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The Android world was quick to turn sci-fi folding displays into tech reality. Samsung, Google, Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi… almost every brand has a flip-style or book-style foldable on their books – or is about to, looking at Stuff’s list of upcoming smartphones. So when can we expect Apple to follow suit?
iPhone fans are in the dark as to whether Apple is experimenting with folding or flipping designs, and will likely stay that way until the firm makes it official – unless the leakers and tipsters get their way before the grand reveal, that is. Here’s everything we know so far about a potential “iPhone Flip” or “iPhone Fold”.
Apple hasn’t made any significant design changes to the iPhone range for a few years now. The iPhone 16‘s vertical camera bumps and new colour options are the biggest departure, but the flat sides, flat screen and rounded corners are very similar to previous efforts. Not even the new camera control touch button breaks the iPhone’s distinctive lines.
Patents awarded to Apple related to foldable phone concepts don’t give much away, with rather generic-looking handsets shown in the diagrams filed to the US patent office. Patent number US10955880B2 describes a hinge mechanism for foldable phones, while patent number US11550369B2 describes a multi-layered construction for flip phones.
Additionally, Apple has obtained at least five US patents related to a possible iPhone Fold. Among these, patent number US10694624B2 describes a foldable smartphone with an exposed display region. Another depicts a foldable phone with a self-healing crease.
The fact Apple holds these patents doesn’t even guarantee a foldable iPhone is on the way, but does suggest the company is considering it.
In 2022, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that a foldable iPhone would not launch until at least 2025. Another influential Apple analyst, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, said an “iPhone Fold” would eventually arrive, but “it may be quite a while.” This was seemingly backed up by industry analyst Trendforce, indicating it will now be 2027 at the earliest. This is reportedly because foldable displays don’t meet Apple’s standards for reliability, and a visible crease is deemed unacceptable.
But the latest news brings things forwards a little. A new report from Digitimes reveals that Apple has signed a contract with Samsung for display panels. Typically, this happens two years ahead of a product’s release, which would put the first foldable iPhone on the cards for 2026. This report also revealed that Apple will opt for a top-down folding design, like the Galaxy Flip. It should be around the same size as current iPhones when unfolded.
Apple likes to stay up-to-date with what’s hot in the market, and usually does so in a way the wider world quickly forgets another brand did it first. If foldable smartphones become the norm, it wouldn’t be surprising if Apple decided to keep up with the competition and offer a foldable iPhone.
Pros and cons of foldable displays Flexible OLED panels let gadget makers squeeze much larger screens into smaller devices – either letting you carry a larger screen around more easily (see every book-style foldable on sale right now), or shrinking the device down without entirely compromising on screen space (the modern take on the flip phone).
Durability and price are the biggest concerns right now, though both are improving with each new generation of panel. It has to withstand lots of repetitive flexing, and the hinge makes it very tricky to achieve the same water and dust resistance ratings as a traditional phone. The added complexity of manufacturing makes costs much higher than a regular flat OLED panel, too.
There’s also the matter of the crease. Every foldable phone we’ve tried has some form of crease; it’s more visible on some than others, but it’s always there. Whether Apple considers this acceptable, or if it wants to engineer a folding screen without a visible crease appears to be the biggest cork in the iPhone Fold bottle.
What do we want to see in an iPhone Fold?
The iPhone Fold’s most significant selling point would undoubtedly be its unique design, setting it apart from all previous iPhone models. However, attention would quickly shift beyond the design to how iOS operates on this new device.
To make the most of the larger display, it would be best for Apple to have a future version of iPadOS available when the phone is fully opened. When unfolded, the phone should look like any other iPhone. After all, iOS is one of the significant reasons why iPhones are so popular.
The bottom line: Apple needs to provide more than just the ability to fold to make it a worthwhile purchase.
Looking for an iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 comparison? We’ve got you covered
iPhone 14 Apple’s basic 2022 iPhone adds new camera abilities and tunes up the existing chipset, but is overall a small leap forward from the iPhone 13. It’s certainly worth looking at if you’re using an older iPhone model, but the iPhone 14 will leave you disappointed as an upgrade from its predecessor.
iPhone 13 Apple introduced a smaller Face ID notch, Cinematic video mode, and improved the iPhone’s power and display quality. But it still lacks a lot of premium features that similarly priced Android phones have like a fast display refresh rate or a telephoto camera.
Going for an iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 may still make sense in 2024, even now they’re both a few years out of date. Even if they’re not the shiniest and latest models, they’re both still competent phones that could serve you well.
The iPhone 14 is a lot like the iPhone 13, but with a few interesting extras. The addition of a larger main camera, Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection are appealing, but the iPhone 13, as the older and therefore cheaper model, may be a better value proposition for most users.
You may want to check out the newer iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 models before making a buying decision, as these models add more features and power if you’re willing to pay the extra. But if you’re certain the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 are your two finalists, let us take you through their key differences and similarities.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Cheat sheet
Design:The design of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 is nearly the same, though the iPhone 14 has no SIM card tray.
Price: Apple no longer stocks the iPhone 13 though, while still selling new iPhone 14s as a budget option.
Performance:Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 use the A15 Bionic chipset, but the newer model has a 5-core GPU. The iPhone 13 has a quad-core GPU.
Cameras:The iPhone 14 has 12MP main and ultrawide cameras, just like the iPhone 13, but Apple introduced the new Photonic Engine in the 14 series. This elevates lighting in photos to brighten images, especially in low light.
Video:The iPhone 14 sports Action mode, which is video stabilization on steroids. It’s ideal for situations where the subject or videographer are in constant motion.
Battery life:Battery life on the iPhone 14 got worse, however, down to 9 hours, 28 minutes in our testing from the iPhone 13’s 10 hours, 33 minutes. The iPhone 14 Plus fared much better at 11 hours, 57 minutes.
The iPhone 14 looks very similar to the iPhone 13. Both are made of glass and aluminum with glossy backs. Both come with notched displays too, with only the iPhone 14 Pro models getting a Dynamic Island to replace the cutout. At least the iPhone 14 has kept the iPhone 13’s shrunken notch design for a slightly less obtrusive experience.
