It is probably the right choice to skip the Apple iPhone 14 in favour of the iPhone 14 Pro range. However, the Apple iPhone 14 Plus — the larger 6.7-inch version — actually makes sense for those who want a big screen but are reluctant to pay much more. You also get a great camera with new features including Action Mode, and crash detection.

The first thing I noticed while testing out the iPhone 14 Plus is the weight. Compared with the 240g Pro Max, the Plus is 37g lighter. The balance is also a lot better, without the top heavy feel of the Pro range. This makes it feel even lighter than it is, and I actually liked the weight distribution better. The phone still rocks a premium look, but the stainless steel build of the Pro feels higher-end. The 6.7-inch OLED display is bright and vibrant. I couldn't tell the difference when watching Netflix videos with both the Pro Max and the Plus side by side. However, it doesn't have a 120Hz ProMotion display, and caps your refresh rate at 60Hz. Games such as Wild Rift will only run at 60fps or lower. Honestly, 90Hz would be a nice compromise since other competitive phones are already there.

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The camera system of the iPhone 14 Plus is actually the biggest upgrade. Given that it's using the A15 Bionic chip of last year's models and the iPhone 13 Pro's excellent camera sensor, I was surprised to find new features. Action Mode, which adds a steady-cam smoothing to your videos, is probably the biggest one. But it does make me wonder why Apple didn't choose to give last year's Pro models the feature upgrade. Cinematic Mode also gets a boost of up to 4K 30fps — it was limited to 1080p 30fps on the 13 Pro. Overall, you're still getting a good camera system, but if you want the best, you'll need to head to the Pro.

Powered by iOS 16, you get all the new nifty features, including a revamped Lock Screen. However, there's no Always-On display, which probably requires Apple's A16 Bionic chip. Since it sports the original notch, there's no nifty Dynamic Island either. Keeping the new Dynamic Island to the Pro models make sense to drive sales, but it would be nice to have more reasons to get the new iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Battery life is rated at 26 hours of video playback. My video loop test gave me a result of 8hr 46min at full brightness and volume.

Overall, the S$1,499 Apple iPhone 14 Plus makes sense for those who want the larger screen without the S$300 bump. The lighter feel and balance may be better for those who want a phone to watch videos. If you can afford it, just go straight for the Pro range. Otherwise, the iPhone 14 Plus is probably better than the regular iPhone 14. Buy from Shopee, Amazon SG, or the Apple Store.

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Note: Review unit provided by Apple.