Apple has reduced the trade-in values of some of its products, namely the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra, and more, alongside some Android smartphones.

The company’s trade-in program allows anyone to hand in their device at an Apple Store or send it off through Apple’s website, in exchange for a certain amount of credit based on the condition of the device, which can go towards a new product. Alternatively, they can choose to have the device be recycled.

Apple regularly changes the value of some products to reflect the length of time they have been available. This time, products like the iPhone 14 Pro Max have had their trade-in value altered. Via MacRumors, it’s now up to $620 instead of $630. Similarly, the Apple Watch Ultra’s trade-in value is now up to $355, which is a $5 reduction from the previous $360 trade-in value.

What else has seen their trade-in values reduced?

The iPad Pro has seen its trade-in value slashed from $580 to $565, while the regular iPad’s value has gone from $250 to $225. Macs have also been affected by the new trade-in value changes:

• MacBook Pro - was $1,010, now $925
• MacBook Air - was $525, now $485
• iMac - was $420, now $330
• MacBook - was $145, now $130

Android smartphones have also seen some reductions in their trade-in values. Samsung’s S22 Ultra 5G is now valued up to $235, down from $270, while the Google Pixel 6 Pro is now valued up to $125, down from $150.

The full list of Apple’s trade-in pricing can be seen on the trade-in section of its website. It’s a great program to use, but be aware that the trade-in value of your device can change depending on its condition.

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Android fans have been mocking the iPhone’s Always-On Display because of its visible wallpaper since it debuted in 2022 — but now Samsung’s new S24 series of phones has blatantly copied the same thing.

At its Unpacked event on January 17, Samsung’s big focus was mainly on AI for its S24 phones — you can tailor responses in conversations to be formal or casual for example, or you can edit a photo using the AI to remove objects, or fill in parts of an image to give it more depth if you so wish. However, it was another feature showcased at the event that was obviously copied from the iPhone 14 Pro which has drawn the ire of commenters on social media.

Admittedly, Apple was one of the last to bring an Always-On Display (AOD) to its phones, as manufacturers like OPPO and Google have had this feature since at least 2020. This finally arrived with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max — and can be very useful for viewing notifications and widgets for when the iPhone is locked. Granted, Samsung had AOD before, but it didn’t show any wallpaper — now though, it’s a carbon copy of what iPhone 14 Pro and later iPhones bring.

If you’re planning on buying an S24 once they’re made available on January 30, you can try out this inspired feature by going to Settings > Lock Screen AOD > AOD Settings > Enable ‘Show Lock Screen Wallpaper’. It’s worth mentioning though, If you’re in the market for an AOD-capable device, the iPhone 14 Pro has seen some great deals lately. If you want one of Apple’s best iPhones for a much cheaper price compared to what Samsung is offering for its S24 series — and with an Always-On Display to boot, you can get the best of both worlds from Apple instead.

Inspiration can come from anywhere — iMore’s take

This isn’t the first time Samsung has taken “inspiration” from an Apple feature that has previously been mocked — the iPhone’s notch is a great example. When the iPhone X came out in 2017 it featured a cutout that housed Face ID and the front camera, Samsung was quick to introduce its own take in March 2018. Its S9 series of phones came with a new design that curiously featured a brand new design with a lip at the top and bottom, along with its own Face ID feature, called Face Recognition. Samsung is probably hoping you’ve forgotten about its advert mocking Apple customers for buying the iPhone X, which included one Apple “fanboy” with a notch haircut.

It’s no surprise that Samsung continues to draw on features previously pioneered by Apple — it’s a regular occurrence, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung’s take on Vision Pro later this year.

Arguably though, with Samsung introducing a bunch of AI features to its S24 phones, the bar has been set much higher for the iPhone 16 and Apple’s wider plans for AI in 2024. As we head towards WWDC, Apple’s yearly developer conference expected to take place in June, we might well hear what the company has planned regarding AI in iOS 18, macOS 15, and beyond.

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When Apple announced the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models back in September of 2022 it also announced Emergency SOS via Satellite, a feature that would go on to very much save lives. But it wouldn't be available until November with iPhone buyers getting two years of access. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro both come with the same two-year offer, too.

With Apple offering the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature free for a limited time it was always assumed that it would start to charge money for it in the future. That could either be via a new subscription offering or as part of Apple One, but it was surely going to come one way or another.

But fast-forward a year and we get to November 2023 when, earlier this week, Apple announced that it is extending the feature's free two-year period for an extra 12 months for existing iPhone 14 owners to take them to November 2025. But why?

How cool is Emergency SOS via Satellite anyway?

First, we need to back up a bit and discuss what Emergency SOS via Satellite actually does, because it's pretty incredible. In its most simple form, the feature allows people to summon help from emergency services when they would otherwise not be able to due to a lack of cellular service. Think people at the top of a mountain or out in the wilderness where there just isn't hope of a connection to a carrier, let alone full bars. Using satellites in low orbit, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 devices can send and receive short text-based messages. And it's those messages that help emergency services get help to those who need it.

When Apple announced that it was extending the lifesaving feature it was keen to point out that's very much what it is — a lifesaver.

“Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said via that press release. And they're right. There have been plenty of heartwarming stories of people's iPhones helping them get help.

That's great, right? It sure is. But it might also be the reason Apple can't bring itself to charge for the service, too.

Putting a price on a life

We already know that Apple is sensitive to any kind of negative publicity, so with that in mind let me paint you a picture with words.

Imagine you're a hiker, and you're off on a trail that takes you well beyond anything that Verizon, AT&T, or any of your chosen carriers can reach. It's beautiful because it's so remote. And you're having a whale of a time.

With me so far?

Except, you stumble. You fall down a cliff, hitting branch after rock after seemingly anything else you can find on your way down. You come to rest and, thankfully, you're alive. But you've broken your leg and your breathing isn't as easy as it should be. You've no signal, obviously. But not to worry — you have the latest iPhone so you set about using Emergency SOS via Satellite to call for help.

Except, you got a new card last week and your Apple One subscription payment didn't go through. Your iPhone thinks you don't have the lifesaving feature and you're stuck. What now?

Now, yes, there are ways around this. The iPhone could make the call regardless and charge later — but if it does that, why pay for it in the first place? It'd become a pay-as-you-go service that nobody would pay a subscription for. And maybe that's the route Apple takes if and when it finally starts to charge people for this thing.

But I do know what it won't want to do — risk a headline that says someone unfortunately died because their iPhone wouldn't let them call for help when they needed it. And until Apple can be sure of how to get around that problem, I can see this particular feature being free forever. As it probably should be.

More from iMore

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• Apple's life-saving iPhone 14 satellite feature goes free for another year
• Apple has Qualcomm to thank for the iPhone 14's satellite features

Following the announcement of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups Apple has also confirmed that it is expanding an existing and lifesaving feature to more people than ever before.

The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature debuted with the launch of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro last year, and it's expanded its availability to more countries at various points through the last 12 months. But now it's confirmed that two more European countries will come online this month just in time for the new iPhones to go on sale.

Starting later this month owners of models in the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Pro lineups in Spain and Switzerland will be able to use Emergency SOS via Satellite for the first time.

16 countries and counting

Apple confirmed the move in a press release, noting that there are currently 14 countries and regions across three continents in which Emergency SOS via Satellite is now available. The addition of Spain and Switzerland will increase that number to 16 of course.

The new expansion comes as Apple gets ready to roll out Roadside Assistance via Satellite, a new feature exclusive to the United States that will allow people to use a similar interface to contact AAA when they need vehicle assistance outside of cellular coverage. There is no word yet on when the feature will roll out internationally, however. The feature will be available on existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, at least.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups are both now here and there is a lot to dig into, but you might have missed one of the coolest new features Apple announced during its "Wonderlust" event.

Apple has offered a potentially live-saving feature that helps people call for help even when they don't have a cellular connection ever since the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro arrived in 2022. Dubbed Emergency SOS via Satellite, the feature uses Globalstar satellites to contact first responders when no cellular or Wi-Fi connection is available. And now that feature is being expanded to roadside assistance, too.

Roadside Assistance via Satellite is rolling out as part of the new iPhone's launch this month, but you don't need Apple's best iPhones to get it — the feature will be available on existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, too.

Limited availability

The feature will be limited at launch, as the new Roadside Assistance via Satellite is only rolling out in the United States at launch thanks to a partnership with the AAA. It's included free for two years starting from the time of purchase, although Apple does note that the AAA might charge for its services. Those who aren't already AAA members "can take advantage of Roadside Assistance via satellite on a pay-per-use basis for AAA’s roadside assistance services," Apple says.

Thankfully, actually using the feature looks easy. "An intuitive interface, including a short questionnaire to capture important details, will transmit the information via satellite so AAA can message with the user directly and dispatch help to their exact location," Apple said via press release.

As for the new iPhones, they'll be available for preorder this Friday, September 15. The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will all be available to buy from September 22.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

The iPhone 14 Pro has been at the top of the Apple smartphone heap for roughly a year now, but it’s just been dethroned by the latest in Apple’s iPhone lineup — the iPhone 15 Pro. With a litany of new updates, features, and even a new look, the iPhone 15 Pro is the next generation of iPhone that refreshes more than last year’s model did over its predecessor.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t get an iPhone 14 Pro, even now that its predecessor is here. It may well get cheaper as the new device is released, and it's still got plenty of power where it counts. But that iPhone 15 Pro sure is a looker.

So, what happens when we put the two devices up against each other? Let’s find out.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro: Features and specs

Perhaps you want to know what’s in the latest iPhone Pro model so that you’ve got the ultimate bragging rights when you show off your new phone to your friends, or perhaps you want to know what iPhone is genuinely the stronger of the two, and whether the spec bumps make it worth the upgrade. Either way, there are some wicked specs in both, and we’ve compared the two in a helpful graph just below:

The iPhone 15 Pro is undeniably the more powerful of the two devices, but we’d be slightly concerned if that wasn’t the case, given a year's worth of tech advancements going in. While there are some big upgrades with the RAM and the processor, it’s the camera and battery improvements that will most readily make an impression when you first start using the handset.

That’s not to say that the iPhone 14 Pro has been completely stomped on — it is still a potent device, with loads of power on tap. Just not quite as much as the new one.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro: What's new? 

There have been a number of new features that have come to the iPhone 15 Pro, with some very cool extras when compared against last year's phone — and some interesting changes in the look of the device, too.

Action Button

In place of the traditional mute and ringer switch, there's now a new button called the Action Button. It's been taken almost verbatim from the Apple Watch Ultra, and it's got some great uses on the iPhone 15 Pro. You can use it to launch the camera, or even custom apps with Shortcuts. It has extra haptic feedback so that you know that you've pressed it, and seems almost infinitely customizable. It's got great potential as an accessibility feature, too.

Camera 

While the camera remains at 48MP, there are some other features that have been upgraded here. There is a much stronger image processor at its core, and there's a new style of zoom lens with Apple is calling the 'TetraPrism' lens. That bounces light around, and makes for some epic zooming possibilities — but you're only going to get it if you invest in the top-end iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 Pro does get a rather nifty update to the portrait mode, however, which will let you turn a landscape photo into a Portrait mode picture with bokeh effect after it's already been taken — whether it was taken as a Portrait shot initially or not.

Titanium finish

Another pre-show feature that was rumored and proved to be true was Apple’s adoption of titanium for the chassis of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, compared to the stainless steel shell present in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

There’s lots to love about this decision. Firstly, not only is titanium tougher than stainless steel, but it’s lighter too, and paired with the curvier design of the new Pro models, should result in a far more comfortable device when held in the hand. It also allows for the thinnest borders Apple has managed thus-far on its Pro device range.