The iPhone 14 has a Ceramic Shield on the front glass for added durability, just like the previous model. Based on drop tests involving the iPhone 14 Plus, though, it sounds like the new models are still prone to damage from drops, so you’ll want to get one of the best iPhone 14 cases or the best iPhone 14 Plus cases, just as the best iPhone 13 cases helped prevent damage to Apple’s older phones. The iPhone 13 changed the rear camera module layout from vertically stacked lenses to diagonally arranged ones on the back. iPhone 14 sticks with that approach.
The iPhone 14 comes in six colors: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Red, plus more recently a new Yellow version. The iPhone 13 colors include Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Green and Red.
Apple has done away with the physical SIM tray on U.S. iPhone 14 models, which means that the iPhone 14 is an eSIM-only phone. So if you want a SIM card tray, the iPhone 13 might be a better choice for you.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Display
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 have practically identical 6.1-inch OLED displays, but our testing showed that the iPhone 14 does better on color gamut coverage, and slightly better with color accuracy. Oddly the iPhone 13 is the brighter of the two phones, at least when going by the highest results we found in the lab.
iPhone 14
iPhone 13
Peak brightness (nits)
756
797
DCI-P3 color gamut coverage (%)
83.1
78.1
Color accuracy (delta-e, lower is better)
0.25
0.26
The iPhone 14 lineup also gives you the option of going bigger if you want with the iPhone 14 Plus, which gives you more real estate with 6.7 inches, the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This panel fits more content on screen at once and is more immersive for watching videos.
However, if you prefer smaller phones, the iPhone 13 mini is still a good option with its tiny 5.4-inch display, although Apple no longer sells that model itself. Something that compact may not be ideal for gaming or for long bouts of reading, but most people can easily use the mini with one hand.
We keep wishing Apple would go higher with the refresh rate for its basic iPhones, but both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 use 60Hz. That doesn’t compare well to equivalent Android phones, but if you only care about iPhones, then there’s no difference here.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Cameras
Some of the biggest upgrades included with the iPhone 14 involve its cameras. Like its predecessor, the new iPhone 14 models feature a pair of rear 12MP cameras — one a main lens, the other an ultrawide shooter. But this time, the iPhone 14’s main sensor is much larger with bigger pixels (1.9 microns), and with a faster f/1.5 aperture and sensor-shift image stabilization.
All of this adds up to better photos and video, delivering better detail and less noise. Night mode is also improved with the exposure now twice as fast. The Photonic Engine feature helps improve low-light performance across all of the cameras. Indeed, all those changes helped the iPhone 14 land on our list of the best camera phones.
The front camera on the iPhone 14 has also changed. This new TrueDepth camera has an ƒ/1.9 aperture that is supposed to help in low light. In contrast, the iPhone 13 makes do with an f/2.2 aperture. And you get autofocus for the first time on a front iPhone camera with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
In terms of video, Apple has introduced a new Action mode that is designed to add better stabilization to videos taken on the go on the iPhone 14. The feature is extremely impressive.
To see how different the cameras are, we conducted an iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 camera face-off. Whatever differences exist in the quality of photos is pretty slight, with a few exceptions.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Performance
A new iPhone normally means new chipsets, but for the first time in the iPhone’s history, this is not the case for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Apple has stuck with the high-end A15 bionic that powered last year’s iPhone lineup, though it’s not the exact same silicon that the iPhone 13 used.
Instead, the A15 Bionic powering the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is the same chip found in the iPhone 13 Pro. That means a 5-core GPU for boosted gaming performance compared to the iPhone 13 and its 4-core GPU.
Our iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 benchmarks show what that means for the new phones. The bottom line? You’ll see a slight performance boost if you opt for the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13, even if the older phone somehow completed our video transcoding test faster than the newer one.
iPhone 14
iPhone 13
Geekbench 5 (single-core / multi-core)
1727 / 4553
1668 / 4436
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (score / fps)
2583 / 15.47
2189 / 13.10
Adobe Premiere Rush time to transcode (mins:secs)
0:28
0:25
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Battery life and charging
The iPhone 14 is rated for up to 20 hours of video playback, 16 hours of streamed video and 80 hours of audio. The iPhone 13 is rated for 19 hours, 15 hours and 75 hours, which means a boost to battery life — at least on paper.
Sadly, in our battery testing, where we have a phone surf the web continuously over cellular until it runs out of power, the iPhone 14 fared worse than its predecessor. While the iPhone 13 approached 10.5 hours when we tested that phone, the iPhone 14 could only manage 9 hours and 28 minutes — about half-an-hour behind the average for smartphones.
If you want a long-lasting phone, opt for the iPhone 14 Plus and its bigger battery. That 6.7-inch device held out for 11 hours and 57 minutes.
All of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 models charge at a rather measly 20W. That’s much slower than most of the Android competition. For example, the iPhone 14 took about half an hour to get back just half of its battery (54%). The iPhone 14 Plus? 46% in 30 minutes. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini aren’t much different at 51% and 58% in 30 minutes, respectively.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Bottom line
The iPhone 14 brings some big upgrades like SOS Emergency satellite connectivity, Crash Detection and improvements in low light photography. Even with those improvements, though, you’ll still find many similarities to the iPhone 13. This includes the A15 Bionic chip, the display (with the exception of the larger iPhone 14 Plus model) and the overall design.
We like the iPhone 14 a lot, even though the iPhone 15 is now here. Upgrading to the iPhone 14 from an older phone, you’ll notice some big improvements, but anyone reading this guide who already owns an iPhone 13 is advised to stay put. The changes aren’t that large.
The question instead is: If you’ve got an eye on your budget, would the iPhone 13 be a better choice? Certainly, you’ll give up some performance and camera gains that the iPhone 14 would deliver, and those Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection features aren’t coming to Apple’s older phones.
So, yes, the new iPhone 14 is an excellent flagship, but the discounted iPhone 13 is still a great value buy.
