smart decision from Apple as the front camera is used more often by TikTok and Instagram video content producers now.
The selfie camera seems to be able to preserve details well. Not only that, the autofocus system is seen to be very helpful and does not make the background effect continue to be exposed to extreme light. Then portrait mode photos also give a neater bokeh effect.
The 12MP main camera is small compared to iPhone 14 Pro Max (48MP) or Xiaomi 12T Pro (200MP) but the quality of the photos taken is very satisfactory. 14 Plus confirms the saying "size is not everything" is quite accurate.
The camera focuses quickly and images always look sharp because of the aforementioned Sensor-Shift system. Overall the photos taken are vivid and bright. Despite the lack of macro support, close-up photos still have good detail. Here are some sample pictures that have many colors. The iPhone 14 Plus is also capable of providing a good blur effect even without using portrait mode.
Human photos, when taken, can also clearly show details such as textures on skin, clothes, strands of hair and provide more natural colors. But since last year, the iPhone started introducing Photographic Styles that allow users to choose a favorite color profile. If last year with the iPhone 13 I preferred to use the Vibrant profile this time on the iPhone 14 Plus I gave the Standard profile a chance to try unenhanced colors and the results were quite satisfying.
The results of the ultra-wide angle and night mode are still not comparable to flagship Android devices or Pro models. Even in my opinion, an Android device with an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor can provide more or less the same results. It's just that on the iPhone it has better post-processing with faster focusing capabilities.
Night mode now supports manual selection and the results are sometimes inconsistent, some are bright and some appear broken. But for an iPhone that is not "Pro", the result is still acceptable. The zoom system is only modest up to 2X optical and up to 5X digital. Pictures taken at the 5X zoom setting look soft and blurry. If zoom is important to you, the iPhone Pro model is a smarter choice.
No matter day or night, iPhone video recording performance has never been disappointing. Through Action Mode the video below looks like it was taken using a gimbal but is actually just held in the hand.
Audio
The audio produced is strong, well balanced and provides an immersive listening experience. At home whenever I use this device, I just rely entirely on the speaker and don't use any Bluetooth accessories. It's also nice, has adequate bass and use on streaming apps like Apple Music doesn't bring any problems. Spatial audio can be enjoyed if you have accessories that support it such as AirPods Gen 3.
Battery
With the iPhone 14 Plus, I have no problem accepting battery life reaching 11 hours SOT for light use and around 5-7 hours for heavier use with the camera, camera and many apps running in the background. This is pretty good SOT life for a flagship device.
Too bad the charging power is still limited to 20W wired and 15W using MagSafe. It is disappointing that a device costing more than RM4000 only supports slow charging standards when compared to Android devices in the same class.
In the box
Here's what you get with every device purchase in Malaysia.
1x iPhone 14 Plus
1x USB-C to Lightning charging cable
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
1x Apple Sticker.
Conclusion
Apple seems to be still trying to get Android users to switch to their ecosystem. Many features on iOS 16 are now similar to those on Android, larger screen options, powerful chips, and great camera capabilities are features that Android users are looking for.
But in my opinion, iPhone 14 Plus is still difficult to convince Android users especially if they are used to devices with 90Hz or 120Hz screens and have faster charging. The iPhone 14 Plus is sold at a price starting at RM4699 in Malaysia which is quite expensive and has various significant shortcomings compared to Android devices with better specifications.
But the iPhone 14 Plus is a compatible device for iPhone users who want to upgrade to a more powerful model with a bigger screen without having to spend the starting RM5799 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Plus is the iPhone model of choice for those who want to stay with the Apple ecosystem but don't want to spend more for more premium features.
Pro
A beautiful, bright and satisfying screen for video viewing.
Amazing battery life.
Pretty fast performance, on par with other flagship devices.
Great and immersive audio quality.
Enticing video recording capabilities.
Cons
The screen is only 60Hz
No telephoto camera for long zooms.
Charging is only 20W
The Lightning connection is still USB 2.0.
Recycled the same chip a year ago.