iPhone 14/Plus Tough call but went with 14

[5gsumdae]

My 13 battery health was at 88%. But the real interest in an upgrade was getting the emergency/roadside satellite access. We are often in remote areas RVing with no cell access. This year to date 25 of 73 nights and also driving our towed into remote areas.

13 battery would be good for another year before upgrading otherwise.

DW has an 12 mini that she isn’t interested in upgrading with 86% health. She says “women’s clothes pockets are tiny!”.

So the dilemma was use our existing multiple lightning cables or have to carry a mix of lightning and usb-c cables.

What sealed it was the 15 usb-c is stuck at 480 mbit transfer rate, same as 14 lightning connector. So have a 14 now.

If Apple offers a mini with usb-c then we would both upgrade sooner than later.

 

[Macalicious2011]

The 14 is a superb phoneand will continue to be so for years.

In day to day usage, the differences between a 13, 14 and 15 are marginal or even imperceptible in most apps.

Unless you will exploit the usb-c of 15 pro, I would skip the 15 model.

 

[5gsumdae]

Yea, 13, 14, 15 all use the well-debugged TMSC 5nm node (15 A16 uses the enhanced 5nm version called “4nm”).

The new TMSC 3nm node used in the 15 pros A17 will be well-debugged in a couple years and I’ll move to that while the top-end moves to the 2 nm node.

 

[JPack]

Yea, 13, 14, 15 all use the well-debugged TMSC 5nm node (15 A16 uses the enhanced 5nm version called “4nm”).

The new TMSC 3nm node used in the 15 pros A17 will be well-debugged in a couple years and I’ll move to that while the top-end moves to the 2 nm node.

When was the last time you heard about a "bug" in the TSMC process?

And it's not like 4nm is new. You're buying a 4nm chip a full year after Apple did a complete run of A16 already. The pipes have been cleaned.

A big mistake to go with iPhone 14 in my opinion. Significant improvements on iPhone 15 to camera, display brightness, and cellular.

 

[5gsumdae]

When was the last time you heard about a "bug" in the TSMC process?

And it's not like 4nm is new. You're buying a 4nm chip a full year after Apple did a complete run of A16 already. The pipes have been cleaned.

A big mistake to go with iPhone 14 in my opinion. Significant improvements on iPhone 15 to camera, display brightness, and cellular.

So explain the A17 15 pro/max heat issue. EE here.

15 non-pro is great but not compelling.
Camera upgrade is great but we carry a compact 40X optical zoom camera on trips in a small case with our compact 23X binoculars. Display brightness, other features meh.

14 I got 6 gig Ram, Satellite emergency/roadside assistance, new battery. And works with DW and mine current lightning cable connection.

 

[JPack]

Yea, 13, 14, 15 all use the well-debugged TMSC 5nm node (15 A16 uses the enhanced 5nm version called “4nm”).

The new TMSC 3nm node used in the 15 pros A1will be well-debugged in a couple years and I’ll move to that while the top-end moves to the 2 nm node.

TSMC is runhaving issues with the latest process nodes so their yield is lower. That is why they are continuing to use the older SOCs for the mainstream models.

So explain the A17 15 pro/max heat issue. EE here.

15 non-pro is great but not compelling.
Camera upgrade is great but we carry a compact 40X optical zoom camera on trips in a small case with our compact 23X binoculars. Display brightness, other features meh.

14 I got 6 gig Ram, Satellite emergency/roadside assistance, new battery. And works with DW and mine current lightning cable connection.

TSMC N4 is a very refined N5 process being marketed as 4nm. It's not a new process and everyone from Apple to Qualcomm to NVIDIA is using it.

The heat issue on A17 Pro was resolved through software with no loss in performance.

 

[5gsumdae]

Not sure what you’re talking about. I didn’t mention any issues with the “4nm” node.

I wrote:
“Yea, 13, 14, 15 all use the well-debugged TMSC 5nm node (15 A16 uses the enhanced 5nm version called “4nm”).”.

 

[nStyle]

I’d go with the 15 for sure. Not enough difference in price to matter.

 

[sjperformance]

For the minimal price difference should've gone with the 15. If you wanted to save some then enjoy the 14. Both good phones regardless.

 

[christlinah]

IMO that wasn't a good decision as the 15 is vastly superior to the 14 in a lot of ways: USB-C, brighter screen, way better camera system, Dynamic Island, better design and form factor, faster, etc. But congrats, nonetheless.

 

[5gsumdae]

IMO that wasn't a good decision as the 15 is vastly superior to the 14 in a lot of ways: USB-C, brighter screen, way better camera system, Dynamic Island, better design and form factor, faster, etc. But congrats, nonetheless.

