The updated iPhones from Apple include smart user improvements and superior camera upgrades.
With relatively few hiccups or complaints, Apple's iPhone 14 lineup this year succeeds on a wide range of fronts. Apple is relying heavily on its semiconductor advantage to offer significant improvements in cameras year over year, and it is also relying on its design teams to provide customers with fresh ways to engage with their already familiar products.
The always-on display does the same tasks as its rivals, but more effectively and rationally. The arrays of the cameras outperform the already powerful iPhone 13 Pro, particularly in low light and telephoto capabilities.
The iPhones from this year defy inflation by providing superior performance, longer battery life, and increased connectivity for the same price as those from the previous year. Through certain perspectives, this actually makes items more affordable for the majority of the globe, yet the relative strength of the dollar has resulted in higher prices in Europe and other places.
Even the so-called "Dynamic Island," which contains the iPhone's front camera and other sensors, turns out to be innovative and practical. I'd even go so far as to argue that Apple has accomplished a tremendous achievement by transforming "the notch," a despised design compromise, into a genuine tool that enhances user experience.
As a side note, I made the decision to change up my iPhone review this year. Because I prefer to have a real-world perspective on them by the time the general public starts to use them, I usually attempt to squeeze in a strong experience tour with the new devices.
However, there is a lot of time pressure, and I never feel like I've lived there for long enough. This year, I'm going to provide my early thoughts after trying some of the more notable new features, and then I'll wait a few weeks before adding further experience with them. If my preliminary assessments are accurate, I'll probably just update this post.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Review
Color of iPhone 14
I had access to the iPhone Pro versions in Deep Purple and Space Black as well as the Blue iPhone 14. I'm delighted to inform that the Space Black is significantly blacker than the Graphite from the previous year. You do get the profoundly black hi-shine steel band, at least, even though Jet Black, my all-time favorite iPhone finish, isn't present. Due to the frosted glass finish, the phone's back is still not exceptionally black, but it is significantly darker than it was the year before.
My particular favorite hue this year is Deep Purple, therefore that's what I purchased. Overall, it's rather black, but when the light shines on it, it looks good. I believe that this will be a fan favorite and perform well in a clear enclosure.
The blue of the iPhone 14 is, in my view, rather bland. The two colors that stood out to me the most in the hands-on section at the event last week were (PRODUCT)RED and Purple, a really vivid Pat McGrath-esque super red that borders on magenta. Purple brought back a hue that is similar to the lavender on the iPhone 12 in the hands-on area. really friendly in person.
eSIM in iPhone 14
This year, Apple sent test iPhones with a line of service to reviewers. This meant that I had the choice to activate that line or add my own when I powered up the devices for the first time. To get the complete dual-line experience, I added both, and it ran without a hitch. It was mostly fairly nice, but Apple has had eSIM in iPhones since 2018 so they've got some practice at it.
Even though I was "converting" from a physical SIM, adding my line was simple. After I added it, I was guided through a well-designed flow to select my primary number, data plan, and whether or not I wanted to combine plans to use the fastest data available at the time. Although it takes a little getting used to, the new signal indicator, which features both services on it, is wonderfully made.
The iPhone 14 allows you to add up to eight lines, and you can give each one a unique name to make it easier to keep track of them. You will have the same experience with a region-locked iPhone as you would with a real SIM card in that you will need to buy a travel plan if you are traveling abroad. It's cool because if you get an unlocked phone, you may add lines from any carrier, anywhere, at any time.
When it comes out, I'll probably use both my Fi line and my carrier line in my personal phone because Google introduced the ability to utilize Fi in eSIM a time back.
iPhone 14 Internals Structure
According to Apple, the revised internal construction of the iPhone 14 models allows for improved thermals and heat dispersion. In my testing, it's nearly hard to tell whether there is any significant advantage, but I'm confident that a breakdown will show any architectural modifications Apple has done. Whatever has changed, it is important since it now makes it feasible to replace the iPhone's back glass without having to dismantle the device, which was previously not possible.
The True Depth Camera module no longer has to be removed in order to change the display on the iPhone 14 Pro. As a result, fixing these sorts of issues becomes far less expensive.
On the rear of every new iPhone model, there is now an ambient light sensor, which controls display brightness and controls camera exposure. This can be useful when entering or exiting expansive, backlit situations abruptly. Additionally, since the camera and screen modifications are already adequately supported by current sensors, this is difficult to verify.