Also, Apple’s gone the extra mile with the type of titanium used here. It’s a ‘Grade 5 titanium alloy’, a certain type of molecular compound that is so hardy it’s previously been used for the tough-as-nails Mars rover. So there’s a little bit of space-exploration design magic in your pocket. You’ll find the titanium iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in four striking colors — black, white, blue or a ‘natural’ metal finish, and each looks very ‘high-end’ indeed.

USB-C

The long-rumored, EU-mandated jump to USB-C for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max has taken place, and honestly? We’re here for it.

Compared to the iPhone 14 Pro’s Lightning connector, there are many benefits to the new introduction of USB-C. For starters, it’s an almost universally adopted cable standard now, with pretty much Apple’s entire gadget range supporting it. So if you’ve got a newish Mac or iPad, you’ve probably already got a USB-C charger laying around, letting you power and data transfer across one cable for all your devices.

It also unlocks lots of possibilities that Lightning wasn’t capable of, such as 20x faster transfer speeds compared to Lightning thanks to the adoption of the USB-3 standard, the ability to charge devices like AirPods from your iPhone itself, and record video direct to external storage drives. It’s a win for your phone, and eventually a win for the planet too, as more devices can share fewer chargers, saving on e-waste.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro: Processor

The iPhone 14 Pro last year was equipped with the A16 Bionic chip, the most powerful chip at the time to go into an iPhone. There is a big boost coming this year to iPhone 15 Pro, however, with the inclusion of the new 3nm product A17 Pro chip. This chip is not only more powerful, but it's more efficient too, which should lend it more staying power with a longer battery life, while also enabling high-end gaming experiences such as a full native port of Assassin's Creed Mirage. That's a AAA console title, giving you some indication of the potential GPU performance on display with this new handset.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro: Color choice

With the new titanium finish, there are some different color choices than you’ll have found with the iPhone 14 Pro. Instead of Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple, we’ve got Gray, Gray, More Gray, and Blue. These new colors are made to emphasize that stunning new titanium frame, and they look rather dashing while they’re at it.

We kid, but they are all variants of the titanium finish. The black option, called Black Titanium is a darker finish of gray, while the White Titanium is a much lighter grey. In the middle sits Natural Titanium, a nice mid-grey that shows the 'natural hue' of the Titanium.

These are completely different to the Stainless steel finishes of the iPhone 14 Pro, and they make the iPhone 15 Pro look a whole lot more premium.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro: Battery life

The iPhone 14 Pro has a battery life that is fine — it will get you through the day, and not much more than that. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, wants you to have an iPhone that lasts longer, with more efficiency that comes from that less power-hungry A17 Pro chip.

Apple does still only say 'all-day battery life', however, so it might not be all that different after all. We'll have to put this one through real-world testing before we make a decision, but everything's pointing to the iPhone 15 Pro seeing an improvement.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro: Which should you buy? 

You don’t have to worry about rumors anymore — we know what the next iPhone looks like. We’ve got all the specs, we’ve got all the pictures, we’ve got everything we need to see how it compares to its older siblings. That will help you make a more informed purchasing decision, and let you know whether you’ll want to preorder one or not.

There have been some massive spec boosts with the A17 Pro chip, as well as that new zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The titanium looks incredible, and the new color options look super premium to boot. It's not going to be a cheap phone, but there's no price hike on the $999 iPhone Pro, and only a $100 price increase with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, taking it to $1199. And that price bump isn't quite the whole story either, as the iPhone 15 Pro Max now starts at 256GB storage point, with $1199 being the same price as was set for that amount of storage in last year's 14 Pro Max.

Of course, you have to take into account that any iPhone 14 Pro Maxes around in retailers' store cupboards may receive discounts now, but given that you can get up to $1000 iPhone trade-in value at a bunch of different carriers for use against the new model, it might actually be cheaper to go with the new one.

If you want to get your mitts on one you're going to have to wait until Friday, September 15 for pre-orders that will ship out on September 22.

At the end of the day, however, if you want the latest iPhone or one that’s going to last you a long time, then there’s nothing better than the latest and greatest model.

Dynamic Island is coming to an iPhone 15 near you. Well, that’s if the rumors are to be believed. These state that the feature — which is Apple’s animated notch replacement — will not just appear on Pro models of the upcoming iPhone 15, it’ll be incorporated across the whole range.

This is an interesting move by Apple. With the iPhone 14 Pro, Dynamic Island was not only a ‘killer feature’ that separated the Pro from regular models, but it was also the biggest visual change to the hardware since the iPhone 12 redesign. 

We don't have long to see if this rumor turns out to be true, with Apple airing its 'Wonderlust' event in mere days on September 12.

But here’s the question: If you’re a buyer of the entry-level iPhone and are planning to get your hands on the 15, should you be excited? What has it been like using Dynamic Island for the past year? And is the future rosy for the feature?

Well, let’s find out.

All the potential in the world

When Apple first announced Dynamic Island, I was enthralled.

I’ve disliked notches on phones since, well, as long as companies have been putting notches on phones. I understand why manufacturers do it — increasing display real estate while having somewhere to fit the front-facing camera and other modules — but in all honesty? I’d prefer thicker bezels over that ugly, screen-ruining bump. 

Despite this, I came to accept the notch as part of phone ownership. As much as I dislike it, there’s nothing I can do to fight it — and it also helps that my brain stops noticing it after a while.

This is why I was so excited when Apple announced Dynamic Island. The idea was simple and elegant, a way of elevating the notch and making it genuinely useful.

Gimmick or gamechanger

When I first got my hands on the iPhone 14 Pro, Dynamic Island was the thing I was most excited to show people. From explaining how it could be used to check on timers, or how music could be controlled from it.

While this experience didn’t exactly invoke the “oohs” and “aahs” of wonder that early iPhones did, there was enough magic — and, importantly, novelty — in the feature to make it feel that Apple had created something both exciting and useful. 

This, I thought to myself at the time, is going to change phones for the better.

For the first couple of weeks, I went out of my way to use Dynamic Island, continuing to think of it as a delightful alternative to the notch.

Yet, as time marched on, things changed.

Hold on, it’s just a notch, right?

The first thing that began to bug me about Dynamic Island was how it’s always there. After a while, the notch disappeared — this hasn’t happened in the same way with Dynamic Island.

There are a few reasons for this. One is the fact it’s constantly shifting, changing size and shape depending on the task at hand, meaning my eye is continually drawn to it. Another is the fact Dynamic Island sits lower on the display than the notch and has a gap at the top, which causes it to stand out more. 

To put that another way, while the notch melts into the background, Dynamic Island remains front of mind. 

This would be acceptable if Dynamic Island was something I used constantly, but after those first few weeks, I stopped engaging with it. Probably the only thing I use it for regularly is navigating back to the phone screen when I look something up while chatting with someone.

For any other task — whether that’s setting a timer or controlling music — I’ll use other methods, whether that’s Control Center or flicking through apps.

In his piece for this site, John-Anthony Disotto wrote he hoped that Dynamic Island wouldn’t become another Touch Bar. Unfortunately, I think that wish is dashed. There are undoubted parallels between the two, with neither being awful, but still not offering a better way of doing things than features that came before.

To sum all this up? I wouldn’t get too excited if you’re buying an iPhone 15 for Dynamic Island alone.

What’s the future for Dynamic Island?

The chatter is in full force, with the current rumor being that Apple will ditch Dynamic Island with the iPhone 16.

And its replacement? Well, that’s expected to be under display cameras.

This has been touted for several years now, with noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo putting serious credence behind the rumor. The thought is that the iPhone’s front-facing camera lens and Face ID will actually sit beneath the screen, being basically invisible while using the device. This means the iPhone will have an uninterrupted display — something we’ve not seen in flagship models since the iPhone 8.

To me, this shows the perception of Dynamic Island, both inside and outside of Apple. This isn’t a beloved feature that people want to continue, it’s a necessary evil that people will tolerate until something better comes along.

Of course, nothing is confirmed yet. Because of the intense technical challenges of under-display cameras, we may not see this technology until closer to the iPhone 18. However long it takes, though, it seems the experts agree on one thing: the days of Dynamic Island are numbered.

Even though I’ve become less enamored with the feature, I do live in hope. Maybe, just maybe, someone inside Apple or a third-party developer will come up with an incredible reason to use the Dynamic Island. 

But I’m not holding my breath.

It turns out that if something looks like a notch, is used like a notch, but is called Dynamic Island, it’s still a notch.

Due to some creative thinking and the impressive camera of the iPhone 14 Pro, a prosthetics company has managed to create brand new customized prosthetics for dogs who need a little extra support. 

As relying too heavily on a single leg can lead to back and joint problems later in the dog’s life, getting custom prosthetics can alleviate some of the pain they may have down the line. Apple, seeing both a great story and some nice marketing, have shown off exactly how this works. 

Some 3D help

In this Apple YouTube video, the company shows off Trip’s story — a dog with physical deformities so severe that the vet originally had him considered for euthanasia. The owner talked to 3DPets, a prosthetic builder, to see if they could help him out. 

With an iPhone 14 Pro, 3D Pets use the LiDAR scanner and TrueDepth camera to build a 3D model of the pets they work on. From here, they hand design prosthetics that work for the specific build and shape of the dog. This then gets 3D printed and fits onto a harness which the dog wears. Tech reporter and YouTuber, Marques Brownlee, chatted to the team and gave a more in-depth on how it works.

On the 3DPets site, you have to fill out a form to find out if your pet is a good candidate for the process. In there, it asks important questions like what type of animal it is, what type of device it needs, and, most importantly, its name. It gets more in-depth as you get on until you are sending pictures of the affected area so they get an idea of what will be needed to help your pet out. 

Though it takes 4-5 weeks to get them made, the prosthetics have a shock absorbing foot and guarantee a perfect fit. According to the FAQ, prices start at $1500 but potential customers can opt for a payment plan. 

Hopefully, this tech will get better and more widely used with the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max due to their more impressive camera and specs later this year. 

It's probably fair to say that the multi-millionaire soccer players at Manchester City can afford the best iPhones without too much trouble. But what do you do when you've more money than taste? You buy a custom iPhone that looks like it came from Wish.

The custom handsets in question appear to be iPhone 14 Pros, and were handed out to members of the Manchester City team, as well as manager Pepe Guardiola, and the club's owner, by Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne. Each has the recipient's name and the club's logo engraved on the back.

The iPhones were created by iDesign Gold, a company that De Bruyne says he has been working with for years. Maybe the company gave him a discount.

Is that white gold?

While the MailOnline report doesn't confirm what the iPhones are made of, it appears to be white gold — it's surely not silver given the price and the iDesign Gold company name.

Ben Lyons, iDesign Gold CEO, and creative director told MailOnline that 'our vision is to empower individuals to embrace their individuality, express their unique style and make a bold statement in the digital world which is why we were honored to work with Kevin."

The iPhones were handed out to commemorate City's impressive achievement of winning the Premier League, Champions League, and the FA Cup in the same season. 

De Bruyne isn't the first to hand out gold iPhones of course. Argentinian world cup winner and new MLS star Lionel Messi did the same earlier this year to celebrate his country's success in Qatar.

Whether or not you like how these custom iPhones look — and make no mistake, they're horrid — there's no denying that they're going to be out of date in a matter of weeks.

The new iPhone 15 Pro will join the iPhone 15 models as soon as next month, with an announcement event likely to happen on September 12.

