iPhone 14 Announced: What's New This Year (features, specs, price and availability)?

Sep 12

Sep 12 Apple announced the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro - What's new, release date, specs and pricing!

iPhone 14 Series has been officially announced by Apple during the recent Apple Event. Apple presented several new features. Some of these features were already predicted while others were completely new. As predicted, four new iPhone 14 models have been unveiled:

6.1-inch iPhone 14
6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus
6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro
6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

The new in the non pro lineup is the addition of a new larger 6.7-inch phone while at the same time the mini (5.4-inches) variant has been scrapped. The design remains exactly the same as in last' year’s iPhone 13 series. However, there are several new additions to the non pro iPhones when it comes to the internals:

Improved front facing camera with Auto Focus
More advanced rear camera (similar to last year’s iPhone 13 Pro)
Better battery life
Photonic Engine
Emergency SOS via satellite
Better version of the A15 chip with one additional GPU core
Crash Detection alerts
4K Cinematic Mode
Bluetooth 5.3
New 6.7” Version
No iPhone 14 mini
New color options

It needs to be clarified that both the iPhone 13’s and 14’s are powered by the A15 Bionic Chip. The 14’s SoC though, is using a more powerful version which included one additional GPU core, similar to last year’s iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus Colors - Source: Apple.com

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

The iPhone 14 Pro models were once more the protagonists of the Apple Event. The Face ID module has been re-designed and has a name: Dynamic island. That was the surprise of the Apple Event and has stolen the show ever since. Dynamic Island is the area around the pill shaped Face ID module (including the front camera) and Apple has built an entirely new modular user interface around it.

According to Apple it can show “in real time…important alerts, notifications, and activities. Without impeding content on the screen, the Dynamic Island maintains an active state to allow users easier access to controls with a simple tap-and-hold. Ongoing background activities like Maps, Music, or a timer remain visible and interactive, and third-party apps in iOS 16 that provide information like sports scores and ride-sharing with Live Activities can take advantage of the Dynamic Island.”

Apart from the Dynamic Island, Apple has introduced a bunch of new other features that come both to the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Below you can find a list with all the major upgrades:

A16 Bionic Chip
Improved 48MP main wide angle lens
New ultra-wide sensor with wider aperture for better low light performance
Improved front facing camera with wider aperture and Auto Focus for the first time
New adaptive true-tone flash
New Action Mode for improved and more stable video shots with action (eg shooting sports scenes, people who run or swim etc.)
Photonic Engine
Always On Display
New less intrusive Face ID module with Dynamic Island
Car Crash Detection
Emergency SOS Via Satellite
4K Cinematic Mode
New Purple and Deep Black colours
Bluetooth 5.3
No physical SIM card tray in the US models which are eSIM capable only

iPhone 14 and 14 Pro color options - Source: Apple.com

Pricing and availability

Apple claimed during the Apple Event that the pricing in the US remains the same as the iPhone 13 Series for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max who replace last year’s models. The new iPhone 14 Plus variant is priced at $899. Is this good news for consumers since the new phones come with improved specs? The answer is more complicated. The reason is that the US models saw no price increase, but this is not the same in most markets. Prices in the EU, Asia and Latin America appear to be around 7%-15% higher than last year as part of the global economic situation.

All iPhone models are already available for order in Tier 1 countries and will be available in stores on September 16 with the exception of the iPhone 14 Plus which is expected to be available on October 7.