Apple’s event this year was one of small upgrades, but a few big changes. The iPhone now comes in two sizes: large and larger. The Apple Watch comes in three sizes, average, large, and “rugged.” And the AirPods Pro 2 are… actually the exact same size of the AirPods Pro. But, they are a little heavier, and do come with some new upgrades.
The Apple Watch Ultra, Apple’s new rugged sport watch, stole the show. It’s an entirely new design for the Apple Watch and seems to tick a lot of boxes for people who found the fitness tracking in the Apple Watch just wasn’t enough. They needed a battery life that could last through an all day workout, or while hiking. Apple also introduced some new safety features to all of their devices, as well as new ways to help you be found. They even made it easier to find your AirPods Pro 2 when you lose them.
You can preorder the iPhone 14 models now, with deliveries ranging from next week to next month.
In This Article:
iPhone 14 (Plus, Pro, Pro Max)
The iPhone 14 saw some surprisingly small upgrades on the inside. Perhaps that’s why it needed to change so much on the outside… that is, in thickness, anyway. For the second year in a row, Apple has made the iPhone thicker to improve its battery life. This is something people have wanted from Apple for some time now. Thin phones are great, but there’s a point where people would rather all day battery life over a fraction of a millimeter. So, Apple increased the thickness of the iPhone 14 by a fraction of a millimeter. The end result is something that has better thermal properties and better battery life than the iPhone 13 it replaces.
Both of Apple’s new phones feature a new satellite communication feature for emergencies. It allows users to send a text message via satellite by pointing their phone directly at a satellite. The iPhone will guide the user to a satellite, and then they can send their message, which can take anywhere between 15 seconds to more than a minute in “light foliage.” In places that accept text messages for emergencies, the message will go right to emergency responders. In the case of places that don’t have text-based emergency numbers, Apple will read the message and relay the information to emergency responders. Apple will release satellite SOS in November of 2022, and will offer satellite texting free for two years. It’s not sure how much it will cost users after that.
Another safety feature is Apple’s new “Crash Detection.” This is a feature built into all of their new devices. It uses a combination of sensors and your microphone to detect when you’ve been in a car accident. Crash detection will automatically call emergency services if you don’t respond to an alert on your devices.
Both the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro series feature a new “Action Mode” camera. This camera takes image stabilization to a new level, producing the kind of videos you might only have gotten from a nice action camera, like a GoPro. It combines Apple’s new optical image stabilization with a significant crop and automatic stabilization software. It may zoom a bit and narrow the view, making it not much of a replacement for the ultra wide angle GoPro camera, but it’ll still be great for when you want to take a video of something happening and find yourself on less than stable ground.
The camera also has a new cinematic mode that can shoot at 4k at 24fps, the same framerate used in most movies, to create a truly cinematic feel. The front facing camera also has autofocus now, and is better in low light with its larger aperture.
The Mostly New iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have the same processor from the iPhone 13 Pro. That’s right, for the first time in a very long time (ever?), Apple used the same chip from an older iPhone in a new flagship model. The iPhone 13 Pro had a single additional GPU core on the A15 chip it used compared to the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13. The difference it made was negligible in everyday usage, especially on the iPhone 13 mini, which has fewer pixels to drive anyway, but did help graphics performance in benchmarks. The iPhone 13 scored 1692 in Geekbench’s single core test. The iPhone 13 Pro scored 1707. That’s not even a 1% difference in performance in performance. It’s only a 3.9% improvement on the multi core test. The graphics performance is about 26% better on the Pro chip though. Still, that’ll only really come up in photo or video editing. Games are made to work on all iPhone devices, which means you really won’t notice a difference between the iPhone 14 chip and the iPhone 13 chip at all. That’s because they’re basically the same chip.
Since Apple didn’t improve the processor, they had to make the phone thicker to improve the battery life. Still, Apple now claims 26 hours of video playback on the iPhone 14 Plus and 20 hours on the iPhone 14. That’s up from 19 hours on the iPhone 13. Streaming video, similarly, is one hour better. You still get only 50% of a charge from 30 minutes of charging with a 20W adapter. The battery life is certainly better, but, again, by a small amount.
When it comes to battery life and performance, people likely won’t notice the difference between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 13. But it’s still a slightly better phone to upgrade to if you’ve been using an iPhone XS.
Camera
The camera on the iPhone 14 is still a 12MP camera, only the iPhone 14 Pro got the big sensor upgrade. However, they did increase the size of the sensor and aperture on the iPhone 14, allowing it to collect 49% more light than the previous model. Along with upgraded image processing, this leads to better photos in mixed lighting conditions, as well as low light. Apple also updated the flash, making it brighter.
