Here’s Why the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Are Apple’s Best Yet
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The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max bring the most significant design and hardware updates to the iPhone lineup in half a decade. Apple’s latest high-end phones have ditched the ubiquitous display notch for a Dynamic Island — a groundbreaking new feature that offers a new look and a world of interactions.
In 2017 — 10 years after introducing the original iPhone — Apple elevated the iconic product’s design by replacing the Touch ID button with a Face ID setup, packed into a small notch at the top of the iPhone X Retina display. After causing a stir, the design became standard on all iPhones that followed, except for the SE iterations.
Apple treated the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max to a new camera with more megapixels and zoom options, a brighter Super Retina XDR display with an always-on functionality, and a unique set of safety features you wouldn’t expect to encounter in a smartphone. Of course, the latest iPhone Pros also rock a brand-new, more proficient chip.
The tech giant unveiled the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max alongside a pair of iPhone 14 models, new Apple Watches, and updated AirPods Pro. The new releases present the most substantial changes to the iPhone Pro lineup since its 2019 introduction with the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, all while retaining the same starting price as the products they're replacing.
I spent a week testing the products and found them to be thrilling sequels to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Here’s why their novel design and hardware are worth the upgrade.
Design
All About the Dynamic Island
A first for any iPhone, the Dynamic Island is the most important new design feature of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro. It replaces the display notch of its predecessors, but with a cooler and more interactive area that, in addition to concealing the Face ID camera and tech more efficiently, just makes things easier to access.
Rather than blocking precious screen real estate as the notch did, the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island can display relevant info (aka your “Live Activities”) as well as notifications in a smaller bubble at the top of your screen. This ticker-like bubble can also showcase album art while playing music or even show directions on Apple Maps, among others — a cool upgrade you probably never thought you needed till now.
In addition, Dynamic Island can serve enhanced app controls like those for calls or music via long-pressing it.
I particularly enjoyed the music controls because they allowed me to seamlessly (and without interruption!) change tracks and toggle between playback sources while simultaneously checking emails and taking notes. Accessing the Dynamic Island’s expanded app controls is also always accompanied by haptic feedback, which is a nice tactile feature to have on any touchscreen.
Another handy Dynamic Island feature is its capability for multiple activities: Tasks will display in separate bubbles for quick and easy access when you need them.
Best of all, the Dynamic Island will continuously improve as third-party app developers take advantage of it (think real-time sports updates, delivery tracking, etc.). The inevitable growth of its usability ensures that it is, indeed, a legit design upgrade to watch. After years of testing phones with display notches and punch holes for selfie cameras, the new iPhone Pro experience is fun and refreshing.
Sleek and Tough in Equal Measure
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have the same instantly recognizable shape and luxurious finish as the 13 Pro releases. Their physical measures are nearly identical, too.
As always, these latest iPhones are impeccably crafted and feature a fully waterproof build with steel bands and tough glass covers for the front and back. The latter has a matte finish, which has been an iPhone Pro calling card since 2019. It contrasts nicely with the glossy steel band with a matching color.
Color-wise, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro are available in Silver, Gold, Space Black, and Deep Purple. Space Black is darker than the iPhone 13 Pro’s Graphite colorway, while the striking purple option is brand-new to the Pro lineup.
Display
Best-In-Class Brightness
The iPhone 14 Pro pair is equipped with Super Retina XDR displays with the same size and pixel density as those of the iPhone 13 Pro lineup. They feature ProMotion tech, whose maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz makes screentime — from mundane scrolling to gaming — more enjoyable.
Higher peak brightness for viewing high-def content and during outdoor use are two massive display upgrades as well. Viewing HDR content is 33% better than the previous generation, meaning we all get to enjoy our content via an improved viewing experience and even more vibrant colors. And measuring an astounding 2,000 nits, the maximum outdoor brightness of the iPhone 14 Pro screens is the highest I’ve encountered in a smartphone yet. During my testing, both delivered perfect legibility even under direct sunlight.
Always-On Display
Together with the Dynamic Island, an always-on display is another iPhone-first feature introduced in these latest models. It drastically lowers the brightness and refresh rate of the lock screens, all while maintaining reliable visibility. What this means for you: It’s an excellent feature to showcase the lock screen widgets and customizable clocks brought by Apple iOS 16, the latest release on every new iPhone.
The always-on screen make the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max excellent desk and nightstand accessories, especially with a MagSafe charging stand. I enjoyed having access to time, date, weather conditions, and notifications a glance away.
