Apple iPhone 14 review: The most iterative update ever to a great smartphone

The iPhone 14 is such an incredibly minor update that no iPhone 13 owner with a sane mind should consider upgrading to it. The fact that iPhone 14 doesn’t even do the bare minimum to justify an upgrade from its predecessor is a reminder of Apple’s incredible grip over the smartphone market and how it can afford to get away with controversial moves that others simply can’t. Can you imagine any Android brand releasing a flagship with the same chipset as its predecessor, and getting away with it?

The iPhone 14 is Apple trying to sell you the same old wine in the old bottle but with a new label. Okay, I’m exaggerating a little here. There are some notable upgrades here, and one of the biggest changes Apple didn’t even talk about during the event (but more on that later). The list of hardware upgrades is relatively small this year. You get the same chipset as the last year but with an extra GPU core, a brand new selfie shooter, an improved primary camera, basic satellite connectivity, and Crash Detection. In addition, the US models also drop the physical SIM card slot to fully embrace the eSIM future.

As you can see, there’s not a lot to convince the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 owners to make a switch. The divide between the standard and Pro models is wider than ever as most of the cool features, including Dynamic Island, the new A16 Bionic chipset, and a 48MP main camera, are exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. That also means there’s more incentive to shell out extra money on the Pro models as the advantages and perks you get are more clearly defined and easy to rationalize.

Apple iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 offers improved cameras and satelite connectivity in a familair package.

Pros:

Cons:

Buy from Amazon

Apple iPhone 14: Specifications

Specification	Apple iPhone 14
Dimensions & build	Aluminum mid-frame Glass front and back “Ceramic Shield” for front glass 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm 172g
Display	6.1-inch OLED display, 2556 x 1179-pixel resolution at 460 PPI 60Hz refresh rate HDR display, True Tone, Wide color (P3) 800 nits max brightness, 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
Camera	Primary: 12MP wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1.9μm sensor-shift OIS Seven-element lens 5x digital zoom Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4 aperture
Battery	3,279mAh rated for up to 20 hours of video playback 20W wired charging 15W MagSafe charging 7.5W Qi wireless charging
RAM & Storage	6GB RAM 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB
Sensors	Face ID Barometer High dynamic range gyro High-g accelerometer Proximity sensor Dual ambient light sensors
Ports	Apple Lightning port No headphone jack
OS	iOS 16
Colors	Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red
IP rating	IP68 water and dust resistance
Connectivity	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.3 Ultra Wideband (UWB) NFC
Price	$799(128GB) $899 ($256GB) $1,099 (512GB)

About this review: This iPhone 14 is my personal purchase. Apple didn’t have any editorial input in this article. The review is written after spending ten days with the device.

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Apple iPhone 14: Price & Availability

The iPhone 14, along with the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, are now available for purchase worldwide from Apple Store and other official retail channels. The standard iPhone 14 starts at $799, but you can save big by taking advantage of deals and discounts.

• The iPhone 14 starts at $799 for the base model and goes up to  $1,099 for the 512GB model.
• It comes in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED colors.

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Design & Display

• The iPhone 14 has an identical design and display to the iPhone 13.
• However, Apple has redesigned the internal architecture of the phone.

If you’re trying to spot any visual difference between iPhone 14 and iPhone 13, you’ll find none, except for the different colorways. You’re looking at an identical exterior design as the last year. Not a bad thing, as the iPhone 13 was a pretty solid phone, but you can’t help but feel that the standard iPhone lineup is in dire need of a design overhaul. There’s still that unsightly notch at the top, and the flat side rails take some time getting used to if you have mostly used phones with curved backs. It’s not a bad-looking phone by any means, but just how many times can you get excited about the same design?

The iPhone 14 is 2g lighter than the iPhone 13, and expectedly, the difference wasn’t noticeable when I held both phones side by side. The front is still protected by a Ceramic Shield, while the flat aluminum frame provides a reassuring grip. As you would expect, the phone feels great in hand — solid and incredibly sturdy. I must admit, though, that after exclusively using Android phones with curved backs all these years, I found the iPhone 14 uncomfortable due to its sharp edges. But this was easy to address with a protective case.

At first, I was contemplating getting the iPhone 14 Plus as I feared the 6.1-inch size would be too small for me. But having used the iPhone 14 for over ten days, I feel like this is the perfect size — not too small, not too big.

The mute switch we all love and appreciate is still there, and so is the unwanted Lightning port we all hate and wish was already dead. Apple has removed the physical SIM tray in favor of eSIM on the US models, but those in Europe and Asia can still find it on the left side.

While the iPhone 14 looks identical to the iPhone 13 from the outside, it’s radically different under the hood. As revealed by iFixit’s teardown, Apple has completely redesigned the internal architecture of the iPhone 14, making it the most repairable iPhone to date. That’s a big win for the right-to-repair movement and great news for anyone who likes holding onto their phone for a long time.

The iPhone 14’s 6.1-inch display is the same as the last year. It’s an OLED panel with 1170 x 2532 resolution, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support. As you would expect, it’s a high-quality panel that offers true-to-life colors, deep blacks, and great viewing angles. Unfortunately, Apple still limits the higher refresh rate Pro Motion display to Pro models. As a result, you’ll have to put up with a 60Hz panel. But other than that, there’s not much to complain about here. It’s one of the best displays you can get at this price point in terms of color accuracy and brightness.

