The New iPhone 14 Has Arrived — Here's What Travelers Will Love About It

Move over, pumpkin spice lattes, because September is now officially iPhone season.

On Wednesday, Apple held its “Far Out” event, which included a peek at a suite of new products, including Apple Watches, AirPods, and of course, a few brand-new phones under the iPhone 14 family. And it’s that last product that travelers will be particularly interested in this year. Here’s what you need to know about the new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

For some quick specs, the iPhone 14 measure 6.1 inches and the iPhone 14 Plus clocks in at 6.7 inches. The iPhone 14 Pro sits at 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is also 6.7 inches

Let’s get to the fun stuff first: The camera

The iPhone 14 will showcase the biggest improvement to its front-facing camera thanks to a new auto-focus feature that can focus faster on the move. It will now also come with a larger f/1.9 aperture to allow for more light (according to Apple, it comes with 38% better light gathering performance), making shooting selfies in the evening and night all the easier.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will also get a few upgrades to its rear-facing camera, including an upgrade to its 12-megapixel sensor, which comes with up to 2.5 times better low-light photos on the main camera and 2 times better photos on the ultra-wide camera, according to Apple. The main camera also comes with a larger aperture that will let in 49% more light providing much richer detail even in low-light conditions. It even has 2 times faster night mode exposures for particularly dark shots.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are going absolutely next level, leaping from a 12-megapixel sensor to a whopping 48-megapixels on the quad-pixel sensor on the main camera. The upgrade will allow images to look crisper than ever before, bringing out details unseen by other iPhones. (And for all the professional photographers out there, the iPhone now shoots ProRAW at 48MP, enabling better editing workflows from camera to apps like Lightroom and Photoshop.) It’s important to note the 48-megapixel option is not available on the iPhone 14 base model, so if you want the best picture quality, you’ll have to level up. 

As for video, the entire iPhone 14 series is getting "Action mode" for video with better roll correction, allowing for better stabilization without the need for external gimbals.

Satellite connectivity 

Yes, a camera is great for when you’re exploring the world, but Apple’s biggest and best news for travelers is its new Emergency SOS via satellite. Apple created custom antennas for the iPhone 14 models so users can connect directly to a satellite and message emergency services when outside they are outside of both cell and wifi coverage.

The phone will show users where to point their device toward the sky to connect to a satellite and will assist in sending a compressed message via its pre-written emergency asks and responses. The service will be provided for free for two years for two-way messaging in the U.S. and Canada starting in November. And, for less dire circumstances, the service will allow users to use Find My to share their location via satellite with friends and family.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max come with a new Dynamic Island

You know that little cutout at the top of your iPhone screen? That’s going away for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Instead, it’s being replaced by the "Dynamic Island." The Dynamic Island will allow for quick popup notifications while you're in other apps to convey important information on the fly, like map directions or important texts. This new update also allows Apple to send alerts without impeding your main screen. Though it may not seem like a huge difference, it will be noticeable to travelers who often watch movies on their phones on planes and trains and want to make use of every millimeter possible without interruption. 

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max come with an “Always-On” display

Again, another small but mighty change is that the iPhone Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will come with an “Always-On” display. This means users can see quick glance information (think time, weather, flight information, etc.) at the ready. This "Always-on" display will go dark when the phone is in a pocket or turned face down to save on battery life.

You can preorder now

The iPhone 14 starts at $799 and the iPhone 14 Plus at $899. Both phones are available for preorder starting September 9. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. The Pro and Pro Max can also be preordered starting September 9. See more about the phones and get ready to pre-order here.