KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — The interesting thing about the iPhone mini's brief existence is it demonstrated that sometimes customers don't actually know what they want.
“We want a small phone”, cried some very vocal users. Yet from sales figures it seems that most people wanted or were just really used to larger phones.
Now is the iPhone 14 Plus the phone some people didn't realise they wanted all this time?
Larger phone, lighter feel
It would be easy to just say the iPhone 14 Plus is a super-sized iPhone 14. There's the same processor, an A15 that you saw on the iPhone 13 Pro models as well.
Yet everything about it is bigger ― the 6.7-inch OLED display with its sharp 2778x1284 pixel resolution at 458 ppi is a big reason behind its price.
It's one of the biggest (yes) reasons to get the model as the only other large-display iPhone is the very powerful and very expensive iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Sure, it doesn't have the fancy Dynamic Island, variable refresh rate and ProMotion but unless you've actually used the iPhone 14 Pro before, it doesn't feel like a big downgrade.
What might also be appealing is the mere 203g of weight.
Considering there's nothing cheap-feeling about the phone's construction, it makes for a pleasant hand feel and speaking from experience, heavy phones can feel like lead weights when using them for longer periods of time.
Speaking of longer times, the iPhone 14 Plus manages to eke slightly longer times that the 14 Pro Max for ordinary usage.
While I could stretch the 14 Pro Max to about 30 per cent by the end of the day, the iPhone 14 Plus would only reach the 30 per cent mark somewhere around 4pm the next day.
It meant for other phones, I would dutifully charge them overnight but forgetting to charge the iPhone 14 Plus won't hamper your day much.
Performance is that old iPhone-consistent butter fluidity and unlike the iPhone 14 Pro's quirks, the phone has proven to be stable without getting too hot during more demanding apps such as games like Genshin Impact.
That camera
What else can be said about the iPhone 14 Plus' cameras that wasn't said about the iPhone 14?
It's a solid set of cameras. Not as fancy as the iPhone 14 Pro 48MP main camera but the 12MP wide and 12MP ultra wide duo with 2x optical zoom are still a solid pair.
I'd say the Photonic engine has improved the quality of iPhone 14 cameras across the board. Perhaps not enough to upgrade from an iPhone 13 model to an iPhone 14, but obvious enough.
Though the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus don't have the extra optical zoom that's exclusively on the iPhone 14 Pro, they're just as capable if you want to shoot video.
Though you could argue that Sony's new Pro models are giving Apple a good fight in the video stakes, what can't be denied is that the better video camera and editing apps are more easily available on the App Store than Google Play.
With other features such as Action mode that lets you take photos outdoors during more vigorous activity without needing an extra stabiliser such as a tripod or gimbal, there's a lot of utility to squeeze out of the iPhone 14 Plus.
A good or bad proposition?
As much as the iPhone 14 Pro models are great phones, they're not for everyone and they were never meant to be. The iPhones offer good performance, premium build and the key to Apple's inviting walled garden that it calls an ecosystem.
Yes, the argument is that Android phones are cutting-edge feature-wise and each year, the Samsung Flip phones keep getting almost cool enough for me to get one.
If you want the latest in phone tech, Huawei and Samsung still lead while Apple is content to wait, see and refine further, while charging a lot more for it.
Still, at least Apple has finally got onboard with repairability so if you do damage your new iPhone it will be easier to fix, especially now they've made parts like the glass back easier to remove and replace.
Get the iPhone 14 Plus for the larger screen. Get it for the portability and much better battery. Everything else, like the new Crash Detection sensor is a bonus.
The iPhone 14 Plus is available now starting at RM4,699 at your usual Apple retail store in six colours (blue, purple, midnight, starlight, and Product Red) and 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options.