On max setting, the panel gets bright enough that I have had no issue using it even under harsh sunlight. Apple’s True Tone feature is on board, and it automatically adjusts the white balance and illumination based on your surround lighting to make text and content easier on the eyes. However, there’s no Always-on Display or a Dynamic Island similar to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The display also has an oleophobic coating applied which makes it easier to wipe off fingerprints and smudges. However, using a screen protector would still be a good idea.

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iPhone 14: Camera

• The iPhone 14’s main camera has been updated with a wider aperture and larger pixel size.
• Spectacular video performance as always.

While the Pro models get a brand new 48MP primary camera, the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus opt for the more conservative 12MP dual camera setup similar to its predecessors. There’s a 12MP main shooter, which now has a bigger aperture — f/1.5 compared to f/1.6 on the iPhone 13 — and a larger 1.9μm pixel size for improved low-light performance. The ultra-wide camera is seemingly unchanged.

In broad daylight, the iPhone 14 captures pleasant photos with an affinity for true-to-life colors that sometimes may appear a bit dull compared to Samsung’s more saturated and vibrant tones. If you prefer richer colors and higher contrast, you can always turn to the Photographic Styles from the camera settings.

In broad daylight, the iPhone 14 captures pleasant photos

Shots from the main camera have on-point white balance, accurate and repeatable exposure, and very little noise. Images generally resolve a good amount of detail, but we also observed oversharpening in tree leaves and water in some photos. High-contrast scenes are also handled quite well, with the camera striking a good balance between highlight and shadow details. However, the dynamic range isn’t as wide as what we have seen on the iPhone 14 Pro or Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which leads to blown-out highlights in certain conditions, such as when shooting under harsh sunlight or against the sun. But such instances have been far and few between during the review, and most of the time, Apple’s image processing does a good job of keeping highlights and shadows in check. In addition, the iPhone 14’s super fast autofocus and sensor-shift OIS make it possible to take great landscape shots while traveling by car or bus.

Low-light photos

Low-light photos from the main camera are excellent and have good detail retention. They have accurate colors, great contrast, and low luminance noise. Night Mode automatically kicks in when the light is low and helps to bring out more detail in scenes by brightening up the darker portions. Low-light photos also benefit from Apple’s new image pipeline, Photonic Engine, which claims to improve mid-to-low light performance up to 2x on the ultra-wide camera and up to 2.5x on the main camera. Basically, Photonic Engine applies Deep Fusion’s computations on raw data much earlier in the imaging process. Apple says this leads to better color reproduction, retention of subtle textures, and more detail in photos.

I briefly compared the iPhone 14 with iPhone 13 in low light and didn’t notice any dramatic improvements in photo quality. The iPhone 14 was able to preserve more details and output a slightly brighter shot, but these differences were only noticeable after careful examination and pixel peeping.

Video performance

All three cameras on the iPhone 14 are capable of shooting 4K videos at 60fps. You can also shoot HDR videos in Dolby Vision format with a 10-bit high dynamic range. In terms of real-world performance, the iPhone 14 delivers spectacular video performance and can easily outperform competing Android smartphones in this price range. No matter which format or resolution you opt for, the footage looks buttery smooth, showcasing exceptional dynamic range, great detail, and rich colors in both daylight and low-light conditions.

The iPhone 14 delivers spectacular video performance and can easily outperform competing Android smartphones in this price range

The only issue I have with video performance is the excessive camera lens flare and reflections when shooting in brightly lit areas. These issues are especially noticeable at night (see the third video sample).

The Cinematic mode that debuted on the iPhone 13 is still here, but now it’s available in 4K at 30fps and 4K at 24fps. It’s still a hit-and-miss and struggles a lot when multiple subjects are in the frame, but it’s fun to play with.

There’s also a new video feature called Action mode that lets you capture super-smooth hand-held videos even when there’s intense motion and activity, such as running or cycling. It definitely smooths out shakes and vibrations, but you’ll need to ensure there’s ample light in the scene. Otherwise, you’ll end up with grainy footage. In addition, you’re limited to 2.8K resolution. Just like Cinematic mode, it’s good to have and fun to play with once in a while, but for the most part, you’ll be better off shooting with the standard video mode.

Improved selfie camera

The biggest camera upgrade on the iPhone 14 is the selfie camera, which is the same as the one on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The new 12MP TrueDepth camera has a wider f/1.9 aperture and autofocus. Selfies from the new camera are excellent, offering accurate skin tone rendering, wide dynamic range, and great contrast. However, the iPhone 14’s insistence for selfies to be as true to life as possible and capturing everything to its finest detail may be a real turn-off for those accustomed to selfies with an overly processed or smoothened look. Portrait mode is available on the selfie camera, and it works quite well — it uses Face ID’s structured-light 3D scanner for more accurate edge detection.

The iPhone 14 doesn’t have a 3D LiDAR sensor for depth estimation, but it can capture portrait shots just fine — as long as lighting conditions are favorable, that is. Apple’s edge detection is still not on par with those of Samsung and Google, so you’ll notice the iPhone 14 sometimes not being able to accurately identify the subject and blurring out finer details such as strands of hair.

