The 14 Plus: The Big-Screen Version of the iPhone 14 and the Best Batteries for an iPhone? Is It Really That Good?

This is the type of phone that most people want. It’s not the iPhone with the neat new display features or a high-resolution camera. It’s the iPhone with a big display and a battery that goes for days.

The 14 Plus is the big-screen version of the standard iPhone 14. Instead of going with the iPhone Mini and iPhone Big, Apple went for the bigger device. It shares nearly all the same features but offers a 6.7-inch screen compared to the standard 14’s 6.1-inch display. It also claims to have the best battery life of any phone, but in my experience, you can get much more than that.

I expected the 14 Plus to be lighter than it is. It weighs 7.16 ounces (203g), or just about an ounce (28g) more than the iPhone 14 — and a little less than the 6.1-inch 14 Pro. This phone doesn’t feel like it would fit in my pants pocket so I appreciated its light weight. It makes the 14 Plus feel less intimidating than the Pro Max.

The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher resolution sensor also enables a 2x zoom mode, in which the picture is taken from the centre of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.

The screen, as we learned from the iPhone Mini experiment, people don’t want small phones. The phone doesn’t work with one hand and the big screens allow you to see more, but it isn’t really a pocketable device. This isn’t the best phone screen Apple has, but it is very good.

Apple’s claim of the “best battery life in an iPhone” isn’t an exaggeration. Typically, a day of moderate use with about two hours of screen-on time and plenty of time away from Wi-Fi only drained the battery by about 25 percent in my experience. I got three days of use on a single charge. Reader, I can’t remember the last time I used an iPhone that comfortably made it through multiple days of use.

Review of Crash Detection and Emergency Services via Satellite and 14 Plus Models for Smart Devices ($99$ $ theta$)

Crash Detection is available on the 14 Plus model, as well as Emergency SOS via Satellite, which is also available on other 14 and 14 Pro models. Crash Detection uses multiple phone sensors and inputs to automatically detect when you’ve been in a car accident and call emergency services. We haven’t tested it, but early reviews are mixed. It can sometimes work well. It seems like it uses a lot of signals to indicate that you are in a car, which can cause it to miss crashes if you haven’t been driving in a while.

Satellite SOS will be coming in November and will help to send a message to emergency services when you are out of range. It might cost extra down the line, but for the first two years, it’s included free with the iPhone 14 Plus. If you don’t end up needing it, you can try it out to see how it works.

Better low-light performance is what it comes down to, even though the hardware isn’t new or special. You can read more in-depth analysis in my Apple laptop review, but the short version is that this is a good camera system for older phones and it will be great if you need an upgrade.

Every smart device requires you to agree to a bunch of terms and conditions before you can use it. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. When we review devices, we can count the number of times they have to agree to use them, because they are agreements most people don’t read.

MagSafe: An All-Sky Guide to the Best Apple Cases and Chargers in the App Store – The case of the Pixel 6a

The best budget iPhone pick is the iPhone SE, it delivers a lot for $429. You get the same powerful A15 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 13 series as well as 5G support and a pretty good camera for the price. If you’re married to the Apple ecosystem and on a budget, it’s a no-brainer. But for everyone else, we think the Pixel 6a’s superior cameras, design and battery life give it the edge.

Check out our other guides, including the Best MagSafe Accessories, Best iPhone 14 Cases, Best iPhone 13 Cases, Best iPhone 12 Cases, Best iPhone SE Cases, and Best Apple 3-in-1 Chargers. Is there anything new in the new version of the operating system? We have more on that as well.

A one-year WIRED subscription is available for $5, with $25 off. unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine is included. We get our work done every day thanks to the subscriptions.

How to sell your iPhone: A guide on selling your iPhone and how to upgrade your iPhone to the next best model for your home entertainment system (I’m all you need)

But before you do, read our guide on how to sell your iPhone. Yes, you can use Apple’s Trade-In program, but you might be able to get more money by selling it yourself, as used iPhones retain a lot of their value. It’s worth looking at. Make sure to back up your iPhone first, and then factory reset it to wipe your data. If you get a new model, we’ll show you how to set it up for more tips and tricks.

The brand-new MacBook Air doesn’t add much over last year’s model, and the newest phone from Apple, called the iPhone 14, is finally here. The upgrades for the pricier iPhones 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are reserved. You might be disappointed to know that the standard model of the phone, known as the Apple iPhone 8 Plus, has been replaced by a bigger version, known as the iPhone 14 Plus.