I really hope Apple does go over to USB-C at least for the pro variants of the iPhone. Assigned that Lightning was initially given an approximate 10-year lifetime "over the following decade" when it was launched, it just seems sense at this point. However, I have a suspicion that Apple is unsatisfied with being coerced by the EU or anybody else to choose a connection. Your guess as to when that will occur is as good as mine.
It does take some getting accustomed to having an always-on screen for those of us who are not used to it. My typical thought was that the phone had just entered the brief "dimming" phase before turning off. I didn't have to significantly change my behavior because I currently run with the "display notifications but conceal the contents" setting, but if you want to make the contents of your alerts accessible, you might want to reconsider your approach.
And yes, there is a stay-off-my-lawn feature in the settings app to disable the always-on behavior for those of you who simply don't like the new manner.
The new A16's ability to scale the display down to 1Hz allows users to leave the screen on without significantly impacting battery life, but doing so will almost certainly result in a slight increase in life. Any timers you have running will only display to the minute when the display is in the "off" mode unless the timer has less than two minutes left in which case it will ramp back up enough to show you that the seconds are passing by. This is one of the more interesting side effects of the refresh rate dropping down to sub one second.
In normal use, the display is substantially brighter. There is a delta, and it's more than just on paper — it's brighter, period. It's not enough to feel like a drastic shift from the iPhone 13 Pro, but even then there is a delta. Although Apple states it may rise to 2,000 nits, most people would consider it to be a somewhat random amount.
I captured an exposure locked frame from an iPhone 14 Pro Max of the identical image seen on both the iPhone 13 Pro (left) and iPhone 14 Pro (right) to provide you with at least some comparison (right). I think the final image accurately depicts how much brighter the iPhone 14 Pro's screen may seem in direct sunshine.
I usually always have alerts coming in, so I've developed the practice of setting my phone face down on the table. Since the always-on screen will continue to display messages as they arrive unless you've configured your concentration settings to keep them in the silent area until you go searching for them, I believe that cue will become much more prevalent.
The aggressive variable frame rate (VFR) modification used across the series has produced relatively good battery life. Although I didn't do any official battery testing this year, I still had enough of usage when they had completed indexing. One peculiarity is that the iPhone 14 actually receives worse marks on the video tests and higher ratings for audio playback when it comes to battery life. Apple dynamically modifies the refresh rate of the screen during video playing, demonstrating VFR once more.
The camera isn’t much better though
One of the greatest portable cameras ever created is included within the iPhone 14 Pro. It struggles with the physics of sensor size and light collection, not the constraints of its software or picture processing. And it typically is successful.
In the past, we could and did envision a distant future in which an iPhone's image quality would be on par with or better than that of a specialized removable-lens camera. The transition from perhaps to eventually is made with the iPhone 14's move to a quad-Bayer coded 48-megapixel sensor. It is now a matter of when, and the timing will likely depend more on your use case than the camera's capabilities.
iPhone 14
Since the iPhone 14 Pro has the most significant upgrades, the majority of the impressions you read about here were obtained from extended usage of that device. However, I felt that I should devote a part of my article to discussing the iPhone 14 in detail. Apple offers a particularly alluring "entry" point to the new lineup for the second year in a row. Although I myself prefer telephoto focal lengths and could never adopt a "wide and ultra-wide exclusively" lifestyle, I must confess that there is a great allure.
The iPhone 14 becomes an incredibly alluring purchase thanks to the A15 Bionic's strong foundation, a brand-new main sensor with 49% (not 50%, never catch Apple short, they use number numbers), better light gathering, access to the new image pipeline with the Photonic Engine, and all of the new security features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite. You've got a killer-looking offer when you consider that the accessible color palette is livelier and more exciting than the fairly sober Pro selection.
Yes, you'll have to accept the fact that Apple will probably make more money from your purchase given that they are sending the same top-of-the-line processor from last year's model, but I don't think that this is a deal-breaker. You won't likely notice any flaws, if any, because Apple's CPUs have far more performance headroom than their yearly release cycle.
The iPhone 14 is easy to operate, attractive to look at, and quite functional. The iPhone 14 Pro's absence of powerful cameras is somewhat mitigated by the image pipeline, which offers Action Mode, 24p 4K recording, and enhanced zoom interpolation while filming. I doubt that anyone save a few close witnesses would have objected if those had been kept for the Pro models. But you get everything.
If you're like it, they even have "the big one" this year.