Overall, there’s hardly anything to complain about here, as the iPhone 14’s cameras rarely fail. In most cases, you can point and shoot and walk away confident that you have captured the moment perfectly. I was amazed how I rarely had to take a second shot, which I often have to do when using other phones. This is the camera system you can rely on to take solid photos and video, no matter the lighting conditions. Not many smartphones offer this peace of mind, and it’s empowering for average users who want to take good photos without much effort.

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Performance

• The iPhone 14 packs last year’s A15 Bionic chipset but with an extra core of GPU.
• Overall performance is fantastic but the 60Hz display means scrolling feels sluggish.

For the first time, the standard iPhone doesn’t feature Apple’s latest and greatest chipset. The new A16 Bionic chipset is exclusive to Pro models this year, while the standard models have to settle for the same A15 chipset as the iPhone 13 series. This is more than likely to start a new trend where all future iPhones, including the upcoming iPhone 15, will continue to feature a year-old chipset. That means those wanting to get their hands on the latest Apple silicone will now have to shell out more money for the Pro model.

That said, the A15 chip inside the iPhone 14 is still one of the most powerful smartphone chipsets on the market and can handily beat Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. It has two performance cores running at 3.23GHz speed and four efficiency cores at 1.82GHz.

Although the iPhone 14 has the same chipset as its predecessor, it comes with several performance improvements. For one, the new model has a 5-core GPU which Apple says is 18% faster than the iPhone 13’s 4-core GPU. Secondly, the phone has 6GB of RAM, up from 4GB in the iPhone 13. Finally, it has an updated internal design for better heat management.

Scrolling feels less fluid on the iPhone 14 due to its 60Hz panel

Coming to real-world performance, the iPhone 14 is a fast and reliable performer. Apps and game launch quickly, and iOS’s animations are as smooth and silky as ever. Gaming performance isn’t an issue, either. I tried out Genshin Impact and Call of Duty, and they ran smoothly for the most part. The device starts to get warm when you game for an extended period, but there was no serious performance throttling or frame dropping or such.

While the overall performance is fantastic, scrolling is a different story. The iPhone 14 continues to use a 60Hz panel, and that means the scrolling and moving around the system feel less fluid compared to phones with a higher refresh rate display. If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 11 or have never used a phone with a higher refresh rate display, you have nothing to worry about. But as someone who has been exclusively using an Android phone with a 120Hz display, the difference was immediately noticeable and felt quite jarring. iOS animations do their part in masking this shortcoming, but they don’t compensate enough. There’s no excuse for Apple not to include a higher refresh rate display when it’s the only smartphone brand still shipping a 60Hz panel on its premium phones. Even budget Android smartphones nowadays come with a 90Hz or 120Hz panel. Hopefully, this will finally change with the iPhone 15.

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Battery Life & Charging

• The iPhone 14 delivers all-day battery life.
• The charging speed is still really slow.

The iPhone 14 packs a 3,279mAh battery, an insignificant 39mAh increase from the iPhone 13’s 3,240mAh battery. With this minor capacity bump and other efficiency improvements, Apple promises an extra hour of endurance over last year’s model. However, the charging speed hasn’t improved at all. The phone tops out at 20W with USB Power Delivery, 15W with MagSafe, and a measly 7.5W with Qi wireless charging.

The iPhone 13 already had great battery life, and the iPhone 14 isn’t any different. During my ten days with the phone, it consistently delivered a full-day battery with average 4.5 to 5 hours of screen on time. Even on weekend days when I used the phone heavily, I didn’t find myself in need of a quick top-up before bedtime. As long as you start your day with more than 80% battery and don’t play demanding games for an extended period, you shouldn’t have any issues getting a full day of usage.

The iPhone 14’s 20W charging feels painfully slow in comparison to what OnePlus and Xiaomi have to offer. Not to mention it still uses the proprietary Lightning cable. With a 20W or faster charger, you can get up to 50% of the charge, which isn’t too bad. But it takes roughly two hours to go from 0 to 100%, which may seem like an eternity if you’re like me and have been spoiled by phones with super fast charging speeds.

We know that crazy charging speeds can wreak havoc on battery health in the long run, and we certainly don’t expect or want Apple to go to the extent of OnePlus or Oppo. That said, 20W is definitely on the conservative side, and a small boost to 25W or 30W would have been nice—one more thing to add to the iPhone 15 wishlist.

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Software

• There is a lot to love about iOS 16’s new, highly customizable Lock Screen.

The iPhone 14 runs iOS 16 out of the box and comes packed with several exciting features. The most exciting of all is the new Lock Screen experience. There are various customizations to fully personalize the look and feel of the lock screen to your liking. You can choose from many different photo styles, change font and color, add a blur effect to the home screen, and more. In addition, you can also add lock screen widgets to quickly glance at important information that normally requires unlocking the device and opening an app. These include calendar events, reminders, weather, stocks update, and news flash.

You can add up to five widgets on the lock screen at a time. And you can set up multiple lock screens, each with its own widgets and Focus mode, and easily switch between them with a swipe.

There is also a clever photo cutout feature that lets you remove a photo’s background by simply long pressing on the subject. You can then copy and paste the subject to a photo editing app or share it with your friends for fun. Meanwhile, Live Text in videos is a neat feature that lets you copy text from a paused video. This is very handy when you’re watching a tutorial and want to take a quick note of something.

