IPhone 14 Plus review: Apple’s big-screen battery champ
Apple’s new plus-sized iPhone 14 adds a larger screen and longer-lasting battery to a familiar formula, but with a bigger price tag too.
The 14 Plus is a brand new iPhone model for this year, costing £949 ($899/ A$1,579), making it £100 ($100/A$180) more than the base model 14 but cheaper than the 14 Pro line.
That makes the Plus the supersized Apple phone for people who just want a bigger screen, not extra cameras and other bits. It has the same chips, display tech, cameras, materials, repair-friendly internal design and software as the regular iPhone 14, just made bigger.
The 6.7in screen, increased from 6.1in, makes it a larger, heavier device. It is significantly lighter and easier to hold than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but would still benefit from a Popsocket or similar accessory to help you keep a grip on it.
The screen is good looking, providing an expansive display for watching video, playing games or just maximising the text for easier reading. But it is somewhat behind rivals in technology. It is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, whereas rivals typically have 120Hz, and has a lower peak brightness than the similarly sized Samsung Galaxy S22+ or Google Pixel 7 Pro, or Apple’s Pro model.
The killer feature for the 14 Plus is its very long battery life. I can get a solid three days out of it between charges with the screen actively used for about 7.5 hours with various apps and services. This is an extra day over the regular iPhone 14 and longer than almost any other phone.
The phone fully charges in about two hours, hitting 80% in 63 minutes using a 20W or greater USB-C power adaptor (not included). It also supports 15W wireless charging.
Specifications
Screen: 6.7in Super Retina XDR (OLED) (458ppi)
Processor: Apple A15 Bionic
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128, 256 or 512GB
Operating system: iOS 16.1
Camera: dual 12MP rear with OIS, 12MP front-facing camera
Connectivity: 5G, wifi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Lightning, ultra wideband and GNSS
Water resistance: IP68 (6 metres for 30 mins)
Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8mm Weight: 203g
Sustainability
Apple does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity and can be replaced for £105. Out-of-warranty screen repairs cost £349.
The 14 Plus contains recycled gold, plastic, rare earth elements, tin and tungsten. The company breaks down the phone’s environmental impact in its report. Apple offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.
Price
The iPhone 14 Plus costs from £949 ($899/A$1,579) with 128GB of storage.
For comparison, the iPhone 14 costs £849, the iPhone 14 Pro Max costs £1,199, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ costs £949 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro costs £849.
Verdict
The iPhone 14 Plus is Apple’s new super-sized smartphone that takes what was good about the base model 14, including its more repair-friendly design, and adds a much bigger screen.
The 6.7in display provides much more space for watching video, reading messages or simply having bigger text. But where the regular 14 strikes an excellent balance between screen and device size, the 14 Plus is an unadulterated big phone. It is harder to hold and use one-handed as a result.
The increased size enables the 14 Plus’s killer feature: very long battery life. Few smartphones last two days, let alone up to three, of normal use between charges.
But it is very expensive, particularly in the UK because of weak currency rates. You get better screens and more capable cameras on similarly priced or cheaper rivals from Samsung and Google.
If you want the iPhone with the longest-lasting battery, the 14 Plus is it.