iPhone 14 & Apple Watch Series 8: Worth the Upgrade?
It’s been about a couple of weeks since the launch of the iPhone 14 phones and the Apple Watch Series 8. And everyone is going full-on crazy about these two products by Apple.
While people are busy obsessing with the new iPhone and Apple Watches, many are confused about whether these devices are worth upgrading because the changes or the upgrades are not apparent.
And that’s why we, Gadgetshieldz, India’s leading mobile skins and screen protectors brand, have taken the initiative to jot down the new updates and the launch price differences. This will help you understand better whether these devices are worth the upgrade.
Before we start, we suggest you head to the links below to skim over the technical specifications of the iPhone 13 series and Apple Watch Series 7 to get a better insight into the latest versions.
iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus
These two phones are comparable exclusively to iPhone 13 and not iPhone 13 mini, as the introductory model is not a mini model in iPhone 14 series.
In comparison to iPhone 13 tech specs, below are the following changes/additions in the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus: –
- Upgrade in GPU: It is now a 5-core instead of a 4-core GPU in iPhone 13. Although, the chipset is still the A15 Bionic Chip.
- Upgraded Sensors:
- Three-axis gyroscope, high g-force accelerometer
- The dual ambient light sensor works twice as efficiently in dimming or increasing the brightness according to the surrounding lighting to save the battery.
- Crash Detection: Thanks to the upgrade in the gyro sensor and accelerometer, this feature automatically detects any accident scenario based on the functioning of the mentioned sensors and notifies local authorities automatically. This upgrade is also in iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
- Upgraded Bluetooth: You can expect a faster Bluetooth connection as Apple has finally caught up to the latest Bluetooth edition of Bluetooth 5.3.
- Camera: –
- There is new tech introduced for mid-to-low lighting photographs, namely Photonic Engine. It is present in all cameras, including the front camera. Other than low-lighting photography, this also adds more to the clarity of the image when zoomed in.
- You can now shoot videos in Cinematic mode in 4K HDR at 30 fps instead of 1080p HDR at 30 fps in the iPhone 13 series.
- There’s a new video mode called the Action Mode for situations where you are shooting videos of more action or movement-based sequences. This mode enables stabilization during the mentioned situations.
- There’s also True Tone Flash….but without the Slow-Sync, which implies the image processing with flash on will be much quicker now.
- Battery Life: –
- 20 hrs (iPhone 14) and 26 hrs (iPhone 14 Plus) of video playback instead of 19 hrs in iPhone 13
- 16 hrs (iPhone 14) and 20 hrs (iPhone 14 Plus) of video streaming instead of 15 hrs in iPhone 13
- 80 hrs (iPhone 14) and 100 hrs (iPhone 14 Plus) of audio playback instead of 75 hrs in iPhone 13
- Launch Pricing: ₹79,900
Worth the upgrade?
It definitely is. Because iPhone 14 base model was launched at the same price as iPhone 13, it still has more additional features than iPhone 13.
Maybe not every upgrade is extensive, but every update is still quite functional. And there are some additions too, like the Crash Detection feature, Photonic Engine and Action Mode for the cameras.
However, our recommendation would be the iPhone 14 Plus as this phone has the same features, but you get it all in a better display.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
These two phones are comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
In comparison to iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max tech specs, below are the following changes/additions in the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus: –
- Always-On Display: This is a good feature as you don’t have to press the power button to look at the time or any other widgets on your phone.
- Dynamic Island: This is a feature that’s going viral because of its functionality and the innovative thought behind it. Apple turned the most hated thing about iPhones, i.e., the notch, into a dynamic, short space for notifications and background actions. It is functional because it does not take up any screen space and works amazingly as an enhanced notification bar.
- A16 Bionic Chip: While many tech folks have been saying that it’s not a vast upgrade, it’s still a significant upgrade for its top-speed performance.
- Peak Brightness Level: Earlier, there were 1200 nits of peak brightness on HDR, which is now upgraded to 1600 nits! Moreover, you also get access to outdoor peak brightness, which is a whopping 2000 nits!
- Camera: All the camera upgrades in the base models of iPhone 14 are in the Pro models too. However, there is a very extended upgrade here; the 48 MP camera. This resolution is quadrupled from the previous model, making it a perfect camera phone for shooting films and photos.
- Battery Life: –
- 23 hrs (iPhone 14 Pro) and 29 hrs (iPhone 14 Pro Max) of video playback instead of 22 hrs in iPhone 13 Pro and 28 hrs iPhone 13 Pro Max.
- Launch Pricing: ₹129,900
Worth the upgrade?
It most definitely is. Because iPhone 14 Pro model was launched at the same price as iPhone 13 Pro, it has some stunning upgrades compared to iPhone 13.
Other than the same upgrades just like the ones in the base models, there are many significant additions like the A16 Bionic Chip, Always-On Display, Dynamic Island, Outdoor Peak brightness mode, and the best upgrade in iPhone yet: All hail the 48 MP camera!
Apple did a terrific job in turning the notch into something useful. Moreover, Apple took many public demands for a better camera in Pro models into account.
Apple Watch Series 8
This Apple Watch is comparable to the Apple Watch Series 7.
In comparison to the Apple Watch Series 7 tech specs, below are the following changes/additions in the Apple Watch Series 8: –
- S8 Chip: As we all know, all Apple Watches have S series chips or SiPs in them, and this year, we got an upgrade in the chipset, which implies faster and more accurate performance.
- Temperature Sensor: This is a new addition to the sensors ecosystem of Apple Watches. It is focused on tracking your body temperature for further tracking of ovulation/menstrual cycles.
- Crash Detection: This feature detects any accident or car crash and notifies local authorities automatically. It works on the functioning of a high g-force accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope.
- Dust Resistance: There is an IP rating of IP6X, which is solely an ingress level for repelling dust and weather. And it is introduced in this Apple Watch.
- Launch Pricing: ₹45,900
Worth the upgrade?
To be candid, we would not recommend upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 8 because there are not many upgrades in comparison to the previous model. Moreover, it’s more expensive than last year’s launch pricing.
Conclusion
If you have any iPhone after iPhone 8 series phones and are considering a trade-in for an upgrade, don’t hold yourself back! The phones of this series are totally worth your money.
However, we recommend exchanging the phone for cash someplace other than Apple’s site before getting the phone, as the trade-in value is less on their site.
For Apple Watch, you can upgrade to Apple Watch Series
Also, while you’re considering upgrading, don’t forget to check out iPhone 14 skins and screen protectors on our website!
