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Living with Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus • TechCrunch


What makes a big phones in 2022? It has been a moving target for many years now – albeit one that always moves in a single direction. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact average display size, but most flagship smartphone screens typically fall between six and seven inches.

In 2010, Steve Jobs famously touted four inches as the ideal screen size. “You can’t get your hands on it,” he notes as Android phones grow in size. “No one will buy that.” The following year, Samsung released the first Galaxy Note. The 5.3-inch screen has caused utter disgust from some people. The phablet of first note is simply too big for the pocket and hand.

The alternating decade made those comments odd. Technology has a way to do it. Fast-forward to 2022 and the four new versions of the iPhone 14 come in two sizes: 6.1- and 6.7-inches. A lot has happened to get us here, not least of which is a dramatic increase in screen-to-body ratio. As screens get bigger, the overall area required to support them has shrunk.

I’ve been using my regular iPhone 14 as my primary device for the past few weeks. I can’t quite wrap my hand around it, but close enough. What is more important is that it is very easy to use with one hand. We’ve come a long way since the days of a seemingly impossible 5.3-inch phone.

Image credits: Brian Heater

For my own day-to-day use, I really appreciate the 6.1-inch as a great point. It’s a good-sized screen in a not-so-overwhelming hardware mark. As always, your mileage may vary. Some are understandably disappointed that the iPhone 14 lineup marks the departure of the Mini. Wanting a smaller phone makes perfect sense, and now the SE will have to take over that role.

As you have surely surmised reading this, I have switched to the 14 Plus for daily use. Immediately, I will say that I cannot, in fact, wrap my hand around it. Using it in one hand is a bit more of a mixed bag. With face unlock enabled, there are a number of actions that are entirely possible this way: checking email, scrolling through social media – basically the things many of us spend most of our time doing. great time to do on his phone.

On the other hand, if you want to reply to emails, then things get more complicated. In general, I can repeatedly select specific messages, but pressing Playback in Gmail and typing requires both hands. If you’re diving deep into the world of voice computing, you’ve probably got a solution that’s right for you.

As with all things in life, there is a trade-off here. I quite like the 6.7-inch size for things like videos. It’s nice to have all that screen as a viewfinder while taking pictures. I moderated a panel at a bookstore in Brooklyn earlier this week, and it’s a great size to serve as some sort of makeshift telephoto camera. Granted, that’s a pretty niche need, but when it comes to moving from 6.1 to 6.7 inches, those advantages start to become known pretty quickly.

Aside from the screen size, the biggest advantage to choosing the Plus over the standard 14 is the battery. Plus is rated for 26 hours of video playback compared to 14 hours and 20 hours. In practical terms for me that means I go to bed with about 50% battery and wake up about 37%. You can do the full 24 hours without any problems. There is a great peace of mind of not having to worry about finding a charger during the day.

We’re not talking about the Apple Watch Series 8 going Ultra-size here, but there’s a lot to be said about the fact that you don’t have to worry about your phone dying when you’re out in the world.

The 14 Plus sits in an interesting kind of nominal space in the iPhone line. This is the entry-level model and not the top-end model. It is closer to the previous one and almost the same in every way apart from the size. Interestingly, it’s actually lighter than the smaller 14 Pro. That’s something I noticed almost immediately, having also used the Pro a bit. That’s definitely something to keep in mind for a phone this big. At $899, it’s also $100 cheaper than the Pro and $200 less than the Pro Max.

Image credits: Brian Heater

14 is the device you get when you want a new iPhone, but don’t need all the latest bells and whistles. The 14 Pro sits at the pinnacle of iPhone technology. 14 Pro Max is a kitchen sink appliance. Plus is for those who prefer a larger screen, but don’t require all of the aforementioned designs. A surefire way to find out which is right for you is to try them on to size at a local brick and mortar factory.

I’d say the usual number 14 makes the most sense for most users. Upgrade to Pro if you want better photos and a faster chip (and/or generally be dazzled by everything Dynamic Island has to offer). However, if screen size is your primary concern, that 0.6 inch makes a lot of difference.

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