Here are the new upgrades Apple made to the iPhone 16. Plus, some other things to keep top of mind if this is an upgrade year for you.
Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup has arrived, and if you’re looking to upgrade from the iPhone 13 or earlier, there are a lot of new hardware and features that could make it worth considering. The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max were unveiled at the Apple’s Glowtime event on Monday, and even the base models have seen noticeable design changes from Apple’s earlier iPhones.
The biggest changes to the iPhone 16 include a dedicated Camera Control button, the Action button (which has trickled down from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro) and the Apple Intelligence platform. Apple Intelligence aims to take advantage of generative AI for summarizing text or creating new emoji, among other features.
If you’re hanging on to an iPhone 13 from 2021 and considering an upgrade, there are even more advances in the iPhone 16 that you should keep in mind. Here are some key differences, or you can scroll down to our specs charts below for a side-by-side comparison.
Camera The iPhone 16 has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, compared to the dual 12-megapixel cameras on the iPhone 13. This should allow for better image quality as well as more advanced photography features on the iPhone 16.
Processor The iPhone 16 is powered by the newer A18 chip, which in theory should make it much faster than the A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13. It also enables new AI features.
Apple Intelligence The iPhone 16 supports Apple Intelligence, which includes a more context-aware Siri, built-in writing support and audio summaries, among other changes. The timeline and rollout of these AI features aren’t clear. But the iPhone 13, which is due to receive iOS 18, won’t be able to support them all due to hardware limitations such as its current chipset.
USB-C Connector Apple switched to a USB-C port in its iPhone line, moving away from its Lightning port starting with last year’s iPhone 15. This change was largely driven by European Union regulations that prohibited Apple from selling iPhones in the bloc in 2025 unless it had USB-C. The iPhone 13 uses Apple’s proprietary connector, so you’ll likely need to replace your charging cable. Apple includes a USB-C cable in the box, so you’ll just need to make sure it works with your charger.
Dynamic Island This pill-shaped cutout first graced 2022’s iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and is now a signature feature on the iPhone. In essence, it’s an area on top of the iPhone’s display, which serves as an interactive hub and shapeshifts depending on the apps you’re running. The Dynamic Island is not available on the iPhone 13. You can read more about it in our explainer.
Perhaps the biggest changes will be the quality of your photos with the newer iPhone 16, access to Apple Intelligence and other features that the iPhone 16’s newer processor can take better advantage of. If you keep the iPhone 13, you will get iOS 18 and several new features including RCS texting and new homescreen customization controls. Many of those features will also come to earlier iPhone models, with the iOS 18 update set to hit devices as far back as 2018’s iPhone XS and XR. Some of the more minor considerations include the Dynamic Island and the new hardware buttons such as the Action button, the Camera Control button and the USB-C port.
6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution
6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density
460 ppi
460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)
5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches
Dimensions (millimeters)
147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm
147 x 72 x 7.65 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)
170 g, 6 oz
6.14 oz; 174g
Mobile software
iOS 18
iOS 15
Camera
48-megapixel (fusion), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera
12-megapixel
12-megapixel
Video capture
4K at 60fps; spatial video at 1080p at 30fps
HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
Processor
A18
Apple A15 Bionic
RAM/storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage
None
None
Battery
Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W
Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback
Fingerprint sensor
None (Face ID)
No
Connector
USB-C
Lightning
Headphone jack
No
No (Face ID)
Special features
Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.
5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
Were you waiting for the iPhone 16 announcement to decide between the new iPhones and last year’s best iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro? Well, you might be out of luck, as Apple has discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
While this isn’t necessarily a shock, considering Apple discontinues its Pro model iPhones every year, it does handcuff new buyers wanting to use Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI tools.
Until this week, the only iPhones capable of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features like proofreading, Genmoji, and Siri’s overhaul were the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but now you can’t buy them from Apple anymore.
Instead, Apple’s lineup of iPhones now includes the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Of these, only the 16 lineup can use the new AI technology.
It’s worth noting that you’ll be able to pick up the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max for the same price as last year’s 15 Pro and Pro Max, although it would’ve been nice to see Apple include the old Pro devices to offer an extra option for those who don’t want the iPhone 16, but don’t want to fork out for the Pro.
As it stands, you can still pick up the 15 Pro and Pro Max from carriers, but the offers on the older models might not last for long, with emphasis pushed towards Apple’s new shiny smartphones.
In terms of Apple Intelligence capabilities, expect all but one of the same features on the new iPhones and last year’s offering. Visual Intelligence, Apple’s Google Lens competition, is activated from the new Camera Control side button, which is exclusive to the iPhone 16 line, so iPhone 15 Pro owners will miss out on that particular AI tool.
If you’re unsure about whether to pick up an iPhone 15 Pro for Apple Intelligence or opt for the iPhone 16, check out our hands-on iPhone 16 review and our hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review to see how they fare with Apple Intelligence.
Here’s everything we learned during Apple’s huge ‘It’s Glowtime’ event
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple’s iPhone 16 event is now over, but we’re only just starting to get to grips with everything that was announced by Tim Cook and friends.
There was a lot to unpack – four new iPhones, one new Apple Watch, two new AirPods models, and a bunch of clever Apple Intelligence features. But there were also several notable absentees that had been heavily rumored before the event, and some notable updates to existing devices.
To get you up to speed with all the big announcements here’s our guide to everything Apple revealed, and a few things we learned along the way.
At first glance, the iPhone 16 might look a lot like its predecessor, but Apple has brought a handful of meaningful upgrades to its latest base model. On the design front, the iPhone 16 inherits the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro, but the more exciting addition is an all-new Camera Control button, which can be used in a manner akin to Google Lens to help you quickly learn about your surroundings.
The iPhone 16 also gets a new, exclusive A18 chipset, which will power Apple Intelligence features from October onwards, and the phone’s rear camera lenses are now arranged vertically to allow for spatial video capture.
The iPhone 16 ships in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black, and will be available to pre-order from Friday, September 9. The new device hits store shelves on Friday, September 20 alongside the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
2. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are now even more Pro – and bigger
We were expecting the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max to have a solid suite of upgrades, but what Apple has added to its next-gen smartphones is rather impressive – and a tad overwhelming.