With Apple getting ready to announce the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups as soon as next month, people appear to be changing their buying decisions in terms of the current lineup.

According to newly-shared display revenue figures, the iPhone 14 has become the best-selling OLED phone as of Q2 2023. That spot went to the iPhone 14 Pro Max as recently as the first quarter of the year, but Apple's best iPhone now finds itself slipping down the list — even falling below the budget iPhone 13.

As for why that's happening, it's likely that customers of Apple's high-end iPhones are choosing to wait for the new models to arrive in September. Those who would normally shop towards the mid-range continue to buy, however.

All change

This is all based on figures shared by the analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) and picked up by WCCFTech, which show that the iPhone 14 represented 15.3% of the AMOLED revenue share during Q2 2023. The iPhone 13 sat at 11.1% and the iPhone 14 Pro Max came in third at 10.7%.

Compare that with the previous quarter, and things make for interesting reading.

In Q1 2023, the iPhone 14 Pro Max took 20.1% of the market, while the iPhone 14 Pro sat at 15.6%. The iPhone 13 was third with 7.8% and the iPhone 14 — the current heavy hitter — was right down in 7,7%.

If Pro iPhone buyers are waiting for the new handsets to arrive, that could help Apple post bumper sales towards the end of 2023. But things aren't as good for the competition. Samsung has the only non-Apple device in the top five in terms of OLED display panel revenue with its own flagship device, the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 lineups in the middle of September, likely alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

I’ve been an iPhone user since the iPhone 3GS launched back in 2009, and every year since I’ve enjoyed the latest design iterations that have followed.

I’ve loved some more than others, such as the iPhone 11 Pro which is the pinnacle of iPhone design, in my opinion, while the current chassis, from iPhone 12 to 14 Pro, has been a genuine nightmare to use.

I’m very susceptible to wrist and hand pains, and the last three years of owning the Pro iPhones have led to me hating using my phone, despite having all the best features possible. 

The sharp edges from the boxy design alongside the premium stainless steel enclosure that make the iPhone 14 Pro weigh as much as an adult hamster (yes, I googled things that weigh 7 ounces) honestly make using my iPhone a chore.

This year, I’m yet again left at a crossroads where I don’t want to upgrade, but my poor hands are begging for a change, and that’s either going to be in the form of the iPhone 15 Pro or by looking beyond Apple’s walled garden.

The iPhone 15 Pro could be my dream iPhone

When I think about my favorite iPhones of all time, they all happen to have a curved design that feels ergonomic and comfy to hold. Even the iPhone X and 11 Pro, which adopted a stainless steel design and made the iPhone heavier than ever, still felt manageable due to their curves and sense of understanding what a user wants for a device held in their hand eight hours a day.

Then the iPhone 12 arrived, and everything went wrong for me. Apple decided that “Pro” users need premium materials that make the device look gorgeous but add to the weight of the phone in your hand. 

But now, things could be changing, and I can’t wait. If iPhone 15 Pro leaks are true, then the best iPhones are getting a new chassis and, with that, a brand new material, titanium. Titanium grade 5, to be exact, is likely to reduce the weight of the Pro iPhones substantially, and with the curved edges that are rumored, there could finally be a comfortable flagship iPhone again.

For those unaware, titanium grade 5 is used in the aviation industry, and whenever I read statements like that, I don’t really know what it means - I’m led to believe that this means it’s incredibly strong and perfectly light. I am a big fan of titanium in glasses, with my current pair honestly feels like wearing contact lenses, they are so light that I often have to check if my eyesight has suddenly been restored or if I’m still as blind as ever just with very light glasses on my head.

I went to the Apple Store recently, and when comparing all of the iPhone 14 models side by side, it’s clear as day to me that my ideal iPhone is the iPhone 14 Plus. It has the largest screen available, and thanks to the “less premium” aluminum found on the device, it doesn’t feel like you're lugging a brick around in your hand like the 14 Pro Max.

Apple seems to think that Pro models need to have fancy materials and dull colors, but I would argue there should never have been a stainless steel squared-off iPhone, to begin with. It’s a beautiful piece of kit, but go from an iPhone 14 Pro to a regular iPhone 14, and you’ll be shocked at how much better the lighter and “less premium” device feels.

Time for (yet another) upgrade?

Last year when I purchased my iPhone 14 Pro, I told myself that this would be the last iPhone I buy for a while. Every year I upgrade, and usually, after the novelty wears off, I forget what made this new iPhone better than my last one.

But as rumors start to surface and leaks of potential titanium curved frames come to light, I can’t help but feel like this is the year I need to upgrade.

If an iPhone 15 Pro lets me have all the same functionality as my iPhone 14 Pro with better hardware and a lighter chassis, then I owe it to myself and my aching hands to upgrade, and yet again put my faith in Apple that they’ve finally made an ergonomic iPhone again.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro went on sale on September 16, 2022. That means that the earliest most people could have bought one was less than 11 months ago. Yet a ton of people report that their batteries are already starting to show serious signs of degradation.

A number of people have been taking to social media in recent weeks to note how bad their batteries have gotten. Not in terms of how long they last, necessarily, but how bad their iPhones report their battery health to be. After less than 11 months some are finding figures below 90%.

Whatever's going on, it doesn't seem to be affecting everyone. My iPhone 14 Pro Max reports a battery health of 95%. But there have been plenty of people with much lower figures, and they'll only get worse.

Going down fast

People complaining on Twitter about Apple is nothing new of course. But sometimes their complaints have merit. Like the one from AppleTrack's Sam Kohl whose iPhone 14 Pro is fast on its way to needing a new battery. He wasn't alone, with people in the replies noting figures that were just as bad, too. Some were worse — one commenter shared a screenshot with the 87% figure.

It isn't just on Twitter, either. I've seen people complain of similarly poor battery health on Mastodon as well. And again, these are iPhones that are less than 11 months old, surely they should be lasting longer than this?

As for why new iPhone battery health is proving so problematic, one guess points to the extremely hot summer in some parts of the world. Another option is that the batteries themselves just aren't up to the usual standard. Whatever the reason, there are going to be a lot of iPhones that need new batteries relatively soon.

Unless their owners upgrade to a new iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro, that is.

Festival-goers found that they were causing chaos for emergency responders after it turned out that their iPhones thought that they were dancing too much.

During this year’s Bonaroo Festival, it's reported that were about five times the number of false 911 calls than average, although Director of Coffee County 911 Communication Center Scott LeDuc did at least confirm that the calls don't seem to have impacted responders' ability to do their jobs.

It's thought that the iPhone's Crash Detection feature was to blame, with phones calling for emergency services because people's dancing was enough to make them think a collision had occurred.

False crash detection

WKRN reports that 911 calls were triggered at a rate previously unseen, with alerts sent to people in the area in an attempt to get them to turn off the Crash Detection feature. Doing so did appear to reduce the number of calls emergency workers received. “It probably reduced it 40 to 60%,” LeDuc told the news outlet.

“Our employees really stepped up, as first responders always do really step up in the line of duty and they did,” LeDuc said. “And we didn’t have any situation where we couldn’t help someone because of the amount of calls.”

Crash Detection is a feature that's baked into the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro as well as the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra. It's designed to call for emergency services when the owner is unable to, but it's been known to place false calls since it was introduced in late 2022. Apple has tweaked the system in an attempt to reduce unwanted calls, but it would appear that there is still a way to go.

Looking to upgrade to your own iPhone 14? Cast your eyes over our selection of the best Prime Day iPhone deals before you place your order.

We've seen plenty of stories about Apple Watches helping to save lives in recent years, but now it's the turn of the iPhone 14.

According to reports a woman who fell and broke her leg while hiking in Tujunga, California, found that she was unable to call for help because she didn't have an active cellular connection. However, she was still able to summon assistance thanks to her iPhone's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature.

"We tried to get a hold of 911 but there was no service on our phones," the woman said in an interview. "Thankfully, my phone has that SOS satellite feature that was able to connect to... I'm assuming satellites."

Emergency SOS

That feature is of course Emergency SOS via satellite, one that uses low-orbit satellites to transmit data even when there is no traditional cellular connection available.

ABC7 reports that the woman is now recovering at home after being found thanks to her iPhone 14. In fact, it's said that this was local emergency services' third "iPhone rescue" of the year so far.

Emergency SOS via Satellite is available on all of Apple's current best iPhones, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. It's only available in select countries however, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Portugal.

We can also expect all of Apple's future iPhones to support the same feature, with the iPhone 15 lineup set to be announced later this year — likely in or around September.

This isn't the first time that Emergency SOS via Satellite has helped save someone, of course. A man stranded in Alaska used the feature in December 2022, for example. A couple was also rescued via helicopter in the same month.

Apple's iPhone 14 is the company's latest and greatest in all-things iPhone, and there’s no doubt that there’s a lot to love. However, those who have been looking forward to another ‘mini’ size phone are going to be disappointed, as Apple has eliminated the 5.4-inch iPhone from the lineup, though the iPhone 13 mini still remains for sale. 

The iPhone was unveiled during the "Far Out" event in September 2022, along with the Apple Watch Series 8, rugged Apple Watch Ultra, and revamped AirPods Pro 2 earbuds. While other phones in the lineup bring hot new features -- such as the Dynamic Island and the new Apple A16 chip -- the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are modest upgrades over the iPhone 13. That said, they're faster, offer greater storage, and bring a new degree of polish to a familiar friend.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new iPhone 14, which is set to be the best iPhone yet.

iPhone 14 latest news (updated June 20)

• As of June 21, the iPhone 14 is eligible for Apple's new Self Service Repair program (along with more Macs). The system ensures that repairs made by users have been completed correctly and that the parts are working properly.
• If you're using Apple's "My Photo Stream" service to sync photos between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, start making plans for what comes next: Apple is killing the My Photo Stream feature in July 2023.
• There's a brand new iPhone 14 color in the lineup: a lemon yellow iPhone as warm as pudding and just and as tasty to the eye.

iPhone 14 models and sizes

The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 14 Plus measures 6.7-inches, and together they're the entry level iPhones perfect for most users. The big brother iPhone Pro and it's flagship friend, the iPhone Pro Max, offer additional bells and whistles for the bleeding edge crowd. Here's the complete lineup:  

iPhone 14 design, colors, and display

The iPhone 14's design hasn't changed compared to the previous model, with updates instead reserved for the internals. However, it comes in six colors; Midnight, Purple, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Yellow, and Blue.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus both have an updated internal design that gives them better thermal performance, so they should not get as warm during use or charging as previous iPhones. 

The Super Retina XDR displays use OLED technology with up to 1200 nits of peak HDR brightness, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and support for Dolby Vision graphics. the iPhone 14 has a display resolution of 2532‑by‑1170-pixels at 460 ppi, while the iPhone 14 Plus has a display resolution of 2778‑by‑1284-pixels at 458 ppi.

The Ceramic Shield front glass returns, which is exclusive to Apple's iPhone devices and won't be found on any other smartphone on the market. The Ceramic Shield keeps the display safe from common spills and accidents that involve water and dust. The iPhone 14 is also rated IP68, giving it a water resistance of up to 6 meters for 30 minutes. 

However, it's important to note that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will continue to have the notch that has been present since the iPhone X.

iPhone 14 processor, storage, and RAM

iPhone 14 will continue to use the A15 Bionic chip that is in the iPhone 13 lineup. This means a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores, and four efficiency cores, along with the 16-core Neural Engine. It also has a 5-core GPU for high-performance gaming and graphics, and it powers the new Photonic Engine. 

Both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. 

