I spent an thrilling, exhausting week final September with the brand new Apple iPhone 14 in hand earlier than it went on sale. I did all the pieces I might over the course of that week — navigating, net looking, recording video, gaming, selfies, ferry rides, selfies on the ferry, you title it — to attempt to reply the $800 query: do you have to purchase it? 

The reply then, which I stand by now, is “most likely not.” It’s an incredible telephone, but it surely’s not meaningfully higher than the iPhone 13. Certain, it is smart to choose the 14 in case your service is supplying you with an incredible deal otherwise you spend a variety of trip of cell vary the place the brand new Emergency SOS is likely to be a literal lifesaver. Or go for the iPhone 14 Professional if you happen to’re after the very newest options. However for the remainder of us, the iPhone 13 is simply nearly as good with the additional advantage of costing rather less. 

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I’m a lady of my phrase, so when it turned clear that it was time to improve my iPhone 11 earlier than its trade-in worth fell off a cliff, I headed straight for the iPhone 13 — the Mini, to be exact, which is right down to $600. For the reason that finish of final yr, I’ve spent a variety of time testing the newest technology of high-end telephones: the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely, Google Pixel 7 Professional, and a current revisit of the iPhone 14 Professional. They’re all wonderful telephones in their very own methods. However when it got here time to make my very own resolution about which telephone to purchase, I didn’t decide any of these newest and biggest gadgets. Nope, I traded in my 11 (together with a small piece of my soul) to Verizon for the standard little iPhone 13 Mini, and I haven’t regarded again.

It suits superbly into the outer pocket of my mom-at-the-playground-chic belt bag

I opted for the Mini as a result of I really like a small telephone, and it appears very seemingly that the 13 Mini goes to be the final good small telephone. However even if you happen to want an even bigger telephone, I nonetheless suppose the 13 is the place it’s at. You don’t get the upgraded digicam {hardware} and processing provided by the 14, but it surely’s nonetheless a superb digicam general — respectable portrait mode photographs, superb video, and an ultrawide for a bit of drama. And also you do get photographic kinds and cinematic video mode — each of which I take advantage of commonly (wealthy distinction stans, unite!). 

Exterior of the digicam, the 13 Mini stays a very good telephone by trendy requirements, even a yr and a half after launch. Battery life isn’t its sturdy go well with, but it surely’s sufficient to get me via a day of reasonable use with a cushty margin. It suits superbly into the outer pocket of my mom-at-the-playground-chic belt bag. It’s a lot quick and responsive with its A15 Bionic processor. It has MagSafe and, due to this fact, wi-fi charging. It additionally has a bodily SIM tray, whereas the iPhone 14 is all eSIM. Most individuals don’t want to fret about this; I alter telephones as soon as per week, and eSIM makes my life a residing hell.

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The 13 Mini isn’t excellent. There are issues I want it had however that, for probably the most half, I wouldn’t get on the iPhone 14 anyway — they’re options reserved for the pricier 14 Professional. And whereas the 14 is simply reasonably dearer than the 13 Mini ($800 versus $600), the $1,000 14 Professional is loads dearer by comparability. A smooth-scrolling 120Hz display, telephoto lens, always-on show: all Professional-only. They’re very good issues to have, however are they $400 nicer? Possibly. However not for me, not proper now.

That’s the query it all the time comes right down to: not which is one of the best telephone however which is one of the best telephone for me? That’s the query I spend most of my days making an attempt to assist folks reply. It’s enjoyable to declare winners and losers, however in terms of one thing as private as your telephone, choosing the right one to dwell with is all the time a bit of extra advanced than that.