It’d have been more than a month with two of the most anticipated phones of the year. The iPhone 14 pro & 14 pro max came with outstanding performance, excellent cameras, and good battery life. This new generation of iPhone is an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 13 pro max. It’s following the same recipe in the design department which is around since iPhone 5.
It has a bright 120Hz promotion display with a new notch called the dynamic island. The camera has got a big improvement and it is a strong pillar of the iPhone. A new feature is introduced in the iPhone which is emergency satellite communication. It makes iPhone capable of sending an SOS message without any network connection.
On top of the emergency contact, crash detection is also implemented in the iPhone 14 series. The battery capacity of the iPhone 14 pro max is decreased slightly from the 13 pro max. It’s using a similar haptics and speaker system that was already very good compared to the other smartphones.
Overview of iPhone 14 Series
Pros
- Exceptional build quality.
- 120Hz promotion display
- Outstanding camera system.
- Good battery.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Same old design.
Design & Dimensions of the iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 14 pro max follows the design language of the iPhone 12 pro max. It is inspired by the old iPhone 5. The sharp edges and curved corners provide a satisfying feel in the hand that you can expect from a premium flagship phone.
The stainless steel polished frame with a glass back is an industry-standard design. The phone is IP68 dust and water-resistant. Apple is best known for attention to detail in its products, and the iPhone 14 pro max is no exception. It continues from the outside to the inside of the phone. The A16 Bionic, inner chassis, and tiny flex cables are all engraved with the classic apple logo.
There is a slight amendment in the design of the non-pro variants. Their back is re-designed for an easy replacement process that was a very complex procedure in iPhone x and later models. The pro models are still in the same boat, so you should consider a case or other protection option.
The back also houses three cameras for the pro models and two lenses for iPhone 14 plus and 14 respectively. The less expensive variants are made from aluminum chassis and the premium high-priced pro variants have stainless steel side rails.
iPhone 14 Pro Max display & Dynamic Island
The latest generation of iPhones is rocking an AMOLED display. It’s vivid and color accurate with good outdoor visibility. The high refresh screens are only present in the iPhone 14 pro & 14 pro max. The regular variants have a 60Hz refresh rate.
A big change in the pro iPhones is the re-designed notch. The notch has an important history associated with the iPhone. It was introduced in the iPhone X, and Apple has changed it thoughtfully. The new notch is called the dynamic island, and Apple has given it a name on purpose.
There is a lot of heated debate over the dynamic island. The dynamic island itself is the camera and face id cutout. It houses the light, proximity, and other sensors. Apple cleverly selected its position. It can expand and contracts based on the content and what is happening on the screen.
Dynamic Island is the home for different intuitive actions. Almost all new notifications sit here. Apple has implemented various animations and artifacts which make a unique user experience for the iPhone 14 pro max.
iPhone 14 pro max has the brightest display ever. It has a peak brightness of up to 2000 nits which is better than most Samsung flagships. It is an amazing panel with great color accuracy. Since it is an LTPO display, apple has implemented always on display in the pro models of iPhone 14. The non-pro variants are also using the led panels but the always-on display is only available in iPhone 14 pro and 14 pro max. It is a classic apple way.
A16 Bionic inside the new iPhone 14 series
Apple introduced the bionic series from the iPhone X. Since then there has been a huge leap forward in performance with every upgrade. Back then the performance of apple mobile devices was even better than some laptops. Now the competition is catching up. The new A16 bionic is marginally better than its predecessor, A15 Bionic and which was introduced in the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
That makes perfect sense for the comparison that apple showed on stage. The A16 bionic was compared with an A14 chip which was used in the iPhone 12 pro max two years back. The thing to note is that A15 in iPhone 13 Pro Max is still a beast in every department. The A16 is even better than its predecessor but only by a slight margin.
Benchmarks and comparisons aside, we all know that iPhone is about optimization and the Apple ecosystem. With a promotion display and A16 chip, iPhone provides the feel of the fastest phone in the world. It will handle every app and game that you will throw at it.
Is iPhone 14 pro max the world’s best smartphone camera?
The iPhone review is incomplete without a camera discussion. The iPhone camera is the king of video stabilization for the past few years. The still photos were also very competitive. This year’s camera upgrade takes the iPhone 14 pro max to a new level. For the first time, Apple shifted from a 12MP sensor to a 48MP primary camera. It enables capturing highly detailed photos and enhanced digital zoom.
The iPhone 14 pro max is rocking an array of three cameras. A 48MP primary sensor paired with 12MP wide-angle and telephoto lenses. All these cameras offer unparallel performance. They took excellent photos and videos. The shutter speed is amazing and the camera app interface is also simple and strong.
The night photos with astrography mode are outstanding. Also, the night mode of iPhone cameras is improving with each iteration. You can see the accurate color and less noisy photos with night mode. These types of photos are very hard to produce with other smartphone cameras.
Video recording is another story of the iPhone 14 pro max camera. The video stabilization is unbeatable. The closest competitor the s22 ultra from Samsung isn’t even close. On top of high-quality OIS and EIS, Apple video processing is also great. The new options like cinematic mode and slow motion capability make the iPhone video output unique in its way.
Emergency satellite & Crash Detection a gimmick or feature of the iPhone 14?
The new iPhone 14 Pro Max & 14 pro also offers some unique and gimmicky features. The latest iPhone has crash detection and emergency contact service via satellite communication. Crash detection is available in all models, while satellite communication will be pushed later via software updates. The tesla phone from Elon musk is also rumored to have similar functionality but that is still un launched.
There is no way for us to test the crash detection, however, many have reported false detection when they took a roller coaster ride with their iPhone 14 pro max. 911 has received several calls made by iPhone on its own since it automatically calls the emergency service after no response within 10 seconds of a crash.
The roller coaster ride makes the perfect scenario of a crash by moving up and down at high speeds suddenly. The noise from the crowd also makes the iPhone realize that an accident might have taken place. As a result, a false report is sent to the emergency contact.
This can be fixed with software updates and some parks have specific instructions to turn off your cell phone during the ride. This will help to avoid such calls but Apple should also look towards a fix. We hope for an update sooner or later to fix this issue.
Battery Life
Battery capacity in the new iPhone is reduced slightly when compared to its predecessor but the timing is improved. Thanks to the efficiency of the A16 Bionic. All iPhones have all-day battery life. The iPhone 14 Plus has the largest battery of all the iPhones. The standby time of the iPhone is great as always.
On a camera-heavy day, you can kill the iPhone by consistently using the cinema mode and other battery-intensive apps. With normal use, the iPhone can last all day easily. All iPhone models support wireless charging and fast wire charging at a peak capacity of 20W. None of the models have the fast charger bundled in the box.
Starting price of 14 Pro Max
With significant improvements, apple still keeps the price the same as last year. The iPhone 14 pro max starts at $1099 with 6GB RAM and 128GB Storage.
The Verdict
The iPhone 14 pro max is a great phone. It is also the most expensive one in the series. It has a great display, camera, and battery life. Top of all, it contains all the perks of the Apple ecosystem. If you’re using the old iPhone 12 pro max then it is worth upgrading to the newer 14 pro max. For all the 13 pro max users, we advise you to wait for the iPhone 15.