The iPhone 14 Plus will be available one month after the other iPhone versions. Apple won't disclose why, but the delay is probably due to obtaining components, with the display being the prime suspect. As a result, I am unable to provide you with any impressions of the bigger screen on the "main line" model because I do not have one here. The functionality of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus should, however, otherwise be comparable. I can't test it, but for the time being, we may presume it.
Additionally, even though it's considered heresy in certain circles, I prefer the blasted metal trim to the Pro versions' polished, fingerprint-attracting sides.
iPhone 14 Camera stuff
I've come to a few conclusions from my shooting with the iPhone 14 Pro so far, which I'll set out here before getting more specific:
- For photographers, having access to a 48MP RAW image will be invaluable, but for most users, it won't really be a feature.
- Although it's tough to pinpoint because so much of the processing occurs on the raw photos much early in the process, Apple's Photonic Engine is intertwined with all of the camera enhancements. However, it's not hoax; it's included since the iPhone 14 has the same improvements.
- The Main camera's quad-Bayer array fulfills its promise to enhance fine detail, increase light gathering, and improve color rendering.
- The iPhone 13 Pro's camera cannot possibly compare to the 3x telephoto camera. Because the last one was not very excellent, that is good.
- The idea of a native 12MP 2x option is that the perfect 12mm crop fits inside the enormous new sensor, allowing for stunning candid photography with no interpolation and a near 50mm comparable choice. It is my preferred new mode.
- The Ultra Wide camera is a major improvement over the iPhone 13 Pro; it focuses more quickly and captures light much more effectively.
iPhone 14 & 48 Megapixel
If you had been present for the Apple presentation, you would have heard the immediate roar that erupted when the phrase "48 megapixel" was uttered. It's safe to say that typing on our liveblog caused my head to snap up. It was unheard of for iPhone to boost the pixel count by 4x in a single year; in fact, they hadn't done it since the iPhone 6s' switch from 8MP to 12MP.
However, a pixel count increase of this magnitude wasn't always a cause for joy. In 2013, the Nokia Lumia 1020 had a 41-megapixel sensor, but even while the photographs were passable, they weren't noticeably superior to what the 8MP camera in the iPhone 5s supplied. In most circumstances, it was agreed that the iPhone easily prevailed because of better processing decisions.
In truth, manufacturers have been playing a risky game with the number of megapixels in digital cameras for decades. Higher megapixel claims on the box were a simple method for big-box merchants to sell cameras, so they continued to rise. However, more pixels result in greater heat, more noise, and sometimes a narrower pixel pitch (size of individual sensor elements). If the ISP lacks the resources to make the necessary corrections, the image quality will soon deteriorate. But once a natural balance was reached around the 10-12MP threshold for tiny cameras, manufacturers started moving toward bigger sensors. Canon even resisted the market at one time by reducing the total pixel count of a new sensor in an effort to increase light collection.
However, the 48MP camera of the iPhone 14 Pro avoids the pitfall of pricing based solely on pixel count. Instead, it employs a Quad Bayer architecture to "bin" the information from four separate pixel sensor components into one mega-megapixel, improving low-light performance and reducing noise.
Both of these night mode RAW shots, which were both taken at 12MP just to be "fair," show the significantly increased detail.
Photonic Engine
A new image processing Apple is calling the Photonic Engine is what is powering improvements throughout the model series. The significant news here is that Apple first does its combination work through Deep Fusion on the sensor's raw captures—four main frames and two to three secondary frames before making any changes, such as de-mosaicing, noise reduction, and color correction.
The ISP can operate on these larger, more information-rich 16-bit RAW exposures by interpolating the pictures earlier in the pipeline, which enables it to preserve fine detail up to the final 12MP JPEG.
The "why now" of Photonic Engine appears to be based on a number of factors, the most important of which is that the newly improved internal design better dissipates heat, the image pipeline is better integrated, and the 5-core GPU in the iPhone 14 is thought to be the bare minimum viable to pull this off without any lag in shooting. According to what I can deduce from my casting about, the enhanced pipeline and thermals are the reason why the iPhone 13 Pro cannot use the same procedure.
According to my testing, the results show sharper photos with good color rendition that lean toward saturated neutral tones. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro offer a ramped-up but cooler (and truer) image in most situations, in contrast to the iPhone 13 Pro's pipeline, which often tends warmer.
In order to make a realistic comparison for Photonic Engine, it is challenging to test the majority of cameras against one another because practically every one also includes brand-new hardware. And all of them, save the Photonic Engine particularly, are receiving whatever ISP improvements that have been made.
