CEO Tim Cook announced four variants of the iPhone 14 – the standard iPhone 14 model, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. These packed a number of impressive features, including the most advanced camera technology, ‘Always On’ display and a pill-shaped notch at the top of the display. While every Apple announcement promises something new, how many of these features are already in other flagship smartphones? CEO Tim Cook announced four variants of the iPhone 14 on Wednesday – the standard iPhone 14 model, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Pictured: iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in midnight, starlight, blue, purple and product red MailOnline takes a look at the iPhone 14’s selling points and pits them against flagship devices from Apple’s major rivals, including Samsung and Huawei The sensor for the iPhone 14’s main camera has larger pixels than the flagship phones for Samsung and Huawei, which means it will have improved low-light performance. However, the front facing cameras for the Android devices both have more megapixels than that of the Apple handset. Satellite communication is also one of the main features of the new iPhones presented at the event earlier this week. But Huawei beat the California tech giant by unveiling the same functionality the day before. MailOnline takes a look at the iPhone 14’s selling points and pits them against flagship handsets from Apple’s biggest rivals. Cameras Rear camera The standard iPhone 14 comes with a 12-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, while the main camera for the Pro version is 48 megapixels. The main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro also has a 65 percent larger four-pixel sensor – with pixels equivalent to 2.44 µm. The ultra-wide camera has a sensor with 1.9 µm pixels and their larger size allows for improved shooting in low light. As with previous models, the iPhone 14 Pro also features a 12-megapixel telephoto camera for portraits and optical zoom. All cameras are powered by what Apple refers to as the new Photonic Engine – which uses machine learning to process photos on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The tech giant says this optimizes texture, colors, detail and noise across the entire image. The lenses can also record 4K video without digital zoom and feature an ultra-bright rear flash using nine LEDs. The 48-megapixel primary camera on the iPhone 14 Pro has a 65 percent larger quad-pixel sensor – with pixels equivalent to 2.44 µm. The ultra-wide camera has a sensor with 1.9 µm pixels and their larger size allows for improved shooting in low light Looking at what’s already on offer, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a massive 108-megapixel primary camera. This lens sits alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses. The Huawei P50 Pro also has four cameras: two main lenses at 50 and 40 megapixels, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens. While both devices beat the iPhone 14 in pixel count, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s main and ultra-wide camera sensors have smaller pixels at 1.0µm and 1.4µm respectively. These are even smaller on the Huawei P50 Pro, with a 1µm main camera lens pixel and 1.12µm pixel ultra-wide lenses. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra can also record 8K video, while the Huawei P50 Pro can match the iPhone 14’s 4K video. Front camera The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro both have a TrueDepth camera on the front that takes 12-megapixel images. The TrueDepth lens can create a depth map of your face by projecting thousands of invisible dots onto your features, enabling Face ID. This lens trumps both Huawei and Samsung smartphones in quality, with the former sporting a 13-megapixel lens and the latter a whopping 40-megapixel lens. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro both have a TrueDepth camera on the front that takes 12-megapixel images. The TrueDepth lens can create a depth map of your face by projecting thousands of invisible dots onto your features, enabling Face ID. It also automatically focuses on objects and people in the frame Satellite communication The iPhone 14 family can connect to Globalstar’s satellite internet, which can be used in remote areas where there is no phone service or Wi-Fi in an emergency. While Apple intended to be the first to announce a device with this kind of connectivity, it was beaten by Huawei. The Chinese company announced the Mate 50 series a day before its ‘Far Out’ product launch event. Users can send short texts and geographic coordinates when they are out of mobile coverage thanks to BeiDou’s global satellite network. The iPhone 14 family connects directly to a satellite showing you where to point your smartphone, allowing you to then send an algorithm-generated “custom short text” that shares the emergency message in just 15 seconds Security features The iPhone 14 series also features technology that can detect when users are in a traffic accident and automatically call emergency services. This is due to a dual-core accelerometer that can detect G-force readings when vehicles are hit. While accelerometers exist on most smartphones to detect screen orientation, this feature is currently unique to Apple.
NEW FEATURES OF THE IPHONE 14 SERIES
Photonic Engine – Cameras use machine learning to process photos on a pixel-by-pixel basis, optimizing their quality. Larger sensor pixels – Cameras take better photos in low light settings. Road Crash Detection – A dual-core accelerometer that can detect G-force readings when vehicles are hit and automatically alert emergency services. Dynamic Island – Provides sensational information around the front camera and Face ID elements. A16 Processor – Enables superior battery life and processing speed. Display “Always-on” mode. At the ‘Far Out’ event, it was revealed that the iPhone 14 family will come with the ‘Always-on’ display. This means that the screen of the device will never go completely black, but it will dim in power saving mode. This aims to allow the user to easily look at the time, widgets and live activities without touching their phone. The wallpaper will be completely dark and the foreground text, such as the digital clock, will be dimmed and have a different shade. This display will operate at a refresh rate of up to 1Hz – once per second – when in low power mode to save battery. However, this goes up to 60Hz and 120Hz for the standard and Pro models respectively, which allows for smoother scrolling and content display. Always-on, however, is not a new feature. In fact, it’s more of an example of Apple playing catch up with Android devices that have had this feature for years. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example, has a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz to support its own Always-on display. The technology was first developed by Nokia for the 6303 device in 2009, allowing it to show the date and time while on standby. Screen size In terms of screen size, both the standard and Pro models of the iPhone 14 are 6.1 inches, while the Max versions are 6.7 inches. But if big screens are your thing, there are plenty of giant ‘phablets’ – phones crossed with tablets – on the market right now, including the 6.9-inch Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. In terms of screen size, both the standard and Pro models of the iPhone 14 are 6.1 inches, while the Max versions are 6.7 inches Dynamic island As predicted by many leaks leading up to the iPhone 14 launch, the widely hated ‘notch’ has finally been done away with in the new Pro devices. The notch is the only non-touchscreen element on the handset’s front display since the iPhone X launched in 2017. This has been replaced by a pill-shaped notch that houses Face ID and a second circular notch for the front camera. This isn’t a new display option, as it was first introduced with the Samsung Galaxy A8s and Huawei’s View 20 in late 2018, and is still present on their current flagship devices. However, the two notches appear as a single, larger pill-shaped section, but this should not contain the proximity sensor that has been moved behind the display. This area, known as the “Dynamic Island”, can transform into different shapes and sizes to display information such as notifications, music controls or battery status. The movement in this part of the device and turning what was a static feature into something mobile and functional is unique to Apple. The two notches on the iPhone 14 Pro screen as a single, larger pill-shaped section, but this should not contain the proximity sensor that has been moved behind the screen. This area, known as the “Dynamic Island”, can transform into different shapes and sizes to display information such as notifications, music controls or battery status Processor The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature the company’s new A16 bionic chip which is faster than the A15 chip but uses less battery power. The inclusion of the A16 marks the first time an improved chip has been installed only in the Pro models of an iPhone series. Standard versions still contain A15, but its internal design has been upgraded for better thermal performance. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, while the Huawei P50 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 888 4G. According to NanoReview, the A16 outperforms both Snapdragon chips in battery life and processing speed. Charging While the new iPhones still support wireless charging, they don’t come with a USB-C port and must be charged with Apple’s Lighting charger. USB-C…