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus both feature upgraded RAM, with 6GB as opposed to 4GB in the iPhone 13. This will improve performance when it comes to multitasking and running multiple apps. 

iPhone 14 camera

While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus still have a 12MP camera system, both have larger sensors and larger pixels than previous iPhones, so it is still an improvement (just not as big of one as the iPhone 14 Pro). It also has a new front-facing TrueDepth camera system and Ultra Wide lens and introduced the new Photonic Engine for vast improvements in low light performance.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have two rear 12MP cameras:

12MP Main: 26 mm, ƒ/1.5 aperture, sensor‑shift optical image stabilization, seven‑element lens, 100% Focus Pixels

12MP Ultra Wide: 13 mm, ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view, five‑element lens

The front-facing camera is a 12MP camera with ƒ/1.9 aperture and autofocus. 

The new Photonic Engine is deeply integrated into the hardware and software, improving the overall quality of both mid to low-light photos across all cameras. This means up to 2x on the Ultra Wide camera, 2x on the TrueDepth camera, and 2.5x on the main Wide camera. Photonic Engine makes the improved quality possible by applying computational photographic features like Deep Fusion earlier in the imaging process. The end result should deliver incredible detail, preserve subtle textures, have better coloring, and preserve more overall data in a photo.

Some of the new specs of the dual-lens camera system on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus include a larger ƒ/1.5 aperture and 1.9 µm pixels on the main Wide camera. This improves lighting in all photos and has more detail, motion freezing, less noise, and faster exposure times. It also has optical image stabilization. The TrueDepth camera has a ƒ/1.9 aperture for improved low-light capture for both photos and video. There is also autofocus for the first time.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus also now have a new Action mode, allowing users to capture incredibly smooth video that will automatically adjust to shakes, motion, and vibrations. The Ultra Wide camera has low-light improvements, and the True Tone flash is 10% brighter with improved uniformity. Cinematic mode is now available in 4K at 30fps and 4K at 24fps, and there is also end-to-end Dolby Vision HDR. It can also record 4K video at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, 1080p HD video at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, and 720p HD video at 30 fps.

iPhone 14 battery, charging, and MagSafe

The iPhone 14 features a 3,279 mAh battery, while the iPhone 14 Plus features a 4,325 mAh battery. The former is a slight improvement on the iPhone 13, there wasn't an iPhone 13 Plus to compare to the new model.

Apple says that the iPhone 14 (6.1-inch) has a battery that's good for up to 20 hours of video playback, 16 hours of streaming, or 80 hours of audio playback. It also has fast charge that can deliver 50% in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher (sold separately). 

The larger iPhone 14 Plus delivers a whopping 26 hours of video playback, 20 hours of streaming, or 100 hours of audio, and the same fast-charging capabilities. Of course, real-world use is likely to differ somewhat from Apple's official figures. 

Both support MagSafe charging up to 15W and standard wireless charging up to 7.5W. Like iPhone 13 the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus also support magnetic MagSafe accessories such as cases and battery packs from both Apple and third-party vendors. 

The iPhone 14 retains the Lightning connector from previous models. 

iPhone 14 Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite

Apple is adding Crash Detection to the iPhone 14 as a new safety feature. Thanks to a new dual-core accelerometer, which can detect G-force measurements up to 256 Gs, as well as a high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection is also included in the new Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2. With Crash Detection, the iPhone can detect a severe car crash as it happens, and automatically dial emergency services, which is especially helpful if the user is unconscious or unable to get to their iPhone. The new accelerometer and gyroscope are built on top of other existing components, like the barometer, which can now detect cabin pressure changes, GPS for speed changes, and the microphone, which can recognize loud noises that are associated with car crashes.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro now have satellite connectivity, but only for emergency services. With Emergency SOS via satellite, users can get through to emergency services even if they are out of range of cellular and Wi-Fi networks. With this feature, the iPhone will prompt the user with some questions, then guide them on where to point the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro to in the sky in order to connect to the nearest satellite. The initial questions and follow-up messages are also relayed to a nearby emergency center staffed by Apple-trained specialists, who can then call for help on behalf of the user. The satellite connectivity can also be used for Find My when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi signal.

Emergency SOS via satellite launches in the U.S. and Canada in November 2022, though it will be a subscription-based service. However, with the purchase of an iPhone 14, the service will be available free for two years.

iPhone 14 5G and eSIM

The iPhone 14 continues to use 5G (sub‑6 GHz and mmWave), but it will also move to eSIM. This means no more SIM card trays on all U.S. models of iPhone as they move forward with eSIM only. Theoretically, this should make it easier to switch cellular plans and providers. Currently, it is used by carriers to lock your device to its network. The iPhone 14 has Dual eSIM support. 

iPhone 14 price and availability

The iPhone 14 was released on September 16, and the iPhone 14 Plus on October October 7. It is widely available.  

iOS 16

The operating system software that powers the iPhone 14 is called iOS 16, and it's one of the most significant software updates for the iPhone in recent years -- which explains why 81% of all iPhones are currently using it, and 90% of all iPhones  introduced within the last four years. Unveiled at Apple's WWDC last year and released Sept. 12, iOS 16 offers a slew of important new features for iPhone users. And although iOS 17 was announced and offered for developers at WWDC 2023, iOS 16 is software most of us should continue using.

iOS 17

Apple unveiled iOS 17 at WWDC 2023 in June, teasing some of the software updates coming to iPhone 15 and the rest of Apple's lineup later this year. iOS 17 is bringing some cool updates to the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, as well as AirDrop, and autocorrect. There's a fab new StandBy mode for landscape charging, a new Journal app to help you appreciate life, and changes to Safari. 

All the talk right now is understandably about everything announced at WWDC 2023. The Vision Pro headset, the 15-inch MacBook Air, and finally the arrival of a Mac Pro running Apple silicon. And then there's all the software, too.

But sometimes it's important to look back at some of the big announcements that have been and gone. Like that of the iPhone 14 Pro and more specifically, the Dynamic Island. Because that was going to be the next big thing and while the iPhone's launch in September 2022 saw plenty of new apps adopt it, what's happened since?

The iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island has been tragically underused. And I think Apple knows it.

The most dynamic iPhone yet

The Dynamic Island, let's remember, is the area around the selfie camera at the top of Apple's best iPhones. It's a place where apps can display information without taking over the entire screen, and it's pretty great.

Apple's own apps and of course iOS use the Dynamic Island, and there are plenty of App Store apps that use it as well. But they all seemed to arrive in a flurry around the launch of the new iPhones, as you'd expect.

Since then? It's all gone quiet and WWDC 2023 didn't really help on the face of it. The iOS 17 update pretty much ignores the Dynamic Island, too. Except for one particular video that might tell us a lot about Apple's own thoughts on the feature.

That video is called "Design dynamic Live Activities" and, as the same suggests, it's all about showing developers how to make the best of Live Activities — including the Dynamic Island.

In that video, we get to see some wonderful examples of what makes a great Live Activity including some that live in the Dynamic Island. Apple explains how developers can make their Dynamic Island Live Activities look and work in a way that follows best practices, all while hopefully encouraging more developers to make better use of one of the iPhone 14 Pro's best features. And with rumors claiming the iPhone 15 will also get the same feature, it stands to reason that it would.

If anything, I suggest that this video shows that Apple is well aware that the Dynamic Island hasn't quite gone as far as it had hoped or expected. And with this developer session, it hopes to kickstart everything once again. And if that's the case, we all win.

Useful features, not gimmicks

As with any feature we saw the Dynamic Island become something of a gimmick in the way some third-party apps used it towards the end of 2022. It's now time that we saw a new wave of apps, all giving us glanceable information in the way this video shows.

Will we get it? That's up to Apple as much as it is the developers of the apps we use every day. But the lack of a focus on the Dynamic Island with iOS 17 is a concern for some. And they're right to be concerned. Because without apps that use it, the Dynamic Island will just become a notch by another name. Taking up space at the top of our iPhones that could be used for something useful.

Maybe apps could put information up there. Maybe they wouldn't even need to be running for that to happen, and they could update that information when needed as well.

Now then. That'd be pretty cool, wouldn't it?

Foxconn is the company tasked with building many of Apple's new products every year. One factory in particular is likely to be responsible for churning out the best iPhones of the year when the iPhone 15 Pro models go on sale, and it's already splashing the cash to get ready.

The Zhengzhou facility, the largest iPhone manufacturing plant on the planet and often referred to as "iPhone City," has reportedly offered increased bonuses to staff in an attempt to ensure that it has enough bodies on hand come iPhone 15 release time later this year. In fact, it's increased those bonuses thrice in a matter of weeks.

The reason? Foxconn seems determined to ensure that it doesn't have a repeat of 2022's fiasco that saw Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro model almost impossible to buy thanks to a global shortage. A shortage caused by iPhone City.

Money talks

According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report, "new employees will be entitled to receive bonuses of up to 3,000 yuan (US$424) for at least 90 days of work at the factory." Existing workers "can obtain a referral bonus of 500 yuan."

That comes on the back of not one but two previous hikes. "For example, the highest loyalty bonus for new recruits who remain employed for three months was increased to 2,500 yuan on May 22 from 2,000 yuan on May 3," the SCMP reports.

With the Zhengzhou plant the only one able to produce iPhone 14 Pro models, late 2022 saw a shortage of handsets caused by worker unrest and ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns at the factory. Apple has since been on a drive to move manufacturing and assembly away from China wherever possible.

It now appears that Foxconn is keen to ensure there are no shortages when demand for the iPhone 15 lineup is at its highest — the weeks following an expected mid-September 2023 release.

The Zhengzhou factory can house hundreds of thousands of employees at any one time, but 2022's mess appears to have boxed Foxconn into a corner — and it's willing to spend some of its Apple millions to find a way out.

Buyers of Apple's iPhones are paying more than ever according to a new report that looks at the average selling price of models sold in the United States.

As Apple gets ready to replace the iPhone 14 lineup with what will be the best iPhone to date, the iPhone 15, it appears that nobody told customers that — the average selling price of iPhones during the last quarter reached an impressive $988.

To put that into perspective, the quarter in question is normally a challenging one for Apple with customers choosing to buy cheaper models this far into a model's life cycle.

Biggest number ever

CIRP reports that the $988 figure is also the biggest since it started collecting such information back in 2015, with the March 2023 quarter's showing being unprecedented.

"Both conventional wisdom and historic data shows that later buyers of new iPhones are more value oriented, shying away from the most expensive models," CIRP's report says. "The weighted average retail price of iPhones sold in the US (US-WARP) has declined in the March quarter every year since we started calculating it in 2015."

The report goes on to note that people might not actually be handing over that much cash when they pick up their new iPhone, however. While the sticker price is closer to $1,000 than ever before, people are getting deals on the back end.

"Of course, trade-ins and other promotions allow many iPhone buyers to spend considerably less than that, but they are taking home phones with an average sticker price of almost $1,000," the report points out.

Trade-ins are a great way to save some money on a new Apple product, not just iPhones. And it also ensures that the devices don't wind up in a drawer and unused or worse, in a landfill. Apple will also accept trade-ins of devices from other companies, although the values may vary.

It's taken a lot longer than many would have liked but the Uber Eats is finally going to support an iOS 16 feature that's been around since late 2022.

While the Uber app already supports Live Activities as well as the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island, it's only now that the Uber Eats app is getting in on the act. Live Activities support was already available to a limited number of testers, but the feature is now rolling out to anyone who wants to use it.

The new feature will reportedly become available to everyone over the next week or so, but you'll need to have the latest version of the Uber Eats app installed from the App Store in order to use it.