The main camera on the iPhone 14 has the same hardware as the main camera on the iPhone 13 Pro, I was able to confirm after doing some research. I don't see any other method to determine how much the Photonic Engine/pipeline directly contributes to the photographs. Every other camera uses some form of new hardware.
In my comparison tests of these two cameras, I discovered that the improved pipeline produced impressive results. The photographs from the iPhone 14's camera have higher overall clarity and color rendering in bright lighting than those taken with the same hardware. The dynamic range was also increased in low-light situations; highlights, for example, retained greater definition. The Photonic Engine does not, by itself, enhance dynamic range; rather, it just saves more detail for the process's final stages. This is probably the result of additional pipeline modifications.
Although these differences aren't significant, I doubt many users will switch from the iPhone 13 Pro to the iPhone 14 in any case. I just thought it was an interesting method to see if the new pipeline performed better on almost comparable hardware, and the outcome was that it did.
The Main Camera
When Apple renamed the Wide camera on all of its iPhone models, it was another entertaining in-keynote moment. John Gruber, an Apple writer and student, mentioned that they had just dubbed this default camera the "Main Camera" for the first time as we were sitting together.
There was a lot of misunderstanding around whether we were referring to the wide or the wide wide, but our Main Camera language makes logical sense and will eliminate it. However, trade dress be damned, I'm going to stop capitalizing.
Whatever its name, this season's major update went to the primary camera, which has the aforementioned quad Bayer 48MP sensor and Photonic Engine at its core. The enhancements over the iPhone 13 Pro are instantly noticeable in my tests. It is unquestionably superior, and in a way that is also clearly evident there is no misunderstanding.
Better color rendition more balanced and saturated, as indicated above was one of the differences I observed. enhanced clarity in strong light. enhanced sharpness and definition in dim lighting as well.
Certainly noteworthy are the primary camera's specifications. When four sensor sites are joined into one, the quad array increases the overall size by roughly two times while maintaining the same individual pixel pitch as last year. Although the maximum aperture is narrower, there are additional considerations.
Hardware by itself generates 17% extra light, and the Photonic Engine enters the picture to provide 2x light gathering. In comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro, the sensor in the primary camera is 96% bigger overall. According to Apple, the overall increase in sensitivity from the iPhone 13 Pro is 3 times higher.
While the exposures from the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro that I took side by side still look fantastic, the changes become immediately apparent when you look at any detail regions or at the extremes of the shadow/highlight spectrum. Comparing the iPhone 13 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro, there is an overall softness.
It's also intriguing that they switched to 24mm. The basic justification for this was that 24mm is one of all cameras' most favored candid focal lengths. In actuality, it adds a tiny bit of space, but I doubt many people would notice the difference.
Although it's difficult to discern, the "second generation" sensor-shift optical image stabilization mechanism does appear to increase stability. If you're interested, the system has to be redone because the sensor is almost two times as large, requiring a change in the rack and shift time. Apple claims that it is now more effective and uses less space than the prior version.
The new telephoto
I'm thrilled to announce that the new telephoto sensor and lens array outperforms the model from the previous year. Despite the specs being fairly similar, I've confirmed that this year's sensor is a new one. That means a lot to me since in 2021, I photographed around 60% of my images at 2x or higher. A telephoto's ability to be meticulous about framing and margins is one of the reasons I adore it.
Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro's 3x camera, this new telephoto captures greater detail while producing less noise. I was able to use the intricate metal stamping patterns and the wood texture as references. There has clearly been a generational shift in this situation. At least for my benefit, let's hope Apple continues to pay attention to this really useful lens!
Ultra Wide
Better all over, crisper at the edges, more open in shadows. This is the conclusion. The 100% focus pixels allow for a better and quicker lock on targets. Apple states that because of the larger sensor, 3x "better" low-light images are now possible.
My observations show that there are sharper edges and less comatic nonsense occurring in the details. In my tests, it consistently produced superior photographs that were somewhat clearer overall and had more open shadows. Although the Ultra Wide improved last year when auto focus was introduced, I believe this year it has passed the line into something you should consider seriously for use as a storytelling tool rather than merely a "we need to get everyone in this shot" tool.
Video
The video modes are all working hard on the silicon, though I didn't get to try them out much. Cinematic mode jumping up to 4K from 1080p is a testament to the amount of overhead that the A16 Bionic has to deal with.
