: Mini is out. Plus is in. The rumours swirled before the launch but in September when Apple revealed its new iPhone 14 series, the company confirmed them. Apple in 2022 has axed the iPhone mini from its lineup. Instead, it has brought in the iPhone 14 Plus. In my opinion this is a step in the right direction. The iPhone mini, although relatively affordable, didn’t serve much utility. If people want a compact iPhone, they can always opt for the iPhone SE. And if they want something cheaper, a regular iPhone from the previous generation is always a better buy than the iPhone mini. Instead, with iPhone 14 Plus not only Apple is finally giving consumers, who are used to large Android screens, a good upgrade option but it is also slotting in a phone between the somewhat well-priced iPhone 14 and extremely pricey iPhone 14 Pro.
After using the iPhone 14 Plus for over two weeks, I feel Apple succeeds with it. I know there are reports that the Plus variant isn’t selling well or that consumers are either sticking to the regular iPhone 14 or jumping to the Pro. But I think these are early days. As a product, I feel the iPhone 14 Plus is solid and serves a lot of goodness to users and my impression is that in a couple of years, if Apple sticks with it, the Plus variant would be a chartbuster.
But let’s not talk of the future, which no one can predict. Let’s talk of the iPhone 14 Pro and why it makes sense at Rs 89,900.
An iPhone 14 made large
As a product, the iPhone 14 Plus is simple. It is exactly the same as the iPhone 14 but with a bigger display and a higher-capacity battery.
Other than these two components, everything else is the same. Same performance from its A15 Bionic chip. Same aluminum and glass frame, same cameras on the rear and the front, same speakers and the same ports. The iPhone 14 and the Plus are both available in the same colours and same storage capacity (up to 512GB).
In our review of the iPhone 14, we found that phone to be totally worth its price. And the reason why we found this is because the iPhone 14 not only feels like a competent and complete phone, it also comes with a sort of certainty. Unlike most Android phones, which rarely get a timely software update, people using a latest iPhone can continue to expect to use it for at least 2 to 3 years. Although, in practice it is easy to see that often users stick with their iPhone for 4 to 5 years.
The only reason, one could argue, to not get the iPhone 14 in the premium segment would be its relatively smaller display. The 6.1-inch screen in the iPhone 14 may not seem as large and immersive as the 6.7 or 6.5 inches screens in the world of Android. This is where the iPhone 14 Plus steps into the picture.
While using the iPhone 14 Plus, I found it to be a perfect phone. Except for the camera, where the Pixel 7 Pro in this price segment reigns supreme, the iPhone 14 Pro offers a better or comparable performance than any other phone out there in the market in its segment. Its OLED display shows gorgeous colours, and is extremely bright. The performance is top notch and the phone runs high-fidelity games like Real Racing 3 for hours without heating up. Its stereo speakers are among some of the best I have heard in a phone.
In other words, this is arguably the best phone for consumers under Rs 1 lakh.
Between the iPhone 14 and the Plus variant, there is also a difference in battery capacity. The iPhone 14 Plus, obviously, has a larger battery inside it. Apple says that the bigger battery means that the Plus variant offers around 30 to 40 per cent better battery life in use. I didn’t find the difference between the two phones this stark. Compared to the iPhone 14 which usually lasts around 14-15 hours, I found the iPhone 14 Plus chugging along for around 17 to 18 hours. It is definitely, and noticeably better, battery life. But is it worth Rs 10,000 extra compared to the iPhone 14? On its own, no. But combined with a larger screen it is.
Overall I feel the iPhone 14 Plus is a slightly better value for money compared to the iPhone 14. In other words, if you are inclined to spend some 75,000 to 80,000 on the iPhone 14, my suggestion is that you spend a little bit more and get the 14 Plus. That is if you do not mind the large screen.
What about the Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max
The two obvious competitors to the iPhone 14 Plus, in my opinion, are the Google Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max (although it is extremely pricey).
Of the two, let’s talk about the comparison with the 14 Pro Max first. Compared to this phone, I find the iPhone 14 Plus a fantastic value for money. You get a similarly large — but marginally less bright — screen. You get similar camera performance, although the telephoto lens is missing in the 14 Plus. And you get the same performance as well as software support, even though iPhone 14 Plus uses A15 Bionic while the Pro Max has A16 Bionic. In regular use, as well as in battery performance, there is very little difference between the 14 Plus and the 14 Pro Max. The design and build quality of the 14 Pro Max is a notch above — pun intended because of that Island — but the downside is that the steel frame in the pricier iPhone also makes it extremely heavy at around 240 grams. In comparison, the iPhone 14 Plus is a lighter phone at around 200 grams.
The tussle between the iPhone 14 Plus and the Google Pixel 7 Pro is more interesting in my opinion. The Pixel 7 Pro has a much better set of cameras compared to the iPhone. It is also cheaper by around Rs 5000. And, of course, the Pixel uses Google’s superb version of Android 13. If you are into some features that only Android can do well — call recording, for example — for you the Pixel 7 Pro would be a better choice. On the other hand, I feel, that the iPhone 14 Plus has a superior design, better battery life and better performance. It also runs cooler compared to the Pixel, and I feel it will serve regular users for longer than the Pixel 7 Pro.
Just to summarize: It is easy to see that the iPhone 14 Plus is a better value, and a better buy, compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max if you go by what your mind tells you. But then, often we go by what our heart tells us. And that is the real reason, and not any other, why we have reports that the Pro Max is outselling the iPhone 14 Plus. When it is between the iPhone 14 Plus and the Google Pixel 7 Pro, I find myself tilted towards the iPhone. The Pixel 7 Pro is fantastic, particularly at clicking photos, but for most of the regular users, the iPhone 14 Plus is a better package overall.
iPhone 14 Plus review: Worth buying
Absolutely! I feel that the iPhone 14 Plus variant is a much better product than the iPhone mini ever was. It fills the gap between the regular iPhone and the Pro nicely and it brings to iPhone users the kind of big-screen experience that Apple so far reserved only for the iPhone Max users.
The iPhone 14 Plus, I feel, also gives a good upgrade path to Android users who have lived with, and are used to, large 6.7-inch or 6.5-inch screens over the last few years. These users might have found the regular iPhone too small and the Max too expensive. Now, in the iPhone 14 Plus they have a phone that offers an experience comparable to phones like the Galaxy S22+ but with the polish, stability and performance of the iPhone and iOS.
This content was originally published here.
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