Other notable additions in iOS 16 include the ability to unsend and edit iMessages, Live Activities that display score cards and your ongoing workout right on your lock screen, improvements to Live Text and Focus mode, haptic feedback for the keyboard, Safety Check, and more. Check out our separate feature on iOS 16 if you want to learn more about the new software.

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Connectivity, Call Quality, and Audio

• Superb connectivity and call quality.
• Stereo speakers get plenty loud.

Crash Detection and satellite connectivity are two new features of the iPhone 14. Crash Detection works similarly to Google’s Car Crash Detection. The feature uses a new high g-force accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope to detect if you were in a car crash and can automatically notify your contacts and emergency services. It’s also available on the Apple Watch Series 8. Emergency SOS via satellite is one of the main highlights of the iPhone 14. It can help you get a message out to emergency services when you’re lost or stuck in a remote place with no cellular connectivity. The feature isn’t available at launch so I wasn’t able to test it out. It will go live sometime in November in the US and Canada. It’s unclear if it will be coming to other markets later on.

The iPhone 14 delivers exceptional network performance. I have had no instances of unexpected call drops or connectivity issues during my review period. 5G isn’t available yet in India, so I couldn’t test it, but I got excellent download and upload speeds on Jio and Airtel’s LTE networks. Call quality has also been quite good; some people even complimented how clearer I sounded and asked if I was calling from a new phone. And as for stereo speakers, they’re really loud and one of the best I have tested. They deliver clean sound with punchy bass as long as you don’t push the volume slider all the way up — as the audio starts to distort at near max volume.

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Should you buy the iPhone 14?

You should buy the iPhone 14 if:

• You’re coming from an iPhone 11 or older.
• You want a phone that can shoot exceptional photos and videos without much effort.
• You want a phone that’s relatively easier to repair.
• You foresee the use of the SOS satellite connectivity feature and live in supported markets.

You shouldn’t buy the iPhone 14 if:

• You own an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12.
• You want a telephoto camera.
• You want a higher refresh rate display and fast charging.

The iPhone 14 is the most incremental upgrade ever if looked at from the lens of year-on-year improvements. You can even say Apple took the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” a bit too seriously with the iPhone 14, because it practically is an iPhone 13, which in itself was a small bump up from the iPhone 12. But for someone coming from an iPhone 11 or iPhone XS, it’s a worthwhile upgrade as there are many notable improvements and refinements in store that they will definitely notice and appreciate. This is to say that the iPhone 14 is a good product, but the iPhone 13 was almost equally good as well.

The bottom line is that the iPhone 14 plays it way too safe, and that makes the Pro models even more appealing and stand out options this year. Dynamic Island, a brand new 48MP camera, and the A16 chipset are all reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro lineup.

Apple’s decision to once again go with a 60Hz is hard to swallow, especially considering pretty much every OEM has now switched to a higher refresh rate panel. In fact, the iPhone 14 is the only smartphone at this price point with a standard 60Hz panel. And while the iPhone 14 promises big improvements in low-light camera performance with Photonic Engine, the difference is hardly noticeable in most situations, especially on the main camera. And I also fail to see why a software feature like Photonic Engine can’t be expanded to the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13, which have the same processing package.

The iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via satellite is a cool feature, but it’s not live at launch. Moreover, it will be limited to the US and Canada, so it’s unlikely to be deciding factor for those in other markets. The feature will also move towards a paid plan after the expiry of its free trial, details of which are not immediately available.

Apple iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 is powered by A15 Bionic chipset and offers improved cameras.

Buy from Best Buy

Buy from AT&T

SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Style Case (Sponsored)

This case offers three different color options to choose from, in addition to a minimalistic, slim build.

Buy for the iPhone 14

Buy for the iPhone 14 Plus

There is no compelling reason to choose the iPhone 14 over last year’s iPhone 13 unless you want satellite SOS (which isn’t even available yet), slightly better cameras, or a more repairable phone. Picking up the iPhone 13 at a discounted price looks like a wise choice. You won’t be missing out on anything major.

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Here’s why I upgraded to an Apple Watch Series 7 right after the Series 8 launch

A few weeks ago, during its Far Out event, the Cupertino firm launched a wide variety of Apple Watch models. Interestingly, we got an all-new Ultra variant that caters to extreme athletes, in addition to a budget SE 2 model. While I’ve crowned the Apple Watch Series 8 as the best model for most users, I went ahead and bought the Series 7. Now, you must be wondering — why would a technophile who likes getting his hands on the latest and greatest Apple products consciously purchase an older product when a newer model exists? Let’s unpack!

Story Time: The first tick on my wrist

Shall we go all the way back to Christmas 2018? We shall! At the time, Apple had just released the Series 4 model. Back then, I was still a student struggling financially. So getting an Apple Watch to pair with my iPhone 6S was out of the question. That was until I casually participated in a nationwide giveaway. I was one of three lucky Apple Watch Series 4 Nike Edition winners.

I fell in love with it the moment I started the pairing process. It was seamless. Two products designed to perfectly support each other. After a few days of use, the Series 4 quickly grew on me — despite me typically preferring to keep my wrists clear. The Apple Watch turned into the pineapple topping my bland pizza. A savory addition that makes all the difference. But alas, most happy moments eventually come to an end. After a month of use, I had to bid the little fella farewell — as I needed some cash. It’s true that I only used that unit for a month before selling it. However, it did leave a semi-permanent mark on the heart it used to monitor at all times.

