All About the Game-Changing “Dynamic Island” and Other Amazing Aspects of Apple’s New iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max!

Jacob Krol
·10 min read

If the iPhone 14 is more about familiarity, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max feel like change. And that’s the main takeaway I have after using and testing both of Apple’s flagship smartphones for the past few days. But I have plenty more to share in my new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max reviews!

Hey, I'm Jake! I've been reviewing phones for 12 years and the iPhone yearly since the iPhone 6s. I was there when Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 family last week and have been testing them all since then. I've put the camera through its paces in a range of environments, run the battery down to 0% several times, and used the phones day in and day out exactly as you would. And, of course, I've tested out all the new features and claims that have been put forward. Have any questions? Ping me on social @Jake31Krol!

The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max banish the notch and swap in the "Dynamic Island." And instead of just making it a pinhole cutout for a camera like most other phones, Apple’s letting it morph into a longer pill-shaped cutout or transform into a square. It’s a part of the interface, not one that you shun off into the corner.

This gets paired with an "Always-On" display and the most versatile camera set ever in an iPhone. There’s a lot to unpack and only so many words, so let’s dive into the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.

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Bye-Bye Notch, Hello Dynamic Island

Apple did remove the Face ID notch that has been around since the iPhone X, and now on the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max it’s a pill-shaped cutout that’s a bit lower with the screen all around it and even a few pixels in the middle. But rather than just leave it as a cutout on the screen, though that is the case for streaming videos or playback, it is used as a multitasker of sorts.

When you plug the iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max in with a Lightning cable, the Dynamic Island stretches in size, shows a green graphic and shares the current battery percentage. Upon receiving an AirDrop, the apps icon appears in the space to let you know it’s been received. If you’re listening to music, the Dynamic Island shows the artwork and a sound wave that it’s playing. Plus you can long press on it for playback controls. The same goes if you're monitoring a countdown via a timer on the island or controlling a call.

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It’s an adaptive notch that’s integrated seamlessly within iOS 16 and the iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max as a whole. It’s also addictive in use and something that I don’t want to walk away from. Additionally, with a future update to iOS 16, “Live Activities” will be supported which will let third-party apps like Lyft, Flighty and others take advantage of the Dynamic Island. Imagine seeing a live status of your rideshare while you’re in a different app right at the top—it’s likely something that will be very handy.

And equally as smart are the upgraded 6.1-inch (on 14 Pro) and 6.7-inch (on 14 Pro Max) Super Retina XDR displays. Both are OLED panels for vibrant colors and deep contrast points, but they can also get super bright. This way they’re fit for a trip to the pool or a day spent under sharp fluorescent lights.

The displays are also buttery smooth, even with fast animations—think while watching an action flick or gaming while on the go. And that’s thanks to a high refresh rate, which speaks to how many times in a second the screen refreshes itself.

This feature, along with the upgraded A16 Bionic chips’ display engine, power the new Always-On display. So instead of your iPhone’s screen turning to black when it’s off, it will get a bit dimmer but still show you everything—wallpaper, date and time included, as well as notifications. And if you customize your lock screen with iOS 16, widgets and apps that take advantage of the new behaviors show up.

For instance, a timer in Always-On mode will still show you the minutes and the seconds as it approaches go-off time. You still get all the main features, just available at a glance without needing to actually unlock or engage with your iPhone.

Let’s Quickly Talk Durability

Much like the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max can likely survive a drop, a wave of dust or even a dip in the pool (I just wouldn’t suggest doing any of this on purpose). Regardless of size, the display is covered in a layer of Ceramic Shield to protect against drops and scratches, and the back glass is equally strong. The sides on the Pro consist of a glossy and shiny stainless steel that is plenty durable, but does show a bevy of fingerprints. The overall iPhone though is dust- and water-resistant with it capable of handling up to six meters of water for 30 minutes. I used it in a heavy downpour in New Jersey and haven’t had any problems.

Related: We Spoke With Apple's VP of Health to Unpack the Health app, Activity Tracking, Privacy and More

Three Versatile Cameras, Five Shooting Modes

Beyond the Dynamic Island are some serious camera upgrades. Let’s break down the three lenses:

  • 48-megapixel main camera: This primary lens actually uses a brand new module and is the first time the iPhone has jumped beyond 12-megapixels. In everyday shooting in default modes, it will actually group each set of four pixels together for more detail-filled images. You can, if you like, shoot in a full 48-megapixels though.

