September is right here, which begs the annual query: Is it time to ditch your outdated iPhone for the shiny new one? The newly revealed $799 iPhone 14 and $999 iPhone 14 Professional are severely promising units, providing improved cameras and battery life throughout the board in addition to some progressive new security options that might save your life.

However not all new iPhones are created equal, and this yr marks maybe the most important distinction but between the usual iPhone and its “Professional” counterpart. The iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max are the large standouts of the bunch, providing a quicker processor, probably the most superior iPhone digital camera but and a brand new Dynamic Island characteristic that adjustments the best way you work together along with your iPhone.

If that every one sounds overwhelming, we’ve acquired you lined. Right here’s a information to who ought to improve to the iPhone 14, who ought to splurge for the iPhone 14 Professional and who can skip out on this yr’s iPhones solely.

Two of probably the most notable additions to all the iPhone 14 household are Crash Detection and Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc, two options designed to maintain you protected in dire circumstances. The previous makes use of a wide range of sensors to detect once you’ve been in a automobile crash, with the power to mechanically contact emergency companies should you’re unresponsive. Simply remember the fact that this characteristic can also be coming to the brand new Apple Watch Collection 8 and Apple Watch Extremely, so that you don’t essentially must get a brand new cellphone to make the most of it.

If you end up with out a cellular phone sign and in want of emergency help, the iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc characteristic makes use of a mix of {hardware} and software program to attach you to specialists through satellite tv for pc and get you help. And should you’re a frequent hiker, you need to use this characteristic to share your location with family and friends members through the Discover My app once you’re out exploring.

New to the iPhone lineup this yr is the iPhone 14 Plus, which replaces the smaller Mini variation we’ve gotten for the previous couple of years. This $899 mannequin will get you an enormous 6.7-inch show for taking part in video games and getting immersed in your favourite exhibits — that’s the identical display screen dimension because the $1,099 iPhone 14 Professional Max, however for $200 much less. You gained’t get the entire superior show options because the latter — together with ultra-smooth ProMotion capabilities and At all times On performance for shortly studying essential information whereas the cellphone is locked — however you’ll nonetheless get an enormous, stunning display screen for an inexpensive worth.

“The iPhone 14 Plus is thrilling for anybody who desires the most important iPhone with the most important battery with out having to pay over $1,000 for an iPhone Professional Max — that’s going to make lots of people comfortable,” says Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst at tech analysis agency Techsponential.

Other than its security options, improved cameras and bigger dimension choice, the fundamental iPhone 14 vary is basically extra of the identical. That being mentioned, should you’re coming from 2019’s iPhone 11 or older, you’ll take pleasure in a major improve throughout the board. The iPhone 14’s A15 Bionic processor is 2 generations forward of that mannequin, which suggests extra total velocity for multitasking and enjoying video games.

Upgrading from an iPhone 11 or older will even lastly deliver you into the 5G fold, which probably means a lot quicker mobile connectivity based mostly in your service and site, and can open you as much as the various nice MagSafe equipment on the market. Apple can also be promising the “greatest battery life ever in an iPhone” on the iPhone 14 Plus particularly, and whereas we’ll have to check that declare ourselves, you’ll nearly definitely take pleasure in an enormous bump in endurance when upgrading from an getting older iPhone. There are additionally the all-new entrance and rear cameras, which promise higher total photographs (particularly in low gentle), an Motion mode that removes shakes throughout hectic movies and a Cinematic mode that permits you to add dramatic layers of focus to your clips.

“Should you’re on an iPhone 12 or older, it’s price upgrading for higher battery life alone, and carriers will provide wealthy subsidies in your trade-in,” says Greengart. “Any older than that and also you’re more likely to have higher reception with a more moderen iPhone as a result of the modems assist newer frequencies that carriers are utilizing.”