Apple’s iPhone 14 camera also has the update cinema mode, improved HDR that can recognize up to four faces in a photo for processing, improved front-facing camera with autofocus, and the action cam. However, it still doesn’t have the ProRAW photos or macro photos of the Pro model.
The All New iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
Perhaps Apple’s biggest advancement in the iPhone 14 Pro is the camera. The sensor is larger than ever, and now takes photos at up to 48MP, up from 12MP in previous iPhone models. The increased sensor size improves details in low light photos beyond anything the iPhone was previously capable of. The pixel size allows for larger level of detail and enables some cool new features. For example, Apple can intentionally only use the middle 12MP sensor pixels to create a 2X zoom photo with optical zoom quality at a standard resolution. It’s basically just fancy cropping, but without the detail loss of trying to enlarge the pixels. The main 48MP camera is still joined by the 0.5x ultrawide lens and 3x telephoto lens.
Apple created a new screen for the iPhone 14 Pro, including a new cutout for Face ID. The new screen has an always-on lock screen, for widget access. However, the standout change is the new “Dynamic Island,” Apple’s new Face ID cutout. This is a pill-shaped cutout joined by the front facing camera with black pixels on the display, to create a dynamic area at the top of the screen. Here, widgets, notifications, and other features will make use of the “Dynamic Island,” seemingly re-sizing the notch as you use your device. It might even help you forget the display has a cutout at all. Finally, the new display doubles the peak brightness, up to 2000 nits, for viewing in bright settings, like outside in the sun or in your overly-bright office you just had to return to, for no good reason.
The iPhone 14 Pro is the only new iPhone to get a new processor. The iPhone 14 Pro has a new A16 processor, with similar specs as the A15. It has the same two performance cores, four efficiency cores, five GPU cores, and 16 neural engine cores. In fact, on paper, it looks very similar to the processor in the iPhone 13 Pro, however, it’s using a new, smaller and more energy-efficient 4nm process. The difference seems to be negligible, with only slight improvements in performance. Apple’s A15 processor was, itself, only a slight improvement over the A14 that came before it, something I called out in my review of the iPhone 13 mini. It’s possible Apple’s hitting a roadblock with their A-series chips, with diminishing performance improvements and battery life improvements. In fact, Apple has had to make the last two iPhones thicker and heavier to improve battery life, as they couldn’t rely on processor efficiency improvements alone. However, it’s also possible that Apple has decided to ease up on processor improvements, as the A-series processors are already significantly faster than those coming to Android devices.
The iPhone 14 Pro comes with up to 1TB of storage. It’s made of stainless steel instead of aluminum, making it 34g heavier than the iPhone 14 in the same size. It also comes with a lovely “deep purple” color. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in a size that will fit in not-so-deep pockets.
No Mini
That’s right, this year, Apple decided to forgo the mini. After doing almost no advertising showing it in daily use, touting the improved battery life of the iPhone 13 mini, the high pixel density, the pocket and hand-friendly size, or the increased durability, the iPhone mini just didn’t sell well. Weird.
This is also why there won’t be an iPhone 14 review this year. My days of upgrading every year are behind me. Nothing Apple revealed is worth ditching a phone that actually fits in my hand. Frankly, an upgrade would feel like a serious downgrade.
Pricing
- iPhone SE: $429
- iPhone 12: $599
- iPhone 13 mini: $599 (the best bargain!)
- iPhone 13: $699
- iPhone 14: $799
- iPhone 14 Plus: $899
- iPhone 14 Pro: $999
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: $1,099
I’d argue that the price of the iPhone 13 series makes the iPhone 14 a silly buy this year. Unless you’re upgrading to the iPhone 14 Pro or upgrading from a much older device and planning to keep your phone for four or more years, the iPhone 13 is likely your best buy, especially the iPhone 13 mini, which is the same price as the iPhone 12, but in a better size, with better cameras, decent battery life, and a slightly improved processor.
Apple Watch Ultra/8/SE
The new Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 8 have a new sensor for detecting your temperature. It’s not used to diagnose any diseases, instead, it’s used to help users track their cycle. People have been able to track their period using the Apple Watch, iPhone, and apps before, but now it’ll happen automatically. This works by detecting the slightly higher temperature in a person’s body when they ovulate, combined with any historical or self-entered data. This comes at a bad time for period tracking apps, as police can use them to arrest people who may have gotten an abortion in a number of U.S. states. Apple claims users can turn off the feature or simply not use it, but stopped short of stating whether or not the sensor could be completely turned off, like GPS or WiFi. If not, it could still collect evidence, as analysis of a person’s temperature could tell police when a person was ovulating and when they had an abortion. Still, Apple claims users are protected, as all data on your watch and iPhone is local and encrypted. Not even Apple can get to it without your password. Of course, if you use Face ID, you may still have troubles with police.
