iPhone 14/Plus In Defense of the iPhone 14

[mslilyelise]

So, every two years when my phone contract comes up, I usually get myself a new-to-me certified pre-owned iPhone, or a new one if I can get it cheaply enough. Two years ago I moved up from an iPhone 8 to a 12, which is a massive leap forward. This year, I picked up an iPhone 14, new this time, and as expected, this is much less of change than before. But I thought maybe y'all might want to know my reasoning for choosing the 14, when the 15 is quite a departure.

One is cost. I literally snagged this phone on a carrier plan that was 1/3 the cost of the brand new 15 upfront and quite a bit less monthly as well. Phone upgrades every two years are a treat for me, but as I'm not exactly rich, I couldn't ignore the savings.

But I did agonize over it. Lots of stuff I watched said "Don't bother with the 14" because the 15 is a much bigger jump, but I spent awhile pixel-peeping and reading reviews and while I could see a difference between the 12 and the 14's images, I could see much less of a difference between the 14 and 15. And the two biggest new features on the 15, Dynamic Island and USB-C, don't mean much to me. Sure, Dynamic Island is cool in practice, but it's not life-changing in day to day practice. I've never minded the notch, and the narrower one on the 14 looks pretty good to my eye.

Moreover, USB-C is not a big deal for me either. I think in a mixed-ecosystems house it's a great boon to finally be able to use USB-C for everything, but my household is all Lightning. I have a few accessories like DACs that I would have to replace if I went with a 15 as well, because they have hardwired pigtails with Lightning connectors.

So despite the 14 being a bit of a lame duck upgrade on the 13, I think for folks coming from a 12 or earlier, it's still a sound option, and can be had for pretty cheap right now with all the Black Friday madness. Guess it just depends how much those new features really matter to you. But I'm glad to have the better selfie cam and back cameras, Photographic Styles, Photonic Engine, and other tools that make photos consistently better from this handset compared to my 12. As always, YMMV, but the 14 isn't useless, certainly. It just depends on what you need. 🧡

 

[now i see it]

But I thought maybe y'all might want to know my reasoning for choosing the 14, when the 15 is quite a departure.

I just purchased a refurbished iPhone 6S Plus and I’m thrilled with it

 

[Apple_Robert]

The 14 series is excellent and will be for several years.

 

[john g.]

Really like my regular [non Plus] iPhone 14!

 

[maerz001]

I just purchased a refurbished iPhone 6S Plus and I’m thrilled with it

Now imagine the thrill while using a 15

 

[eyoungren]

So, every two years when my phone contract comes up, I usually get myself a new-to-me certified pre-owned iPhone, or a new one if I can get it cheaply enough. Two years ago I moved up from an iPhone 8 to a 12, which is a massive leap forward. This year, I picked up an iPhone 14, new this time, and as expected, this is much less of change than before. But I thought maybe y'all might want to know my reasoning for choosing the 14, when the 15 is quite a departure.

One is cost. I literally snagged this phone on a carrier plan that was 1/3 the cost of the brand new 15 upfront and quite a bit less monthly as well. Phone upgrades every two years are a treat for me, but as I'm not exactly rich, I couldn't ignore the savings.

But I did agonize over it. Lots of stuff I watched said "Don't bother with the 14" because the 15 is a much bigger jump, but I spent awhile pixel-peeping and reading reviews and while I could see a difference between the 12 and the 14's images, I could see much less of a difference between the 14 and 15. And the two biggest new features on the 15, Dynamic Island and USB-C, don't mean much to me. Sure, Dynamic Island is cool in practice, but it's not life-changing in day to day practice. I've never minded the notch, and the narrower one on the 14 looks pretty good to my eye.

Moreover, USB-C is not a big deal for me either. I think in a mixed-ecosystems house it's a great boon to finally be able to use USB-C for everything, but my household is all Lightning. I have a few accessories like DACs that I would have to replace if I went with a 15 as well, because they have hardwired pigtails with Lightning connectors.

So despite the 14 being a bit of a lame duck upgrade on the 13, I think for folks coming from a 12 or earlier, it's still a sound option, and can be had for pretty cheap right now with all the Black Friday madness. Guess it just depends how much those new features really matter to you. But I'm glad to have the better selfie cam and back cameras, Photographic Styles, Photonic Engine, and other tools that make photos consistently better from this handset compared to my 12. As always, YMMV, but the 14 isn't useless, certainly. It just depends on what you need. 🧡

My only question here is…where do you live that carriers are still offering two year contracts?