Both phones get larger screens – 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively – and have a powerful A18 Pro chipset that promises a heck of a lot more gaming power and the ability to deliver high-quality 4K video capture at 120 frames per second, which Apple is touting as a pro feature.
The Action button is more capable, and as with the base iPhone 16 there’s a new haptics-based Camera Control button that can recognize a mix of taps and swipes to trigger different camera and shooting modes.
Plus, for people who want to capture great sound, there are now four mics in the Pro phones with the ability to record Spatial Audio when capturing video.
On top of this, there are four color options – Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium – and smart features via an upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence. And somehow Apple has decided not to increase the price of the Pro phones, despite the upgrades. We could be looking at two very powerful contenders for the top spot on our best phones list.
3. The iPhone 16 Plus is… well, it’s just bigger
The iPhone 16 Plus is one-to-one with the iPhone 16 in all but one area: size. With a 6.7-inch display, the Plus is now Apple’s second-largest phone behind the newly enlarged iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Along with the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, the iPhone 16 Plus comes equipped with the new Action Button and Camera Control capacitive button. Powered by the A18 chipset, the iPhone 16 Plus will receive a suite of Apple Intelligence features as a beta release in October before they officially launch in December.
New AI tools include Visual Intelligence, which uses the vertically-aligned cameras to provide information about your surroundings (more on that below).
Preorders go live on September 13, with prices starting at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 128GB of storage.
4. Apple has – remarkably – kept iPhone prices static
Speaking of prices, we can’t believe we’re saying this, but given the upgrades Apple has brought to its iPhones with the iPhone 16 family, Cupertino’s smartphones might actually be good value. That’s because they haven’t risen in price.
That means the iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, the iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149.
Obviously, the prices can get a little eye-watering when you bump up the storage options, with the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max topping out at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,849. But go for a more conservative amount of onboard storage and the prices are easier to swallow.
All four new iPhone models will be released on September 20, butiPhone 16 pre-orders start on September 13. And we’ll flag anyiPhone 16 dealsas and when they pop up, so do keep that page bookmarked.
5. Seeing double? The iPhone 16 gets two new buttons
Alongside the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button – a programmable shortcut button which replaces the mute switch on older models – Apple has given iPhone 16 models another new button: Camera Control.
You can tap the button once to open the Camera app, tap it again to take a picture, and by sliding your phone along the button you can adjust various camera settings to adjust the composition and appearance of your snaps. It looks like it’ll make taking pictures on the iPhone 16 more convenient, and we’re excited to try it out.
6. iPhone 16 Pro promises ‘studio quality’ recording hardware
Apple really wants creatives to use the iPhone 16 Pro for their music and video needs. It boasts four “studio quality” mics which – in combination with AI trickery – can be used to adjust the sound mix of your shots (focusing on just the key actors, what’s in frame, or a balance of all the sound), or used to help you layer song ideas in notes.
In one example shown during the event, a musician played a guitar riff they had recorded earlier while recording new lyrics over the top; they could then play back both together, or isolate just the riff or lyrics to help them create a new tune.
The iPhone 16 Pro is also able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and once you have your video you can adjust playback speed in the app to create cinematic slow-mo segments after the fact. You can also rely on the new Camera Control button to more easily adjust camera settings on the fly.
7. All iPhone models get new chipsets
The iPhone 16 family has brought with it the new A18 and A18 Pro chipsets, and as usual Apple has made some impressive claims about performance improvements without much in the way of actual benchmarks.
Nevertheless, the company claims the A18 found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has a 30% faster CPU and 40% faster GPU than the A16 Bionic chipset it replaces. As for the A18 Pro found in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple is claiming 15% CPU performance gains and a 20% GPU boost.
The A18 Pro also doubles video encoding speeds; welcome news to those making use of the iPhone’s ProRES recording abilities.What is concretely impressive is that these are the world’s first commercially available 3nm smartphone chipsets, something we heard relatively little about until the event itself.
8. Apple Intelligence is coming soon. Honest
Apple Intelligence finally has a release window, and while it won’t be available for the iPhone 16 lineup’s launch on September 20, we won’t have long to wait.
Apple says the new AI features will arrive in October as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, although only in US English to start with. Initially, Apple Intelligence will launch in beta with writing tools, summaries, and Siri’s redesign, to name a few of its tricks.
More localized English languages will be added in December, and we expect to see more Apple Intelligence features such as Genmoji and Visual Intelligence trickle onto our Apple devices over the next few months. The version of Siri we’ve all been waiting for won’t arrive until 2025, however, so you’ll need to wait to ask the voice assistant about what’s on your device’s screen.
9. Visual Intelligence is like Google Lens for iPhone
(Image credit: Apple)
We were all hoping for a new Apple Intelligence feature exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup, and Apple well and truly delivered. Press the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, Pro, or Pro Max to activate Visual Intelligence and search for whatever you see using AI.
This new Apple Intelligence feature might sound similar toGoogle Lens, but it’s on an iPhone now and it looks seriously cool. Visual Intelligence arrives on the iPhone 16 later this year, so for now you’ll need to use the Camera Control button to, well, capture photos.
10. The Apple Watch 10 has a bigger screen and thinner body
(Image credit: Apple)
The Apple Watch Series 10 has arrived with its biggest-ever screen, thinnest-ever body, and fastest-ever charging.
With a new display that’s bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra’s 49mm beast (although we didn’t get an exact size for the Series 10’s new display) the wide-angleOLEDoffers 30% more screen space in comparison to the old Apple Watch Series 6.
Want more? A new S10 chipset offers the Translate app and machine learning-powered health smarts, including a new Breathing Disturbances feature for sleep apnea detection. And then there’s the speaker…
11. …and the Watch 10 has unlocked its speaker for music playback
Yes, the Apple Watch Series 10’s speaker can finally play music. That’s right, this oddity of the Apple Watch has been fixed so that you no longer need to connect a pair of AirPods to your Apple Watch to enjoy music you’ve downloaded to the wearable.
