The iPhone 14 Plus was not exactly the runaway success that Apple hoped it would be. After the less-than-stellar numbers of the iPhone mini models, Apple had hoped that a larger non-pro iPhone would tug at the hearts of those who wanted a larger screen on their iPhone without spending a large amount of money for the Pro Max. It looks like sound reasoning on paper, but surprisingly did not appeal to the wider audience.
To find out why, I bought one! I took advantage of the deals and discounts and bought an iPhone 14 Plus in purple in October 2023, a year after launch. I have been using it for a month now and my findings have been a revelation.
Display Woes
The Super Retina XDR display on the iPhone 14 Plus is extremely good. The colors pop out, the text is crisp, and even the saturation is on-point. It gives you an amazing multimedia experience, be it watching a movie on Netflix or just casually browsing around TikTok. This is the phone to get if you prioritize having a larger display for consuming content but do not want to overspend on a Pro Max iPhone.
However, there is no getting around the fact that 60Hz at this price point is not something that can be looked over. While the incredibly smooth and refined animations partly make up for it, the lack of 120Hz is apparent when comparing it to a ProMotion display. However, I can confirm from experience that a vast majority of the non-pro users do not notice the difference and even if you make them notice it, they do not care about it enough to consider a 60Hz display inferior to a 120Hz one. It does not factor into the buying decision for most people.
Notch vs Dynamic Island
The biggest difference that anyone would observe when comparing the iPhone 14 Plus to any of the modern iPhone 15 models would be the antiquated notch on the iPhone 14 compared to the more refined pill-shaped cutout called the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 15. There are a number of small, small changes when comparing the Dynamic Island to the notch, but I’ll cut right to the chase here.
The Dynamic Island should factor in your buying decision only if you really want people to notice that you have the newer model. The pill-shaped cutout on the display is recognizable from a mile away and for a vast majority of the people, this will be the design factor that helps them distinguish between a newer and older iPhone. But apart from this difference, the Dynamic Island doesn’t really add anything to the experience usability-wise that you’re going to miss on a notched iPhone. In fact, I had used the iPhone 14 Pro Max for the better part of last year and did not really miss the Dynamic Island at all after switching to the iPhone 14 Plus.
Performance
When it comes to the performance of iOS 17 on the iPhone 14 Plus, there is little to no area to complain. From my time with this phone, I think that only the most extreme of gamers or smartphone video editors(?) would even notice a difference in power between this phone and the iPhone 15. For your regular smartphone usage stuff like texting, social media, and web browsing, this phone packs more than enough power. It flies through everything and the 6GB of RAM is surprisingly great at facilitating multi-tasking. So, for what it’s worth if you’re on the fence about the iPhone 14 Plus and performance is a parameter you’re worried about, I would recommend relaxing and not giving it another thought!
Also read: Best Cases for iPhone 14 Plus
Battery Life and Charging
This is the section in which the iPhone 14 Plus really excels at. iPhones have been exceptionally efficient lately and the iPhone 14 Plus, with its plus-sized battery pack, is a battery champ. A full day of usage with lots of texting, social media, and photography was not enough for me to kill the battery. In fact, in my day-to-day use, I only charge the phone once every 2 days. You will have to charge more frequently if your usage is centered around long gaming or navigation sessions but what I can confidently conclude is that the iPhone 14 Plus is one of the best phones today when it comes to endurance.
Unfortunately, it is right at the bottom when it comes to charging. The absence of a power brick in the box is a bummer but what stands out even more is the slow charging speeds. At 20W, it is very slow compared to the competition. Now, that should not be an issue if you’re moving to the iPhone from something with similar charging speeds but it will be a noticeable shortcoming if you’re moving from say a OnePlus phone with super fast charging.
Longevity
A major concern when buying an year old phone is that the phone has already completed one full year of its life cycle. So does it make sense to invest money in that smartphone now or is buying a more recently launched device the smarter choice. The answer is actually quite simple when it comes to iPhones. See, Apple supports their devices for a long period of time. We’re talking 5-6 years of major software and security updates. With a track record like that, it is incredibly easy to recommend an iPhone that was launched 1 or even 2 years ago. So if you’re planning to get an iPhone 14 Plus and long-term support is one of your concerns, rest assured that this phone will remain a strong and reliable performer for the next 3-4 years, if not more.
Also read: Best MagSafe accessories to pair with your iPhone 14 Plus
Conclusion
So, should you buy the iPhone 14 Plus in late 2023? My answer to that would be a resounding yes. The iPhone 14 Plus has seen a plethora of price cuts since the launch of the iPhone 15 series and that has made it a very, very lucrative device for consumers who want a value-for-money large-screened iPhone. You get incredible performance, great cameras, reliable longevity, and an excellent display panel. Sure, the 60 Hz refresh rate and slow charging speed are a bummer but hey, at least there is some solace in the fact that both these problems still exist on the newer iPhone 15!