Apple Watch SE: The second set of hands on my arm

Around two years later, in 2020, I graduated from university and decided to treat myself. Coincidentally, the Cupertino overlord had just released the first affordable Apple Watch — the SE variant. As a fresh graduate, it made more sense to favor this model over the Series 6 it accompanied. While it lacked the ECG monitor I had on the Series 4 and AOD support, it did provide most of the features I’d expect from an Apple Watch. I got to take advantage of the tight ecosystem ties and track my fitness/activity.

A few weeks ago, the Apple Watch SE’s battery life started irritating me. After all, I had been using it every single day since its launch in 2020. So I decided to wait until the September event to buy the latest model with Always-On Display support. Apart from the battery, AOD was the biggest motivator for me to get a new model. Lo and behold, Apple releases the Series 8, and Mahmoud goes ahead and buys a Series 7 instead. Why?!

Apple Watch Series 7: Third time’s a charm

Let’s go back to last week. I’m sitting there in front of my MacBook contemplating which Apple Watch to buy. I had four options — the Series 7, Series 8, SE 2, and Ultra. The SE 2 was out of the question, as the whole point of me upgrading from the original SE is to get AOD support. Meanwhile, the Ultra is too large for my wrist. That’s not to mention that I am nowhere close to being an extreme athlete of any sorts, someone who needs the arguably-horrendous rugged design. This left me with two options — Apple Watch Series 7 vs Series 8.

Pricing

Let me start with the pricing motivator because there’s a certain exception in my case. At this point, the Series 7 wouldn’t be a smart purchase if it shares the same price tag with the Series 8, obviously. Though, things are different in my particular case. I spotted a limited-time Series 7 deal on an authorized retailer’s website in my country. The price difference between the two models was around $100. So by settling for the year-old model, I’d save a decent amount of money. Had the Series 8 introduced notable changes, I would’ve been willing to pay the higher price tag. However, it does not. This brings me to the second argument.

Features

Last year, I criticized the iPhone maker for depending on software exclusivities to market the Apple Watch Series 7. The company excluded certain new features on previous models, despite the offerings technically being compatible with them. This year, Apple ditched this strategy and didn’t include any Series 8 exclusives — apart from the new hardware, obviously. So by buying the Series 7 today, you only miss out on the new health monitors and sensors it has added to the 2022 model.

Arguably, the three biggest differences between the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 are crash detection, body temperature monitoring, and Bluetooth 5.3. Personally, I don’t drive and I prefer public transport — if I can’t just walk to my destination. So if I’m in a vehicle, it almost certainly is a crowded one. So in case of a crash, there are numerous people around to handle calling emergency services if I’m unable to, because of whatever reason. That’s not to mention that I plan to buy an iPhone 14 Pro, so I’ll have a crash-detecting device on me anyway.

As for the body temperature monitor, Apple is currently limiting it to track non-male reproductive health. As a male, this temperature monitor benefits me in no way. Lastly, it’s true that Bluetooth 5.3 is more efficient than 5.0. However, the difference likely won’t be noticeable to me and is certainly not worth $100 more.

Design

Apart from the minor hardware upgrades, the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 look identical. You quite literally can’t tell them apart without reading the engraved model name. As someone who always goes for the darkest finish available, both watches offer the exact same Midnight shade. Neither of them offers exclusive watch faces, too. So for $100 less, I’m getting the exact same watch, minus the aforementioned, irrelevant (to me) sensors. The two models will likely remain supported for the same number of years, as well. That’s because both the S7 and S8 chips that power them respectively share the same CPU. Ultimately both models are fresh and future-proof. In fact, I’ll likely upgrade again before they lose watchOS support.

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With the Apple Watch Series 7, I finally feel like I have the complete wearable experience. The thinner bezels, larger screen, and AOD support make my old SE look ancient. And now that I have ECG back, I can initiate scans every time my psychosomatic symptoms make it seem like I have a faulty heart. That’s not to mention the fast charging support that I had been missing out on.

At this point, I don’t see myself upgrading my Apple Watch again until the company introduces groundbreaking changes. These could be a complete chassis overhaul, some improved hardware functionalities, or notable health monitors. For now, I’m happy with my fresh Series 7, and I’m confident that in my particular case it was the wiser purchase decision.

Apple Watch Series 7

By default, the Series 7 costs as much as the Series 8. Only buy it if it's notably discounted and you don't need the Series 8 exclusives.

Buy from Best Buy

Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 introduces car crash detection, a body temperature monitor, and more. It packs the Apple S8 chip and runs watchOS 9.

GPS

GPS + Cellular

Which Apple Watch model will you be buying, and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

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The iPhone 14 series makes me want to wait for the iPhone 15

The iPhone 14 series recently arrived, and there’s not a whole lot that it brings to the table. In the case of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus, you barely get any upgrades from the iPhone 13. And in the case of the 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you get a newer chipset, newer camera hardware, an Always-On Display… and that’s about it. If you live in the U.S, you lose physical SIM support as well, so on that front, it’s a downgrade.

Honestly, the problem with the iPhone 14 series is that, as an iPhone 13 Pro owner, there’s just nothing great enough about the new series that makes it worthwhile for me to upgrade.

