The New iPhone 14 Starts at S$1,299: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Buy It

The highly anticipated iPhone 14 was announced by Apple earlier this morning. Unless you’re in desperate need of a phone upgrade, here are 4 questions to ask yourself before buying Apple’s latest smartphone.

Since the announcement of the latest iPhone 14 today (8 September 2022), how many of you are already thinking of pre-ordering yours? Or perhaps you are still deciding if you should get it?

In case you haven’t already heard, pre-orders for the iPhone 14 series in Singapore will start at 8pm tomorrow (9 September 2022).

The iPhone 14 and the Plus versions will be available from 16 September 2022 and 7 October 2022, respectively, while both Pro versions will be available from 16 September 2022 onwards.

If you’re still on the fence about getting the iPhone 14, here are the specs for the entire range (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max) and four questions to ask yourself so you can better decide if it’s worth your moolah. 

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro & iPhone 14 Pro Max Price & Specs

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: What are the differences?

Assuming you are currently using iPhone 13. What are the differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14? Should you even get it? 

iPhone 13 is now cheaper, and people using older iPhone models such as the iPhone XR can consider upgrading to the iPhone 13 instead of the iPhone 14. 

After all, there is virtually not much difference except the 1g weight difference and a slight improvement to the cameras. 

4 other questions to ask yourself before buying the iPhone 14

#1 Will you be able to make full use of the iPhone 14’s intended features and capabilities?

Lost on all the nifty new features and hardware upgrades to the iPhone 14? Here’s a bite-sized overview to help you digest:

Out of the bunch, three features catch our attention — the Video Action Mode, eSIM, and Crash Detection capability.

Video Action Mode

When the Portrait and Cinematic Mode were first introduced, high-quality photography and videography became accessible to the common consumer. You didn’t need to own professional equipment in order to capture stellar visuals. The fact that you could capture such quality shots from the palm of your hand was considerably groundbreaking.

So of course, this year, Apple stepped it up further by incorporating a new Video Action Mode function in their iPhone 14 launch.

Capitalising on the rear camera’s full sensor with more overscan and advanced roll correction, it’s essentially an in-built gimbal. By simply toggling it on, your moving/action shots will no longer look choppy or shaky but rather, film extremely smoothly on par with professional equipment.

Hence, this mode definitely is useful for all your upcoming holidays if you're planning on filming some travel vlogs or montages.

Before you take off, remember to purchase COVID-19 travel insurance to cushion any emergencies met overseas. Whether it’s falling sick to the virus or losing belongings, you can never be too safe.

eSIM

Another neat hardware — or should we say software — feature of the new iPhone 14 is the eSIM.

As its name suggests, this digital SIM replaces the need for a physical one. With it, you can efficiently transfer existing cellular plans or obtain a new cellular plan online.

Furthermore, you can even store multiple eSIMs on the same device, meaning you can tag multiple cellular plans and phone numbers in a single phone. Since no physical SIM card can be removed, it improves the overall security of your iPhone if lost or stolen.

Intending to switch from a lock-in contract to a SIM-only plan? The iPhone 14’s eSIM feature will make the transition a whole lot easier.

💡Pro-tip: Use the UOB Absolute Cashback to fund your SIM-only plan and/or new phone purchase. It’s the best limitless cashback card on the market currently, offering 1.7% cashback with no minimum spend, cashback cap, or spend exclusions. Best of all, it’s one of the rare cashback cards allowing you to earn rebates on telco bills!

Other cashback cards like Citi Cash Back+ or Standard Chartered Unlimited don’t consider such recurring bills as eligible spending. 

For unlimited cashback credit card comparison: UOB Absolute vs Citi Cash Back+ vs SCB Unlimited Review

Crash Detection & Emergency SOS via Satellite

A highly coveted feature of the new Apple Watches, the crash detection feature is a welcomed addition to the iPhone. Its high dynamic range gyroscope and dual-core accelerometer enable it to detect up to 256g’s in force. 

In the event of a severe crash, the iPhone 14 is now capable of automatically notifying emergency services or contacts. 

SOS help can also be delivered even when you’re off the grid via satellites. In remote areas, connectivity to cell towers might not be accessible. To counteract that, iPhone’s innovative software and custom components allow it to tap on satellites’ unique frequencies by aiming it up to the sky.

This function could be a lifesaver for adrenaline junkies and wanderlust explorers who might find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place (literally).

Note: This feature only launches from November onwards, starting in the US and Canada. Seems like we in the APAC region will have to wait for a while.

#2 Who will benefit from the iPhone 14?

Given the powerful reputation of iPhone cameras, it’s no secret that each new model continually appeals to the photography and videography community. 

That said, it should be acknowledged that there isn’t a stark difference between iPhone 13 and iPhone 14’s camera specs. They’re almost identical featuring a dual-camera system, 12WP ultra-wide rear camera, and capacity to record videos in 4K/60FPS.

We’re not the tech specialists here so we’ll leave the nitty-gritty comparison to the experts. But the front camera auto-focus and video action mode are nice touches to enhance your photographs and videos.

#3 Are you truly unhappy with your current phone?

Behind all the glitz and glamour of this highly-anticipated launch, ask yourself: Is the iPhone 14 truly worth the hype? After all, unless your current phone is busted and dusted, there’s no real necessity to upgrade to the latest model each time.

To discern whether the new iPhone is a need or want, having a clear understanding of your financial objectives is helpful. Setting up a mid-year or yearly financial review is one way to evaluate your current financial position.

As long as you can afford it or have a valid reason, who’s to stop you from justifying the new iPhone purchase? 

#4 Are there better ways to spend the money?

As shown, the starting price of an iPhone 14 is S$1,299. While considered affordable for some, this might be a heftier purchase for others. Regardless, the four-digit price tag isn’t generally an easy figure to digest.

So where else could your money be put to better use?

For example, the same value could easily fund your European escape to cities like Dublin, Ireland (from S$886), Stockholm, Sweden (from S$963), Reykjavik, Iceland (from S$992), and many more.

Or perhaps if you’re the more economical type, S$1,299 could sponsor you a year’s worth of S$3.30 one-meat-two-vegetable economical rice (valued at S$1,188 total).

Basically what we’re saying is that there are plenty of other ways to spend your S$1,299 that might be more worthwhile to you. Don’t feel obliged to purchase the new iPhone model just because everyone else is.

For a major throwback: 12 Things You Can Buy With the Money Spent on an iPhone 12

Likewise, choosing to invest S$1,299 is another great use of the money in our opinion. By being disciplined and adopting a dollar-cost-averaging (DCA) approach, a monthly contribution of S$108.25 into an ETF with projected 10% p.a. returns could reap you as much as S$8,086.55 in five years. 

So is the iPhone 14 really worth it?

Short answer: It’s subjective. 

Depending on your lifestyle and preferences, the iPhone could improve your quality of life. For instance, the iPhone 14 could prove beneficial to those relying on photography and filming for their livelihoods, value-adding convenience to their work. 

Objectively, the functions between the iPhone 13 and 14 are fairly similar. If you’re not in any rush, you could probably hold off purchasing the upgrade for a while. (And wait for the next iPhone launch instead.)

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