Whereas the bottom iPhone 14 is a pleasant incremental improve, the iPhone 14 Professional is the best way to go for people looking for one thing genuinely new. The upper-end iPhone’s new Dynamic Island characteristic considerably adjustments each the appear and feel of the iPhone — gone is the controversial (however now iconic) show notch, which has been changed by a a lot smaller digital camera gap within the entrance. Nevertheless it’s not only for appears to be like. By working in tandem with iOS 16, this space of the display screen can dynamically develop and contract in actual time to point out you issues like incoming calls, timers and essential notifications, all whereas taking over far much less display screen house than these items usually would. It needs to be a boon for multitasking, and simply appears to be like plain outdated enjoyable to make use of.

Additionally new to the iPhone line — and unique to the iPhone 14 Professional fashions — is an At all times On show. Like on the Apple Watch (and on many Android telephones), this characteristic permits the iPhone to show pertinent information just like the time, climate and choose widgets on the lock display screen whereas utilizing minimal energy, which ought to make it simple to see key information at a look and end in higher battery life throughout the board.

The Professional sequence is at all times the go-to choice for these critical about their pictures, and the iPhone 14 Professional vary guarantees the perfect iPhone digital camera setup ever. The star of the present is the brand new 48-megapixel predominant digital camera, which has a considerably bigger sensor than that of the iPhone 13 Professional so as to seize much more element. Consider the entire aforementioned options of all the line — together with Motion mode and higher low-light efficiency — and also you’ve acquired a serious improve that even iPhone 13 homeowners might profit from.

This yr’s iPhone Professional line doesn’t simply provide higher options and cameras — it’s additionally extra highly effective. The iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max characteristic the all-new A16 Bionic processor, whereas the usual iPhone 14 and 14 Plus use final yr’s A15 Bionic chip. It is a hole we’ve by no means seen earlier than throughout a brand new iPhone line. Any of those telephones needs to be ridiculously quick (the A15-powered iPhone 13 produced a few of the greatest speeds we’ve seen on benchmark assessments), however for individuals who need additional muscle for multitasking, pictures and basic future-proofing, you might be greatest off with the iPhone 14 Professional.

Whereas the iPhone 14 vary brings plenty of nice upgrades, it additionally heralds the dying of the iPhone Mini. First seen on the iPhone 12 sequence, this smaller 5.4-inch variation of the iPhone is right for people with smaller fingers who need a extremely pocketable system that doesn’t sacrifice any of the important thing options of its greater counterpart. Should you’re a small cellphone fan, you’re higher off with the iPhone 13 Mini that’s nonetheless being offered for $599 or the $429 iPhone SE that has a extra old-school iPhone design with a 4.7-inch show.

The iPhone 14 sequence marks the primary time that the iPhone has absolutely ditched the bodily SIM card (which is the little chip that delivers your cell service) in favor of eSIM, which lets you activate and switch cell plans digitally. Whereas this may not pose an issue for the common person who picks up a brand new cellphone yearly by means of their carriers, it might turn into a headache for frequent vacationers who swap out when going overseas, or people who depend on pay as you go SIM playing cards slightly than a set cellphone plan.

“Apple going eSIM solely goes to trigger confusion and a spike in technical assist calls when issues inevitably go mistaken, however for many customers on postpaid plans at AT&T, T-Cell and Verizon, as soon as your account is transferred, that’s it,” says Greengart. Individuals utilizing pay as you go SIMs and MVNOs that don’t assist eSIM should wait — possible only some months, as a result of this can be a forcing challenge that should be addressed shortly. Frequent worldwide vacationers might want to undertake new habits; as a substitute of shopping for a pay as you go SIM from a kiosk, they’ll purchase an eSIM from an app.”

There are compelling causes to improve to an iPhone 14 irrespective of how outdated your current cellphone is, however those that picked up final yr’s iPhone 13 have the most important purpose to attend. For starters, the bottom iPhone 14 has the identical precise processor because the iPhone 13 vary, so that you gained’t see an enormous bump in efficiency. The iPhone 13 Professional additionally sports activities lots of the 14 Professional’s key options, together with a ProMotion show for {smooth} scrolling, Cinematic video for movie-quality photographs, a sturdy Ceramic Protect show and 5G assist. Should you purchased an iPhone final yr, you’ll be in fine condition for a minimum of one other few years.