Better late than never

Live Activities support will mean that people will see real-time tracking and updating of their order, doing away with the need for the app to send multiple push notifications throughout the course of the order — a new one arriving whenever something changes.

All iOS 16-compatible iPhones will be able to use the Live Activities portion of the feature, while those who have Apple's best iPhones will also see Uber Eats make use of the Dynamic Island for the first time. Those iPhone 14 Pro owners who also have their Always-On Display enabled will see their Live Activity at all time as well.

In the case of the Uber Eats app, MacRumors reports that users can expect to see information like the driver's name, their photo, their expected time of arrival, and more.

More and more apps are now taking advantage of Live Activities, although it isn't clear why it's taken so long.

If you aren't yet seeing the updated order tracking system, hang fire. Hopefully the next time you place an order you'll be treated to Live Activities support as well.

Apple and Samsung have been competing for the best smartphone crown for a while now. Given how good both companies' flagship phones are, it can be confusing to pick one of the two. Samsung recently launched the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which goes up against the iPhone 14 Pro. Samsung's new flagship brings in fresh hardware, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 based on a 4nm process, and an improved camera system that hopes to take on the iPhone 14 Pro. Here's our breakdown of the iPhone 14 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and which one you should pick!

iPhone 14 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications

Both these phones pack in a bunch of great hardware and are very impressive on paper. While specifications aren't the be-all-end-all, they can be helpful in gaining perspective on what you can expect from a phone. Here's how the iPhone 14 and the S23 Ultra stack against each other.

Apple and Samsung both have multiple phones in their lineups, and the iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra reside on the upper end of these lineups. The iPhone 14 Pro is more compact, with a 6.1-inch screen and a weight of 206g. On the other hand, the S23 Ultra is a behemoth, with its Note-like sizing thanks to the 6.8-inch screen and a weight of 234g. The two phones definitely share an appeal, though, and are worth comparing. Let's dive into how they compare in all the key aspects.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra design and hardware: Feature-packed glass sandwiches

The iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are both glass sandwiches, so there's not too much in terms of design setting them apart. The two phones, however, have distinct personalities. Both phones have classy, understated designs. The iPhone 14 carries over the design of the 13 Pro, but you get the Dynamic Island up front instead of the regular notch. The S23 Ultra remains mostly unchanged from the S22 Ultra. The S23 Ultra has a curved screen and frame, compared to the iPhone 14 Pro's flat edges.

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and the S23 are well-built. The iPhone 14 Pro has a stainless steel frame, while the S23 Ultra has an aluminum body. The iPhone has the advantage here thanks to the stronger steel frame, but the S23 Ultra manages to be only slightly heavier due to the use of aluminum, despite its much larger footprint. The iPhone 14 Pro's CeramicShield glass and the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the S23 Ultra should perform similarly, offering solid shatter resistance.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a much larger phone. Samsung's flagships always have some of the best displays you can get on phones, and the S23 Ultra is no different. It comes with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 14 Pro gets a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, also running at 120Hz. The S23 Ultra's display goes up to 1200 nits, with a peak brightness of 1750 nits. The iPhone's display is a little brighter, with a typical brightness of 1000 nits and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. The S23 Ultra has a higher pixel density of 500 ppi, versus the iPhone 14 Pro's 460 ppi. Overall, these two displays stack up really well against each other, and it depends upon your size preference.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra performance, features, and software

Apple has had good mobile chips for a while now, while Android phones have mostly played catch-up. However, now, we're in an era where despite the performance differences, both platforms have chips that are good enough for most users to not notice the difference. The iPhone 14 Pro comes with Apple's latest A16 Bionic, made with a 4nm process. The S23 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, also made with a 4nm process. With regard to performance numbers, the two chips tend to match up pretty evenly, with the 8 Gen 2 beating the A16 Bionic in some benchmarks, and vice versa.

Coming to battery life, the hardware on offer is drastically different. You get a 5000mAh battery with the S23 Ultra, while the iPhone 14 Pro comes with a 3200mAh battery. The difference in battery life reflects these figures. As noted in GSMArena's battery endurance ratings, the iPhone 14 Pro clocks in at 86 hours, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra is able to go up to 126 hours. Overall, while the iPhone 14 Pro has a decent battery life, the S23 Ultra beats it by a comfortable margin.

The iPhone 14 Pro comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants. The Galaxy S23 Ultra gets 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Samsung has lowered the entry point by giving two versions of the 256GB model, one with 8GB RAM and another with 12GB. Apple, on the other hand, does that by selling a 128GB model.

The iPhone 14 Pro comes with iOS 16, which is good, but one of the weaker iOS versions we've seen. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is running Android 13 with One UI 5.1. Android 13 is a pretty good iteration of the operating system, and OneUI 5.1 adds Samsung's bits and pieces to the platform, making for a solid user experience. iPhone 14 Pro is marginally better here, though, thanks to the long-term reliability of iOS, and the Dynamic Island, which is a great new UI change. Samsung is promising four OS upgrades, which is considerably lower than Apple's typical software upgrade coverage.

The iPhone 14 Pro also wins out on the software front because of a few unique features. First off is emergency SOS via satellite, which lets you text emergency services in the absence of a cell signal. You also get Crash Detection, a nifty feature that can detect if you have been in a crash, and contact emergency on your behalf.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra cameras: Apple maintains its edge

Camera is a never-ending debate between the iPhone and Samsung flagships. This time around, it gets close, but Apple manages to keep its edge. 

Talking about the hardware, the S23 Ultra brings a stronger set on paper. You get a 200MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide, a 10MP telephoto camera, a 10MP periscope telephoto, and a 12MP front camera. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro has the biggest upgrade to the iPhone camera system in a long time. It packs in a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, a 12MP telephoto camera, and a dual-lens 12MP front camera. 

The iPhone 14 Pro emerges as the winner in the majority of the camera tests. One area where the S23 has an advantage is with the telephoto zoom. The S23 Ultra will get you up to 10x optical zoom, whereas the iPhone only has 3x optical zoom. The S23 Ultra also gets 8K video support, which the iPhone is lacking. Despite that, the overall video performance of the iPhone 14 Pro is better than that of the S23 Ultra.

It all comes down to image processing, which is still the iPhone's forte. You get better colors, and while both camera setups produce great night mode images, the iPhone often produces better output. That doesn't mean the S23 Ultra doesn't do a great job. Both phones have fantastic camera setups, but if camera quality is your top priority, the iPhone 14 Pro is the way to go.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which should you buy?

As usual, this isn't an easy question to answer. Both S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro are excellent phones and go toe to toe in most aspects. Which one you pick mostly comes down to your preference for software, and your budget.

While the S23 has solid software and offers four OS version upgrades, iOS has an advantage with its track record of supporting iPhones for much longer periods. If battery life is your priority, you should go for the S23 Ultra. On the other hand, if you want to take a lot of photos and videos with your phone, and expect the best performance, the iPhone 14 Pro is the right one for you. Overall performance is pretty great on both phones. 

The iPhone 14 Pro is the best iPhone you can get. The biggest difference between it and the S23 Ultra is the pricing. The iPhone starts at $999, while the S23 Ultra starts at $1,199. While these two phones have some differences, the iPhone 14 Pro is a better value for the money and it can be further reduced with the many iPhone 14 Pro deals around. The Galaxy S23 Ultra wins out in some categories and the iPhone 14 Pro in some others, but the S23 Ultra costs considerably more.

The S23 Ultra thus remains as the better bet only if you're willing to pay for a bigger screen, better battery life, or have a strong preference for Android. For everybody else, the iPhone 14 Pro is the phone to buy, 

We've already heard that Mario isn't coming to the iPhone 14 anymore, but what does his creator have to say about Apple kit?

In an interview with CNET about the Super Mario movie (that new one with Chris Pratt in it, not the Dennis Hopper one), Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed that he's a big fan of Apple. This, coming after the news that Nintendo would be ending its Super Mario experiment on the iPhone, is extremely interesting, especially after what Miyamoto says about the similarities between Nintendo and Apple.

So while we may not see the jolly jumping Italian plumber on Apple hardware again soon, it says something for the future of Nintendo software on Apple hardware.

Deeply integrated

In the interview, Miyamoto tells us that he has "an iPhone for work and an iPhone for personal use, and I have an iPad for work and I have iPad for work use." That's more than twice the iPhones and iPads that most of us have – he's about as integrated into the Apple ecosystem as one can be. What's interesting however is how he sees the two companies as similar entities, with shared interests and goals.

"I really feel like the way that Apple thinks of things and the way Nintendo approaches things has a commonality," Miyamoto tells CNET. He talks about giving users unique experiences, in Nintendo's case those beyond just gaming, such as DS software that guides users through the Louvre in Paris.

In extension to this, he talks about how he compares the iPhone and his own Nintendo Switch. Both are mobile devices, and both can play games, but Miyamoto sees how much bigger the mobile gaming market is on devices that everyone has in their pockets, rather than just a few with a Nintendo Switch. "there's just no comparing the number of install base of smart devices compared to gaming devices," he says. So while we may not see any more Mario for the best iPhones, it looks like Nintendo's top dogs still see the potential in the iPhone for Nintendo experiences.

And if you're interested, Miyamoto uses an iPhone 13 Pro – maybe he's waiting for his contract to come to an end.

When I first saw the iPhone 14 Pro in September 2022, I was beyond excited about the Dynamic Island. The merging of hardware and software to create something magical felt like Apple at its best, and I couldn’t wait to get the device into my hands.

When launch day came around, and I finally got to switch on my Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro, I was immediately excited by the look of the new “notch.” I tried out all of Apple’s first-party compatible apps. I listened to Music with the waveform in the Dynamic Island, for example, and I couldn’t wait to show my girlfriend how cool timers on my new iPhone were, integrating seamlessly into the pill-shaped blob at the top of my phone.

Now, six months later, I’m left looking at my iPhone, wondering why the Dynamic Island I was so excited about is still only used to check how long until my pasta is cooked. The feature has so much promise, especially with rumors of Apple bringing the Dynamic Island to the whole iPhone 15 lineup, so why do I feel like we’ve got another TouchBar situation on our hands?

Don’t be another Touch Bar

In 2016, Apple released new MacBook Pros with the infamous butterfly switches and the now discontinued Touch Bar. The Touch Bar, just like the Dynamic Island, was met with intrigue at the opportunity of having an ever-changing touchscreen function bar on your MacBook.

At first, the gimmick was quite remarkable. I remember downloading software to get the rainbow Nyan Cat to constantly fly above my keyboard - and to this day, I’m adamant that this was the only benefit to the Touch Bar over a regular function row. Most people learned to despise the lack of function keys, and sooner rather than later, the Touch Bar was no more. 

Even when Touch Bar MacBook Pros were still in style, Apple never went hard on its Touch Bar strategy by implementing the feature into its wireless Magic Keyboard, for example. Unfortunately, by not implementing the Touch Bar across the Mac lineup, Apple ended up isolating the feature and sentencing it to a premature death in 2021, reverting back to a standard function row with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

Dreaming of a Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island as a scoreboard for sport was enough to sell me on the idea of a new type of notch for my iPhone. I’m constantly looking for new ways to get football results across my Apple devices, whether that’s a notification on my Apple Watch or full-featured statistics on my iPad. In Apple’s initial reveal of the Dynamic Island, sports scores were at the forefront of the feature demo, and that was enough to claim my hard-earned cash. 