For now, if you’re worried and use your Apple Watch at night, it may be better to wait for reviewers to look at the watch and let people know if the sensor continually takes temperature data, like the heart rate sensor does, or if you can turn it off. It seems odd Apple would release a feature like this at a time when ovulation schedules could be considered incriminating evidence for those who need an abortion in the U.S.
Apple Watch Ultra: Hardcore Adventurer
You know? I was all set to tell readers to save their money and just buy a G-Shock. G-Shocks are great! I have a few. Love to wear them when playing any sports that could mess up one of my other watches. But now? It looks like Apple’s going after Garmin’s more hardcore smart watches, known for their rugged and feature-packed designs along with solar charging and batteries that last for days. While the Apple Watch Ultra may not meet Garmin’s most feature-packed watches, it does sit in a good middle ground for most athletes.
The Apple Watch Ultra has a larger, more rugged case that’s reportedly surprisingly light thanks to its titanium construction. It’s a huge 49mm design with a larger digital crown, extra programmable shortcut button, and a large crown guard. The top of the device also forgoes the standard curved glass of the Apple Watch, instead using a protected flat piece of sapphire glass for scratch protection.
The new Apple Watch Ultra may not be able to replace all dive computers, especially those that may track your oxygen and other details, but the new wearable from Apple has EN13319 certification for use as a dive computer. It’s water resistant down to 100m, double the standard Apple Watch, with support for recreational dives to 40m. Divers can use the Oceanic+ app to use their watch as a dive computer.
For those traveling on land, there’s a new 86-decible siren, audible up to 600 feet for safety. The device also has GPS and cellular service, so you can find your way or call for help if you need it. It’s also brighter, with 2,000 nits of brightness vs the 1,000 in the other Apple Watch models.
The Apple Watch Ultra has double the battery life of the Apple Watch 8, providing users with 36 hours of battery life. It’s finally enough to allow marathon and triathletes complete their events without their Apple Watch dying on them. It still only charges wirelessly though, no solar charging, so if you’re going on an extended trek, be sure to bring the Apple Watch-specific charger and portable battery pack!
While rumors stated that the larger Apple Watch wouldn’t have the same watch bands as the standard models, it’s fortunately not true. However, Apple did release new rugged watch bands that’ll work for the Apple Watch Ultra as well as any other Apple Watch Apple has ever sold. Although, they might look a bit bulky on your old Apple Watch unless you have a case on it.
Other Options
More serious athletes may want something like Garmin’s Enduro 2 or Descent Mk2s. The Enduro, for example, has over a month of battery life, for rugged adventures away from power, and solar charging, so you’re never without your landline. Still, battery life aside, Apple managed to make a performant rugged Apple Watch that is a jack of all trades, master of none. It might be the right option for someone looking to stay in Apple’s ecosystem. Apple finally has something to compete with the best “adventure” watches on the market.
The Apple Watch Ultra costs $799.
Apple Watch 8
Outside of the somewhat questionable inclusion of temperature sensing, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a modest upgrade over the previous generation. It still has the same case design as the Series 7 and the same appearance as the first Apple Watch. Apple did add the crash detection feature from all of their new devices to the Apple Watch 8, so the newest features seem to include automatic ovulation tracking and a safety feature for car crashes. It may be the most underwhelming Apple Watch update to date. Not that it’s a bad smart watch, just that it has barely changed from the previous model, and those anxious about period tracking may not want to upgrade just yet at all.
The Apple Watch 8 starts at $399.
Apple Watch SE (2022)
The Apple Watch SE has a new lower price, $249 for their GPS model and $299 for the cellular model. It includes crash detection and an improved processor, the same S8 chip that’s in the Apple Watch 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, but otherwise the same case and features of the previous Apple Watch SE from 2020. Still, at $249, it might be the best entry point into the Apple Watch.
AirPods Pro the Second
Finally, the “All-new” AirPods Pro are here. They may look nearly identical to the old AirPods Pro, but small tweaks make them slightly better than the headphones they replace in every way. They finally correct the problem of volume controls by adding a touch-sensitive stem. There’s a new H2 chip with improved active noise cancellation and a new “adaptive transparency,” that does a better job at quieting loud noises. And there’s improved battery life. Now they’ll last 6 hours on a charge, with the case bringing total battery life up to 30 hours.
The case has some of the most obvious changes. It has a new lanyard loop and speaker on the case, so they’ll make noise when you use the Find My app to find your lost AirPods. Under the hood, you can now charge the AirPods Pro case with an Apple Watch charger, as well as any other wireless charger.
Apple also included a new extra small ear tip size, to help people get a better, more comfortable fit.
The AirPods Pro 2 come in one color, white, and are $249.
And That’s It!
That’s it for September. We’re still expecting an October event for the Mac platform, and potentially the iPad platform as well, so stay tuned!