However, I did perform a few tests on the zoom smoothness and action mode. Having a massive 48MP array to deal with means that OIS + large overscan = tremendous stabilization capabilities, as you can see from the movies above. The iPhone is now closer than ever to ranking among the best action cameras, albeit being a little on the pricey side to qualify as one. I don't believe Apple exaggerated when they said it was like using a gimbal. It's important to note that Action Mode can only shoot at 2.8K because it is overscanning so much.
Additionally, they now use a clever gimmick when zooming in on a video. They employ an ML-assisted method to interleave a few video frames from the lens they are now using with those from the camera they are switching to, such as going from 1x to 3x. This indicates that you now get this lovely rack zoom instead of the harsh jump cuts you previously saw when tapping from one zoom level to another. It's quite enjoyable.
Foreground blur in Portrait Mode
This year's improved segmentation of the portrait mode allows us to acquire both foreground and background blur. One of the main obstacles to making iPhone photos appear more natural — as if they were taken with a genuine portrait-style lens — has been the absence of a true "field of focus" that spread outward from the subject and grew softer organically as it moved farther out.
I wouldn't say the implementation is flawless here; if the subject is too near to the lens, the foreground blur is added on top of the camera's natural bokeh, which may rapidly lead to pictures that are cartoonishly inflated outward rather than gently blurred. Naturally, if the segmentation fails at this point, you will still end up with an uncomfortable mixture of front and mid-ground items that are not positioned correctly in space.
However, it's really convincing if you manage to achieve a good balance, keeping the subject at a distance of 7 to 10 feet and nothing too noticeable in the middle of the frame.
I'd guess that this is one of those features that will develop over time to grow better and more organic, similar to how the original portrait mode did. However, it immediately raises the bar for the whole mode by enabling you to position a subject in the middle of foreground and background objects and naturally distinguish them from one another. Obviously, when they are accurately recognized and segmented.
Safety and security
Crash Detection and SOS over satellite are the two primary security features that were added to the iPhone 14 range. My local crash test simulator shut down last year due to an unfortunate watermelon event, thus I was unable to test crash detection on it. Additionally, SOS through satellite doesn't arrive until November.
But I believe that these benefits are incredibly alluring to lone travelers and adventurers. especially in areas with plenty of traffic. Instead of wrecking my automobile, let me explain how these things function.
Crash detection
The following crash types can be identified using the feature:
- Sedan
- SUVs
- Trucks
Software and new hardware expressly enable the feature:
- Dual core accelerometer that can measure up to 256G of force (currently 32G).
- In crash scenarios, 100–200Gs of force are usual.
- A newer, quicker gyroscope that senses more quickly and with higher sample rates.
- Additionally, the barometer, GPS, and mic are utilised.
- Data from crashes is only handled locally and while driving.
When a crash happens:
- There’s a 10-second countdown.
- Dials emergency services, worldwide.
- A voice looped message is transmitted.
- Sends your location to EMS.
- Alerts emergency contacts and sends your location to them.
- Crash detection will also use satellite if there is no signal to send message to EMS.
If the user's name is set in their My Card, the emergency contact message will mention that they were in a crash and include their approximate location (if available) in a maps URL. That URL will open a Maps window with the specified location marked with a pin in Messages on an iPhone. On any other device, it will probably display the URL, which the user may click to access Maps on the web.
SOS Features
Take this with a huge grain of salt, but I saw a demo of the function in a field on Apple's Cupertino campus, which isn't exactly a wilderness region. Nevertheless, it seemed very simple. Even your phone's screen will display the satellite's shifting position as it passes the sky. Depending on how much your view of the satellite is obscured, sending a message might take anywhere from 15 seconds to "almost a minute," according to Apple's instructions. In my demonstration, messages passed through at less than 30 seconds in a location with some sparse greenery.
If you frequently go without cell service, satellite SOS may be able to provide you with genuine peace of mind. I enjoy trekking throughout the greater Seattle region, and it doesn't take much time to leave the city to enter a wifi black hole. That's where getting lost or injuring your foot on a path with less traffic might get you into serious danger. Although having something like this incorporated directly into my phone is incredibly enticing, I am not a serious enough hiker to invest in a separate GPS equipment and accompanying subscription service.
The main concern I have is the price. The iPhone 14 will have two years of free service, but after that, you'll have to pay, and Apple hasn't yet said how much it will cost.
One intriguing feature is the ability to broadcast a non-emergency position, such as "we arrived to the top," to the Find My service using the satellite capability. This allows you to keep friends updated on your whereabouts and progress.