Why upgrade to more of the same?

If you’re an iPhone 13 owner, ask yourself this: why would you even want to upgrade? Taking into account the best trade-in deals, Apple’s own website will only let you knock off up to $720 off of the total price, and that’s if you trade in a good condition iPhone 13 Pro Max. Assuming that’s what you’re trading in, you’ll be getting, at minimum, an iPhone 14 Pro, or else it’s almost certainly a downgrade. At that price, though, you’re gonna pay $180 to go from your iPhone 13 Pro Max to the iPhone 14 Pro. Are there any upgrades? Well… In terms of tangible differences, there are very few.

There’s really not a lot of reason to upgrade, is there? The iPhone 14 Pro has the all-new “Dynamic Island” that everyone has been raving about, but it doesn’t bring a whole lot new to the table, really. On top of that, device owners are reporting problems like the camera violently shaking in apps such as TikTok. The new camera hardware also doesn’t bring in the noticeable edge that one expects a big jump like this to bring in. The Always-On Display is way too bright and distracting and widely believed to be a battery drainer. All in all, it doesn’t come off as a year-on-year upgrade that anyone really needs.

However, even thinking about outside of the United States for a moment, prices have risen drastically elsewhere. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at €1339 in Europe, an increase from €1179. Similar price rises are seen across the world, with the U.S. seemingly being one of the few unaffected nations. Nevertheless, if you were to upgrade, you’d be spending a lot more money for basically no beneficial reason.

Waiting for the iPhone 15 makes more sense

Given that the iPhone 14 series is really not much of an upgrade, it makes zero sense to make the jump if you already have last year’s model. Why spend money, go through the difficulty of a trade-in, and deal with teething software issues, all for the sake of saying that you have the latest Apple device? The cameras aren’t all that improved, and no amount of marketing around the “photonic engine” can convince me otherwise. As for the A16 Bionic, the fact that Apple compared it to the A13 rather than last year’s A15 should tell you pretty much all that you need to know.

This entire debacle highlights the problem with year-on-year upgrades in particular, even though nobody would recommend getting a new device that frequently. Nobody needs to upgrade that frequently. Admittedly, though, there are sometimes big improvements to be had. For example, the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 13 Pro introduced a higher refresh rate, improved cameras, a much more power-efficient SoC, and a brighter display. With a trade-in included, maybe it’s worth a couple of hundred dollars in that scenario. Here, though? It’s simply hard to justify.

Thinking about what the iPhone 15 is expected to bring as well makes it even more of a no-brainer to wait. With an expected switch to USB-C in the future (that may actually happen with the iPhone 15 this time, thanks to the EU), a potential design change again, the A16 coming to the lower-tier models (at minimum), and any other changes that may actually trickle down… why would you upgrade from an iPhone 13 now? Most people don’t upgrade year-on-year, but a sizeable number of enthusiasts, influencers, and social media managers might. This time around, it just makes no sense to me.

If you’re coming from an iPhone 12, there’s a lot more reason for justification. Upgrading every two years for some people is still excessive, but at least you’ll get all the improvements of the iPhone 13 series with the extra little bits from the iPhone 14, too. As for me, I think anyone with an iPhone 13 Pro (as I have) would be crazy to upgrade.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 vs ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1: A big leap forward

After an ambitious, but somewhat disappointing first attempt at a foldable laptop back in 2020, Lenovo is back for seconds with the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2. And this time, the company has made a lot of improvements to make this a device you can actually use for work. To be clear, the first ThinkPad X1 Fold wasn’t terrible, but it was clearly a first-generation product, with a lot of shortcomings that typically come with such a ground-breaking device. So let’s take a look at how Lenovo improved the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 compared to the Gen 1 model.

The differences are pretty big, from improved performance to a bigger and better screen. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the price. Just like the original model, this new laptop starts at $2,499, but when you consider all the big improvements that have been made, that’s actually a much more palatable price tag now. With that being said, let’s get into the comparison.

Navigate this article:

• Specs
• Performance
• Display and sound
• Design
• Ports and connectivity
• Final thoughts

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 vs ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1: Specs

	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1
CPU	Up to 12th-generation Intel Core i7 with vPro (U9 series)	Intel Core i5-L16G7 with hybrid technology (7W, 5 cores, 5 threads, up to 3GHz)
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe graphics (up to 96 EUs, 950MHz)	Intel UHD Graphics (64 EUs, 500MHz)
Display	16.3-inch OLED, 2560 x 2024, 4:3 aspect ratio, up to 600 nits, HDR, Dolby Vision, 100% DCI-P3, touch, anti-smudge Folded size: 12-inch	13.3-inch OLED, 2046 x 1536, 4:3 aspect ratio, 300 nits, 95% DCI-P3, touch, anti-fingerprint Folded size: 9-inch
Storage	Up to 1TB PCIe 4 SSD	256GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
RAM	Up to 32GB dual-channel LPDDR5	8GB LPDDR4x 4266MHz
Battery	48Whr battery, optional additional 16Whr depending on configuration 65W charger	50Whr battery 65W charger
Ports	2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports 1 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 Nano-SIM card slot (optional)	2 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 Nano SIM slot (optional)
Audio	Three speakers with Dolby Atmos Quad microphones with Dolby Voice	Dual 1W speakers with Dolby Atmos Quad microphones
Camera	5MP RGB + IR camera, optional Intel Visual Sense Controller	5MP RGP + IR hybrid camera
Biometric authentication	Fingerprint reader (on keyboard) IR camera	IR webcam
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 Optional: 5G sub-6GHz	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2×2 Bluetooth 5.2 Optional: 5G sub-6GHz
Color	Performance Black	Black
Size (WxDxH)	Unfolded: 345.7 × 276.2 × 8.6 mm (13.6 ×  10.87 × 0.34 inches) Folded: 176.4 x 276.2 x 17.4 mm (6.9 x 10.87 x 0.68 inches)	Unfolded: 299 × 235.6 × 11.3 mm (11.77 × 9.28 ×0.44 inches) Folded: 158 x 235.6 x 27.8 mm (6.22 x 9.28 x 1.09 inches)
Dimensions	System: 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs) System with keyboard and stand: 1.9 kg (4.19 lb)	Starts at 0.999 kg (2.2 lb)
Price	Starting at $2,499	Starting at $2,499