PS. My current primary phone is an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Bought seven months before the launch of the iPhone 13 series. I don't plan on replacing it until around the launch of the iPhone 17 series and then I'll be upgrading to the iPhone 14 or 15 Pro Max.

 

[antiprotest]

The 14 series requires no defense.

Anyway, you made a fine choice for yourself and it should serve you well until you are ready for your next one.

 

[mslilyelise]

I just purchased a refurbished iPhone 6S Plus and I’m thrilled with it

Amazing! I remember upgrading from a 4 to a 6S and was blown away by it. My partner still daily drives an 8 because she doesn't care much about phones, as long as they're small and they work.

My only question here is…where do you live that carriers are still offering two year contracts?

PS. My current primary phone is an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Bought seven months before the launch of the iPhone 13 series. I don't plan on replacing it until around the launch of the iPhone 17 series and then I'll be upgrading to the iPhone 14 or 15 Pro Max.

I'm in the Great White North. We used to have three year mobile contracts but our regulators forced the industry to a 2 year maximum, and mandated all phones be unlocked at sale, and it's been pretty good. Our plans are still pricy compared to places like the US or UK, though. The same day I picked up my 14 in the morning I had my 12 sold by dinnertime, and because I don't do "bring it back" contracts and instead go for outright ownership, I made $350 selling my old one.

 

[Al Rukh]

So, every two years when my phone contract comes up, I usually get myself a new-to-me certified pre-owned iPhone, or a new one if I can get it cheaply enough. Two years ago I moved up from an iPhone 8 to a 12, which is a massive leap forward. This year, I picked up an iPhone 14, new this time, and as expected, this is much less of change than before. But I thought maybe y'all might want to know my reasoning for choosing the 14, when the 15 is quite a departure.

One is cost. I literally snagged this phone on a carrier plan that was 1/3 the cost of the brand new 15 upfront and quite a bit less monthly as well. Phone upgrades every two years are a treat for me, but as I'm not exactly rich, I couldn't ignore the savings.

But I did agonize over it. Lots of stuff I watched said "Don't bother with the 14" because the 15 is a much bigger jump, but I spent awhile pixel-peeping and reading reviews and while I could see a difference between the 12 and the 14's images, I could see much less of a difference between the 14 and 15. And the two biggest new features on the 15, Dynamic Island and USB-C, don't mean much to me. Sure, Dynamic Island is cool in practice, but it's not life-changing in day to day practice. I've never minded the notch, and the narrower one on the 14 looks pretty good to my eye.

Moreover, USB-C is not a big deal for me either. I think in a mixed-ecosystems house it's a great boon to finally be able to use USB-C for everything, but my household is all Lightning. I have a few accessories like DACs that I would have to replace if I went with a 15 as well, because they have hardwired pigtails with Lightning connectors.

So despite the 14 being a bit of a lame duck upgrade on the 13, I think for folks coming from a 12 or earlier, it's still a sound option, and can be had for pretty cheap right now with all the Black Friday madness. Guess it just depends how much those new features really matter to you. But I'm glad to have the better selfie cam and back cameras, Photographic Styles, Photonic Engine, and other tools that make photos consistently better from this handset compared to my 12. As always, YMMV, but the 14 isn't useless, certainly. It just depends on what you need.

If you got it at 1/3 the price of a 15, then that’s a sweet deal. The 14, in a vacuum, is a great iPhone. But in a space where the 13 and 15 exist, the 14 might not be the iPhone I would recommend anyone in 2023.

If money is tight, the 13 is a brilliant budget iPhone. You lose out on one GPU core and Action Mode - which aren’t a big deal for the average consumer. If you want the latest stuff then the 15 is the iPhone to get - Dynamic Island, new camera system, better build quality just to name a few, is a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Tripps9000]

I got the iPhone 14 my self as well it has been a good phone it was a huge upgrade from the iPhone SE 2020 that I had been using before.

 

[5gsumdae]

So, every two years when my phone contract comes up, I usually get myself a new-to-me certified pre-owned iPhone, or a new one if I can get it cheaply enough. Two years ago I moved up from an iPhone 8 to a 12, which is a massive leap forward. This year, I picked up an iPhone 14, new this time, and as expected, this is much less of change than before. But I thought maybe y'all might want to know my reasoning for choosing the 14, when the 15 is quite a departure.

One is cost. I literally snagged this phone on a carrier plan that was 1/3 the cost of the brand new 15 upfront and quite a bit less monthly as well. Phone upgrades every two years are a treat for me, but as I'm not exactly rich, I couldn't ignore the savings.

