New iPhone 14 Pro put to the test

They have arrived!

The new iPhone 14 line-up — iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are in the shops.

But what are they like and should you rush out and get one or cool your heels until next year?

I posed that question in a story a few weeks ago, but now, having put the iPhone 14 Pro and a 14 Pro Max to the test, I’m able to share a better informed opinion.

So what are they like?

The space black 14 Pro and a silver Pro Max lying on the desk in front of me look great. At first glance there’s not a huge change to the look and feel of the new iPhone 14s when compared to my iPhone 13 Pro. The familiar bezel surrounding the screen gives them that reassuring solidity that iPhones are well known for. The camera arrays at the rear look familiar too with three main lenses protruding slightly from the back of the phone.

As usual when a new phone range hits the market, it is the cameras that are the main selling point and the main reason people upgrade.

The cameras

Apple have upped the ante with more megapixels and better low-light performance. The new 48MP sensor in the main rear camera is 65 per cent larger and noticeably better when compared to the 12MP one in my 13 Pro. The other sensors are also larger but still 12MP.

The main sensor and the new photonic engine produce fantastic results. It’s particularly noticeable in low light. I like that I can capture high resolution photos using ProRaw if I choose. The 48MP sensor has also allowed Apple to effectively add an extra 2x lens by using the center 12MP of the sensor. The 2x lens fills the gap between the 1x and 3x without losing any quality and that has to be a good thing. You can never have enough lenses.

There are also significant improvements to the video capabilities in the new phones. The cinematic mode can now shoot 4K vision at 30fps and there’s a new action mode, which gives steady shots when filming action on the move.

Other new features

The first thing I notice is the dimmed always-on display which allows me to choose widgets with information on the screen like date, time and calendar while it the phone is locked . . . nice!

When I activate the screen it’s noticeably brighter and crisper compared to my iPhone 13 Pro.

I mused in my earlier story about why I would need or even want a dynamic island on my phone . . . but having now seen it in “real life” and used its features – it’s actually quite a cool and handy feature. Whether I actually need it is debatable.

The new Pro and Pro Max feature a new A16 processor that Apple says improves performance by up to 40 per cent. I can’t say I noticed any real difference compared to my iPhone 13 Pro but I guess gamers and other heavy data users are more likely to notice the increased performance of the new processor. Speed is always good.

Despite the always-on display and the brighter screen, Apple has managed to improve the battery life. As you can imagine in the process of testing out the phones, I used them a lot daily, taking pictures, browsing websites and social media as well as steaming video content and I never got close to running out of charge.

The iPhone 14 Pro models can detect if you have been in a car crash and automatically phone emergency services unless you respond and ask it not to.

The satellite connectivity is not enabled yet but it will allow users to contact emergency services with their GPS co-ordinates in the event of an emergency. The feature will be rolled out in various countries over the next year. The US and Canada will be first to get it and hopefully Australia won’t be too far behind because it can be a handy feature in our vast outback where there’s often little phone coverage.

The verdict

If you have a phone that’s three or four years old there are many good reasons to upgrade to a new iPhone 14. You’ll get all the latest features plus fantastic cameras, a much brighter display, a much faster processor, and a battery that will last longer.

If you already own an iPhone 12 or 13 you’ll still see significant improvements. Whether they are enough to warrant an upgrade is up to you. If you’re happy with the performance of your iPhone 12 or 13 . . . stay put for another year and see what they think of next.

For me, the new features are enough to warrant an upgrade, I like the new 48MP camera, the extra 2x telephoto option, the better low-light performance, and the improved video features.

That fancy dynamic island and the always-on display are useful bonus features compared with last year’s models and the new safety features are welcome.

The new iPhones lack a bit in the megapixel race compared with some of the competitors but it is not all about the amount of megapixels . . . it’s the quality and size of the pixels and what the processor is able to do with them that matters and in that department it is hard to fault Apple.

I would have liked Apple to change the lightning port to USB-C so I can use the same charger as my Macbook Pro but other than that I find it hard to fault the new iPhone 14 range.

How much?

The iPhone 14 with a 6.1 inch display and 256GB of storage costs $1579 but starts at $1399 for the model with 128GB of storage.

The iPhone 14 Pro with a 6.1 inch display and one TB of storage costs $2599 but the 128GB version comes in at $1749.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max with a 6.7 inch display and one TB of storage costs $2769 but if you can do with less storage you can get one for $1899 with 128GB.

For more information head to apple.