If your iPhone is working just fine, there’s no need to upgrade. If the battery on your device isn’t doing well, you can purchase a replacement through Apple, which could add another year to the shelf life of your phone. If you are having strange problems with your phone, we have tips on how to fix it. If your phone is on its final legs, you can upgrade to a better one.

Smartphones are at the center of our digital lives — they’re what we use to communicate with loved ones, handle important business, binge on TikToks and everything in between. Picking the right phone is crucial since you will likely use it more than any other device.

As you’d expect, when testing a smartphone, we physically switch over to that device for a period of time. It is our daily driver, with our sim card, our apps and our contacts. It can be utilized for phone calls, texting with friends, capturing memories, chilling out with music, reading the news, and taking in content.

Additionally, we pay close attention to four specific areas. When evaluating a phone’s build, we analyze and test the design. Does it feel good in the hand? Is it really easy to hold, or is it slippery? We also factor in what types of ports a phone has and, of course, check for a headphone jack. The size of phones is taken into account.

Performance includes displays, software, and even connections. To standardize the performance, we used benchmarks on each smartphone, and these are the same tests we run on devices in individual reviews. A proprietary battery test and Geekbench 5 are the callouts. With connectivity, we tested both cellular and Wi-Fi in a variety of situations.

The Story of a Family of Phones: Battery Life, the Pocophone 8, and the A16 Bionic Chipset for Smartphones and Pentapockets

We tried to use them in the same way you would. The family was being shot at night and during the day testing Portrait Modes and general shooting. We shook our hands to see how quickly it takes to capture a photo.

The title of the category was Battery life, it identified full run times, charging times and how much use each phone could provide. The CNN Underscored battery test consists of a 4K video on a loop that runs until the device powers off. We ensure the brightness is set to 50% and turn off connectivity via airplane mode.

There is also a new model of phone, the Pocophone 8. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It doesn’t have a problem and is easy to use, even if you need heavy tasks like gaming. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. The base model has more storage than the previous model, with a maximum of 512 gigabytes of storage.

The OnePlus 11 lacks a couple of key features, namely robust water resistance and wireless charging. But its big 6.7-inch screen, excellent performance, and fast wired charging are all quite appealing at its relatively low price.

There are a lot of ways to get the most out of the big screen with the Fold 4. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. The Fold 3’s features are going to be available soon so nobody should upgrade to a new folding phone just for the software improvements.

There are a lot of things familiar outside of the new stuff. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. The new A16 Bionic chipset is perfect for gaming without a problem.

The 13 Mini includes all of the things we like about the 13 as well as a smaller screen and battery. Did we mention that it fits all the way into your pants pocket? It’s possible to do that with a Pro Max.

Arriving nine months after the original S20, the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition got almost everything right. A $700 mash-up of Samsung technologies held together in a polycarbonate plastic build, it delivers a triple-camera setup on the back with support for Space Zoom. It’s a bit more difficult than our best overall pick because of how much it takes to take good photos and video. The 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display on the front delivers a 120 Hz refresh rate. We would like to see the faster refresh rate offered by all phones. The cheaper Pixel 4a 5G is better than the more expensive iPhone 12.

The Pixel Pro 7 has plenty of horsepower to help with your daily smartphone tasks with a great camera and software, but the battery life could perform better for the $899 price tag and the phone got abnormally hot when handling normal tasks.

The first one of 2020 was very nice. It delivers a really solid experience with an OLED screen, a fingerprint sensor on the back and one camera lens on the back. It might be a great phone for its price but we want it to be more of a long-term investment in case you need it in the future.

Compared to other mid-range phones, you won’t find a better display for the price, and the 2022 Motorola Edge has a stellar battery life to boot. If you want a premium screen with a fast refresh rate for viewing video and social media, and you also want to check out your photos, the Motorola is a good choice. More premium feeling builds are being seen and better cameras are being seen from phones in the same price range.

Our experience with the first generation of the Razr was nostalgia-fueled but ultimately not a good foldable experience. The second Gen has the same design and hinge that the first Gen has. But the fact that it feels more durable doesn’t get away from feeling the display fold and hearing it creak. The larger display on the front of the Z flip is what we like the most. And Motorola making it available unlocked, instead of locked to Verizon, is a great move.