Performance: A huge leap forward

Looking at the spec sheet above, you might notice something odd in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1. The model number for that processor probably doesn’t look very familiar, and it’s because it was part of a very short-lived series of processors from Intel, known as Lakefield. These were designed for ultra-thin devices and foldable, and they were actually Intel’s first attempt at creating something along the lines of Arm processors, with one performance core and four efficient cores. However, performance was severely lacking – even the performance core didn’t support hyperthreading, and at most, it could only boost to 3GHz. Plus, with a 7W TDP, it just couldn’t be very fast.

The original ThinkPad X1 Fold

Lakefield was completely killed off within a year, but now, with 12th-generation Intel Core processors, the hybrid architecture is more widely available and better than ever. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 comes with U9 series processors, which means they have a low 9W TDP, but it’s still a huge improvement over the Gen 1 model. These processors come with up to 10 cores and 12 threads, and they can boost up to 4.7GHz, so performance is going to be leaps and bounds above what the first model offered. Take a look at the benchmark scores below to see the difference.

	Intel Core i5-L16G7 (average)	Intel Core i7-1250U (see test)
Geekbench 5 (single-core/multi-core)	756 / 1,624	1,385 / 4,006

To be clear, this is a very early test for the Intel Core i7-1250U (benchmark scores aren’t widely available yet), but if anything, the average scores should be even better. This is a huge leap forward in terms of performance, and to be fair, the Intel Core i5-L16G7 was already a slow processor in its day. Things have only gotten better, so this huge difference isn’t surprising.

The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1 could only have 8GB of RAM

You’ll notice it in graphics performance, too. In 2020, after the Lakefield processors were already out, Intel introduced Iris Xe, a new graphics architecture for its processors, and it was a big leap in performance. U9-series processors have slower variants of Intel Iris Xe compared to the U15 or P series, but this is still way better than what Lakefield could offer.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2

And even that’s not the end of it. A particular limitation of the Intel Core i5-L16G7 was how much RAM you could pair with it. It was always limited to 8GB, no matter what, so even if Lenovo wanted to give you more, it simply couldn’t. Now, with regular Intel processors, that limitation is gone. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 can give you up to a whopping 32GB of RAM, so multi-tasking is much faster and smoother this way, and it’s yet another significant leap over the Gen 1 model. Basically, the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 can now hang with the best Windows tablets in terms of performance.

Storage capacity is about the same as before, though, and both laptops tout up to 1TB maximum (though the original model is only available with up to 512GB out of the box). There’s a difference in speed, though, since the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 has upgraded to PCIe 4.0 SSDs instead of PCIe 3.0, which should result in much faster speeds and moving files around.

Display and sound: Bigger, brighter, and better

The changes continue when we get to the display, which has also been significantly improved from the previous model. There are improvements in almost every aspect. For starters, the screen is now a 16.3-inch panel when unfolded, which means that when you fold it, you still get a decently-sized 12-inch screen on each side. The previous model had a 13.3-inch display, which resulted in a 9-inch screen when folded in half.

The original Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

The bigger screen may affect portability, but it comes with a big benefit, especially in laptop mode, when the keyboard covers the bottom half of the screen. A 12-inch screen isn’t huge, but it’s in line with something like the Surface Laptop Go 2. A 9-inch screen would have been nearly unusable for a lot of people, so this makes for a much more usable laptop in its different modes. And, of course, the screen is also that much bigger when unfolded, so multi-tasking becomes much more feasible. Lenovo has also slimmed down the bezels, so the device itself doesn’t have to be that much bigger.

To go with the increase in size, Lenovo also increased the resolution of the display. We’ve gone from 2048 x 1536 to 2560 x 2024, and that helps the screen stay about as sharp as before. In fact, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is slightly sharper, with a pixel density of roughly 200 DPI, versus 193 DPI on the Gen 1 model.

And to top it all off, the screen is brighter, too. Now, it can reach up to 600 nits in HDR mode (400 nits in SDR), which is a huge leap from the 300 nits of the original panel. Outdoor visibility will be far better with this new screen, plus just having HDR support is very welcome. Lenovo also touts slightly better coverage of DCI-P3, reaching a full 100%, so that’s been improved too.

The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 makes sure you always have one speaker on each side of the screen.

