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Apple's latest smartphones focus on the little things. Here's what you need to know before upgrading.

NEW iPHONE SEASON is upon us and the iPhone 14 lineup is here. The introduction of the latest generation of Apple's handset devices proves that the tech giant is largely focused on the little things. Not inconsequential things, mind you—the new phones are upgraded all around, with improved cameras, more processing power, and new features—but the most consequential improvements are in the types of details that you'll notice during everyday use, even if they're not at the top of the spec sheet.

That's the thought I kept having as I tried out the new iPhones. I had the opportunity to test the iPhone 14 Pro Max and, to a lesser extent, the standard iPhone 14, leading up to the wide availability of the devices on September 16. I loved the previous generation of iPhones and used them extensively—the 13 Pro Max was my daily smartphone throughout the last device cycle, and I found that the standard 13 was a do-everything wonder perfect for all types of users when I tested it for review..

The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 14, however, use superior processing power, improved cameras, and some strategically useful—and in some cases, just plain cool—updates to take a step up from the 13 line. The 14 Pro models introduce one new feature that will change the way that iPhone users navigate their devices (for the better, in my opinion), but the other updates make the Pro and the standard 14 line worthy of the title that Apple bestows upon its latest products at each one of its fall keynote events: the best iPhones yet.

●Display: 6.1 inches (Pro), 6.7-inches (Pro Max)

●Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

●Colors: Midnight, Blue, Starlight, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED

●Colors: Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple

Right out of the box, testing out the new iPhones was a different experience for me. I’ve set up plenty of phones for review, and that process always includes the onerous task of popping out the SIM tray from one device and swapping it into the new one. Apple’s new devices no longer have a port for physical SIM cards, however—now, to set them up, you’ll need to use an eSIM (Apple first introduced eSIM capability within the physical slot in 2018, so this isn't completely new).

I had never used eSIM before, so part of my activation process was calling my cell provider to activate the service. If you buy a phone from a carrier, like Verizon or AT&T, you'll probably have help setting up the new eSIM—but if you don't, you can follow these instructions from Apple to get yourself set up. Apple says that switching to eSIM can make switching between carriers, replacing a phone that was lost or stolen, and international travel a little simpler (although some users might prefer to skip international roaming fees and buy physical SIMs at their destination). Either way, physical SIM cards are going the way of the Dodo for Apple users, like the headphone jack before them.

This should help save space and weight within the phone too; Apple says it has updated the device's internal design for "better thermal performance." The devices look similar to the last generations, which is to say they look very shiny, sleek, and premium, with an all-glass design. My iPhone 14 review unit was Blue, while my 14 Pro Max was Deep Purple, my favorite color.

After the eSIM setup, getting the iPhones set up was simple. Once the devices were ready, it was time to dive into the new phones and iOS 16.

The 14 Pro line introduces a new feature on the Home Screen for the first major change since the infamous notch housing the TrueDepth front-facing camera (which enables Apple’s FaceID tech) was introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. The new notch is slightly smaller from previous generations, but more importantly, it’s now interactive. The Dynamic Island gives the user another simple accessibility tool that will make multitasking on their devices easier, and, if my experience is any measure, more intuitive, too.

The notch now acts as a floating black pill at the top of the screen (it's separate from the screen bezel like an island, hence the name), which displays data from notifications and programs like timers, track info for music apps, or even turn-based directions for Maps, without needing to switch into the full-screen view of the app. Press and hold on the Island, and the screen will pop-out to give you a more detailed readout, where you can control the task. Here's how it looked when I was listening to a track on Spotify while scrolling Twitter.

That functionality isn't available on the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus phones, but that's not to say that the user experience on those devices is just a retread of the iPhones that came before them.

Much of the fun that comes with the new phones is thanks to iOS 16, latest edition of Apple's mobile software that debuted widely this week. You don't need one of the new phones to try iOS 16—the software is available for all iPhones from 8 on—but the 14 line are the fastest iPhones yet, so you'll have the best experience using them (I found the performance super snappy and smooth). This is one of the largest software overhauls in recent years, with new features for iMessage, including edit and recall options, productivity tools, a new Fitness app, and more. My two favorite improvements however, are with a new photo option and the new Lock Screen.