USB-C: Still 480 mbit. Since 2007.
Brighter screen: I never run bright.
Better camera: I concede that point.
Dynamic Island: meh.
Better design and form factor: ??? It is the same form factor since the 12.

I got what I was looking for with the 14:
Satellite emergency/Roadside assistance
6 GByte Ram, up from 4.
Fresh battery.
Compatibility with existing lightning cables DW also uses for her 12 mini. Don’t have to carry 2 sets of cables.

Just got back from a road-trip with our motorhome. Takes us to 77 nights out this year. 14 is working great. Took some video of an elk herd with our compact 40X optical zoom camera. The 15 would do nothing for that.

 

[christlinah]

USB-C: Still 480 mbit. Since 2007.
Brighter screen: I never run bright.
Better camera: I concede that point.
Dynamic Island: meh.
Better design and form factor: ??? It is the same form factor since the 12.

I got what I was looking for with the 14:
Satellite emergency/Roadside assistance
6 GByte Ram, up from 4.
Fresh battery.
Compatibility with existing lightning cables DW also uses for her 12 mini. Don’t have to carry 2 sets of cables.

Just got back from a road-trip with our motorhome. Takes us to 77 nights out this year. 14 is working great. Took some video of an elk herd with our compact 40X optical zoom camera. The 15 would do nothing for that.

Glad it works out well for you and does what you want it to do. Still hoping that it at least was noticeably cheaper than the 15.

 

[Aoligei]

IMO that wasn't a good decision as the 15 is vastly superior to the 14 in a lot of ways: USB-C, brighter screen, way better camera system, Dynamic Island, better design and form factor, faster, etc. But congrats, nonetheless.

If you looking for a deal or buying refurbished, then pricing can be vastly different. Costco Canada is currently selling iPhone 14 Plus 899 where as Apple is selling for 1279, all in Canadian price. That is 430 dollars price difference (after tax).

All the improvements aren’t worth 430 dollars difference.

USB-C is keen capped with USB 2 speed, Dynamic Island isn’t really an upgrade to notch (not too many apps take advantage), pictures are binned down to 12MP with 48MP camera (more detail for sure, but not much difference in overall quality), 14 Plus and 15 Plus use same form factor with minimal changes.

People with 12, 13,14 probably won’t notice too much difference with day to day usage. Heck, $300 iPhone 12 Mini still work just as well as my iPhone 14.

 

[shady16]

USB-C: Still 480 mbit. Since 2007.
Brighter screen: I never run bright.
Better camera: I concede that point.
Dynamic Island: meh.
Better design and form factor: ??? It is the same form factor since the 12.

I got what I was looking for with the 14:
Satellite emergency/Roadside assistance
6 GByte Ram, up from 4.
Fresh battery.
Compatibility with existing lightning cables DW also uses for her 12 mini. Don’t have to carry 2 sets of cables.

Just got back from a road-trip with our motorhome. Takes us to 77 nights out this year. 14 is working great. Took some video of an elk herd with our compact 40X optical zoom camera. The 15 would do nothing for that.

the design is slightly different. the edges are contoured so arent as angular so it feels better in hand and usb c is a bigger upgrade then it seems as it opens up as lot of accessories that previously were unusable to iphone. the dynamic island is useful sure but not a game changer i agree. 14 is still a good phone just wanted to point these things out

 

[5gsumdae]

Interesting battery power consumption data in watts from Notebookcheck. 14 has a 20% less average idle power consumption. However 15 has a larger battery so the runtimes are about the same.
15:
Idle Min: 0.9
Idle Avg: 1.0
Idle Max: 1.1
Load Avg: 6
Load Max: 13.6
14:
Idle Min: 0.6
Idle Avg: 0.8
Idle Max: 1.0
Load Avg: 5.4
Load Max: 9.2

 

[xxFoxtail]

Compatibility with existing lightning cables DW also uses for her 12 mini. Don’t have to carry 2 sets of cables.

That’s why I’m not in a big hurry to upgrade. I have one cable for my AirPods, MagSafe duo, MagSafe battery and my iPhone. It’ll also work with my spouse’s iPhone and accessories.

The moment I throw in a USB-C iPhone, I’ll need to carry an extra cable just for that. Luckily, our 14 Pros should last a few more years.

 

[FranApple]

USB-C: Still 480 mbit. Since 2007.
Brighter screen: I never run bright.
Better camera: I concede that point.
Dynamic Island: meh.
Better design and form factor: ??? It is the same form factor since the 12.