Dynamic Island
I believe that the entire Dynamic Island issue is one of the best UI turnaround projects I've ever seen, as I mentioned before. Since its debut, the "notch" that houses the front camera, True Depth array, and proximity sensor has drawn criticism. It's been fun to see Apple transition from attempting to hide it to at least admitting and owning it before going all in with this new dynamic section in the shape of a pill.
Apple has transformed that space into something that is genuinely helpful and engaging rather than spending another year pretending they love the notch and everything is good.
There are a few intriguing features about the pill itself that are worth mentioning before we discuss function.
- Off to the right, in a separate device, is the camera.
- The True Depth array occupies a small space of its own.
- Under the screen is where the proximity sensor is hidden.
- In order to make the transition between the extended borders of the pill and the screen boundaries appear smooth, Apple uses hardware anti-aliasing. In essence, there is no separation between the edges of a software UI element and a hardware screen.
- The Dynamic Island is accessible through three different APIs. The CallKit for voice apps, the NowPlaying API for music and other media, and later this year, the Live Activities API, which adds a ton of new features like sports scores, food orders, ride-sharing, fitness routines, etc.
- It will automatically function with the Dynamic Island if a third-party app presently utilizes the supplied APIs.
It's not surprising to me that the team that worked on the Dynamic Island and the one that helped create the lock and home screen interactions that took the place of the home button have some common DNA. To replace a button that symbolized one of the single finest pieces of interface design ever in consumer hardware with...swipes, was another apparently impossible task.
The Dynamic Island actually works in real life. It transforms into a flexible ferrofluidic blob that may enlarge and compress as necessary. Face ID's activity symbol is now located here near to the camera, forcing you to glance in the right place when alerts bloop onto the island with a stretchy little extension that blossoms from the bottom. When they are finished, they then re-absorb into the pill.
The pill form expands when ongoing activities snake out the edges to encompass their icons, voice meters, and other widgets. Up to two current continuing background activities can be absorbed by the pill, which will then start to prioritize them as they come in using a ranking system to sort them and bring to the surface the most important ones. You will probably notice the call and the navigation if, for example, you are navigating while on a phone conversation and have your personal hotspot turned on. You'll see your hotspot symbol after the call is over.
After you collapse a new activity into it, it also does a very modest breathing movement. After you swipe an app away and it vanishes into the island, pay close attention. It slightly shrinks down to a lower profile during the course of the following split second. It's a very small, but wonderful, touch that gives the interface a more alive sense.
Additionally, the region is reactive. Given the size of your finger and how it will probably make contact with the sensitive areas surrounding the pill, Apple uses touch heuristics to make the area feel touch sensitive even though the touch array stops at the area's edge. Because of the implication, they are aware of where you want to touch.
You may tap to open a specific program or press and hold to perform actions on already running processes.
The feature has certain oddities and rough edges. There is room for improvement in the way that the symbols and activities are arranged along the length of the pill. Sometimes, albeit inadvertently, the borders of the pill will crop off the edges of text connected with items like timers. Everything feels just a little bit new. I anticipate that they will receive polish passes sooner rather than later given that the Dynamic Island is a "marquee" feature.
Overall, though, it is effective. The active interface's throbbing heart is now a part of the phone that everyone wanted to ignore.
I'll make one addition for people who absolutely detest the thought of the pill-shaped object resting there. You're going to hardly ever see it if your iPhone is in dark mode unless there are icons in it. Advice, etc.
Conclusion
This week, Apple's iPhone 14 and 14 Pro will begin selling following a limited pre-order period. These are the company's flagship goods for the year, therefore expectations are high for them. The iPhone (actually, the iPhone Pro) has seen several upgrades from Apple this year. A new high-resolution camera, a new display with a new UI paradigm, and the notch are all gone! Is all of that sufficient to support spending more than $1,000 on a new phone?
The new iPhone models from this year have a broad range of improvements in both hardware and software. It's getting harder and harder to advise people to get the newest iPhone each year. For those early adopters this year, the camera and safety features may be the deciding factor, but if that describes you, you've probably already preordered anyhow. The advise I have for upgrading right now is perhaps the simplest I've been able to make in a while, but for anyone who has put it off for two or three years. The key feature sets of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro have received significant improvements.
THE GOOD
- Better selfie camera
- Good battery life
- Crash detection and satellite SOS are neat
THE BAD
- It’s more like an iPhone 13S
- Display is still 60Hz
- eSIM transition will be easy for most but painful for some