We expect the audio quality won’t be the most stellar – think of this as a back-up rather than your go-to music listening experience – but it will certainly be better than nothing on the occasions you forget your iPhone, or your AirPods run out of charge while you’re out on the go.
12. There’s no Apple Watch Ultra 3 – but the 2 does get some upgrades
(Image credit: Apple)
Even though we didn’t see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 make an appearance this year, Apple did offer a small update to the Ultra series overall. As well as the previously Ultra-exclusive Depth and Oceanic+ apps being available on the Apple Watch Series 10, the Ultra 2 now comes in a new, slick color – Satin Black.
The cool new look is complete with a new band style, Milanese titanium, which is meant to evoke the style of classic dive watches – and as such is corrosion-resistant for all your deep-sea needs.
13. The Apple Watch 10 and Watch Ultra 2 both get a sleep-apnea detection feature
(Image credit: Apple)
The Apple Watch 10 and Watch Ultra 2 are getting a potentially life-changing sleep apnea detection feature. Using the device’s accelerometer, the wearables will detect sleep disturbances that could indicate that the wearer temporarily stopped breathing, and analyze these findings every 30 days to identify signs of sleep apnea.
Given that up to 80% of people who suffer from the potentially life-shortening disorder may not even be aware they have it, this could be a valuable first line of defense in helping detect it.
14. The Apple AirPods 4 are here – and yes, you are seeing double
You know when you wait ages for a bus and then… that. Apple launched not one buttwo new sets of AirPods 4at ‘It’s Glowtime’, both with upgraded acoustic architecture in Apple’s original open-ear design.
The chief difference between the two? Active noise cancellation, Adaptive Audio and conversation awareness, which are reserved for the pricier pair. However, you do get personalized Spatial Audio and gesture detection in both, thanks to Apple’s H2 chip.
15. The AirPods Pro 3 didn’t show up, but the Pro 2 get some upgrades
While we’re a little sad that the AirPods Pro 3 weren’t revealed, the AirPods Pro 2 are at least going to get three new features aimed at protecting your hearing health.
There’s improved noise cancellation for particularly loud sounds, a hearing test so that you can chart changes to your hearing over time, and – most interestingly – the ability to turn your buds into hearing aids.
These features will come to the iPhone Health app with an iOS 18 update some time later this year, only for AirPods 2 owners, but presumably the future AirPods Pro 3 will get them too.
16. The AirPods Max 2 didn’t materialize either. Shame
(Image credit: Apple)
There were rumors that we’d be seeing the new AirPods Max 2 launched at the event, but instead we saw some minor upgrades to the existing AirPods Max.
It’s unsurprising, given that it’s been mandated by European regulators, that the Lightning port is gone, replaced by the USB-C ports used across the rest of the AirPods range. And the Max have received a glow-up with new Midnight, Orange, Starlight, Blue and Purple colorways. It seems like we’ll be waiting a little while longer for features like lossless audio and weatherproofing, though.
Apple’s most affordable iPhone may be making a comeback, as the rumoured iPhone SE 4 is again tipped to arrive in early 2025 – and it may get a major display upgrade.
According to The Elec (translated using Gemini), known for its Apple rumours, the iPhone SE 4 will launch “early next year.” Moreover, the South Korean new site doubles down on the next-gen SE to finally swap out its LCD screen for an OLED display. This will be the first time an iPhone SE turns to OLED, which has been seen on Apple’s phones leading up to the iPhone 15 since 2017.
According to the report, Samsung and other suppliers are “competing to supply OLED panels for Apple’s upcoming iPhone SE 4.” Apparently, the next SE model will reuse the OLED panels from the iPhone 14. This is expected, as this is how Apple tries to keep the cost down.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of the iPhone SE 4 arriving in 2025 with significant upgrades. That rumour suggested the next SE model would have an OLED panel and bring Face ID rather than the usual Touch ID.
As for further improvements, we may expect the new Action Button that also arrived on the iPhone 15 Pro. If this checks out, we may see Dynamic Island on the iPhone SE 4. Apple hasn’t changed the iPhone SE’s ageing design since its first iteration in 2016, and seeing as the tech giant tries to streamline its design updates with each annual release, the next SE model may make a giant leap in form factor.
Rumours also suggest that the smartphone will get a 48MP rear camera like the new iPhone 15. However, by the time it releases, the inevitable iPhone 16 this year may deliver an improved camera. That said, if past SE models are anything to go by, expect this to be the only shooter it boasts.
As previous reports suggest, the iPhone SE 4 will ditch its current design for a more modern look akin to the iPhone X or later. That means no 4.7-inch display with massive bezels or Touch ID. For now, only time will tell.
With the original iPhone SE officially being vintage, it’s about time Apple changed the design of its most affordable iPhone, especially nearly a decade later, if rumours about its 2025 launch are accurate.
Are they blocking you, or is there another explanation?
If your calls and texts aren’t getting through to someone, there’s a chance your number might have been blocked.
But don’t jump to conclusions just yet. It’s just as plausible that the person’s phone you’re trying to reach has been turned off or is out of service.
There are a few telltale signs that indicate you’ve been blocked, but they’re not 100% foolproof. Still, until you’ve tried out these methods to test whether your number has been blocked, don’t fret too much.
Try calling the person you think blocked your number
One of the easiest methods to figure out if you’ve been blocked is to simply call the person you think blocked you. By paying attention to how many rings, if any, there are before being sent to voicemail, you can figure out what’s going on.
If you hear multiple rings before being sent to voicemail, the person on the other end has likely just missed your call. Only a few rings or a ring interrupted by the voicemail prompt indicates your call has been rejected.
When you call someone and immediately get their voicemail, this means their phone is currently turned off. If the call is perpetually ringing, it’s possible the person has never set voicemail up and isn’t able to take your call at the moment.
If you’ve been blocked, look for a single ring followed by the person’s voicemail. If you leave a voicemail at this point, it’ll be directed to a special voicemail area for blocked numbers, not the person’s regular voicemail.
