The iPhone 14 is a fork in the road

The iPhone 14 family is a fork in the road. The differences between the standard iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro are bigger than ever. While they may share the same number, they're becoming two different product lines in the same way the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are entirely different beasts, or even the iPad Air and iPad Pro.

Going Pro always got you more with an iPhone, but this is the first time they feel like entirely different products. The iPhone 14 is still a premium proposition, but it’s now almost entirely out of step with the Pro. The key shared spec is the selfie camera.

The iPhone 14 is powered by last year's A15 processor, while the iPhone 14 Pro gets a new A16. Even if there's no day-to-day difference, there's a chance the iPhone 14 will have a shorter software life than the iPhone 14 Pro. Apple tends to base major operating system updates around processors, so there's every chance the iPhone 14 will see one iOS version less than the iPhone 14 Pro.

Camera configurations are also completely different. On the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, you get two 12MP lenses. On the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the primary lens is now a 48MP shooter, while still also benefitting from two secondary lenses and LiDAR.

When it comes to screens, not only is ProMotion still exclusive to the Pro models, the always-on display is too. And of course, the iPhone 14 Pro swaps out the notch for the dynamic island. While the name is weird, the concept works surprisingly well in practice.

The pill-shaped notch alternative doesn't just house the selfie camera and Face ID sensors, it can expand to fit other information. If you're playing music, it bubbles out to fit in album artwork, for example. Timers, directions, Siri, phone calls, and more can all use the space. I'm super into the idea of a persistent element for background activity, it sounds genuinely helpful.

The iPhone 14 is a small year-on-year upgrade, that almost seems designed to stagger the iPhone family. A line in the sand. It still feels like a great option for those who don't want all the bells and whistles. But if you want the best of what Apple is doing in mobile, the message is clear, you need to buy an iPhone 14 Pro.

Disclosure: This author owns shares in Apple

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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