Lenovo also improved the sound system this time around. Now, there are three speakers, though at any given time, you’ll still get audio from only two. The three speakers are there to enable audio to be played from different speakers depending on the position and mode in which you’re using the tablet. This way, there’s always one active speaker on each side of the screen, whereas stereo sound may have sounded a little worse with the two speakers on the previous model. Lenovo hasn’t detailed the wattage of each speaker, but the original model wasn’t super powerful, so hopefully, that’s also been improved.

Quickly touching on the webcam, there aren’t a ton of changes on paper, as both models have a 5MP camera with both RGB and IR sensors. However, the new model does give you the option to include the new Intel Visual Sense Controller, which helps the camera adapt its framing and orientation depending on the mode in which you use the laptop, so you always look as good as possible.

Design: It’s heavier, but slimmer

Of course, with a significantly larger screen, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 has to be heavier than the Gen 1 version, but that doesn’t mean Lenovo didn’t try to slim it down, and the difference isn’t as big as you might think. In terms of weight, the original model started at 2.2lbs, and the Gen 2 version comes in at 2.84lbs. It’s a noticeable difference, but you have to expect that when you go from a 13.3-inch screen to a 16.3-inch one.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2

Lenovo tried to counteract this by making the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 significantly thinner than the Gen 1 version. Now, when unfolded, it’s just 8.6mm thin, as opposed to 11.3mm. And when you fold it, it’s still just 17.4mm thick, compared to a whopping 27.8mm on the original model. That was because the original model couldn’t fold completely flat, so it was significantly thicker around the hinge. Lenovo has put some work into redesigning the hinge so the device is much more even and thinner across the entire chassis.

Instead of leather, the new model has a woven fabric cover.

The look and feel of the laptop also changed. The original model came with a metal chassis that was then covered by a real leather cover wrapped around the exterior of the device. Because of its dimensions and the way hinges work, though, the leather couldn’t cover the entire exterior when the laptop was folded, and there was a “lip” on the front. Now, Lenovo has opted for a woven fabric cover, and instead of a single piece, each half of the laptop has its own fabric cover, surrounded by a metal frame that’s thicker near the hinge.

The stand for the laptop has also been improved, allowing you to use it in all the same modes you could before, but also a new one. Now, the stand can hold the screen up in portrait orientation, so you can get a large vertical canvas for reading and other kinds of work that work better with a vertical screen.

And to round things out, the keyboard and pen are also a bit different this time. The larger screen size means the keyboard can also be bigger, so the keys aren’t as cramped and we have a new familiar addition – the iconic TrackPoint. Indeed, if you love the little red nub instead of the touchpad, this new model gives you that option. And, instead of a pen loop built into the keyboard, the new model lets you attach the pen magnetically to the edge of the tablet itself, so it looks a bit cleaner. Overall, there’s been a ton of improvements that make this a much more appealing device.

Ports and connectivity: Welcome, Thunderbolt

Finally, let’s talk ports. The original Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold had something of an abysmal setup, featuring only two USB Type-C ports and an optional nano-SIM slot. Indeed, even with 11.3mm of thickness, the headphone jack was gone, and perhaps due to the slow speeds of the processor, Thunderbolt support wasn’t included either. That meant you were stuck with relatively low-speed ports that couldn’t drive more advanced office setups.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1

The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is still not perfect, but now, you get three USB Type-C ports, and two of them support Thunderbolt 4. That means you get a total bandwidth of 40Gbps for each of them, letting you connect two 4K displays at 60Hz, or other high-speed peripherals. The additional USB-C port also ensures you have at least two free ports no matter what position you use the laptop in.

As for wireless connectivity, things have evolved at a pretty typical pace, so the changes aren’t huge. You do get Wi-Fi 6E support now, so you can get faster speeds with the new 6GHz band, but otherwise, it’s fairly similar. You get Bluetooth 5.2 support and optional sub-6GHz 5G support, with no mmWave option available. That’s standard business for Intel-powered laptops, though, and only devices with Qualcomm chips generally support mmWave 5G.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 vs ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1: Final thoughts

With a new generation of any product, you’d always expect it to be better, but Lenovo has really gone above and beyond here. Pretty much every aspect of this device has been significantly improved. Performance is leagues better, the display is bigger, brighter, and sharper, and the design has been made even more versatile and streamlined, while also being noticeably thinner.

The only potential advantage the original model really has is portability, but that portability comes at the cost of having a tiny 9-inch display when you fold it in half. For many people, that’s basically unusable, so it’s easy to say it probably wouldn’t be worth it.

ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2

As with most foldables, there are probably many fans who were hoping for a price reduction with the second iteration. But when you look at the major improvements made with this model, keeping the same price is still a huge increase in overall value. Plus, components have only gotten more expensive since 2020, so keeping that price low is even harder now than it was back then. It was impossible to justify the $2,499 price for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1, but with the Gen 2 model, there are some compelling arguments for it. The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 could actually be one of the best laptops of the year.

We’d definitely recommend waiting for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 to launch, but if you want to grab the last-generation model, Lenovo has been selling it for a much lower price. You can check it out below if you want to grab it before it’s completely gone.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 comes with a bigger screen, faster processors, and many other improvements.

See at Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 1

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold was the world's first foldable PC. It came with some downsides, specifically performance, but it's still a unique piece of hardware.

See at Lenovo

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