We subjected the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max to our rigorous SBMARK Display test suite to measure its performance Cons six criteria. In the results of this test, we will analyze how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Main display specifications:
- 6.7-inch OLED, ~ 88.2% screen-to-body ratio.
- Dimensions: 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 inches)
- Resolution: 1290 x 2796 pixels, (density ~ 460 ppi)
- Aspect Ratio: 19.5: 9
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
Pros
- Enhanced outdoor performance, thanks to impressive brightness (measured at over 2000 nits) which improves readability and color rendering
- HDR shows fine contrast adjustment, close to artistic intent and internal brightness (1090 nits) is suitable for enjoying HDR content
- Hardly any dropped frames are visible during video playback or gaming
versus
- When viewed from the angle, the color cast turns green, which affects the rendering of the skin tone
- Tactile interaction lacks fluidity during gameplay
- Some inaccurate lighting transitions when watching video content
With the appearance of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple continues to refine its flagship product, with the new device surpassing the performance of the iPhone 13 Pro Max in almost all attributes.
The display of the new model is the brightest of all devices tested to date: over 2000 nits (measured), which means that the content is readable even in full sunlight; in addition, the increased brightness also improves the overall color rendering.
While there have been no significant improvements in handling SDR video content, the brightness of which sometimes remains too low, the new iPhone shows progress in rendering the fine contrast of HDR10 content and has much better playback handling than the 13 Pro Max.
As with Apple phones in general, the 14 Pro Max continues to show superior aliasing control. But when gaming or watching movies, users might find the new notch design uncomfortably intrusive.
Test summary
Learn about SBMARK visualization tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective and perceptual tests in controlled laboratory and under real-life conditions. Please note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and related still image (gallery) and video apps with default settings. (For in-depth information on how we rate smartphones and other displays, see our articles, “How SBMARK Tests Display Quality” and “A Closer Look at SBMARK Display Tests”.
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
How the screen readability score is composed
Readability evaluates the ease and comfort with which users can read stationary content (photos and web) on the display in various real-life conditions. SBMARK uses its Display Bench to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also carried out in real-life environments.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is the brightest device tested to date, although the increased brightness isn’t available for all content. That said, the new device has a significant advantage over other phones in terms of outdoor readability. At its default settings, it’s still not bright enough in low-light environments, but it has good fluidity when adapting to different ambient lighting conditions and exhibits better overall uniformity than its immediate predecessor.
Although the iPhone has a higher brightness than the Samsung, its contrast value is lower due to a shallower darkness (28 nits for the iPhone versus 19 nits for the Samsung).
Readability in a low light environment (0 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
Readability in an indoor environment (1000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
Readability in an outdoor environment (20,000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
Readability in a sunlit environment (> 90 0000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
The notch of the iPhone 13 Pro Max generated some uniformity problems at the top of the display. Now that Apple has moved to a perforated notch on the 14 Pro Max, uniformity has improved significantly, as shown below.
Measurement of luminance uniformity
This graph shows the uniformity of the display with a gray pattern of 20%. The more green the color is visible, the smoother the display.
How the Display Color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the device’s ability to accurately reproduce colors. The measurements made are for fidelity, white point color and gamma coverage. We perform color assessments for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can handle color in its surroundings. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. The perceptual analysis of the color rendering is compared to the reference model displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max exhibits much better color uniformity than the 13 Pro Max. In low light conditions, the content of the 14 Pro Max takes on an orange cast; on the inside, the new device’s color cast is a bit more neutral than its predecessor. And while the skin tones are still a bit yellow when viewed outdoors, the 14 Pro Max’s rendering is better than the 13 Pro Max’s yellow-green skin tones under the same lighting conditions. At an angle, however, the 14 Pro Max takes on a greenish cast which negatively affects the skin tone rendering.
White point under illuminant D65 at 1000 lux
The increase in brightness allows the iPhone 14 Pro Max to present more vibrant colors with just the right amount of detail and nuance, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a bit washed out and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos) loses all of the nuances.
Color rendering in sunlight (> 90 0000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
Color fidelity measurements
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, 1000 lux color fidelity in the sRGB color space
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, 1000 lux color fidelity in the DCI-P3 color space
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color model (arrow base) and its actual measurement (arrowhead). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference. If the arrow stays inside the circle, the color difference will only be visible to trained eyes.