But I did agonize over it. Lots of stuff I watched said "Don't bother with the 14" because the 15 is a much bigger jump, but I spent awhile pixel-peeping and reading reviews and while I could see a difference between the 12 and the 14's images, I could see much less of a difference between the 14 and 15. And the two biggest new features on the 15, Dynamic Island and USB-C, don't mean much to me. Sure, Dynamic Island is cool in practice, but it's not life-changing in day to day practice. I've never minded the notch, and the narrower one on the 14 looks pretty good to my eye.

Moreover, USB-C is not a big deal for me either. I think in a mixed-ecosystems house it's a great boon to finally be able to use USB-C for everything, but my household is all Lightning. I have a few accessories like DACs that I would have to replace if I went with a 15 as well, because they have hardwired pigtails with Lightning connectors.

So despite the 14 being a bit of a lame duck upgrade on the 13, I think for folks coming from a 12 or earlier, it's still a sound option, and can be had for pretty cheap right now with all the Black Friday madness. Guess it just depends how much those new features really matter to you. But I'm glad to have the better selfie cam and back cameras, Photographic Styles, Photonic Engine, and other tools that make photos consistently better from this handset compared to my 12. As always, YMMV, but the 14 isn't useless, certainly. It just depends on what you need. 🧡

I went for the 14 too so you’re in good company. The 13, 14, 15 are all great.

I went for the 14 primarily to get the satellite emergency access and remote roadside assistance. I don’t know if we will necessarily need it but this year we were out of cell range for 25 nights. I also plan to help anyone else that needs it. I remember years ago, maybe 15, coming across a family on a highway with their car on fire and no cell service. We said we’d rush to get cell service/911.

Just a few days ago came across a horrible scene where a motorcyclist had tried to pass a semi on a curvy road and slid into and bent a rear trailer wheel. He was pretty messed up and the first thing I asked the people already on scene was if they had cell service, which they did.

By buying the 14 before November 15, as I understand it, I will get an additional free year of satellite service on top of the original 2 years which will take it to the end of October, 2026.

One thing little known about the 14 is it underwent a complete internal mechanical architecture change over the 13. It adds a new internal sub-frame and the phone can be opened from the front and back. This enhances repair ability over the 13 and earlier phones.

The 14 also gets 6 GB versus 4 GB on the 13. I was also considering a battery upgrade on my 13 so got that also. The night mode shots are supposed to be better which I haven’t tried yet. I got some good star shots on the 13, attached one at the bottom. So will soon see what the 14 will do.

We have 5 lightning cables in our vehicles and more at home so we will put off the USB-C upgrade for a while longer. We have just one USB-C cable we use for 1 Mac Pro and the rest are Windows laptops/Desktops with their own power supplies. Perhaps Apple will have a USB-C mini in a couple of years so we don’t have to carry multiple cables/adapters. In any case for me next round will be USB-C. Will it be a 15? Don’t know. The only thing the 15 adds for me is an additional 2X zoom via cropping.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I was similarly thinking about a 15 pro or 14 pro not too long ago.
Went with the 14 pro and used the difference for stuff I would have gotten for the 15 pro anyway - screen protector and case.

There just weren’t enough significant differences (for me) to justify the higher cost of the 15 pro.

 

[Reverend Benny]

I'd say the whole current model-line are all good phones so pick one that suits your budget.
Since Apple do support their devices equally (compared to Samsung) it doesn't matter what you choose, you still get updates for quite some time and at the same time. And if your house are full of lightning devices I completely understand your choice.

 

[xxFoxtail]

The iPhone 14 will last you years. I wouldn’t worry about the features of the 15 you’re missing out on. I personally have the 14 Pro, but I think I would have been just as happy with the regular 14.

Also, you should also have the satellite and crash detection features too. Those by themselves were enough for me to justify the upgrade last year. Thankfully, haven’t needed to use either feature yet, though they’re nice to have for peace of mind.

 

[1BadManVan]

Amazing! I remember upgrading from a 4 to a 6S and was blown away by it. My partner still daily drives an 8 because she doesn't care much about phones, as long as they're small and they work.



I'm in the Great White North. We used to have three year mobile contracts but our regulators forced the industry to a 2 year maximum, and mandated all phones be unlocked at sale, and it's been pretty good. Our plans are still pricy compared to places like the US or UK, though. The same day I picked up my 14 in the morning I had my 12 sold by dinnertime, and because I don't do "bring it back" contracts and instead go for outright ownership, I made $350 selling my old one.

I got my son a 14 for Christmas this year, a nice upgrade from his 11. I opted for the 14 for the same reason as you, huge savings on it through my carrier. I’m with Telus and it was $15 a month through my EPP plan