You can tap on the subject of a photo, hold the image, and lift it to send off to other apps. I did it the first time by accident, then couldn't stop.

It's almost dangerously easy to use—if you're like me, you'll soon be bombarding your friends and families with little cutout figures on every messaging app imaginable.

The Lock Screen is now even more functional. You can pin widgets to the display underneath the clock, which is customizable, with info like weather, calendar events, battery level readouts for connected devices.

The new Dynamic Island is also slightly less obtrusive than the OG notch (still present on the 14 and 14 Plus), and with Always-On enabled (again, only available on the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max), it'll be much easier for you to get the info you need from a quick glance at your phone without needing to tap the screen or press a button. Here's how that looks on the phone screen itself.

Going overboard on the beefed-up camera features on a new smartphone is one of the best parts of getting a new device, and the lenses on the new iPhones do not disappoint. One of the new features I was most excited to test was Action Mode, a setting for the video camera that automatically stabilizes the frame as if you were using a gimbal or some other physical tool, which is available on both the Pro and standard iPhone 14 devices.

Using Action Mode is simple: Just open your camera, swipe over to the video setting, and look to the upper left section of the screen. Next to the familiar lightning bolt icon for the flash is a running figure, which looks just like a faster version of the old-school AIM logo (RIP). Just press that icon, and get ready to run and record.

I tested this using the toughest measure I had on hand. Could it stabilize footage of my rambunctious pit bull, Lielo, as we ran on a walk? Here's footage of us running without the feature enabled.

Pretty shaky. Next, check out the footage of Action Mode in full effect.

Much better. If only I could click a button to make her chill out when she gets the zoomies just as effectively.

The cameras are also improved. The new Pro models have an absurd 48MP rear camera and a ton of computational power that I can't begin to fully explain without slipping into jargon. What I can confidently confirm is that it takes unreal photos, even at night.

The standard iPhone 14 camera is no slouch either. Whether shooting with the general photo setting or portrait mode, the pictures turned out great.

The front-facing cameras on both the Pro and standard models have been improved as well, with autofocus capabilities for the first time. That should make selfie aficionados smile.

All of this leads to the biggest questions for the everyday smartphone user: Should I get a new phone? Which one? Apple fanboys have already pre-ordered their devices, so let's assume you're not on that annual upgrade schedule if you've gotten this far without buying a new phone.

The new iPhones are powerful, they have the best cameras of any Apple product available (and the company will say of any smartphone, period), and the Pro line introduces one of the first (and most fun) wrinkles to the iPhone user experience in years with the Dynamic Island. The new phones also have two new safety features that could be life-saving: Emergency SOS via Satellite, which can use satellites to send distress calls to emergency services when you find yourself outside the coverage of standard wireless networks, and Crash Detection, which uses the phone's sensors and specialized algorithms to detect car crashes, then automatically contacts emergency services and contacts. These aren't everyday features, to be sure—but they can help to bring some peace of mind.

If you're at the point where you want or need to upgrade your phone after a few years of use, pick one of the new 14 models instead of trying to save some money by going with an older device. The leap will be worth it. That said, the new features on iOS 16 will breathe some life into some of the more recent models, so if you feel no pressing urge to upgrade and you're okay without the best camera available, this year might be better than most to stick with what you have.

If you're stuck between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro, that's a bit tougher. The 14 Pro is a beast of a machine, and it brings with it the Dynamic Island, a ridiculously powerful camera, and a more advanced chip (Apple's A16 Bionic vs. the 14's A15 Bionic, which was in the 13 models last year). That said, the 14 Pro starts at $999 for the base configuration, which is a lot of money. The 14 is a great phone, and Apple says that the 14 Plus has the best battery life of any phone it has ever made, starting $100 less at $899. If money is no issue and you want the best of the best, go for the Pro. If you're less focused on all the bells and whistles, the 14 will be more than enough phone for you.

Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.

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