To double-check your findings, call the number in question from someone else’s phone.
Try calling the person you think blocked you from someone else’s phone to see if you can get through. If you have a work phone or home phone with a different number to your phone, you can use that. Otherwise, you’ll need to borrow a friend’s phone.
There’s a chance the person you’re calling could answer. But we’re hoping for the default response to an unknown (or even known) number: not answering and letting it go to voicemail.
If you get multiple rings or no rings before reaching voicemail — compared to one ring before voicemail — that’s a pretty solid indication you’ve been blocked. If you get some type of “unavailable” message from both your phone and someone else’s phone, the person might have changed their number.
Before trying this method, you should be prepared with what to say or ask if the person you think blocked you answers the phone. Furthermore, be ready for the person to potentially hang up on you or not explain why you’re blocked. If someone blocked your number, the best thing you can do is give the person space.
For anyone who doesn’t want to make a call for fear of the person actually picking up, there’s one more method you can try.
See what happens when you send a text message
This method is easier for seeing if you’ve been blocked on iMessage for iPhone, but it’s also possible to discern some details from Android messages. On iPhone, you’ll typically see ‘Delivered’ or ‘Read’ under a message you send. If you don’t see any text below your message, one of two things is going on. You’re blocked, or their phone is currently in Do Not Disturb mode. Once the person turns off Do Not Disturb, a message will appear if you haven’t been blocked.
If your iMessage bubbles turn green when they’ve always been blue, that’s another indicator that your number might be blocked (or that the person switched to Android).
It’s a bit harder to tell if you’ve been blocked from sending a text from an Android phone. If you get an “unable to send message” response, you could be blocked, or the issue could be related to a connection or billing issue.
Checking ‘suggested contact’ recommendations might be a more foolproof method for Android users.
You’ll first have to delete the person in question’s number (make sure you write it down somewhere if you don’t want to lose it). Then, search for their name in your contacts. They probably haven’t blocked you if you see them pop up as a suggested contact. If you don’t, you’ve likely been blocked.
Don’t pester someone who’s blocked you
It can hurt if you find out a friend or family member has blocked you. You might be angry, embarrassed, sad, or any combination of these emotions, but it’s important not to act rashly and continue contacting the person who blocked you from other phones or apps. It’s possible the person who blocked you could need a little space before unblocking you and having a mature conversation, but you have to be willing to give them that space. On the other hand, that person might keep you blocked for a while, and it’s up to you to make peace with that and respect people’s privacy.
The iPhone 16 Pro is set to succeed 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro, introducing over 30 new features and improvements to Apple’s high-end smartphones. With many users adopting two-year upgrade cycles, plenty of iPhone 14 Pro owners will be looking to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro, so this guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations based on rumors.
In 2022, Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 Pro as the successor to the popular iPhone 13 Pro, introducing an always-on display, the Dynamic Island, a 48-megapixel camera, the A16 Bionic chip, longer battery life, and more. Two years later, the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to offer at least 60 upgrades. All of the changes the iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to feature compared to their 2022 predecessor are listed below.
The design of the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to be a relatively significant evolution over the iPhone 14 Pro, iterating on the titanium frame and slightly rounded edges introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models last year.
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
Surgical-grade stainless steel chassis
Aerospace-grade titanium chassis
Glossy frame with squared-off edges
Brushed frame with contoured edges
Ring/Silent switch
Action button
Thermal design with copper heatsink and black foil battery casing
New thermal design with graphene heatsink and metal battery casing
More repairable design
Lightning port
USB-C port
Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple color options
Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium color options
To accommodate larger displays, both iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to grow in height and width. In addition to last year’s increase in depth, the devices are due to be considerably larger, but with a notable reduction in weight thanks to the adoption of a titanium frame.
Both iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature larger displays than their predecessors, pushing the iPhone 16 Pro Max to be the biggestiPhoneever offered. There are also reportedly improvements to the underlying OLED technology in store, in addition to last year’s slimmer bezels, making for a noticeable overall display upgrade.
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
6.1- or 6.7-inch display
6.3- or 6.9-inch display
Slimmer borders around the display
More efficient OLED display with brighter micro-lens technology
Performance
The iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to bring notable improvements in processing power, including a3nmApple silicon chip and 33% more memory.
Enhanced neural Engine with “significantly” more cores to support Apple Intelligence more effectively
Dedicated AV1 decoder
6GB memory
8GB memory
Connectivity
Connectivity is also due to get a significant upgrade on the iPhone 16 Pro, bolstering the device’s 5G, Wi-Fi, Thread, and Ultra Wideband specifications.
Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (connects from 3x further away)
Precision Finding forFind Myfriends
Cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro models are slated to receive a range of substantial camera enhancements, such as a larger main camera sensor, a 48-megapixel sensor on the ultra wide camera, and a dedicated hardware button for photography and videography on the side of the device.
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
1/1.28-inch main camera sensor
iPhone 16 Pro: 1/1.28-inch main camera sensor iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1/1.14-inch main camera sensor (12% larger)
Sony IMX-803 main camera sensor
iPhone 16 Pro: Sony IMX-803 main camera sensor iPhone 16 Pro Max: Sony IMX-903 main camera sensor with stacked design for better performance, a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for high-quality image data conversion, and Digital Gain Control (DCG) for better dynamic range and noise control
7P main camera lens
8P main camera lens
48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos
24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos
Telephoto camera with second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Telephoto camera with larger sensor, folded tetraprism design, optical image stabilization, and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module
77mm maximum focal length
120mm maximum focal length
13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 120mm focal length picker
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom
4P telephoto camera lens
5P telephoto camera lens
12-megapixel ultra wide camera with f/2.4 aperture
48-megapixel ultra wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, 48-megapixel ProRaw support, and improved low-light performance
5P ultra wide camera lens
6P ultra wide camera lens
Anti-reflective coating on camera lenses
Smart HDR 4
Smart HDR 5
Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control
Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Night mode and Night mode portraits
Improved Night mode and Night mode portraits
Support for new JPEG-XL format
Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
Record video directly to an external drive
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
Support for 3K video at 120 fps with Dolby Vision
Action mode
Improved Action mode and low-light video
Log video recording
Academy Color Encoding System
Record spatial video forApple Vision Pro
Capacitive “Capture Button” with force-sensitive half-press and sliding gestures to trigger photography and videography features
Batteries and Charging
The iPhone 16 Pro models could receive some major improvements in battery technology and charging, sporting bigger, denser batteries and faster charging capabilities.