To get sports scores on my iPhone 14 Pro, I had to wait for the launch of the Live Activities feature and for third-party developers to gain access to the API. So I waited patiently, using the Dynamic Island as a timer for my pasta, and then finally jumped onto the iOS 16.1 beta. 

As soon as I favorited my first match in FotMob and had live scores in my Dynamic Island, I knew the £1049 I spent on my iPhone 14 Pro was worth it. And then, I never used it again.

Waiting for that killer use case

I thought sports scores would be a killer feature with the Dynamic Island, but unfortunately, the main apps I use for live scores, like FlashScore, still aren’t compatible with the pill-shaped notch. I’ve tried other apps, but FlashScore, in particular, is so engrained into the way I use my device that it beats out the potential of a live result in my notch.

I am still waiting to see a use case for the Dynamic Island that stands the test of time in my daily routine. I’ve tried the gimmicks, like Apollo for Reddit, which gives you a tamagotchi-like pet as you scroll through subreddits. I’ve tried customization apps like Lock Launcher, which allow you to use the Dynamic Island as a quick launcher for your favorite apps. Unfortunately, nothing seems to make me appreciate the Dynamic Island, and I don’t know if I’m overthinking it.

But, the more the main reason I bought the iPhone 14 Pro becomes a pasta timer, the more my disappointment builds. 

I see a lot of similarities between the Dynamic Island and the Touch Bar; they are both exciting and bright features, require new user input, and are intriguing features that make people interested in a product. 

But thankfully, unlike the Touch Bar, the Dynamic Island doesn’t change any functionality on your iPhone, instead, it expands the way you can interact with your device. And, if the rumors are correct, Apple seems to be all in on the Dynamic Island, adding it to the regular iPhone 15 alongside the 15 Pro. 

Hopefully, with iOS 17 likely to be revealed at WWDC on June 5, we’ll finally see that killer use case that makes skeptical users like myself stand up and acknowledge what could be one of the best iPhone features we ever see. 

So while I’m tentative about the Dynamic Island, after barely using it over the last six months, I’m hopeful that Apple has seen the similarities between the new feature and the Touch Bar, and the company is about to wrong the rights. Don’t make the same mistake twice, Apple.

Apple has announced a new way for people to buy the iPhone 14 and other models, and they don't even need to leave their homes to do it.

The new 'Shop with a Specialist over Video' feature allows people to buy iPhones via a new video link to real-life Apple Specialists, although 'Shop with a Specialist over Video' is only available to those in the United States at launch. It'll only be offered between 7 am and 7 pm, too.

"With this new service, customers can browse the latest models, explore new features, and learn about Apple Trade In offers, carrier deals, switching to iOS, and various financing options," Apple said via press release.

More ways to buy

Apple says that customers will be able to compare features, sizes, and colors while also making sure that they get the best deal via the Apple Trade In program all from the comfort of their own homes.

"During the session, an Apple team member will be on camera sharing their screen, but they will not be able to see the customer," the press release notes. And if people need help outside of the advertised times they'll still be able to contact a specialist via phone or chat 24 hours per day.

While 'Shop with a Specialist over Video' is only going to be available on iPhones, it's possible that Apple will choose to expand beyond that and into Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches in the future. For now, though, the feature is designed to help get people into Apple's best iPhones as easily as possible and without the need to visit an Apple Store to get that personal touch.

People can visit apple.com/shop/buy-iphone and get help from an Apple Specialist starting today. If you're in the market for a new yellow iPhone 14, maybe take the new shopping experience for a spin for yourself.

Apple caused quite a stir when it released the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max with their Dynamic Island. It looked strange at first, but now we kinda dig it. And so does Android OEM Realme, it seems.

Enter, the Realme C55, a new Android phone that sits at the budget end of the price range — so very much not in the same league as Apple's best iPhone. But the two phones do have something in common...

They both have a Dynamic Island.

Dynamic Mini Capsule Island

Realme calls its Dynamic Island something different, but it's very similar indeed. The name is Mini Capsule, but it offers much of the same functionality that we've come to expect from Apple's island.

For example, GSMArena reports that Realme says the Mini Capsule will display things like current charging status, battery alerts, step count, and more. Although that last one, plus walking distance information, won't be available on day one. You'll need a future software update to get them.

In some ways, and as much as this is clearly a Dynamic Island rip-off no matter which way you slice it, we kinda like what Realme is doing here. And why shouldn't it?

There's one place where Realme isn't copying Apple, though. The C55 still has a 3.5mm headphone jack which Apple nixed many years ago, but in other ways, Realme's offering actually trumps the iPhone.

For starters, this thing can charge at 33W, which is impressive and better than the iPhone's maximum of just 20W. There's also a 64-megapixel camera, although we doubt it's up to par with Apple's 48-megapixel whopper thanks to the awesome onboard image processing power of the iPhone. 

Oh, and there's USB-C. So maybe Apple will be copying Realme when we get to iPhone 15 time this September. Maybe we can expect the pedestrian 20W charging speed to be increased at the same time. Assuming it isn't limited to only Apple's cables, that is.

Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite are rolling out to more iPhone 14 owners later this month.

In a press release for the new yellow iPhone 14, Apple revealed that the satellite features on its best iPhones will expand to Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal later this month.

Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite allows iPhone 14 owners to reassure loved ones and reach out to emergency services when their device has no signal off-grid. The feature is currently available in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the U.K.

 “If you call or text emergency services and can't connect because you're outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, your iPhone tries to connect you via satellite to the help that you need.”

Emergency SOS in more countries

Expanding satellite features to iPhone 14 users in more countries allows more people than ever to use the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro to their full capabilities. Apple went hard with its marketing for satellite features, showcasing the promise of an Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone 14 when adventuring outside of your usual walk around the park. 

The Emergency SOS with satellite service kicks in when you attempt to contact emergency services without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. In this scenario, an interface appears on your iPhone that includes a short questionnaire you can answer with just a few simple taps. This information is sent to dispatchers via satellite, who use it to understand your situation and location. The Emergency SOS interface also helps point you in the direction to get the best satellite signal possible. 

Whilst most of us will never have to use these features, having satellite capabilities in more countries means that adventurers out there can explore far and wide with more safety and better connectivity to the outer world should they need it.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduced the world to Apple’s first Always-On Display using OLED technology and a variable refresh rate to take your device to the next level.

At launch, the Always-On Display had very few customization options aside from an on-and-off toggle. Since then, Apple has continued to improve the features so that iPhone owners can create the experience they want from the best iPhone on the market. 

In iOS 16.2. Apple added the ability to hide your wallpaper and notifications on the Always-On Display — for many, this improved the battery life issues caused by the feature at launch and was a happy medium between checking the time and not constantly thinking your phone is switched on at your desk. 

Now, in iOS 16.4 beta Apple has gone a step further allowing you to link your Always-On Display settings to different Focus modes. This is a fantastic addition as now you can switch the Always-On Display off at work and on again when you leave the office.

Continuously evolving

The iPhone 14 Pro’s Always On Display is getting more and more useful with each update. Apple initially released a barebones feature that many were disappointed with at launch. Now, the Always On Display is growing in confidence with each update and I’m hoping that this will get even better with iOS 17 coming this year. 

There’s definitely room for improvement, but automating when your iPhone changes between a more familiar black screen and a fancy Always On Lock Screen is a small step, but a much-needed one.

Following on from Argentina’s historic soccer World Cup win in Qatar, Lionel Messi has purchased 35 24K gold iPhone 14 Pros for his teammates and staff.

The iPhones, created by custom iPhone designer, iDesign Gold, are encapsulated in 24K gold enclosures with the Argentina national football team emblem alongside each individual player’s name and number. The order, for 35 devices looks to have cost Messi somewhere in the region of $160,000 just months away from the reveal of Apple’s new best iPhone, the iPhone 15.

Argentina won the 2022 men’s soccer World Cup in December, after defeating France on penalties following a 3-3 tie in overtime. Messi received the Golden Ball award in Qatar as the best player in the tournament. This historic win was the first World Cup victory for who many believe is the greatest soccer player of all time. 

The owner of iDesign Gold, Ben Lyons, hand-delivered the set of iPhones to Messi, who recently won Best Men’s Player at The Best FIFA Football Awards. iDesign Gold is no stranger to creating custom gold iPhones for famous soccer players with PSG’s Kylian Mbappé and Neymar just some of its famous clientele.

Does custom mean better?

For us mere mortals, you can pre-order a gold-plated custom iPhone 14 Pro starting from £4000, around $4800. If gold is too bling for your liking, the company also offers black and gold, white and gold, rose gold, platinum as well as leather designs — although I’m quite happy with my subtle Deep Purple on my iPhone 14 Pro Max.

There is to be said that Apple’s own gold color on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, whilst not real gold, could be seen as the classier option, although if you’re one of the world’s greatest soccer players you probably exude class regardless of the color of your iPhone. 

The iPhone 14 line-up launched with great fanfare, and great spec sheets, making it a tough decision to work out which one is going to be best for you. Some even look exactly the same if you were to see them in a shop at first glance, but differences between the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are there.

Let's put it simply. The iPhone 14 is the base model and comes in at the lowest price. If you don’t care about having the most powerful iPhone, then this is the model for you. The iPhone 14 Pro is the more powerful model with a similarly sized screen. If you want the specs but don’t want a massive phone, then this one is your goldilocks zone. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the iPhone 14 Pro with a monster-sized screen. If you want the biggest and most impressive iPhone to show off to your friends, then this will give you the bragging rights you desire.

But how do they compare in more detail, and which one is the best iPhone for you? For while a phone may be the best handset on paper, it might not be the phone you’re looking for. We have all these phones reviewed, the iPhone 14 review, and the iPhone 14 Pro review (which is going to tell you everything you need to know about the iPhone 14 Pro Max as well). That will tell you what we think of the models individually - but let's see how they stack up head to head. We've also looked at the core differences between iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro to narrow things down further.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Specs comparison

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price comparison

Storage is what will drive up the price of each iPhone model the most, beyond the expected ‘less power’ < ‘more power’ < ‘more screen’ dynamic the range scales at. . Base models of all three handsets come with 128GB, and none of the colors cost more than the others. The iPhone 14 starts at $799, the iPhone 14 Pro goes up to $999, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is $1099.

Those prices do go up if you want more storage. The iPhone 14 doubles its storage up to 512GB, with a first increase of $100, and then a $200 increase to its largest option. The top-end model will set you back $1099. That's where a sneaky good iPhone 14 deal could help matters.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts with 512GB and then doubles up its capacity up to 1TB. The first increase is $100, and ensuing upgrades will cost you $200. The biggest storage option will cost you $1499. The iPhone 14 Pro Max follows this same increase, from $1099 to $1599 for the 1TB version, the most expensive of all iPhone 14 models.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design differences

The iPhone 14 looks much like the iPhone 13 that came before it. There’s a notch at the top of the screen, a metal frame around the edge, a glass back panel, and a slim-ish camera bump on the back. It is, as sequels come, mostly defined by internal spec changes, which we’ll discuss a little later.

iPhone 14 color options are different here, though. There are fewer than found on the iPhone 13, although more than the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. There are Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED options. The latter is, as always, red.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have many of the same design cues, with large screens and stainless steel frames, glass rears, and massive, three-lens camera bumps. There is one key difference, however – the notch is gone. Instead, there is the ‘Dynamic Island’, an animated pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen that hides the Face ID camera and other sensors that aw works double duty by ‘dynamically’ showing different parts of the UI or an app’s features, depending on your usage. When listening to Apple Music and browsing Twitter, for example, it will show the currently playing track. It also shows the lock status of the screen.