  • 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera: This camera is actually two in one in that you can shoot wider shots—perfect for group gatherings, a cityscape or a city scene—but it also functions as a Macro lens, meaning you can get up-close and personal with something and capture pretty wild details. Like the veins of a leaf or a tree, or veins in an eye.

  • 12-megapixel telephoto camera: This lets you zoom in up to 3x optically which is a neat way to frame a shot or get a close-up Portrait Mode.

Much of this is upgraded hardware, but it’s also paired with some software changes as to how the iPhone captures an image. Apple calls this the “Photonic Engine” now and it’s the image pipeline, showing the steps and what the device does when taking a photo. "Deep Fusion" is a proprietary tech that Apple applies for packing in details in lower-lightning conditions. Previously, this was applied later, but on the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, it gets factored in much earlier. And the result is a serious lighting improvement which leads to better-looking shots in mid or low-light conditions (though even on a sunny day, I found images to be a bit more punchy and vibrant). I’ll be embedding a full gallery of test shots below.

I’ve gone through the three cameras, but you might be scratching your head and asking how there are five shooting modes. Well, you can capture images or video at 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 3x, plus if you get really close to an object (like under a few inches) you can take a macro shot. And all of this adds up to a very versatile set of cameras to take advantage of while you’re out and about.

You can also still capture Portrait Mode shots which do a better job of separating the background and foreground, and you can pick from a Photographic Style which is basically a filter that is applied before you hit the shutter button. This way, the iPhone can factor the filter in to not skew skin tones while delivering your desired effect.

The iPhone is still capable of shooting up to 4K video in standard mode or in Cinematic Mode which gives you a rack focus effect (essentially a customizable portrait mode for video in which you can choose who or what is in focus, while shooting or after an edit is complete). Even cooler though is Action Mode which features incredibly impressive stabilization and automatic horizon leveling—meaning you can capture a somewhat clear, non-nausea-inducing video, while you are running after a dog or just capturing your morning jog.

Dynamic Performance and Emergency SOS Upgrades

Powering the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the pretty darn speedy A16 Bionic. It’s a state-of-the-art four-nanometer chip made in-house by Apple. And it powers all of what I’ve already mentioned here along with every aspect of these iPhones quite swimmingly.

The A16 Bionic lets you get what you want done without having to worry about plugging the iPhone in due to a power drain or needing to close out other applications on the device. Performance is really never a question with iPhone and that reign continues here. You can multitask to your heart's content, like being in a FaceTime window while navigating through other applications, editing a movie on the fly or flying past others in an Asphalt 9 race.

It’s also certainly sufficient enough and long-lasting enough to power you through a full day of use with either the smaller or bigger Pro. Apple doesn’t share exact battery cell sizes, but the general takeaway is that these are ample to get you through a full day.

Related: New Apple AirPods Pro: Everything You Need to Know and How to Preorder

Apple is also expanding the Emergency SOS catalog of features with an additional two. The first is Crash Detection which uses onboard sensors and software training to detect if you’re in a “car crash” or “severe crash” to help you get help. Essentially, it can detect the amount of force and listen for corresponding sounds, to then flash the Emergency SOS screen and if enough seconds go by, it will automatically connect you with an emergency dispatcher, while also notifying your emergency contacts.

The second new feature is Emergency SOS via Satellite which can connect you with the proper authorities to get help in an emergency situation when you’re out of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage (essentially answering a few common questions, condensing this information down and walking you through getting line of sight or visibility with a satellite to transmit the information). You can also use this within “FindMy” to send an updated location through a satellite. Emergency SOS via Satellite will be available in November and free for two years if you get any iPhone 14.

Bottom Line

Between the Dynamic Island and a versatile set of cameras with some of the best performance available on the market, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max kick things up a notch. And that makes this even a bigger leap over the previous-generation 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max.

The Dynamic Island and interactive software elements that surround it make it a welcomed change that can improve the overall user experience and lets you interact in new ways. It will also only get better with third-party applications support in the future. Additionally, you get three physical camera lenses—plus the upgraded selfie camera—and five different ways to shoot.

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