Apple iPhone 14 Series: Features, Prices and More

Author: Tara Donnelly

The wait is over: Apple has finally unveiled its 2022 flagship iPhone series. The iPhone 14 range includes better battery, industry-leading performance, upgraded cameras and the newest iOS 16 operating system, alongside essentials such as 5G connectivity.

This year, Apple has ditched the baby iPhone Mini, instead offering a slightly-revamped lineup of four new devices. The newest iPhone collection includes the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max,  giving customers the opportunity to mix-and-match between smaller or larger displays, and standard and Pro inclusions.

You’ll be able to pre-order each phone from September 10, with all four devices available to buy outright and on phone plans from the major telcos. Read on for all the details on Apple’s new iPhone 14 series.

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iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

Design-wise, there’s not a huge jump between the standard iPhone 14 and last year’s iPhone 13, with one key exception: you’ll be able to pick from a more entry-level 6.1-inch display on the 14, or a larger 6.7-inch screen with the iPhone 14 Plus. Both phones include the same features and internals, but the differing sizes mean you won’t need to upgrade to the pricier Pro series if you prefer a bigger screen.

This year’s iPhone 14 comes with Apple’s Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology, Dolby Vision for HDR images, and an all-round brighter screen with higher colour contrast. Both phones feature a curved aerospace-grade aluminium design with a tough-as-nails Ceramic Shield glass front, and include IP68 water and dust resistance — so the devices can be submerged in up to six metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

Under the hood, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are powered by the same Apple A15 Bionic chip found in 2021’s iPhone 13 series. While it’s technically last year’s chipset, the A15 is still a monster processor that includes a 5-core GPU and 6-core CPU for split-second performance and graphics. The 16-core Neural Engine is designed for fast machine learning and computations, and supports enhancements such as the improved camera experience and better-quality battery life.

Cameras and video

Apple rarely disappoints when it comes to yearly camera updates, and the iPhone 14 is no exception. The company has upgraded the main camera with a larger sensor and bigger pixels, and an increased focus on better and brighter low-light photography.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus both include a dual rear camera system, featuring the aforementioned 12-megapixel main lens, plus a 12-megapixel Ultra-Wide camera. The main camera includes a larger ƒ/1.5 aperture and a 49% improvement in lower-light shots, in addition to faster exposure times. For the selfie lovers, the front TrueDepth camera now includes autofocus for even better group and far-away shots, plus a brighter and more consistent flash.

Alongside hardware enhancements, Apple is introducing its new Photonic Engine: a reinvention of its Deep Fusion feature that increases performance in mid and low lighting by up to 2x on the Ultra-Wide camera, 2.5x on the main camera, and 2x on the front-facing TrueDepth camera. This applies the Deep Fusion process earlier to uncompressed images for even sharper detail, truer colours, and clearer shots in a variety of conditions.

The 14 series also includes a new Action Mode video feature, which offers increased stabilisation without the need for extra equipment such as a gimbal. It’s a great addition for users who love to capture action such as live sports or on-the-move vlogging, and joins other now-iconic inclusions such as the focus-shifting Cinematic Mode, which is now available in 4K and with both 30 and 24 frames per second options.

Battery and extras

While Apple tends to be shy about disclosing its exact battery size, the company has listed the expected performance of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Customers can anticipate about 20 hours of video playback on the standard 14, and 26 hours on the 14 Plus, with both models fast-charge capable (up to 50% recharge in 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adaptor). Each device is also compatible with MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W, and Qi wireless charging.

Aside from battery, Apple has added two new safety-focused features to its 2022 iPhone range. Crash Detection uses your phone’s accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer to sense the extreme orientation, speed and pressure changes associated with car crashes, and trigger an automatic call to triple zero and emergency contacts if you’re unresponsive.  It’s a novel feature with the potential to be life-saving for customers in remote areas, and will be available across all new iPhone 14 devices.

The US and Canadian versions of the iPhone 14 will also include Emergency SOS via satellite, which allows the device’s antennas to connect to satellite in emergencies when cellular reception isn’t available. This is a breakthrough inclusion that we hope will eventually make its way to New Zealand, although there’s no indication if and when Apple will expand this outside of North America.

Other key features in the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus include 5G connectivity, Siri assistance, dual SIM (eSIM and nano-SIM), Face ID and Secure Enclave security, and Apple’s latest iOS 16 operating system.