The higher-end model of the OnePlus 8 Pro is still in the lineup for fans of the company. It’s normally priced around $899, which is uncharted territory for a company known for its low-end prices on high-end phones. After we reviewed the 8 Pro, we found it to be a great phone with a good display, strong performance, and long- lasting battery life. The unlocked OnePlus 8 Pro lacks support for mmWave 5G networks, certain to be a drawback for some. The cameras are good but not on the same level as the iPhone 12, and at this price it needs to be as good or better to get a top pick.

Microsoft reentered the phone space in a unique way. The Surface Duo doesn’t have a folding screen, but rather two separate screens that are connected by a stellar hinge. The design purposely doesn’t feature any screen on the front, and it’s meant to help you use your phone with intention. The software experience left us wanting more. When it comes to sending applications to the proper side of the screen, it is really buggy, as it isn’t ready for the two-screen revolution. Still, we have high hopes for version two.

The Best Low-Saving Phones – A Comparative Study of the Best and Low-Priced Substitutes

You can find good bargains if you want to spend less and still get the best device. The guide to budget phones will give you those recommendations.

The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode the 3x camera looks average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.

The larger sibling to the 14 Pro is the 14 Pro Max which has a 6.7-inch screen. Otherwise, it shares the same features as the smaller model, including the new Dynamic Island status indicator and a 48-megapixel main camera.

The display has a new trick called Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It is a good place to see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing music, sending files, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.

It is not our top pick for anyone looking for a good phone because of the high price, and all that hardware comes at a high starting price. If you live in the US, where choice is limited, and you’re looking for the top of the best, it is at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. The new camera sensor at the center of the rear camera array does a great job of bringing out fine details in both lighting and low light conditions.

The S Pen isn’t new but it is still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to write something down. There is a big screen and scrolling is smooth with a variable refresh rate all the way from 120 to 1 billionhertz. It will power it through one day of heavy use but don’t count on getting much more than that.

Our usual gripes with the software are applicable here as well, and it is a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. The software support policy of a $1,200 phone is similar to that of a four OS platform upgrade and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.

The Zenfone 9 is Small, but It’s Worth It: A Foldable Galaxy Phone Designed for Family-Friendly Families

The Mini is much smaller than most other phones, but it is still big enough for all of your needs, and even if you don’t have an Apple device, you can still use it. Even adults with small hands are able to reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.

The Zenfone 9 features a relatively small 5.9-inch display and a unique camera stabilization system that mimics the action-smoothing effect of using a gimbal.

Most of all, Tensor puts the Pixel 6A’s day-to-day performance on par with the 6 and 6 Pro. And it should keep up for a long time: the phone will get security updates through July 2027. The 6A misses out on some nice things, but it is where it counts.

The cameras are a step behind the current flagships, but the main 12-MP camera and 12-MP ultra wide are still highly capable, even though they are not as good. Google’s image processing is smart, and Tensor enables some interesting software features, like Face Unblur, which uses information from both rear cameras to keep human photo subjects looking sharp, even in dim lighting.

The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There are four cameras, three of which are bigger than the last one and one of which is a selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. There is a lot of fun to be had taking selfies and recording videos in the L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)

The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.

That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.

The screen of the Fold 4 looks like a normal slab-style screen, but it has a different look to it. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. It is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance, but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are a couple of standard wide and ultra wide cameras on the rear panel as well as a couple of selfies cameras on the outside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/22163811/best-phone

Fast Wireless Charging in a Low-Priced Smartphone: Case Study of the OnePlus 6/7, S23 Plus, and Other 5G Devices

However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It is less robust than most devices in this price range, as they are rated for splash resistance, but they can survive full submergence in water. Virtually every other phone over $500 includes wireless charging, as well as the other features. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. It takes 30 minutes to fully charge the phone. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There is a box with a power supply in it.

That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.

Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Bug fixes are usually done in a timely manner with the frequent updates for the Pixel series, who seems to be doing the right thing. The S23 Plus is pretty much on cruise control for them.

None of it is exactly life-changing, but they’re features that Apple is almost certainly going to incorporate in new models going forward, and third-party app makers will follow suit. If you are suffering from technology FOMO, it’s theiPhone that you will get.

If Apple can keep its excellent track record of giving update to older devices, the iPhone SE will be around for over five years. But its tiny 4.7-inch screen feels cramped now and may be tough to use in five years’ time while apps and webpages continue to be designed for bigger screens.