Apple iPhone 14 Pro review

introduction

An improved display. Better cameras. A faster chip. This is the new iPhone. A phone often criticized for being behind the scenes in a sense, but often copied. A polarizing device that sets trends in more ways than one. The iPhone 14 Pro is as controversial as any high-profile iPhone that preceded it, if not more so.

The iPhone 14 Pro follows Apple’s formula of a T: It offers an even brighter OLED Super Retina XDR with an Always On option and a smaller pill-shaped cutout. Apple has done it again, turning weakness into strength. Once an eyesore, the infamous notch is now the Dynamic Island, a unique feature other brands are considering copying.

There are other improvements in the cameras, thanks to new sensors, lenses and ISPs. And of course, Apple’s A16 Bionic chipset is faster and more energy efficient than the A15, just as expected.

Let’s start with the screen. While still a 6.1-inch OLED, it has a smaller pill-shaped cutout, can be bright up to 2,000 nits, and supports Always On thanks to the new, more energy-efficient panel. The cutout is arguably the most iconic feature of the iPhone 14 Pro series, which actually comprises two small cutouts: one in the shape of a pill and one round. Apple has turned it into a feature with various cool animations for notifications and calls it Dynamic Island.

Then come the cameras. The rear camera is still a triple setup with a LiDAR scanner, but now the main shooter is equipped with a 48MP sensor with second generation sensor shift stabilization and a 2x lossless zoom option. The 12MP ultrawide camera has a new larger sensor and improved lens. Then there’s the front camera, which now has a brighter lens, autofocus, and even optical stabilization. There’s also better image processing called the Photonic Engine and a new 9-LED flash.

The Apple A16 Bionic chipset offers an even faster processor and graphics although it still features a similar 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU architecture. It now supports LPDDR5 RAM and has higher memory bandwidth. Finally, there is of course a new ISP and DSP.

Another novelty introduced as part of the new hardware is the satellite emergency SOS, a feature that allows you to send a message to emergency services wherever you are in the world, without the need for a SIM or network coverage. And thanks to a host of new sensors, the new iPhones now support crash detection and can automatically send help if they detect you’ve had an accident.

This is the first series of iPhones to come without a SIM slot in the US, which means the test run for the SIM slot recall has officially begun, at least as far as Apple is concerned. If successful, as it was with the nano-SIM, in a few years get ready for a smartphone world without a SIM card.

What hasn’t changed is the design – it’s the same as the iPhone 12 and 13 series and just as sturdy with Ceramic Shields and improved IP68 protection. The battery and charging capabilities also remained unchanged.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro specifications at a glance:

• Body: 147.5×71.5×7.9mm, 206g; Front in glass (Gorilla Glass), back in glass (Gorilla Glass), structure in stainless steel; IP68 dust / water resistant (up to 6m for 30 minutes), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
• Screen: 6.10 “OLED Super Retina XDR LTPO, 120 Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typical), 2000 nits (HBM), 1179x2556px resolution, 19.51: 9 aspect ratio, 460ppi; Always-On display.
• Chipset: Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm): Hexa-core (2×3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth); Apple GPU (5-core graphics).
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM; NVMe.
• Operating system / software: iOS 16, upgradeable to iOS 16.0.2.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f / 1.8, 24 mm, 1 / 1.28 “, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS with sensor shift; Telephoto lens: 12 MP, f / 2.8, 77 mm, 1 / 3.5 “, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f / 2.2, 13 mm, 120˚, 1 / 2.55 “, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF; Depth: TOF 3D LiDAR scanner.
• Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f / 1.9, 23 mm, 1 / 3.6 “, PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed); Depth: SL 3D.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60 fps), ProRes, Cinema mode (4K at 24/30 fps), stereo sound recording; Front camera: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 3200 mAh; Fast charging, 50% in 30 min (advertised), USB Power Delivery 2.0, MagSafe 15W fast wireless charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging.
• Various: Face ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer; NFC; stereo speakers; Ultra Wideband (UWB) support, satellite emergency SOS (send / receive SMS).

So what is missing from the new iPhone 14 Pro? A true file manager! Just kidding, this isn’t happening. It seems Apple has addressed many of the omissions of past generations and we have the best iPhone ever. Until the arrival of the iPhone 15 with USB-C, of ​​course.

Unpack the Apple iPhone 14 Pro

The thin paper box holds the iPhone and a USB-C-to-Lighting cable. We were disappointed this year that Apple did not retire the Lightning port on iPhones, as it has on its other devices. We imagine it is a task for the next.

In addition to the cable, you will receive a SIM eject tool for models with a SIM slot and an Apple logo sticker. While Apple ditched the plastic wrap from the boxes, the plastic adhesive remains.