Apple has given select media outlets and YouTubers access to the new iPhone 14 ahead of when it begins arriving in customers' hands on Friday, September 16.

the verge iphone 14 review 1Photo via The Verge

The new ‌iPhone‌ 14 is an incremental upgrade compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 13, featuring the same overall design, the same A15 Bionic chip with an additional GPU core, and slight improvements to the rear and front cameras.

Display

There are two models of the ‌iPhone‌ 14, the standard 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 14 and the larger 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus will not begin shipping to customers until Friday, October 7, so reviews are focused on the smaller standard model.

The display on the standard ‌iPhone‌ 14 is nearly identical to the one on the ‌iPhone‌ 13, with The Verge's Allison Johnson saying it's a good display but noting that there are other options offering more advanced displays with 120Hz refresh rates at around the same price.

It's a good screen, but the competition is running laps around Apple here. Android phones from the flagship class all the way to the $350 Samsung A53 5G offer screens with 120Hz refresh rates. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's an area where it feels like the standard iPhone is overdue for an update.

Performance

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 features the same A15 Bionic chip that powered the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max. Compared to the A15 Bionic chip in last year's standard ‌iPhone‌ 13, the ‌iPhone‌ 14's chip features one additional GPU core. CNET said the ‌iPhone‌ 14 is "speedy" with fluid animations and no performance hiccups.

iphone 14 engadgetPhoto via Engadget

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 also includes an improved internal design that better manages heat, allowing users to play high-intensive games for longer without the device overheating. Engadget said the device managed to stay "cool to the touch" during gaming and that the phone remains capable regarding performance.

The iPhone 14 may use last year's A15 Bionic processor, but it's still a capable phone that holds its own against this year's flagships. My feverish rounds of Royal Match while messaging fellow reviewers my thoughts on the iPhone 14 Pro all happened smoothly, and in general the phone stayed cool to the touch. It got warm when I repeatedly tested the selfie camera’s autofocus in low light, but didn’t get alarmingly hot.

Battery Life

The standard ‌iPhone‌ 14 features a slightly larger battery than the standard ‌iPhone‌ 13. Apple is promising up to 20 hours of video playback and up to 80 hours of audio playback for the ‌iPhone‌ 14, making similar claims as it did for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 last year.

The Verge said that in real-world testing, the ‌iPhone‌ 14 ended the day with around 40% to 50% of battery life remaining, adding that while it's difficult to compare to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 given limited testing and varying usage, it should be sufficient for most users.

In the real world, after three to four hours of screen-on time, I had between 40 and 50 percent charge at the end of the day. Whether that’s substantially better than the already quite excellent iPhone 13 is hard to say, but it’s good enough to get most people through a full day, and that’s what counts.

Cameras

Both the front and rear cameras on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 received some upgrades. On the front, the selfie camera is an all-new 12MP camera that features autofocus. Apple says the new camera delivers up to 2x better low-light photos thanks to its larger aperture.

On the back, the ‌iPhone‌ 14 features the same dual-camera setup as the ‌iPhone‌ 13 but now includes improved Main and Ultra Wide lenses. The new Main camera has an ƒ/1.5 aperture that allows 49% more light to enter every shot. The Main camera also benefits from a new workflow that Apple calls the Photonic Engine. The Photonic Engine merges multiple pixels from multiple exposure levels to deliver brighter and "more lifelike" colors in low-light situations.

iphone 14 camera cnet dogPhoto taken with the Main camera on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 via CNET

CNET said the ‌iPhone‌ 14 takes acceptable photos in low-light conditions and handles details well.

And in my tests, the iPhone 14 takes great photos and videos. I was able to get a respectable snap, even when the lighting wasn't good. Check out the photo below of a dog that I took in the not-so-bright interior of a coffee shop. Notice how well the 14 captures the texture and detail in the dog's fur. It also did a good job of freezing the action even though the dog was moving his head as I was taking the photo.

For videos, the ‌iPhone‌ 14 includes a new Action mode that delivers stabilized video when active. The Verge says Action mode is "very much designed to be used in bright outdoor light," noting that in any other conditions, videos look "horribly blotchy."

Video Reviews

For those who enjoy watching video reviews, we've embedded some below.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

blazerunner Avatar
35 months ago
No USB-C, won't be buying it.

Jesus, how do you sell everything else with USB-C but not the iPhone... for this long?
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dionte Avatar
35 months ago
They should have kept the mini.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
35 months ago
Bro...it's the same damn phone as last year. The 14 Pro is an actual upgrade over this joke.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kerr Avatar
35 months ago
I feel that even calling it iPhone 13S is generous
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan782040 Avatar
35 months ago
Apple kinda shoots themself in the foot with this because the narrative is “iPhone 14 isn’t worth updating”. But the iPhone 14 Pro is completely different. But all people hear is the first.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
35 months ago

Yikes at a 7/10. But I’m not surprised. I don’t think many are upgrading from the 13 to the 14. At least the DI may convince 13P/PM users to 14P/PM.
Apples target upgrade market is not the iPhone 13. I think the iPhone 14 will be a huge success.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google made waves yesterday by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...