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Apple missed a serious opportunity with iPhone 14
By Jordan Palmer published 3 October 2022 It's a real shame the iPhone 14 doesn't have a 90Hz display (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The iPhone 14 has been out for a little bit now - be sure you check out what Mark Spoonauer had to say about it in his iPhone 14 review - but I can't help but feel that Apple made a serious omission with its $799 phone. At that price, the iPhone 14 is a good deal, but it's missing one thing its competitors do better - a display with a high-refresh rate. Other phones, like the equally priced Galaxy S22, feature 120Hz adaptive displays, while the Pixel 6 (which costs $200 less than the iPhone) offers a 90Hz screen. And that makes the 60Hz panel on the iPhone 14 look decidedly outdated. In fact, that's what's holding me back from saying the iPhone 14 is the absolute best phone at its price level. Apple's phone has great cameras, awesome performance, decent battery life and the display itself is quite good. But that 60Hz display aged the iPhone 14 before it even came out. At this point, even phones that costs hundreds of dollars less than the iPhone 14 give you a high refresh rate. I see absolutely no reason that Apple couldn't have gone with at least a 90Hz panel other than wanting to route everyone to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is a $200 upgrade over the iPhone 14. The takeaway message: "If you want the most modern, up-to-date tech in your smartphone, you need to go Pro." Apple is basically saying, "If you want the most modern, up-to-date tech in your smartphone, you need to go Pro." That's understandable (to a cynical degree), but I think it's a disservice to Apple's customers. From all appearances, the star of the show this year is the iPhone 14 Pro Max because a lot of people realized the iPhone 14 is the most iterative of iterative upgrades. In fact, I suggest that you should save yourself some money and get an iPhone 13 ($699) since the iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 differences are so minor. (My colleague Philip Michaels made this very argument, in fact.) Another reason the iPhone 14's 60Hz display disappoints me: gaming. The A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 is definitely powerful, easily able to provide more than 60 frames per second in even the most graphically-demanding games. But since the display is 60Hz, you're locked to 60 fps even though your iPhone 14's GPU can push more than that. It's a huge wasted opportunity for the iPhone 14 and its potential as a gaming phone. Apple looks behind the times outside of the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 14 and upcoming iPhone 14 Plus appear like relics from an older age. Between the notch and the 60Hz display on those models, I can't say either are innovative whatsoever. I'm bored, to be frank, and a 90Hz refresh rate would have made the iPhone 14 worth recommending over its predecessor. Instead, it's a very slight upgrade for the extra $100 Apple charges for the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13. I don't think there's $100 worth of difference between the two. The lack of a high refresh rate display is a major lost opportunity for the iPhone 14 to stand out from the iPhone 13. Right now, it's terribly uninteresting and I think many consumers agree.Today's best apple airpods pro 2 deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$239 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)Reduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$473.20 (opens in new tab)$239 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Be In the Know
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Jordan PalmerPhones EditorJordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies. More about smartphones Apple just confirmed that more ads are hitting the App Store Google Pixel 7 Pro reviewLatest Astros vs Yankees live stream: How to watch ALCS Game 4 online and tonight's start timeSee more latest ► Topics Smartphones See all comments (0) No comments yet Comment from the forums MOST READMOST SHARED1macOS Ventura public beta hands-on review2How to watch House of the Dragon finale online - episode 10 start time3How to watch Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor online and on BBC iPlayer today4Fed up with push-ups? Try these 5 variations on chest day5I just tried Jessica Alba's full-body workout - here's what happened1macOS Ventura public beta hands-on review2How to watch House of the Dragon finale online - episode 10 start time3How to watch Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor online and on BBC iPlayer today4Fed up with push-ups? Try these 5 variations on chest day5I just tried Jessica Alba's full-body workout - here's what happened