Price and availability

The flagship iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available to pre-order from Saturday, September 10, at 12am with in-store availability from Friday, September 16 for the iPhone 14, and from Friday October 7 for the 14 Plus.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will be offered in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage sizes, and in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and (PRODUCT) RED finishes. Outright pricing is below.

iPhone 14 prices

• 128GB: $1599
• 256GB: $1799
• 512GB: $2199

iPhone 14 Plus prices

• 128GB: $1799
• 256GB: $1999
• 512GB: $2399

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iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Performance and design

Like the base iPhone 14, the Pro range is available in two sizes: the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both options feature upgraded displays, offering thinner bezels, a smaller front camera cut-out, and a best-ever peak brightness level of up to 2000 nits. You’ll also get a Ceramic Shield glass design with a surgical-grade stainless steel body, and IP68 water and dust resistance.

One big feature added to the Pro series is an Always-On display, a first in an Apple smartphone. This inclusion means the iPhone will finally be able to show basic info such as date/time, live activities and notifications on the lock screen without waking the device. While this has the potential to be a battery-draining addition, Apple has included a power-saving 1Hz refresh rate and automatic dark mode, which activates when your phone is face down or stored in your pocket.

Alongside the ready-anytime display, Apple is debuting its new Dynamic Island on-screen widget. This feature is an interactive, automatic top-screen notification panel that’s integrated throughout iOS 16 on the Pro 14 range, appearing to alert you of calls and notifications, then disappearing when it’s not needed. You can use the Dynamic Island to control music, alarms, Maps navigation and more, with up to two notifications or alerts displayed at once.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will also showcase Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, which the company has declared to be the most powerful chip in a smartphone to date. The A16 is the first Apple chip to be engineered via a 4-nanometer process (similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 4 ranges), and includes a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. This makes for a lightning-fast chip with a Neural Engine that can support up to 17 trillion operations per second, up from the 15.8 trillion offered by the A15 Bionic.

Cameras and video

As expected, Apple has knocked the Pro camera line-up out of the park, adding significant upgrades to its triple-camera rear system that benefit both professional photographers and amateur snappers. Both iPhones include a new, 48-megapixel main camera with an advanced quad-pixel main sensor, enabling up to four times the resolution of previous iPhones. In addition, the rear line-up includes a 12-megapixel Ultra-Wide and 12-megapixel Telephoto lens, with up to 3x optical zoom-in and 15x digital zoom.

The new main camera can adapt to shooting environments, and gather up to four times more light in darker conditions; automatically using either all four pixels in the sensor, or each pixel individually depending on the light level and details captured. The combination of hardware upgrades, plus Apple’s new Photonic Engine, offer even better low-light performance across all three rear cameras, with sharper macro shots and crisper detail.

The Pro range also features a TrueDepth front camera with new autofocus and larger aperture, meaning it can focus on multiple subjects at once for group shots and more detailed selfies. You’ll also get better low-light photo quality, with less noise and more accurate colour.

Video-wise, the Pro series includes a new Action Mode, offering serious stabilisation during action and moving shots. Cinematic Mode is now available in 4K HDR at 24 frames per second for movie-like quality, in addition to 30 frames per second. You can film, edit and share your videos in ProRes and Dolby Vision HDR, and use extras like macro video, time-lapse and night mode video to enhance your content.

Battery and extras

According to Apple, the Pro series will offer “all day battery” on a single charge, although this will obviously depend on how you intend to use your device. The smaller iPhone 14 Pro can provide up to 23 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed), while the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers up to 29 hours (or 25 hours when streamed). Both phones are compatible with Qi wireless charging and Apple’s own MagSafe wireless charging system, and if you’re using a 20W adaptor, you can recharge by 50% in around 30-35 minutes.

The Pro devices will also include Apple’s new Crash Detection feature, to identify and alert emergency services in the event of a car crash. Buyers will also get iOS 16 out of the box, with new features such as an upgraded lock screen, a new shared iCloud photo library, and better Live Text for video and image text recognition. Both phones are 5G-ready, dual-SIM, and include go-to Apple extras like Siri voice assistance and Apple Pay.

Price and availability

You’ll be able to pre-order the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max from Saturday, September 10, at 12am from both telcos and retailers, with devices arriving in stores and shipping out from September 16.

iPhone 14 Pro prices

The iPhone 14 Pro is offered in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB sizes and in Gold, Silver, Space Black and new Deep Purple colours. Outright retail prices are below.

• 128GB: $1999
• 256GB: $2199
• 512GB: $2599
• 1TB: $2999

iPhone 14 Pro Max prices

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is also available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, and in Gold, Silver, Space Black and Deep Purple. Outright pricing is below.

• 128GB: $2199
• 256GB: $2399
• 512GB: $2799
• 1TB: $3199

iPhone 14 compared: features at a glance

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About the reviewer of this page

This report was reviewed by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an
experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.