I got what I was looking for with the 14:
Satellite emergency/Roadside assistance
6 GByte Ram, up from 4.
Fresh battery.
Compatibility with existing lightning cables DW also uses for her 12 mini. Don’t have to carry 2 sets of cables.

Just got back from a road-trip with our motorhome. Takes us to 77 nights out this year. 14 is working great. Took some video of an elk herd with our compact 40X optical zoom camera. The 15 would do nothing for that.

Don't listen to all the naysayers on here who just want the latest and greatest. The 14 is a great phone. Heck, I saw on Reddit the other day a guy who upgraded from the X to the 15 Pro and was not impressed with the upgrades. For what you want to do, the 14 will work great.

 

[janeauburn]

I have both the 14 Plus and 15 Plus here, and I like both. In some ways I like the 14 Plus better. Not sure why. Feels a tad thinner.

Other notes:

• No difference in speed that I can detect, at all. In fact, somehow the 15 Plus seems a bit laggier.
• The 14 Plus uses all my current cables. Good.
• Cases fit the 14 Plus better. Some third-party makers are pushing their cases as compatible with both 14 Plus and 15 Plus. They are, but those cases don't really fit the 15 Plus well.
• Apple leather cases: like 'em. They fit the 14 Plus. On 15 Plus the right button is hard to press.
• Full transition to USB-C is gonna take a year or so for me.
• The camera on the 15 Plus is better. That's really the only thing about the 15 Plus that is an upgrade that I can see.
• Notch vs. pill thingie: I prefer the notch.
• Both great phones. I prefer 'em over the heavy, chunky Max versions. I tried both Maxes. The 14 Pro Max was just a design disaster: sharp edges, too heavy, the only phone I've ever used that actually hurt my hands to hold. The 15 Pro Max was better in the weight department, but it's still too heavy for my taste. I was not a fan of the 5x lens (limited use cases).
• Battery life on both is stellar. 15 Plus seems to charge faster (USB-C?), but this is subjective.

 

[Barbareren]

15 Plus seems to charge faster (USB-C?), but this is subjective.

Interesting, because I've noticed the same thing. It really does seem to charge significantly faster than with the lightning cable on my old phone (using the same Apple 20W charger).

 

[Al Rukh]

The 14/14+ are good phones in their own rights. It runs on the tried and trusted A15. However, due to how Apple decided on their current iPhone lineup, the 14 series is in an odd space.

Assuming you don’t need the latest and greatest features and design elements, you would prioritise cost over most factors. If you want a modern iPhone, which is stable and relevant, the 13 is an excellent purchase. You get the similar reliable A15 (but binned - one less GPU core), similar camera system and a familiar design when compared to the 14. The only time where the 14 is a relevant purchase is when one wants a 6.7 inches screen without wanting the Pro features. People who want this do exist but I think the number is small. Objectively, the regular 14 is a poor purchase - and it’s not the users’ fault. It’s Apple’s for including it in the lineup. It should have been the 13, 14 Plus followed by the 15/15 Pro models. It’s sensible that way.

 

[5gsumdae]

14 is working great. Long daily battery life. Bought on Saturday and hit the road on Monday. Reused existing cables. Next up will likely go to an IPhone 16 in a couple years.

A cool like-to-have built in feature would be an infrared camera. We use an infrared thermometer surprisingly often. DW gets her tea to the exact temperature she likes - 120F. And it is great looking for problems. Found a frozen brake caliper using it.

Verified the primary feature I was looking for - satellite connection using the demo mode in open sky.

 

[d123]

the 15 is vastly superior to the 14 in a lot of ways: USB-C

In what ways is USB-C “vastly superior”? Especially to a person with lots of Lightning cables and other devices requiring Lightning.

Sounds like you’re falling into the new is always superior mindset.

 

[christlinah]

In what ways is USB-C “vastly superior”? Especially to a person with lots of Lightning cables and other devices requiring Lightning.

Sounds like you’re falling into the new is always superior mindset.

USB-C does support a lot of accessories. Lightning doesn't. It is objectively better, the only thing that varies from person to person is by how much.

 

[Macalicious2011]

USB-C does support a lot of accessories. Lightning doesn't. It is objectively better, the only thing that varies from person to person is by how much.

USB-C is super convenient. However, I don't think it's deal breaking for the average consumer who won't plug in external mics, SSD and sync data using a cable.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I am right now trying to decide should I get an iPhone 14 Plus or an iPhone 15 Plus, both in 512 GB local storage versions. Besides being more expensive, what's the real advantage in real-world usage of the iPhone 15 Plus over the iPhone 14 Plus?