iPhone 14 unboxing and first impressions: a freshly styled iPhone 13?

The iPhone 14 looks like the iPhone 13, and there’s a simple reason for that: at its core, it is the iPhone 13 with minimal improvements. I unboxed it and took a close look at Apple’s entry model. This is a first impression; the detailed review will follow.

Design and dimensions

My device has 128 GB of storage and the color Midnight, so a very dark blue that looks almost black. I didn’t find the other colors as attractive.

	iPhone 14
Width	71.5 mm
Length	146.7 mm
Thickness	7.8 mm
Weight	172 g

The dimensions are like the predecessor’s. For my hands, the device is a blessing. The frame is made of matte aluminum, the back of glass, unfortunately glossy and not matte. Especially on the dark version, that means fingerprint alarm.

Display and performance

The display is a Super Retina XDR with Ceramic Shield, but only at 60 Hz. The iPhone 13 Pro and the 14 Pro have 120 Hz. At roughly €1,000 RRP, I find that bold, because every mid-range smartphone for €300 now has 120 Hz. You have to give Apple credit, though, that in my opinion you only notice the difference marginally.

The iPhone 14 runs fast and smoothly. The A15 Bionic is the processor from last year, but this time it has five instead of four cores.

There is also no always-on display like on the Pro models, but the home screen can be customized with iOS 16. That has nothing to do with the device, though, and the options are quite limited compared to Android. The notch remains, while the Pro models have the Dynamic Island. I find that too big as well. And Apple holds on to the Lightning port until lawmakers force USB-C.

Camera and new features

• Cameras: 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 12-megapixel front camera.
• Low light: Both cameras are supposed to take 2.5 times better photos compared to the iPhone 13.
• Action mode: It is supposed to stabilize videos better.
• Cinematic mode: It’s now available in 4K too. I’ll test that.
• Crash detection: The iPhone detects a crash, asks whether everything is okay, and automatically places an emergency call if there is no answer.
• Emergency SOS via satellite: It also works without cell reception. I find both sensible and important, and I hope none of you ever needs it.

Accessories: cases from CASETiFY

Ad: CASETiFY provided me with a few cases; the manufacturer is an advertising partner of this video. The cases are made from other recycled smartphone cases. They are slightly raised at the front and around the camera cutout and have reinforced corners that, according to the manufacturer, withstand drops from up to 3.5 meters. I tried it out, and everything stayed intact.

Verdict

The iPhone 14 is obviously a freshly styled iPhone 13. To be more precise, only the tips were trimmed a little. I’m looking forward to testing it in detail. I still think it’s nice.