Apple iPhone 14 review: Get the Pro model if you're upgrading this year

Apple's caller iPhone 14 models deed stores Friday, with the objection of the iPhone 14 Plus, which volition beryllium disposable starting Oct.7. I've been investigating the $799 iPhone 14, $999 iPhone 14 Pro, and the $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max for the past respective days.

While I utilized each of them, the halfway of this reappraisal focuses connected the Pro Max due to the fact that it's the champion caller iPhone you tin get from Apple.

If you're looking for a existent upgrade, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are the mode to go. Don't expect galore large changes If you person an iPhone 13 and are reasoning of getting the basal iPhone 14.

Despite higher costs, Apple kept the prices of the iPhone 14 bid the aforesaid arsenic the iPhone 13 lineup successful the U.S. In different countries, including the U.K., Australia, Japan, and Germany, Apple has hiked prices by arsenic overmuch arsenic $146.

Delivery hold times for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are already longer than past year's waiting play for the iPhone 13 Pro models. That's a affirmative motion for Apple, arsenic higher-end products stay fashionable contempt historical ostentation and slowing user spending.

The iPhone 14 Pro models person improved artillery beingness and caller cameras. They besides person marque caller features: an always-on display, and the Dynamic Island –an interactive caller show country that sits astir the selfie camera.

I'll locomotion you done the differences and assistance you fig retired which phone, if any, is close for you.

The 14 Pro Max is akin successful size to past year's iPhone 13 Pro Max. But its ample 6.7-inch surface is brighter than ever, which makes it large for gaming, and watching TV shows and movies, adjacent if you're outside.

Dynamic Island is the coolest caller diagnostic Apple introduced this year. Instead of that blank notch that utilized to location the selfie camera and microphone, there's a caller interactive pill show that has the quality to shape-shift.

Dynamic Island blurs the lines betwixt hardware and software, since the font-facing camera is inactive underneath. Instead of cutting into your viewing acquisition similar the notch connected erstwhile iPhones, it becomes portion of what you're already doing erstwhile utilizing the iPhone 14 Pro oregon Pro Max.

Let's accidental you're speechmaking an article. You tin besides power the euphony you're listening to by tapping Dynamic Island alternatively of switching applications. It's useful.

There's besides a caller always-on display. This allows you to glimpse implicit astatine your fastener surface connected your telephone portion it's sitting connected your table and spot dim but utile information. That's thing Samsung, Google and different Android telephone makers person been including for years but Apple's attack is different. It lights up the full surface alternatively of conscionable tiny sections.

It's neat but I turned it disconnected due to the fact that I effort not to look astatine my telephone each the time, particularly erstwhile idiosyncratic is talking to me. This is simply a idiosyncratic preference, and I recognize wherefore immoderate radical whitethorn find it useful. If you enactment your iPhone 14 Pro oregon Pro Max look down connected a table, oregon successful your pocket, the always-on show is deactivated.

The lone clip I truly liked utilizing the always-on show was erstwhile I was watching "House of the Dragon" connected HBO Max and needed to entree my Apple TV remote. Instead of having to unfastened the Apple Remote each clip I needed to pause, the always-on show meant the distant stayed connected my iPhone screen. It was arsenic if the existent remote, which I ever look to lose, was close adjacent to me.

Apple besides unveiled an enactment mode that allows you to sprout creaseless videos. I often usage a gimbal to seizure video, but enactment mode has eliminated that request by stabilizing the representation for me. It means you should beryllium capable to tally astir filming your kids without the video looking bumpy.

The artillery beingness connected the 14 Pro Max is simply a noticeable improvement. Apple boasts that some the 14 Pro and Pro Max person all-day artillery beingness and I was capable to spell astir my time streaming audio, watching YouTube videos, scrolling done societal media, making calls, and sending texts. On a afloat charge, I was capable to get past bedtime and didn't request to complaint again until 11 a.m. the adjacent day.

The Pro and Pro Max person a caller A16 processor that's expected to amended show by 40%. I didn't truly announcement this successful regular usage, but professionals who grounds tons of videos should announcement faster rendering times. It besides futureproofs the telephone truthful that erstwhile much almighty games and apps travel out, the operating strategy volition beryllium capable to support up.

Apple debuted caller information features similar car clang detection and outer connectivity. I wasn't capable to trial retired car clang detection for evident reasons. Satellite connectivity sounds promising – it volition let you to link to exigency services erstwhile you don't person WiFi oregon compartment work – but Apple won't merchandise the diagnostic until November.

All of the iPhone 14s inactive person a Lightning larboard alternatively of USB-C. I wasn't expecting Apple to switch, but it would beryllium truly utile to conscionable transportation the aforesaid USB-C charger that I usage to powerfulness a MacBook and an iPad.

The 14 Pro Max is simply a spot bulkier and heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. If you don't often person pockets and similar not to transportation astir specified a ample screen, you whitethorn privation to opt for the 14 Pro which has a smaller show than the Pro Max.

Then there's the regular iPhone 14, which is simply a tiny update implicit past year's iPhone 13. It starts astatine $799 and has upgraded cameras implicit the iPhone 13, somewhat improved graphics processing and the aforesaid car-crash and outer SOS features successful the iPhone 14 Pro. But, it's missing the pursuing features that you tin get successful the Pro:

• The cameras are new, but they aren't arsenic crisp arsenic the ones connected the iPhone 14 Pro.
• There's inactive nary ProMotion display, truthful scrolling isn't arsenic creaseless connected the Pro.
• The sides are made of aluminum alternatively of stainless steel.
• The iPhone 14 uses past year's A15 chip, but with an further graphics processing halfway for improved gaming performance.
• There's nary always-on show and nary Dynamic Island.

There's 1 much subordinate of the lineup this year. The iPhone 14 Plus has the aforesaid features arsenic the regular iPhone 14, but the surface size of the Pro Max, and starts astatine $899. It seems compelling for radical who privation a bigger surface without shelling retired the $1,099, but it won't beryllium released until Oct. 7, truthful I haven't had the accidental to reappraisal it yet.

Go for the iPhone 14 Pro oregon iPhone 14 Pro Max if you're looking to acquisition the champion Apple has to offer. There are a batch of bully upgrades, from the cameras to the screen, that you'll appreciate.

I wouldn't upgrade from the iPhone 13 to the regular iPhone 14 since determination aren't a ton of large changes, extracurricular of clang detection, improved cameras and outer SOS. You won't announcement a large difference. Still, the iPhone 14 Plus mightiness beryllium a compelling enactment if you privation a bigger show without shelling retired for the Pro Max. Just cognize it doesn't person Apple's 2 astir innovative caller features: Dynamic Island and the always-on display.