With the introduction of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple has truly launched a new smartphone for the first time in years. Yes, it looks generally the same as its predecessor. But the arrival of the Dynamic Island, the 48-megapixel camera and iOS 16 make for a rather tasty picture.
It should be, since this smartphone will cost consumers a minimum of 1,329 euros. A hefty price tag that for anyone who wants to get the most out of a phone is really worth every penny. Right?
iPhone 14 Pro: fresh wind from the Dynamic Island
No doubt you will have seen it passing by, but the iPhone 14 Pro features a new solution to the notch. Sorry, the TrueDepth camera as Apple itself prefers to call it.
Whereas in past years we had to deal with a large notch that went all the way through, this year Apple is adopting the hole-punch concept. A concept we’ve seen in Android for years, but never felt so complete before.
In fact, Apple has made the Dynamic Island interactive, taking the iPhone 14 Pro to a new level of experience. Notifications from your favorite applications, minimized services and pop-ups like those from Face ID: they’re all there.
As soon as you close an app like Spotify, the player disappears in the Dynamic Island. If you press it briefly, the app will open again. If you hold it longer, you will see a small mini player that allows you to quickly control the music.
It makes the iPhone 14 Pro feel fresh on a daily basis, though at this point it’s mostly a question of exactly how developers, and Apple, handle it.
Touch Bar 2.0?
We saw this, for example, with the introduction of the Touch Bar. Initially a nice solution for the MacBook, where in the end little happened with it. Besides the fact that developers didn’t capitalize on innovation, Apple didn’t seem to pay much attention either.
In that regard, the Dynamic Island can be called a nice addition now, but will have to prove how useful it is in the coming year.
Personally, the notch comes in very handy, although it does stand out more. Considering it’s an additional means of controlling your iPhone 14 Pro maybe not a big deal, but while watching content not always ideal.
The new 48-megapixel camera
The Dynamic Island is not the only thing that stands out about the iPhone 14 Pro’s design. The lenses on the camera system also got a little bigger (party!). Not without reason, admittedly.
Apple has equipped the Pro models of the smartphone with a new 48-megapixel lens. Compared to the previous 12-megapixel, this is really a step forward. Although the difference ‘s mainly in the details.
Yes, in the evening, the iPhone 14 Pro takes better photos than its predecessor. The smartphone needs less light to shoot some better pictures, although low-light photos anno 2022 are still not your thing.
If you shoot the images during the day, you mainly see certain details better. When photographing flowers, for example, you can see the seams run better and with people, zoomed-in details, such as hair, are easier to see. That combined with the fact that the background can be blurred better makes for a wonderful look. Something that is also the case in the selfie camera.
By the way, Apple automatically reduces those photos to 12-megapixel images. If you want to shoot a picture with the full 48-megapixel, you can control it in the settings.
Power of video
The big advantage of the 48-megapixel camera is best seen in video, as far as I’m concerned. The ProRes videos are to put through a ring and the extra features come out better as a result.
By the way, the same goes for Action Mode, which Apple introduced with last year’s iPhone 13 Pro. The stabilization of moving images has really gotten a whole lot better.
iPhone 14 Pro with Always-On
We can’t help but look over the fence at the iPhone 14 Pro. Android phones have carried cameras with far more megapixels and hole-punch displays for years. Only Apple seems to be doing better in both areas.
Unfortunately, the same is not true of the Always-On display, a feature that Apple also came significantly later with. Let me put it this way: the idea is nice, but the execution could really be better.
What makes Android phones’ Always-On so strong is the fact that the entire screen is turned off except for the time and any notifications. Apple does it differently and leaves the entire screen on in extremely low brightness.
This not only makes you constantly think you haven’t locked your phone, but also has a spirited impact on your battery life. Despite Apple’s promise that this would not be the case.
A screen time of 4 hours is what I, on a day with navigation and standard daily use, manage to get out of the battery. Disable the Always-On display and the problem is pretty much gone.
Does the feature then provide such a huge benefit that it is completely worth it. Not as far as I’m concerned. Always-On is a nice idea, but with me the feature is now off.
iPhone 14 Pro: buy it or leave it?
Despite the disappointing Always-On screen, the iPhone 14 Pro is truly a joy to use. Especially with iOS 16 and the A16 Bionic chip, the smartphone stands its ground. However, it is not cheap.
As standard, the iPhone with 128GB storage capacity comes in at $1,329. Something you don’t want to do, as this does not provide the full ProRes functionality. So you have to go for 256GB as a minimum, which will fly 1459 euros out of your wallet.
A hefty sum, but worth it. The new Dynamic Island, camera system and all the other familiar features in iOS 16 make for great enjoyment. Every single day. Something you will benefit from for many years to come.