As for the color change in the corner, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is less performing than its predecessor. Not only is the change more pronounced, as the iPhone 14 Pro Max is more orange at first, but the colors also change more quickly. For example, at a 30 ° angle, the iPhone 14 Pro Max shifts towards green beyond 3 JNCD in some cases, while the shift for iPhone 13 Pro Max is around 2 JNCD, as you can see in the graphs below.
Behavior of the color on the corner
This graph shows the shift of color when the screen is tilted. Each point represents a measurement with a particular angle. The points inside the inner circle show no color change in the corner; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those who fall outside the outer circle are noted.
Color change on the corner
Above, on axis; above, at a 45 degree angle. From left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos), Oppo Find X5 Pro. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a slight greenish cast that is visible when viewed from an angle.
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
How the Display Video score is composed
Our video attribute evaluates the Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling of each device indoors and in low light conditions. We measure the tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis Cons our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure that the rendering respects the artistic intent.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max offers solid performance when handling HDR content, but its SDR video performance remains similar to that of the 13 Pro Max, meaning users may need to manually adjust the brightness to enjoy SDR content in a dark environment. . But the 14 Pro Max’s improved contrast produces a rendering with more visible dark tones and more visible, natural highlights.
While acceptable, the new iPhone’s color cast is less neutral (in other words, more yellow) than that of the 13 Pro Max.
Video rendering in a low light environment (0 lux).
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
The following illustration represents the brightness measurement (in false colors) of the same video played on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The example on the left is HDR10 and the one on the right is SDR. SDR-encoded video is too dark for the eyes, even in mid-tones, compared to the same HDR-encoded video. As a result, the user will have to manually adjust the screen brightness when switching from SDR video to HDR video content.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max HDR video, left; SDR video, right.
Cropping artifacts are visible in some videos, which results in a large loss of detail, as can be seen by comparing the iPhone 14 Pro Max to its Samsung peer in the example below.
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
The 14 Pro Max’s increased brightness ensures a pleasant experience when viewing HDR content indoors, as you can see below. The iPhone measured over 1000 nits on a white HDR10 pattern versus 469 nits for the Samsung.
Indoor video rendering (1000 lux).
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
(Photo for illustrative purposes only)
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is able to adapt its color range depending on the content you play. It matches the DCI-P3 gamut well for HDR10 video and the sRGB gamut for SDR video, ensuring pleasant color reproduction when watching videos (although True Tone sets a yellowish white point in a dark environment).
Range coverage for video content
Primary colors are measured in both HDR10 and SDR. The extracted color gamut shows the extent of the color area that the device can render. To respect the artistic intent, the measured gamut should match the main color space of each video.
How the score of Display Motion is composed
The motion attribute evaluates the handling of dynamic content. Frame drops, motion blur, and playback artifacts are investigated using games and videos.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s drop control is similar to that of the 13 Pro Max, with both devices only registering a small number of drops during testing. The new model has better handling of video playback than its immediate predecessor and has a good one responsiveness when jumping forward or backward.
The video frame drops
These long exposure photos present the number of frame irregularities in a 30 second video. A good performance shows a regular pattern (a flat gray image or a drop-down pattern).
How the Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, SBMARK uses a touch robot and a high-speed camera to reproduce and record a series of scenarios for the evaluation of fluidity, accuracy and response time.
The touch response time of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is similar to that of the 13 Pro Max, albeit slightly slower, and the 14 Pro Max lags slightly behind the iPhone 13 Pro Max for smooth gaming.
This response time test accurately evaluates the time elapsed between a single tap of the robot on the screen and the action displayed. This test is applied to activities that require high responsiveness, such as play.
How the Display Artifacts score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking performance, image rendering, and motion defects that can affect the end-user experience. SBMARK accurately measures device reflectance and the presence of flickering and evaluates the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other characteristics.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 5% reflection rate, which is similar to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but is far from the best performance in our database (measured at 4.2%).
Thanks to its new notch style, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max features an improved screen-to-body ratio; however, the large notch can be annoying for some full-screen activities, such as watching movies, and some gaming apps have not yet adapted their content to the new notch.
Notch Disorder (video)
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Notch Disturbance (games)
Left to right: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
The new device continues Apple’s tradition of having excellent aliasing control.
Alias (foreground)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – Crop 1
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – Crop 2
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – Crop 3
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