iPhone 14 Plus gains battery life and screen size, and costs $200 less than the Pro Max

I’ve been testing Apple’s new $899 iPhone 14 Plus, which hits stores Friday, for several days. It has the biggest screen you can get on an iPhone, without shelling out $1,099 for the Pro model, and the best battery life you’ve ever seen in an iPhone.

The iPhone 14 Plus is great for people who just want a bigger screen and don’t mind missing out on the new features of the Pro and Pro Max, like Dynamic Island and Always-On Display.

But most buyers seem to have flocked to the Pro models over the standard iPhone 14 so far.

Bank of America analysts posted a rare downgrade in Apple stock last week and cut its price target on “weaker consumer demand” and the possibility of a downturn. Slow iPhone as consumers slow down their spending. The bank suggested that while there has been a stronger mix of Pro model purchases so far, it won’t offset a drop in revenue and profit if Apple sells fewer units overall.

And JPMorgan analysts said in an Oct. 3 note, which compared shipping times between iPhone models, that price-sensitive customers are opting for the iPhone 13 over the iPhone 14 and iPhone. 14 More more expensive.

But you shouldn’t just write off the iPhone 14 Plus. It’s a good option for people who just want a big screen and don’t want to spend an extra $200 on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. And it has excellent battery life and improved cameras in a lightweight package.

Here’s what you need to know about the iPhone 14 Plus.

The big screen is the highlight here. And, if you’re like me, you’ll appreciate having a bigger screen in your pocket for reading, movies, gaming and more. It’s otherwise the same screen as the regular iPhone 14. I noticed the blacks looked nice and deep and the colors popped when streaming YouTube videos.

You can see more on a page, like a website you’re browsing, or store more apps on your homepage. And it helps if you want to see more while increasing the text size, which can be handy for people who prefer or need larger text.

The iPhone 14 Plus weighs just 0.11 ounces less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has the same screen size, but the difference was significant when I wore it.

The iPhone 14 Plus is 1.31 ounces lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the difference was significant when I carried it around.

Apple claims the iPhone 14 Plus has “the best iPhone battery life ever,” which simply refers to general, all-day use. Battery life was excellent in my testing. I was able to stream YouTube videos for over 19 hours before the phone died, which is consistent with Apple’s claim that video streaming lasts 20 hours. Apple also promises up to 100 hours of audio playback, which is longer than any other iPhone.

The cameras are also solid. While you don’t get the really sharp telephoto or main cameras that you’ll find on the iPhone 14 Pro models, you still get an improved 12-megapixel main camera that took good photos, including photos clearer and brighter at night when there weren’t a lot of lights.

There’s also a new front camera with autofocus for selfies. This means your selfies will be crisper and sharper than on the iPhone 13.

Apple has launched new safety features on all iPhone 14 models, including collision detection and satellite emergency SOS, the latter of which will be available in November. I haven’t been in a car accident to test it, although several reports have already shown the feature to work. Both security features are not available on the iPhone 13.

Despite its size, the iPhone 14 Plus is a relatively small update over last year’s iPhone 13. You’ll see more of an upgrade from the Pro models. These phones have always-on displays that can show notifications even when your phone is idle, and feature Dynamic Island, which makes better use of the notch at the top of the display. Dynamic Island can display things like album art for the music you’re listening to, for example, and will soon offer other features like live sports scores at the top of your screen.

If you’re looking for a camera upgrade, you’ll notice a difference if you’re upgrading from an iPhone 12, but it’s hard to see a significant difference if you’re upgrading from the 13 to the 14 Plus, apart from the autofocus on the front selfie camera.

The iPhone 14 Plus uses the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13, but with an additional graphics processing core for improved gaming performance. I didn’t notice any difference when I played the game “Diablo: Immortal” on both phones.

I’m disappointed that all iPhone 14s still have a Lightning port instead of USB-C. I didn’t expect Apple to change, but it would be really useful to carry around the same USB-C charger that I use to power a MacBook and iPad.

The iPhone 14 Plus is a great buy for people who just want an iPhone with a bigger screen and don’t want or need the features of the Pro models. At $899, the $100 premium over the standard iPhone 14 is worth it for the bigger screen and better battery life. But you probably don’t need to upgrade iPhone 13 for that.