Luke Pollack / Android Authority
The Apple iPhone 13 family is a competitive collection of smartphones that rivals the best of Android. Sharing key experiences, this powerful range covers a plethora of sizes, price points and capabilities. It offers high-quality hardware, unparalleled performance, and a vast ecosystem of apps and accessories that make it an attractive option against a wide variety of hardware from Android manufacturers.
Despite all of Apple’s efforts to make the iPhone 13 series the best smartphone ever, it has managed to make a few mistakes here and there that hold the phone back. Here’s how Apple can make the iPhone 14 (and iPhone 14 Pro) better and keep the screws on Android.
USB-C. Ditch the lighting port for
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Apple has relied on its proprietary Lightning port for 10 years before the iPhone 5. It has occupied the bottom edge of every new iPhone since 2012. When it first debuted, the Lightning port was a solid upgrade for iPhones. It replaced the older (proprietary) 30-pin connector used by Apple and was easier to use, faster to charge and transport data, and much smaller.
This pre-dated USB-C by a few years. The USB Implementers Forum did not approve USB-C Specification 1 until 2014, but the standardized port has gained new features and near-universal adoption. The vast majority of small consumer electronics devices, including phones, tablets, laptops, accessories, and more, rely on USB-C for all charging and/or data transfer except the iPhone.
See all: Find the right USB-C cable and charger for your needs
It’s time, apple. It’s time to join the rest of the consumer electronics industry to support a standardized port. Apple has already updated select iPads and MacBooks to USB-C. The move will not only be a boon for regular people who have drawers full of old cables, but it will also help the environment. Put the USB-C port on the bottom of the iPhone 14, Apple. do it.
(Side note: Apple may have no choice in the matter, as in September 2021 the European Commission mandated that USB-C be used for charging across product categories.)
drop down
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The notch on Android devices was a short-lived phenomenon (for the most part.) In a rush to create an all-display experience, smartphone makers came up against the physical limitations of the space required for necessities like selfie cameras, earpiece speakers, and more. proximity sensor. And so the notched display was born – a screen with a cutout near the top to allow phone makers to cram everything in. The notches came in boat shape, U shape, teardrop shape, and more, but fell largely behind in the android space for the punch. The hole camera displays. Apple is the single major holdout of the very large notch.
check out: Best notch-less phones for notch haters
Most of the iPhones released since the 2017 iPhone X featured a large, boat-shaped notch at the top of the screen to hold the camera and Face ID module. While Apple reduced the size of the notch on the iPhone 13 by about 20% compared to the notch on the iPhone 12, it is still a huge notch. It’s time Apple designed a flagship without a notch and the iPhone 14 should be the phone to do so – even if it means a slightly thicker bezel on top of the display.
fast charging
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
Apple hasn’t played the fast charging game. While Android device makers rush to the extreme, designing phones that can fully charge in under 30 minutes, Apple has worked along and barely improved the iPhone’s charging rate. The iPhone 13 Pro, for example, charges ~20W with peaks of 27W with the appropriate wired charger and 15W with Apple’s wireless MagSafe charger. Do you have a regular Qi-based wireless charger? The iPhone 13 Pro charges at just 7.5W. Samsung also plays it a bit conservative, with wired charging rates of just 45W on its top flagships and 15W wireless charging rates for the Galaxy S22 series.
Don’t miss: Buyer’s Guide to the Best Wireless Charger
Apple doesn’t need to ramp things up to ridiculous, but the shorter charging times will be a huge boost for the iPhone 14.
120 Hz across the board
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
The iPhone 14 needs a sharper screen. At this point in the game, most ~$800 Android phones have adopted displays with refresh rates of up to 120Hz. Almost all high-end flagships already boast of such screens. Apple’s own iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max feature 120Hz panels that Apple calls “ProMotion”. Such screens provide a smooth experience especially while scrolling through apps. However, the vanilla iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are stuck with the 60Hz panel.
Read more: Refresh Rate Explained
Apple should update the display of its non-Pro iPhones to include the same 120Hz refresh rate as its more expensive Pro models. This will put the iPhone 14 on par with its Android competitors.
Touch ID returns
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
When Apple announced the iPhone X in 2017, the new iPhone didn’t have one major feature: Touch ID. For years, Apple included a fingerprint reader in the home button of its iPhones. But the iPhone X (and most iPhones since then) ditched the home button in favor of an all-screen design. Face ID, which is an excellent and secure facial recognition unlocking mechanism, has replaced Touch ID. As good as Face ID is (and it is the best), some people yearn for the return of Touch ID. Also, if we’ve learned anything from the COVID pandemic, it’s that we can’t always rely on our faces to unlock our phones. A recent update offers Face Unlock with a mask, but it remains unreliable.
See all: Best In-display Fingerprint Reader Phones
Apple should include an in-display fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 14. This will give Touch ID fans the option they prefer to unlock the phone. It will also allow Apple to make the iPhone 14 without the notch. And if the in-display isn’t on offer, there’s probably something built into the power button on the side of the phone. For now, if you’re dead set on Touch ID, your only option at the moment is the iPhone SE (2022).
High-resolution cameras, please
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The iPhone 13 Pro series has one of the better camera suites available on a mobile device. It packs the main, ultrawide and telephoto lens combination that we love and manages to take great pictures. However, Apple has relied on the 12MP sensor in its phones from the 2016-era iPhone 7 Plus.
More: Best camera phones you can get
Apple’s main competitors in the field of mobile photography are Google and Samsung. Talking about camera quality, the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22 series are great options. These phones have significantly increased the resolution of their main cameras. For example, the Pixel 6 Pro has a 50MP main camera, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 108MP main shooter. This lets Google and Samsung offer more features with their main cameras that Apple can’t match with its 12MP sensor, such as pixel binning for ultra-high-resolution shots and better low-light performance.
While megapixels aren’t everything, we’d like Apple to update its sensors with higher-resolution options for the iPhone 14.
a new look
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
If there’s one company that’s lived up to its industrial design through a few product cycles, it’s Apple. Look no further than the MacBook, MacBook Air, or iPad Pro and you’ll see devices that haven’t changed at all from what’s normally in a while. While there’s something to be said for consistency, it’s good to shake things up from time to time. For example, Google has introduced vastly different devices year after year with its Pixel phones.
check out: Smartphone Features and Design Trends We Don’t Miss
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 before it have the same basic look – especially when you look at the screen. Front view, iPhone hardly changed at all when going back to iPhone X. This is the last time Apple gave some new additions to the iPhone family. More than a fresh coat of paint, we’d like to see Apple overhaul the iPhone 14 family enough to have an identity of its own.
What do you most want to see on the iPhone 14?
2 votes
USB-C
50%
no notch
0%
fast charging
0%
sharp screen
50%
Touch ID
0%
better cameras
0%
new design
0%
notes