Camera
More Megapixels than Ever
The primary camera of the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max received its most significant resolution upgrade yet (since 2015, to be precise, when Apple made 12MP the standard via the iPhone 6s). Its 48MP sensor is also 65% bigger than the camera of the iPhone 13 Pro.
The new camera’s tech includes sophisticated hybrid focusing capabilities and upgraded image stabilization, which helps you take lifelike photos quickly — and in any lighting condition. The quality of the photos from both the iPhone 14 Pro cameras is amazingly accurate, boasting vibrant colors and dynamic range.
By default, its sensor combines the data of four pixels into one for beautiful 12MP images. Enable Apple ProRAW in the camera app on the new models, and you get detailed 48MP photos, the quality of which is the best I’ve encountered in an iPhone.
More Zoom Options
Naturally, much more pixels bring way more opportunities for capturing detail — the 14 Pro camera brings a remarkable 2x zoom option. The ultra wide, telephoto, and front-facing cameras of the iPhone 14 Pro are excellent, with the TrueDepth camera’s upgraded autofocus and wider aperture ensuring better low-light capture of still and video.
Photonic Engine and Upgraded Modes
The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max also have a high-tech new feature called Photonic Engine, which uses both the camera hardware and software, namely the Neural Engine of the A16 Bionic chip, to snap quality photos even in less-than-ideal lighting.
Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max can record 4K video with stellar quality. Cinematic Mode — introduced in the iPhone 13 lineup — now has more creative tools to help you channel your inner director. Zooming while recording videos is also better, allowing the iPhone 14 models to easily switch between their three rear-facing cameras.
Action mode is a sweet new video recording feature brought by the new models, too. It transforms them into legit action cameras by stepping up the video stabilization, so you get crisp and smooth footage, all without needing extra accessories.
Overall, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are Apple’s best camera phones to date. Their new hardware with more megapixels, more versatile zoom, and superior video recording capabilities is worth the upgrade.
Performance
The Apple A16 Bionic chip powering the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max is the first to take advantage of a 4-nanometer architecture, which means upgraded power, memory bandwidth, and, crucially, power efficiency. Like the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, the follow-ups are faster and more capable than any other smartphone.
I couldn’t slow the devices down even though I constantly switched between a double-digit amount of apps, all while streaming music during outdoor work sessions. Throwing a high-resolution photo or video edit, as well as an online game into the flow didn’t affect it either.
Packing a more energy-efficient chip helped the iPhone 14 Pro deliver a full day of heavy use, even with its always-on feature. On the other hand, the bigger iPhone 14 Pro Max had plenty of screen time left after a full day of use. Both Pro iPhones support speedy wired, wireless, and MagSafe charging.
More Noteworthy Bits
Next-Level Safety Tech
Crash detection is another critical, potentially life-saving feature in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Their onboard sensors can detect the high forces generated by a car crash. Upon detection, your go-to gadget will automatically alert the authorities and provide them with your whereabouts. I tip my hat to Apple for offering this functionality for free, unlike countless car manufacturers.
In the coming weeks, the latest iPhone Pro models will also be able to connect to emergency services in off-grid areas without cellular coverage and Wi-Fi. This is guaranteed to bring peace of mind during a long hike or in an unlikely event of a natural disaster.
eSIM
Switching to eSIM-only connectivity is a subtle, yet noteworthy iPhone 14 Pro improvement. It makes changing services and switching between iPhones quicker, easier, and more secure. Plus, it removes the SIM card slot from the new iPhone Pros steel frame, making its appearance sleeker.
Wrap-Up
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max improve upon a pair of excellent products with meaningful design and hardware upgrades. Their Dynamic Island, always-on display, improved cameras, and first-of-its-kind safety features deserve making the switch even if you are an iPhone 13 Pro owner. These are the iPhones to get, so long as their price tags fit your budget. And thankfully, they have remained the same as those of the previous generation.
Once again, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the one to get if you value screen size, multitasking capabilities, and battery capacity. The smaller and lighter Pro is easier to handle without skimping on power and features.
A starter iPhone 14 Pro with 128GB of built-in storage costs $999, while the bigger Max is $100 more for the same amount of memory. Doubling the memory costs another $100, while opting for 512GB or 1TB adds $300 and $500 to the base price, respectively. And if you are a camera enthusiast, I highly recommend skipping the base storage option, as RAW image files and 4K video clips take up a lot of space.
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