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
Setting to prevent charging above 80%
Battery manufacture date, first use, and cycle count information in Settings
Single-layer battery technology
Stacked battery technology for increased energy density and prolonged lifespan
iPhone 14 Pro: 3,200 mAh battery iPhone 14 Pro Max: 4,323 mAh battery
iPhone 16 Pro: 3,355 mAh mAh battery iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,676 mAh battery
Up to 27W wired charging
Up to 40W wired charging
15W charging viaMagSafe
20W charging via MagSafe
Other Features and Changes
One of the major differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro is support for Apple’s new suite of AI features called Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
Apple Intelligence support with iOS 18.1, plus a suite of exclusive AI features
Microphone
Upgraded microphone with improved signal-to-noise ratio and water resistance
Improved audio quality on phone calls
USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)
USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
Up to 1TB of storage
Up to 2TB of storage
Release Date
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to be announced at Apple’s”It’s glowtime” eventon Monday, September 9. Pre-orders are likely to open on Friday, September 13, with launch following one week later on Friday, September 20. For more information about the iPhone 16 Pro models,see our comprehensive roundup.
Will It Be Worth Upgrading?
The iPhone 15 Pro was a fairly significant upgrade over the iPhone 14 Pro in 2023, introducing a titanium chassis, slimmer bezels, the Action button, and a USB-C port. The iPhone 16 Pro will build on these upgrades, offering larger displays, the Capture button, and improved cameras. With at least 60 upgrades likely to be in store, many iPhone 14 Pro users will find upgrading to an iPhone 16 Pro model worthwhile.
The rumored specs of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple has confirmed that its next major product showcase will take place on September 9. Titled ‘It’s Glowtime’, the event will almost certainly bring official news of the iPhone 16 lineup, which we expect to include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
We reckon we’re not the only ones looking forward to seeing the official specs of Apple’s highest-end smartphones, as the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max were the two best-selling smartphones worldwide in 2023.
If, as we predict, resource-heavy AI in the form of Apple Intelligence lands on the iPhone soon, it will be crucial for Apple to ensure that its very best iPhones have the power to handle these new features.
Naturally, leaks and rumors regarding the spec sheets of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have been circulating for a while, and below, we’ve rounded up the most relevant predictions regarding Apple’s next powerhouse phones.
We expect to see some changes to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in the chipset and storage capacity departments, but nothing as revolutionary as on the software side of things.
The new Pro iPhones will likely receive a new ‘A18 Pro’ SoC, offering a boost in performance when compared to the A17 Pro chip found in the previous generation, especially when it comes to AI.
According to Geekbench, the iPhone 15 Pro saw an 11.4% increase in single-core CPU performance and a 7.5% increase in multi-core CPU performance compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, with similar changes for the Pro Max.
If the trend continues, we can expect a small but noticeable improvement in performance for the supposed ‘A18 Pro’ – we will, of course, do our own testing once we have the new iPhones in-hand.
As for RAM, we aren’t expecting any change from last year, and one leak even specifically paired the A18 Pro with 8GB of RAM. This has raised questions over the iPhone 16 Pro’s ability to handle AI, though with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus tipped to match the Pro models at 8GB of RAM, it could just be that Apple Intelligence is optimized for this amount of memory.
There may be a bit more movement when it comes to storage. We expect to see the same 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options present, though one leaker with a mixed record suggests a 2TB option will join the lineup.
It’s worth noting that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely continue to eschew the 128GB option its smaller sibling starts with, and instead come with 256GB as a minimum.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will probably still sport OLED panels with a 1-120hz adaptive refresh rate (which Apple terms ‘ProMotion’), but there are some suggestions that the size of these panels could be changing.
In April, leaker Sonny Dickson shared images through X (formerly Twitter) which seemed to show prototypes of the iPhone 16 lineup, with the Pro models both measuring 0.2 inches larger than the previous generation.
This same amount – 0.2 inches – was suggested by another leak in October 2023. Other leakers suggest that part of the increase could be due to reduced bezels, which MacRumors proposed could be the thinnest ever on a smartphone.
We expect Apple will fill that larger frame with a slightly larger battery, with the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery increasing from 3,290mAh to 3,355mAh and the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery increasing from 4,422mAh to 4,676mAh.
Camera upgrades
(The iPhone 15 Pro Max Image)
In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, this larger frame is also rumored to make room for a 5x telephoto lens inherited from the Pro Max, an improvement on the present 3x lens.
Any potential parity hinges on whether the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get the ‘super telephoto’ camera suggested by an old leak, which could finally allow Apple to challenge the 10x lenses used by Samsung and Huawei.
Other rumored iPhone 16 Pro camera upgrades include a larger sensor, a bump from 12MP to 48MP for the ultra-wide camera, a new artifact-reducing lens coating, and a ‘stacked camera’ design that could allow the capture of much more light. The front camera is unlikely to change, meaning any sharper selfies would be the product of better software or AI.
What happened at the last Apple Event?
WWDC 2024 revealed big upgrades to iOS, macOS, wachOS and more
Apple Intelligence is Cupertino’s push into AI
A smarter Siri with generative AI powers
Apple Vision Pro finally gets global launch dates
Apple’s last event was at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2024. We’ve seen official updates for all of Apple’s major software platforms.
These include smarter features for iOS (and new game modes), more flexible fitness tools for macOS, and watchOS and… Errrm… Local calculator application for iPadOS 18. If you want to try out early versions of these updated operating systems, check out our guide on how to download the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone, and how to download the watchOS 11 beta on your Apple Watch.
