The iPhone 14 Plus is the big screen version of Apple’s iPhone 14, with broadly the same spec sheet. It has less tech prowess than the capacious iPhone 14 Pro Max, but doesn’t come with the same wallet-melting price tag. Read on to see if it’s worth buying.
Our iPhone 14 Plus review in summary
With the same camera, design and internal specs of the smaller iPhone 14, the only thing that may tilt you in favour of the iPhone 14 Plus is its larger, 6.7-inch screen. If you love gaming and streaming video, then this is the device for you.
The swankier iPhone 14 Pro Max has a better chipset and drops the old-school notch design, but if you can live with that, then the iPhone 14 Plus’s more affordable price tag makes it a great bet.
The iPhone 14 Plus
The iPhone 14 Plus marks a new chapter for Apple. Its larger devices have previously been Pro models, whereas this handset is essentially an iterative update of the iPhone 13 with a bigger display.
Apple has brought across the older A15 chip, albeit slightly faster here, and kept an old design too. But with iOS 16 and a beefed up camera, there’s enough new stuff to keep things interesting.
Camera
The iPhone 14 Plus has the same camera as the iPhone 14. It’s a dual lens set up, each with 12MP sensors. One is the main camera, the other a wide lens. It features Apple’s sleek new Photonic Engine enhancing image processing and giving pictures greater detail.
There’s a new Active Mode which centres subjects when shooting video, meaning clips rival those taken on a GoPro. Meanwhile, low light performance is excellent and overall shots look crisp, clean and bright.
4K video recording comes as standard and the front facing camera offers 12MP shots and decent video calling performance. However, the camera isn’t as good as that on the iPhone 14 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Design
While the iPhone 14 Plus has the same toughened glass, stainless steel and Ceramic Shield finish as the iPhone 14 and older iPhone 13 range, it still looks great.
Apple has included the older notch design here, meaning the iPhone 14 Plus doesn’t get the same Dynamic Island tech as the Pro line-up. It’s something we’ve grown used to, although it does now appear somewhat outdated.
Display
The iPhone 14 Plus houses a massive 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with a 1284 x 2778 pixel resolution. There’s a notch at the top of the display for Face ID and the selfie camera. Overall, results are impressive for everyday use, with the screen appearing bright and sharp when used for gaming and video.
Things feel a touch less cutting edge than rival phones thanks to the middling 60Hz refresh rate. Most top end phones now offer double that, meaning some actions, such as fast scrolling, can feel a bit juddery here compared with your mates’ phones.
Operating system and performance
The iPhone 14 Plus comes with iOS 16, the latest version of Apple’s smartphone platform. However, it uses the older A15 Bionic chip, albeit amped up a little compared with the version on the iPhone 13. That puts it behind the snappier iPhone 14 Pro Max, which uses an A16 Bionic processor.
Performance is fast, though, and only really hardcore phone users will notice much difference between this and more expensive models.
Battery life
The good thing about such a large device is that it comes with a big battery. And in this case, it really can go the distance. You can get more than 24 hours on one charge and longer if you only use the iPhone 14 Plus for basic tasks such as messaging and browsing the web.
There’s 20W fast charging support, delivering about half a battery’s worth of charge in just 30 minutes. This is where the iPhone 14 Plus really stands apart.
iPhone 14 Plus deals and incentives
There are loads of iPhone 14 Plus deals here at MoneySuperMarket. Some networks offer money off after purchase, others serve up access to priority services including early gig ticket access, and some have Apple TV+ and Apple Music streaming included in the price.
iPhone 14 Plus pricing
At launch, the iPhone 14 Plus is available SIM-free for £949 for a 128GB model, £1,059 for a 256GB edition and £1,249 for 512GB. You can pick it up on contract and spread the cost easily, just use our price comparison tool to see what deals you can get.
Pros and cons of choosing the iPhone 14 Plus in 2023
Pros
- Big screen
- Great battery life
- Fast charging
Cons
- Pro models offer more
- Screen lacks display tech of rival handsets
How does iPhone 14 Plus compare against other Apple iPhones?
The iPhone 14 Plus doesn’t have the same tech smarts as the similarly sized iPhone 14 Pro Max, with a lower screen refresh rate and no Dynamic Island. However, it costs far less.
Older iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models offer better value for money, although the iPhone 14 Plus will support iOS updates for much longer.
iPhone 14 Plus review: Verdict
The iPhone 14 Plus is great if you want the Apple experience on a massive screen. While it lacks the same smarts as the iPhone 14 Pro, it is still an excellent phone that delivers a great overall experience, as well as taking impressive pictures.