The other big design decision is the always-on screen. This is the first thing you’ll notice if you spot it sitting on a table — the screen simply dims rather than turning off, giving you a constant view of the time and incoming notifications. This is a feature exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, rather than the iPhone 14.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Display comparison

The main difference between the two Pro models is the size. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a bigger, 6.7-inch display rather than the 6.1-inch of iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 14 has the same size screen as the iPhone 14 Pro, with 6.1 inches to its name.

The iPhone 14 features a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display. That’s at  2532x1170 resolution. These displays both feature ‘True Tone’, which changes the color profiles to match the lighting that the phone is in, as well as HDR. It’s good for 800nits peak brightness. These are not high refresh rate displays, though.

Those on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, however, are. They feature what Apple calls ‘ProMotion’, which ups the refresh rate of the screens to 120Hz. That will make using your iPhone feel slicker, faster, and altogether a little more premium. It’s not until you go back from a ProMotion display to a non-display that you notice how much of a difference those extra hertz make. You’re also going to get a brighter screen, with a peak brightness of 1,600 with HDR turned on outdoors.

Resolution-wise, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have slightly differing numbers due to their screen sizes. The iPhone 14 Pro has a 2556x1179 screen resolution over its 6.1 inches, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro Max has 2796x1290 over its 6.7-inch display.

It’s fairly conclusive: the two iPhone Pro models have the better displays, with the massive panel of the iPhone 14 Pro Max coming out on top.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Camera comparison

All the iPhone models feature camera bumps that sit proudly on their rear sides, although the camera bumps on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are significantly more pronounced. That’s because they have better cameras, with larger sensors capable of capturing more detailed images.

There are three lenses on the back of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. There’s a massive 48MP main lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a combined 12MP 2x and 3x telephoto lens. There are all the usual image processing engines that Apple packs in, and it means that shots taken with the camera are stunning. Zoomed shots retain detail, and close-ups are clear and sharp. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have some of the best smartphone cameras ever. Before even talking about the iPhone 14, these are the phones to go for.

That's not to say the iPhone 14 camera is any kind of slouch. The iPhone 14 has two camera lenses on the back, a 12MP main shooter, and a 12MP ultrawide. This camera will still take pretty impressive shots, with all that good Apple image processing on board. It might not be quite so good at capturing far-off detail and its close-ups won’t be quite so good, but for everyday shots and holiday snaps it's going to be perfect.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Processors and performance

The iPhone 14 is equipped with nearly the same processor as the iPhone 13 that came before it. That’s the A15 Bionic chip, with a 6-core CPU, and 16-core neural engine. The GPU has been upped to 5-cores from the 4-core of the iPhone 13, however, so there will be more graphics performance than last year's model.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max feature the new A16 Bionic chips, with extra goodies on board. There’s a 6-core CPU with a 16-core Neural engine, and a 5-core GPU to get everything running nicely. On paper, that doesn’t seem like much but put the two against each other side by side and differences emerge.

Stress tests may not be the be-all and end-all of these things, but they are a useful performance metric. The A16 performs better in single and multicore tests, with increased efficiency to boot. Geekbench for example notes a +12% increase in Multi-core performance on the A16 and a +8% difference in single core.

If you go for the iPhone 14, however, you’re still getting a powerful phone. It won’t be as powerful as the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, but you may struggle to spot the difference in day-to-day use.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery life

The iPhone 14 has a 3,279mAh battery, which Apple states is good for up to 16 hours of streamed video content and 80 hours of audio playback. In real life, you might not quite get that, but we’ve found battery life to be excellent in our testing.

Charging-wise it's going to be nice and fast. Invest in a 20W charger and you’ll get up to 50% charge in 30 minutes. There’s also MagSafe charging on board, a safer and easier-to-use version of wireless charging that uses magnets to stick a charging puck to the back of the iPhone. It’s good for 15W charging.

The battery in the iPhone 14 Pro is only going to last you any longer with streamed video content, giving you 20 hours. That extra efficiency in the processor is evidently used up by the always-on display, because the iPhone 14 remains otherwise unchanged battery-wise, even down to charging.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is going to give you the most battery life with its bigger frame that’s able to hold a bigger battery. You’ll get up to 25 hours of streamed video, and 95 hours of audio playback. Charging specs, however, remain the same.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Additional features

If you’re after unique features then it's the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max you’ll want. There’s the aforementioned Dynamic Island in place of the notch, as well as the ProMotion displays. There’s also the extra camera clarity you’ll get with both, as well as a LiDAR sensor if you want to map out 3D models of rooms.

Beyond that, the iPhone feature set is common throughout all models. There’s crash detection that senses if you’ve been in a road collision and calls emergency services to your location in the event that you can’t. There’s also the Apple Home app which acts as a hub for your HomeKit-enabled smart home devices, and the Apple App Store, filled with thousands of apps (for better or worse).

All can access Apple's subscription services too, such as Apple TV Plus, Apple News Plus, and Apple Music. With the purchase of a new iPhone, you get three free months of each as well so that you can try them out.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Which should you buy?

There are some key differences between the Pro line iPhones and the standard iPhone 14. Those screens are prettier and slicker, the cameras are better, and there are some additional features on board. If you opt to spend more there’s no doubt about it — you’re getting the better phone with a Pro-level iPhone.

The differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are minimal. Effectively, you’ll get a bigger screen on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and some extra battery juice. For big-screen fans, the iPhone 14 Pro Max was already the phone you were going to go for, and the iPhone 14 Pro was likely not even on your radar. If you’re wondering if you’ll miss much with the iPhone 14 Pro? No, it’s the same phone with a smaller battery and screen. It does the same with the same features.

If those two seem too expensive for you, however, then the iPhone 14 is still an excellent choice. The screen is the same size as the 14 Pro, it’s still good and bright, and the less powerful processor doesn’t make much of a difference in real-world usage. You might notice the absence of Dynamic Island, but then you’ll look at your monthly device payments and remember you’re saving around $200 overall.

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro might be the best iPhone in 2023, but for many, upgrading to Apple's latest and greatest each year simply isn't an option. If that's the case, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and even its iPhone 13 Pro are still valiant offerings in terms of robust, premium iPhones that excel at photography and gaming, all while offering the premium finish and feel we've come to expect from Apple's Pro line. 

If you're not on the hunt for an iPhone 15 in 2023, but you're considering one of Apple's older Pro models, then sizing up the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Pro is the place to start. 

There are some definite tradeoffs in terms of color, capability, and safety features, but the biggest draw to the iPhone 13 Pro will be its price, which continues to fall each time a new model comes joins the fray. Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 14 Pro versus the iPhone 13 Pro. 

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Breaking things down

These two iPhones may not look like two entirely different models when you see them side-by-side, but the proof is in the specs. The chart below breaks down the lineup of technical details for both the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro.

As you can see, the size, storage, and battery life of these two models are roughly the same, but most other specs have changed. The iPhone 14 colors are somewhat different from the options for the iPhone 13, of course, but the camera seems like the biggest difference at first but added features and the lack of the SIM card tray on the 14 Pro could make a big difference for certain users.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Goodbye notch, hello Dynamic Island

The biggest iPhone 14 Pro design change that jumps out at you right away is the Dynamic Island. That's the pill-shaped cutout is called that replaced the notorious black notch, present since the iPhone X back in 2017.

Apple has taken a static, unsightly cutout and transformed it into a useful interactive feature. The black space will move and animate to provide important updates, notifications, and alerts without interrupting the user's current activities. If you're tired of that old boring notch, then the iPhone 14 Pro is definitely an improvement over what came before.

Besides the Dynamic Island, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro are almost identical in design and display. The colors are the same except for the exclusive Deep Purple offering in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup. The ProMotion display is also the same, although the iPhone 14 Pro does has an adaptive refresh rate that can decrease all the way down to 1Hz. This makes it possible to support an always-on display without draining the battery.

The 14 Pro also offers double the brightness in sunny or high-light situations to improve visibility. So if you really love that always-on display and extra brightness, the iPhone 14 Pro may be the way to go. When it comes to visual design, size, and graphics, the rest will be about the same as the iPhone 13 Pro.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Quadruple the pixels

There's no denying that the camera on the iPhone 14 Pro is a giant leap forward. The 48-megapixel lens allows you to shoot photos with no compromise on quality. Add to that the improved dual-lens TrueDepth camera in the front and 4K video recording at 24 frames-per-second, and the 14 Pro has got the 13 Pro beat when it comes to photography and videography. It even has an Action mode for stabilizing rough video shots.

Now, that's not to say that the iPhone 13 Pro doesn't offer excellent photo quality with its triple-lens 12-megapixel camera that shoots beautifully in wide, ultra-wide, and macro modes. If you just use your camera to shoot pretty photos of everyday memories, this will be more than enough. For creators, photographers, and videographers, however, the iPhone 14 Pro has a lot more to offer. 

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Safety versus SIM

We've talked about Dynamic Island and 48-MP cameras, but SOS Satellite emergency calling integrated into the iPhone 14 lineup may have the biggest implications for the future of smartphones as a whole.

For the first time, a cell phone can send out an SOS signal for emergency assistance without data or cellular coverage. So if you get lost in the middle of the Sahara Desert for example, the iPhone 14 Pro can use satellite communication technology to call for help. It also has crash detection sensors that will automatically detect an automobile accident and send out a message to your emergency contact. 

If you're an adventurer, extreme sports enthusiast, or risk-taker, the exclusive emergency features in iPhone 14 could literally save your life. 

With that being said, the eSIM system may or may not be a dealbreaker for you. Most, if not all, cellular providers in the United States will support eSIM cards eventually, so people who have upgraded to the 14 Pro will likely welcome this technological advancement. There are some small local carriers that do not yet support eSIM cards, however, alongside a lot of foreign carriers.

If you spend a lot of time in South America for example, the local cellular providers south of the border may not yet support eSIM systems. Without a SIM card tray to use in these situations, the iPhone 14 Pro could become the source of a lot of frustration and headaches.

Granted, eSIMs are the way of the future, but it may take several years for smaller carriers and developing countries to catch up. In the meantime, the iPhone 14 Pro may not be a viable option for those that still need a SIM card tray. 

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro: Which should you buy?

In my opinion, the choice is pretty clear which is the best iPhone. The small increase in price you will pay for the iPhone 14 Pro will be more than worth the new advancements and added benefits. The iPhone 14 Pro offers a convenient always-on interface, alongside the Dynamic Island to keep your experience interactive and streamlined. This newer model also has a better camera and a faster, more powerful chipset. And perhaps the most impressive advancement is the development of emergency SOS services through satellite communication and crash detection.

However, the only to choose the iPhone 13 Pro over the 14 Pro is the lack of the SIM card tray, as this would only apply to unusual cases. For those that live in the United States and use a small local carrier, or spend a lot of time in developing countries, you might not find ready support for eSIM technology. If that's the case (and I doubt this is the case for most), then the iPhone 13 Pro may be the better choice for you. Otherwise, go for the upgrade!

It's not just all about the Dynamic Island — the iPhone 14 Pro color selection is one of the most stylish range of shades Apple's offered alongside its new handsets in generations. 

With the iPhone 14 Pro colors shared with the iPhone 14 Pro Max too, picking out the hue for you is one of the first decisions you'll need to make when picking up a new iPhone. Sure, you may eventually want to protect it with an iPhone case, but underneath it all, you've still got to pick out a shade that suits your style.

Thankfully, the iPhone 14 Pro isn't just the best iPhone ever, with powerful internals (the new A16 Bionic chipset), a 48MP camera, and Dynamic Island for at-a-glance notification info. It's one of the best-looking, too.