But most notable was the release of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s big move into consumer-focused artificial intelligence; So bring AI tools and services to iphones, ipads, and Macs while keeping user data as private as possible.
With ChatGPT, Siri gains a lot of intelligence, allowing users to naturally talk to the virtual assistant and let it understand them better. On top of that, the smart Siri will be deeply integrated, allowing you to type questions into Siri and switch between voice and text by double-tapping the bottom of the screen.
The iPhone 14 is a very good phone for the money, offering improved cameras, a faster A15 Bionic chip and fun Action mode for video capture. But at this price, we’d like to see a telephoto zoom and 120Hz display. Some may want to get the iPhone 14 Plus instead for its larger screen and bigger battery.
Pros
+Excellent cameras
+Vibrant display
+Fast A15 Bionic performance
+Impressive Action mode video
Cons
-Still just 60Hz refresh rate
-No optical zoom
-Lack of SIM card slot will annoy some
Whether you already own one, or are considering upgrading to an older, cheaper iPhone, the iPhone 14 is a strong pick even a year and a half after it first launched.
Some may prefer the bigger iPhone 14 Plus if you want a larger screen and longer battery life. And the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, plus the latest iPhone 15 series, offer more exciting features like an always-on display, Dynamic Island, 120Hz refresh rate and telephoto zoom.
But the iPhone 14 still features welcome updates like a revised design and improved display, camera and performance. My iPhone 14 review breaks down all the pros and cons so you can decide if this is the right handset for your needs.
iPhone 14 specs
Row 0 – Cell 0
Row 0 – Cell 1
Price
from $799
Display
6.1 inches (2532 x 1170 pixels, 60Hz)
CPU
A15 Bionic
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Cameras
12MP wide (f/1.5), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.4), 12MP front f/1.9
The iPhone 14 design is not what I’d call fresh. It’s basically a carbon copy of the iPhone 13, complete with the notch.
Don’t get me wrong, the aluminum and glass body is solid and fairly attractive — and you get the same tough (removable) Ceramic Shield front and tough glass back, along with IP68 water resistance. But you’ll probably be jealous when you see the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, which replaces the notch with a smaller and interactive cutout for alerts and live activities.
The iPhone 14 colors are Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow. We tested the paler blue model, which is an attractive cornflower blue shade. Apple announced the iPhone 14 in yellow on March 7.
The iPhone 14 remains compact and fairly light, weighing 6.07 ounces and measuring 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches. That’s actually a bit lighter than the iPhone 13’s 6.17 ounces, although that model was a slightly thinner 0.30 inches.
In a somewhat controversial move, Apple removed the SIM Card slot from the iPhone 14, relying on eSIMs only. Fortunately, it’s easy to add a line of service in the Settings app, and you can have up to eight 8 SIMs on your phone with two active at any given time (say one for personal and one for business). There are some smaller and international carriers that don’t yet support eSIM, but the technology is gaining traction.
iPhone 14 review: Cameras
The iPhone 14’s main camera doesn’t get the bump to 48MP that the iPhone 14 Pro series does, but it does feature enhanced cameras in its own way. The main 12MP wide camera has a larger sensor than the one in the iPhone 13, with 1.9 micrometer pixels and a faster f/1.7 aperture. As a result, you should expect better action shots and low-light performance.
The iPhone 14 also packs an ultrawide camera that’s rated to capture 4x more of a scene and deliver 2x better low-light performance. And the TrueDepth camera offers autofocus for the first time along with a faster f/1.9 aperture. To help capture brighter images across the board, there’s a new computational photography feature called Photonic Engine.
iPhone 14 review: iOS 16
The iPhone 14 runs iOS 16 by default, and there’s a lot to like in this new software update. You can customize the lock screen with widgets, photos and more. Other highlights include the ability to unsend texts and edit them, a replacement for passwords called Passkeys, a new Fitness app and (finally) the return of the battery percentage indicator.As of fall 2024, the iPhone 14 series is able to update to iOS 17, and iOS 18 once it’s out of beta. Unfortunately, no iPhone 14 models are capable of using Apple Intelligence once it’s available.
iPhone 14 review: Emergency SOS via satellite and crash detection
Apple will launched two key safety features for the iPhone 14. The first is Emergency SOS via satellite, which combines new antennas and software to connect to satellites when you can’t get a cellular or Wi-Fi signal. You’ll then get help from emergency services to your location, or can send your location to a contact. This is available for free for three years after the phone’s activated, meaning that you’ll at least make it to 2025 before needing to pay for this service.
During a demo, the iPhone 14 locked onto a satellite quickly, and the phone walks you through a series of questions so Apple can tell dispatchers everything they know about your condition and exact location.
The second safety feature is Crash Detection, which leverages the iPhone 14’s improved accelerometer and gyroscope to detect whether you’re in a car crash. From there, it can automatically dial emergency services, as well as notify your emergency contacts you designate.
In one iPhone 14 Crash Detection test by a YouTuber, the feature worked well during simulated crashes using a remote-controlled vehicle. Both times, the iPhone began its countdown to automatically call emergency services before being canceled.
iPhone 14 review: Verdict
The iPhone 14 is the best iPhone for most people, but despite that, it’s not that exciting. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max get the biggest upgrades this year, including always-on displays, a clever replacement for the notch and a 48MP main camera.
The iPhone 14 delivers fantastic-looking photos and video; the display is stellar; and you get performance that still beats the best Android phones — except for the new Galaxy S23. Action mode is another plus if you’re looking for super smooth video. Plus Apple may be offering easier access to repairs for this generation, giving the iPhone 14 a surprise advantage over the iPhone 13.
If you’re not wedded to iOS, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 is better in some ways, as it offers both a telephoto zoom lens and 120Hz display — two features Apple reserves for its Pro models. But the S22’s cameras and performance aren’t quite as good as the iPhone 14. You can check out our detailed comparison between the phones in our iPhone 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S22 face-off.
If you want longer battery life and a bigger display, you might want to wait for iPhone 14 Plus, but overall the iPhone 14 is a great — yet safe — choice.
