It’s that time of the year again: iPhone season.
Ever since the iPhone 14 lineup went up for sale here in the Philippines, people have been asking those who were lucky enough to be a part of the first batch of iPhone 14 users in the country: “Should I get one?” and “Which one should I get?”
The attention is warranted with the 2022 release boasting the best (yet still in ways, a restrained showing) of what Apple has to offer.
Presenting the iPhone 14 lineup: There’s the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Here’s a quick, not-so-technical rundown on how the base models (14 and 14 Plus) are different from the Pro models (14 Pro and 14 Pro Max):
Display
All four phones will more or less give users the same satisfaction of using their smartphones with the Super Retina XDR OLED display. What Apple is selling with its Pro models currently is that it can now brighten up the screen up to 2,000 nits which will make the screens visible under sunlight (a “nit” is a unit of measurement for brightness).
A bright screen is something nice to have, definitely. But odds are you won’t be using your phone under the sun often anyway. However, come Summer 2023, Pro model users will have a great time at the beach.
Chip
This marks the first release where Apple used different chips in its iPhone models of the same series. The base models have the A15 Bionic chip with five-core GPU (which powers last year’s iPhone 13 Pro models). The Pro models have the Apple A16 Bionic chip, which the company claims is “about 40 percent faster than the competition.”
The A15 is no slouch and should still be serviceable after years of use, but using a gadget with industry-leading tech like the A16 chip is an absolute pleasure.
Cameras
The cameras on these phones are one of the biggest talking points every year. Fans of Apple would be happy to learn that all models carry a front camera with autofocus (first time Apple released this) which is perfect for selfies, and the Action mode for its video.
According to Apple, Action mode allows users to “capture smooth hand-held video even when you’re moving around a lot.” In theory, you can run along with a friend on a skateboard, and manage to shoot a decent “stabilized” video of him on the streets.
Of course, the Pro models carry a big upgrade justifying their markups: They carry a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.78 aperture, a 12MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 12MP telephoto camera with an f/2.8 aperture. The base models only have a 12MP sensor with an f/1.5 aperture for its main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.4 aperture. They have no telephoto camera.
“Only” is a funny word in this case. The cameras on the base models are still some of the best in the industry. For comparison, the base models this year have similar cameras to one the 13 Pro models last year, except this year has the “Photonic Engine” which is supposed to boost low-light performance. Oh, and the base models do not have the telephoto lens.
Should you get an iPhone 14?
The number one factor in deciding on whether or not one should go ahead and get an iPhone is price.
The iPhone 14s come in different storage capacities (128GB, 256GB, 512GB and an additional tier, 1TB, for the Pro models). The prices start at P56,990 and maxes out to a whopping P102,990 for the 1TB Pro model.
Even if one can afford to spend this amount of money, it doesn’t mean these things come cheap. That said, these phones are some of the most luxurious looking, feeling smartphones in the market.
If price is not a concern, the next question interested buyers should ask themselves is: “Do I need the latest and greatest?”
In time, iPhones have become tools for content creators more than a gadget for content consumers. People belonging to the former will have a slightly better excuse at owning these phones compared to the latter.
For casual users, any model above the iPhone X can still give you a good Apple experience (healthy gadget use and care considered). iPhones bought in 2019 onward can still rock a few solid years. For models purchased before 2018 (like the iPhone X and lower), you can start considering the 14 models. If you have the cash and are still using an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, the iPhone 14 series is a must.
Which iPhone 14 should you get?
The Pro models are the better phones on paper but not necessarily when taking into account user habits. If you see yourself watching TikTok videos and shooting a few food photos for Instagram, then the base models are more than enough. If you are in the game of providing content for your followers, most especially in video format—consider the 14 Pro as an investment. The Pro Max? Only if you’re over six feet tall with big hands. That thing is huge.