iPhone 14 Review: Is it worth the price or just iPhone 13 in a different body?  

Apple's iPhone 14, amongst the 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max series, has the most minimal year-on-year upgrades in Apple's history. Aside from a few upgrades, the iPhone 14 is only a slight improvement to iPhone 13. It may be worth the price for some people, but not for everyone.

iPhone 14 aluminum design is a tried and true layout of last year's iPhone 13. At the same time, Apple only repackaged the iPhone 13 Pro, sans the telephoto camera and high-refresh-rate screen on the outside, an upgrade that might interest some but below par for others.

With its staggering price range of between N699,000 to N800,000 in some Nigerian stores, the iPhone 14's "minor" upgrades might be a good change for iPhone 13 users priced at N799,000 without crash detection. 

iPhone 14 Prices in Nigeria Store

iPhone 14 price starts at $799, an N348,643.65, or N588,863 at the black market rate—the same price as the iPhone 12 and 13 when they first went on sale. In its traditional method, Apple tagged its iPhone 14 series prices to its ROM size, giving its customers the option of choices according to their budget.

However, some Nigerian stores, having calculated the shipping cost, tax, and clearance fee of purchasing the new iOS devices, sells iPhone 14 at prices higher than the ones given above. 

The low demand for iPhone 14 has made Apple stall the device's production, which has limited the variants of the devices among the 14 series.

According to Bloomberg, Apple initially had plans to increase production of last year's iPhone 14 line-up but reverted its plan and told suppliers to cut production by 6 million units.

Tech review website MacRumors corroborated Bloomberg’s report with data from SellCell, which shows that the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are performing twice as bad as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini in the same 10-day period after launch. 

Is iPhone 14 worth the price, or just iPhone 13 in a different body?

In 2013, Apple's iPhone 5C was an iPhone 5 with a new plastic body that was meant to appeal to a more budget-minded audience. iPhone 14 shares a similar story. While there are some similarities with version 13, the Iphone 14 is aimed at balancing price and adding new features.

Apple added several safety tools to the 14, including crash detection and satellite connectivity for sending emergency messages when you're out of range of a cell tower. These are some of the major new updates iPhone 14 has over the iPhone 13. 

It also has an internal change in design that aids heat dissipation heat and allows its glass back, which allows easy repair with less money.

However, most iOS device users might never use these features as they are mostly invincible; even iPhone's new eSIM on the US models will only be used when people transfer their number.

A safer bet is the iPhone 14 Plus - a larger version of the 14 with the same 6.7-inch screen as the 14 Pro Max; a good pick for iOS device users who want a large phone on a safe budget. 

iPhone 14 features

Although the iPhone 14 6.1-inch OLED Ceramic Shield, screen notch, and matte-finishing aluminum screen are the same as the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14, despite being almost nearly identical in size to the iPhone 14 Pro, weighs 17 % less, making it comfortable to hold.

Rated IP68 on water-and dust resistance, iPhone 14 can survive under 6 meters of water (about 20 feet). So, a glass of water spilled on it, it wouldn't give it any trouble.

The iPhone 14 US model doesn't have a SIM card tray, although Apple has created an eSIM, partnering with US carriers to make transiting your old phone to a new iPhone 14 as simple as putting your old iPhone next to your new one while following a few prompts.

iPhone 14 Cameras

Although the iPhone 14 has three main cameras: a main angle, ultrawide cameras on the back, and a new updated TrueDepth camera, iPhone 13 Pro's main camera was borrowed for use on the iPhone 14; that is why the IPhone 14 was referred to as "iPhone 13 Pro without the telephoto camera" in the beginning part of this article..

However, an upgrade from the 13th, the iPhone 14 main camera has a larger sensor and new lens with f1.5 aperture - hardware combined with Apple's new processing pipeline, called Photonic Engine.

As part of its upgrade to its 14 line-up series, Apple's new processing pipeline termed Photonic Engine helps improve image quality, especially when photos are taken in darker environments.

The ultrawide camera of the iPhone 14 is still beneath the main camera, especially in the overall image quality and performance. It can't double as a Macro camera on the iPhone 14 Pro - but its extreme field view gives photos and videos a dramatic look.

iPhone 14 Battery

iPhone 14 lasts slightly longer than the iPhone 13, and the healthy battery of the iPhone 14 is largely due to no bug, peppy, smooth and redesigned iOS 16. iPhone 14 users can spend a full day with their screens on time, averaging 5 hours a day, which is the average for most phones.

Charged using a Lightning-to-USB-C cable and a third-party 20-watt wall adapter, iPhone 14 went from 18 - 81% in 45 minutes - a good fast charging speed on the OnePlus 10 Pro. 

iPhone 14 processor: A15 Bionic chip

Another reason why the iPhone 14 is a repackaging of the iPhone 13 Pro is its A15 Bionic chip. Apple, last year released two versions of the A15 Bionic chip; One was for iPhone 13 and 13 Mini, while the extra GPU core was for iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.

iPhone 14 uses the same A15 Bionic with extra GPU as iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.

Speaking of performance, iPhone 14 is speedy, and animations have a smooth look on the device. Gaming is fun; Call of Duty Mobile, Asphalt 8: Airbourne Plus, Warped Kart Racers, and Lego Brawls were all handled perfectly using the iPhone 14.

iPhone 14 specs vs iPhone 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max

Should you upgrade to iPhone 14?

So, should you upgrade?

If you like the iPhone 12 and 13, you'll be right at home on the iPhone 14, but there's no compelling reason to upgrade from either of those phones.

Divulging this article to this point means you want to decide if upgrading to iPhone 14 is worth it or if sticking with your 13, 12, or even 11 versions is best. The iPhone 14 is a great upgrade if you're using an 11 or older iPhone, as it provides longer battery life, faster performance, a much better screen, increased durability, and better cameras, as well as safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite.

If you're confused about which to buy between the iPhone 14 and 13, it is more advisable to save money and opt for iPhone 13 or the smaller iPhone 13 Mini, but if those new safety features appeal to you, then iPhone 14 is your best bet!

While the iPhone 14 is enjoyable and has standard upgrades, it is mostly for people upgrading models from last year to 2022 latest iPhones.

Overlooking the improvements on iPhone 14 is very easy, especially if you compare it to the updates done on the Pros version; howbeit, the iPhone 14 will be spot on for most people.