A few days before leaving for the Gitex Global, two new smartphones to test arrived in the editorial office. One was iPhone 14 Plus. And so, curious to put it to the test in slightly different conditions than usual, we decided to turn it into our main working tool for the trip to Dubai.
What does “main work tool” mean? And above all, was it the right choice? We tell you about it in this unusual review.
What we liked about the iPhone 14 Plus
Let’s start with the elements that convinced us of the iPhone 14 Plus, those that – spoilers – allowed us to be satisfied with our decision.
Never underestimate eSIMs
If there is one thing we take for granted during reviews (and here we do “mea culpa”) it is connectivity. Recall that there is WiFi – here the 6 -, Bluetooth – 5.3 in this case -, NFC, GPS and 5G support but we rarely add something more, except of course particular defects or problems.
This time, however, we want to start right from here, from an element that we normally ignore: the eSIM. iPhone 14 Plus supports 6 and this for travelers could make a huge difference.
We explain ourselves better.
Before leaving for the United Arab Emirates, we assumed that our physical SIM and the rate it is associated with would allow us to do everything we do in Italy. But no: the cost for just 100 MB was exorbitant. Not to mention that we would have burned 100 MB in less than a day.
Support for eSIMs saved our lives: when we arrived at the hotel we downloaded the Mobimatter app, bought an eSIM suitable for the UAE and scanned the related QR code with our smartphone. Within 10 minutes, we were connected to Dubai’s 5G.
Imagine now that you are a person who, like us, travels often enough for work. 6 eSIM allow you to connect almost anywhere, obviously keeping in mind that there are only 2 active ones at the same time.
The power bank is not essential
The other winning aspect of the iPhone 14 Plus is undoubtedly represented by autonomy. We used the Apple device for everything: check emails and social networks, tell you about the Gitex Global on Instagram, shoot the vlog of the trip, create which Reel, text with colleagues, friends and relatives at home, check the various routes on Google Maps, look for information on the net about everything around us and take photos of the dozens of skyscrapers that populate Dubai. iPhone 14 Plus has never left us on foot.
We started with 3 power banks and we only used one, for the sake of scruple, the first day. On all other occasions we arrived in the evening without difficultyunplugging the phone at 7.00 in the morning and charging it around midnight with a few percentage points still available.
What a camera!
To say that the iPhone 14 Plus camera surprised us would be false. In the sense that yes, it gave us great shots but basically we expected it.
The photographic sector is the same as the younger brother, with the new 12 megapixel main sensor which is larger, with larger pixels and an aperture of F / 1.5. We can do an analogous discourse for the ultra-wide angle, also from 12 megapixelsand for the presence of Photonic Enginethe new computational photography technology that combines hardware, software and machine learning to improve shots in any conditions.
The photos taken in Dubai are sharp, detailed and with natural colors, both outdoors and indoors, both day and night.
The video sector is also very good, with clips that allowed us to capture everything around us, while maintaining a good level of detail, realistic color rendering and more than enough stabilization.
What we have been missing, we admit, is the zoom. Having to make an entire travel vlog with the smartphone, we would not have minded having the telephoto lens available which instead is reserved for the Pro series.
It is not a defect, mind you, but an aspect that you should take into account when choosing, when you find yourself undecided between the iPhone 14 or 14 Plus and the two Pro models.
Performance
iPhone 14 Plus monta Apple’s A15 Bionic processor which has always lived up to our expectations. Never a slowdown, a hint of hesitation, a problem in the management of the dozens of applications that we have kept in the background for days. Everything works fine, which allowed us to play both on the plane and in the hotel.
What excited us the least
Everything’s perfect? Not exactly. A couple of elements weren’t particularly thrilling.
Bright but not too bright
iPhone 14 Plus shows up with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display. In essence it is a custom OLED that can achieve a peak brightness of 1200 nits. Which are quite a few under normal conditions but not the best under Dubai’s midday sun. We then found ourselves taking pictures along the canal without actually being able to check the result.
This is clearly a fairly unusual and extreme situation but it is, also in this case, an element to be evaluated during the purchase phase.
However, we cannot complain about the general rendering of the screen. The generous dimensions allow you to really do everything, from watching a video to enjoying video games up to reading web pages and documents.
You can also count on True Tone, Apple’s technology that adjusts the white balance to match the color temperature of the environment around you.
Important dimensions
Aesthetically, iPhone 14 Plus is identical to the 14: we find the Ceramic Shield to protect the display, the super resistant glass that protects the rear body, the resistance to water, dust and the slightly raised camera module.
The only two differences concern weight and size, with the first going from 172 to 203 grams.
And this is where the iPhone by did not impress us.
In everyday life we found the iPhone 14 much more comfortable and usablewhich fits comfortably in your pocket and can be operated with one hand.
However, keep in mind that this is an absolutely subjective consideration, probably dictated by both habit and the size of our hands. Not to mention that, over time, you get used to everything, even to a larger smartphone than the one that preceded it.
The iPhone 14 Plus review: conclusions
iPhone 14 Plus was a more than worthy travel companion during our trip. Like its little brother, it has an elegant design, great photographic behavior, excellent autonomy and top-of-the-range performance. There is nothing you cannot do with this terminal.
Of course, the quasi-desert setting has put the display a bit in crisis but this is a factor to consider only if you think you often find yourself in similar situations.
Basically then we can only recommend the purchase of the iPhone 14 Plus, bearing in mind that the price starts and 1.179 €therefore € 150 more than the “basic” model.
There are two questions you would probably like us to answer: 1) do I take this or the normal 14? and 2) but do I take this or the Pro / Pro Max?
Let’s start with the first. In our opinion, you should opt for the iPhone 14 Plus if you want a larger display and greater autonomy, bearing in mind that, of course, it is a bit bulkier.
As for the second question, you should aim for the Pro variants if you want an even more powerful and versatile camera and if you want a brighter display with a higher refresh rate.