iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max: First impressions: Lots to like, but prices keep going up

The brand new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have just been released and Gadgets 360 is on stage at Apple Park in Cupertino for your first look. We can finally put an end to all the rumors and speculation, which is interesting because the devices I have are not exactly what I expected or perhaps feared. Aside from the obvious new “Dynamic Island” front camera design, there’s a lot to talk about. If you like to always have the latest and greatest iPhone, or if you’ve been waiting for an update for a long time, read on.

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max price in India

Thanks to a stronger US dollar, both new Apple Pro phones are more expensive than their predecessors in India, although the US price level has not changed. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at Rs. 1,29,900 for 128GB, Rs. 1,39,900 for 256GB, Rs. 1,59,900 for 512GB and Rs. 1,79,900 for the 1TB option. The larger iPhone 14 Pro Max costs Rs. Another 10,000 on each level, so prices are Rs. 1 39 900 rupees. 1,49,900 rupees. 1 69 900 and rupees. 1 89 900 respectively. It’s still unclear why the gap between iPhone and iPhone Pro prices in India is so much larger than in other countries – Apple should use the same multiplier for its products, but it doesn’t.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (review) are officially out of production, but should continue to be available from third-party retailers for a while, hopefully at discounted prices.

The new 48-megapixel main camera is said to offer more flexibility and better low-light shots.

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max Dynamic Island

So, all the leaks and rumors were accurate, but it turns out that what we knew before this launch was only a tiny part of the whole story. It’s a fantastic reminder that we shouldn’t all be hyped (or hated) just by leaks, and an example of how we can still be surprised and delighted by technology. I think Apple must have really enjoyed knowing that it can still surprise people, and as an Apple spokesperson said during the keynote, it’s Apple’s unique commitment to co-developing hardware and software that makes this kind of thing possible.

Numerous leaks and renders based on tech specs over the course of several months seemed to agree that Apple settled on the odd camera cutout design. While it seemed so blatantly inconvenient and distracting, it wasn’t hard to imagine Apple going for it just to be different – after all, it’s the company that brought us the idea of ​​the notch, tried and failed to make the Touch Bar catch on. , and even once made sure that iPod without buttons and without screen was a good idea.

The latest leaks prior to this disclosure were on the right track in some way. Although there is space between the tablet and the hole, it won’t be visible to users because the hole has actually been expanded with software, so you’re used to seeing a black spot. It is integrated into the user interface elements for notifications and status indicators and is interactive. Apple has worked on a set of smooth animations and transitions that turn this distraction into an advantage.

I’m glad full screen video won’t play around two holes – I still don’t like having even one – and I’m really interested to see how Apple uses its hardware and software expertise together to turn this into a useful user interface element. . The active display area expands into a notification popup when needed, otherwise it will show things like a tiny version of the album art while music is playing, a charging or payment indicator, etc. Applications can use it to show the status of current activity, such as your next turn-by-turn itinerary, current sports scores, or updates on delivery status. In fact, you can see two activities at once – the secondary one appears in a small round bubble to the right of the “island”. This is where I’m convinced that Apple is just trolling the leaks – it looks exactly like the leaked “pill and hole” scheme.

Overall, this is undoubtedly an improvement over the notch, and it makes the premium iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max look very fresh. It’s still distracting when watching full-screen video, but we live with it anyway. In my brief hands-on experience, while the cameras still interrupt the viewport, no part of the island is a dead zone to touch, so swipes work no matter where in the island your finger moves.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max can be hard to tell apart from their predecessors at first glance.

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max design

This year’s new signature color is Deep Purple, and it’s quite subtle. The color is dark and desaturated so it actually looks gray with a slight tint. If the last two years are any indication, a new color option could be introduced mid-cycle, early next year. Other options: Space Black, Silver and Gold. The frames of both phones are still made of polished stainless steel. The iPhone 14 Pro weighs 206g and the iPhone 14 Pro Max weighs 240g.

In terms of shape and proportions, little has changed since the launch of the iPhone 12 Pro series. You still have a flat back and a frame that runs all four sides – the MagSafe accessory ecosystem limits Apple a bit in this regard. The camera module on the back has grown again, so unfortunately last year’s phone cases don’t fit. If you’re in the US, you’ll notice the complete lack of a SIM tray – this is a goal that Apple has been working on for a while, but it has its drawbacks, and India is bypassed for now.

There’s still a lightning port on the bottom – now rumors suggest that Apple will finally go all-in on USB Type-C next year. This may be required by law in many countries, but it also makes a lot of sense.

The new display, battery, and SoC technology work together to enable Dynamic Island and Always-on mode.

Display and specifications iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max

Dynamic Island is exclusive to the iPhone Pro because of the display technology that Apple can use at those prices. The Super Retina XDR display is now slightly taller and has narrower borders. Apple claims a high peak brightness of 1600 nits for HDR and these panels are rated for 2000 nits outdoors. The refresh rate can be reduced to 1Hz to save power.

The always-on display is a first for the iPhone, and it’s a huge change. In typical Apple fashion, there is a particular visual style to implement it. Instead of plain text or simple graphics on a black background that you might expect on Android phones, iOS 16’s new always-on display is just your lock screen, but dimmed. Apple is using machine learning to tailor the wallpaper image to reduce brightness but retain detail. Your lock screen widgets are still visible.

Apple claims 29 hours of battery life with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 23 hours with the iPhone 14 Pro. There’s a new A16 Bionic SoC with improvements across the board. It has 16 billion transistors and uses a 4nm manufacturing process. Apple claims industry-leading performance and power efficiency with its six CPU cores, five GPU cores, 16 neural network cores, and various other subsystems.

Deep Purple is the new signature color for this launch.

Cameras iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max

Of course, there’s also a brand new camera setup, with a 48-megapixel camera and four-pixel binning for the first time. Apple claims the sensor is 65% larger than the iPhone 13 Pro. In most cases, the camera will be optimized to capture light, with four pixels clustered into one resulting in 12-megapixel photos. Low light quality is said to be 2x better and objects can be in sharp focus even with motion blur behind them. On the other hand, you can optimize detail using individual pixels, which gives you more creative options for shooting and editing. There’s even a new 2x zoom option that effectively crops the middle of a 48MP shot to produce a highly detailed 12MP result. You can also shoot ProRAW photos at 48 megapixels. Action Mode is a new video feature that also crops the video so that motion can be compensated for, effectively stabilizing the video just like a gimbal would.

In addition, there’s a new 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera sensor with more focus pixels for sharper macros and better low-light shots. The front camera gets autofocus for the first time and f/1.9 aperture for better low-light shots. The rear flash is now adaptive with nine LEDs and intelligent pattern and intensity adjustment. We’ll see how it all works when we look at all the new iPhones.

Other new features include crash detection and sending emergency messages via satellite (US and Canada only for now). iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will ship with iOS 16, which also introduces many new features.

It seems like the new Pro iPhones are fresh enough to motivate people to upgrade, and the gap between these phones and their non-professional counterparts is the biggest ever. However, the prices will keep them out of reach for many buyers. To decide if you should take the plunge, check out the full Gadgets 360 reviews coming soon.

Disclosure: Apple sponsored the correspondent’s flight and hotel stay during the presentation in Cupertino.