Whether you're grabbing a Pro or Pro Max, there is a range of colors available, and now that we're passed the usual point where Apple might release a new color version, it seems like these are the only colors we're going to get. Here's a rundown of the iPhone 14 colors.

Four subtle and sleek colors for everyone

Find the right iPhone 14 Pro color

As is tradition, the iPhone Pro model colors are less in your face and more refined than that of the regular iPhone models, and the iPhone 14 Pro line is no different here. With the Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple color options, there is one less color than the iPhone 14, but there is still an option for everyone.

Deep Purple is this generation's Pro-exclusive color — so if you want people to make no mistake you've got the year's best handset, that's the one to show off with. The Gold is a highlight as well, with a color option that not many others might consider. If you're looking for something a little more neutral, then go for the Space Black. The Silver is a classy, crisp number that goes well with the look of Apple's other products.

Do think about the kind of iPhone 14 Pro case that you might be putting on as well, however. If you're thinking of putting a case with a pattern on it for example, then something a little lighter like Silver or Gold might be the option to go with. The darker colors may not show the pattern quite so much, although there's nothing stopping you from color-coordinating the case with the color.

Want more color choices? Consider the iPhone 14 color array, with yellows, reds, blues, and purples ... along with silver and black, of course. And with the iPhone 15 color palette reveal just around the corner, you'll soon have a whole new rainbow of devices to consider.

In September 2022, Apple released the iPhone 14 line. It consisted of the basic iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max

Each of the phones brought improvements compared to the previous range. Notably, some features like an Always-On Display, ProMotion cameras, and the choice of 1TB storage were reserved for the larger Pro models. The Dynamic Island was also exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. The interactive area on screen replaced the notch, allowing some apps to showcase information.

The iPhone 14 colors -- including the lemony deliciousness of the new yellow model -- are quite different from the more professional (and less fun) iPhone 14 Pro colors of black, gold, silver, and purple.

While the Pro models may offer the most features, that doesn't mean they're the best for everybody. If you're on a tighter budget or don't expect to get much use out of the Pro's advanced features, you may be better off with the still-excellent iPhone 14.

If you're looking to treat yourself or renew a contract, here's our short guide to help you decide between some of the best iPhones so far.

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Specifications

The differences between the two iPhone 14 models are small, but significant. Here's a quick overview of the contrasts.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are very similar in many ways. Their overall design looks the same at first, till you notice the Dynamic Island on the Pro model. There's a Ceramic Shield front, water resistance that goes as deep as six meters for up to 30 minutes, 128GB storage options, and MagSafe charging.

Both models also include the new SOS emergency and crash detection safety features. However, both the display and cameras do differ between the models.

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Display

The displays found on the four newest iPhones are the same type, albeit not at the same size. Each one has a Super Retina XDR display that uses OLED technology. However, some differences exist between them to explain the different denominations and price tags.

The iPhone 14 comes with a 6.1-inch (diagonal) all-screen OLED display with a 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution of 460 PPI (Pixel Per Inch). In comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro's 6.1-inch (diagonal) all-screen OLED display has  2556-by-1179-pixel resolution at 460 PPI.

The 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus goes further still with a 2778-by-1284-pixel resolution at 458 PPI while the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max offers a 2796-by-1290-pixel resolution at 460 PPI.

Whichever one you choose, you're gaining a great screen thanks to the core elements being excellent.

The iPhone 14 Pro series is the only one that has an Always-On display along with Dynamic Island support. There's also ProMotion which ensures the display can run at a faster or slower framerate, depending on how you're using it at the time. A low frame rate is used when the Always-On display is active but you're not using the phone, while a higher one is implemented during use. It's all in a bid to keep battery life high.

The Dynamic Island is unique to the iPhone 14 Pro, where it's at the top of the display, replacing the notch. It's where the front-facing camera is housed. It combines hardware and software to create a place where you can see alerts from your favorite apps such as Music, News+, and many more. 

Such alerts are real-time and interactive. For instance, if you wish to skip a track on Apple Music, you can do so via the island.

This is only available on the Pro series for now, with the regular iPhone 14 and 14 Plus still using the notch.

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Cameras

One of the most significant differences over the years between the regular iPhone and the iPhone Pro models has been the cameras. That remains the case with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

On the iPhone 14, you get a dual camera system with 12MP Main and Ultra Wide lenses. On the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple has included a next-generation "Pro" camera system with a 48MP Main, 12MP Ultra Wide, and 12MP Telephoto lens. It also has second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization.

In order to take photos in 48MP, you have to switch the image type to the RAW format, otherwise you'll be getting the same 12MP shots as before.

The front-facing cameras on both series are  more similar though. You'll find a 12MP TrueDepth camera with a Retina Flash and an all-new Photonic Engine across all the models, which means you can take better selfies in low-light environments.

For video, not much has changed compared to the iPhone 13 line. Regular iPhone 14 models don't have ProRes video recording, which is only available on Pro devices.

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Which should you buy?

For most people, anything from the iPhone 14 line will be the best iPhone. An attractive choice, the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus proves less expensive, comes in brighter colors, and has many of the same great features found on the Pro models.

However, if you want the latest and greatest in Apple's camera efforts, and you've long been hoping for the notch to disappear, you can't go wrong with the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Hope you've been looking after your old phone – you get an iPhone 14 Pro for free if you trade it in at Verizon. This offer increases the amount you'd usually get for your old device, and then adds an extra $200 discount from Verizon giving you the full amount. That's only going to cover the full price of the base 128GB version, if you want something with more storage you'll have to pay the extra.

This is one of the best iPhone 14 Pro deals at the moment, although if you want some of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals, then there is one similar.

Get a free iPhone 14 Pro

• iPhone deals: Verizon | AT&T | Mint Mobile

The iPhone 14 Pro may not be as big as its Max brother, but it's still one of the most powerful iPhones ever released. With an A16 Bionic under the hood and the new Dynamic Island feature, It's a sublime sheet of glass and aluminum. It's also very expensive, costing $999 for the smallest storage option.

A deal like this makes the iPhone 14 Pro a little more affordable, and it's super easy to get in your basket. You just have to head over to the Verizon iPhone 14 Pro page, and find the 'ways to save' section. The first deal is the one that you want, and you'll hit 'add' to put it in the shopping basket. Input the details of your old phone, and then you'll find out more about sending your old device to Verizon in the checkout process.

Apple's Crash Detection system, built into every iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, has a bad reputation right now. It has the potential to save lives, but some emergency workers have already accused it of calling for help too readily. Now Apple appears to be trying to fix that via software updates.

The release notes for iOS 16.3.1 confirm that this update adds tweaks to how Apple's best iPhones handle crashes, potentially ensuring that fewer false positives result in calls to emergency services.

What's your emergency?

Whenever an iPhone detects a crash, it calls emergency services if it doesn't receive a response from a human within 20 seconds. But we've already heard reports of people's iPhones thinking people have been in a crash when they haven't.

Some calls have been triggered while people were skiing, for example. Others report that calls have been placed to emergency services simply because an iPhone fell off a car's dashboard. None of this is good news for emergency workers who are already busy with real emergencies. Now, it looks like Apple is working to try and reduce the workload.

"Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models," Apple's iOS 16.3.1 release notes rather starkly say. Unfortunately, there are no more details as to what that means. Still, it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that Apple is taking its Crash Detection systems to ensure fewer false positives. Hopefully, without introducing the opposite — iPhones that don't call for help even though it's needed.

The new iOS 16.3.1 update is available for download now, and we suggest installing it as soon as possible, especially if you enjoy activities that might otherwise make the iPhone think you've been in a crash when you thankfully haven't.

When Apple announced the iPhone 14 series in September 2022, it did something unusual. The company split the lineup, giving the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max a brand-new chip. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, not so much.

With the iPhone 14 Pro models benefiting from the A16 Bionic, the less costly versions had to make do with the iPhone 14's A15 Bionic. Nobody would likely accuse the A15 Bionic of being a slow chip, but it was a decision that still irked some.

Now, a new report that looks at how much Apple's best iPhone costs to build could explain why Apple went that route in the first place.

Fast, but expensive

New data shared by Counterpoint Research and seen by 9to5Mac shows precisely how much it costs Apple to build the iPhone 14 Pro Max, with the handset being around 3.4% more expensive on Apple's side. In the United States, at least, the two phones initially retailed for the same amount.

However, while some of the components used in the iPhone 14 Pro Max got cheaper, the part that now costs more than the previous models is the A16 Bionic chip. Counterpoint Research says that there's an $11 delta between the two, perhaps explaining why Apple chose to save that money on the millions of non-Pro models it sells all around the globe.

To drive home the point, Counterpoint Research also says that the "processing" category, which includes the A16 Bionic, now makes up around 20% of the phone's entire cost of materials.

With that in mind, it makes plenty of sense for Apple to save the most costly part for its most expensive phones.

Other notable figures for the iPhone 14 Pro Max include that the mmWave 5G version of the phone costs $20 more to build.

Apple's iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature was to thank for a drink-driver being arrested, according to a report.

The New Zealand man crashed his car into a tree in a central reservation with his iPhone immediately calling emergency services — just as Apple advertises. But alarm bells were raised when the driver told the emergency operator that the police “should not worry about it.”

The person on the line didn't believe them and police were sent to the scene to find the man intoxicated and aggressive.

iPhone to the rescue

Stuff reports that the man didn't take too kindly to being arrested, adding that he "allegedly pushed at police as they began drink-driving procedures, and refused a blood sample being taken."

The man now has a court appearance to look forward to after being charged "with refusing a blood sample and assaulting police."

Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond believes that this is the first time that a drink-driver has been arrested thanks to the iPhone's Crash Detection feature.

The news, while not necessarily what the feature was designed for, comes at a good time for Apple. Emergency services around the world have already suggested that Crash Detection is causing them headaches, saying that it creates too much work due to false callouts.

The Crash Detection feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and newer. But it's also available on Apple's best iPhones — the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The feature is designed to detect a major crash and then automatically call emergency services after 20 seconds unless it is told not to by the user. In this case, the man would likely have fled the scene if it wasn't for that call.

When Apple first announced the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, excitement was at a fever-pitch for the arrival of the long-awaited Always On Display that had eluded Apple fans for so long. The Always On Display gives users an even easier way to access widgets and notifications at a glance for an added level of customization to your Lock Screen. 

The Always On Display is made possible by Apple’s advanced OLED panel with a variable refresh rate. The previous generation iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max had VRR OLED screens ranging from 10hz to 120hz versus the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s 1hz to 120hz that allows the screen to use a new low-power mode alongside the A16 Bionic to keep the display on.

The new display feature takes some getting used to and for some the vivid colors while your phone is lying on your table are particularly distracting. Some have reported an increase in battery life after turning off the iPhone 14 Pro's Always on Display, here's how to do it.

How to turn off your iPhone 14 Pro’s Always On Display

Finding a middle ground

Since iOS 16.2, however, Apple has added extra settings to turn off the wallpaper if you don’t want to completely switch off the Always On benefits. This is a middle ground between the colorful Always On Display and a more discrete blacked-out version and can be achieved by toggling off Show Wallpaper.

The other option allows you to toggle Show Notifications so that the Always On Display is as barebones as possible if that’s what you desire. One of the main benefits of the Always On Display on the iPhone 14 Pro is the use of Live Activities on your Lock Screen which allows notifications like timers, sports scores, and flight information to conveniently update while your phone is locked.

The Always On Display gives an added level of customization to your iPhone 14 Pro that makes it one of my favorite features of the best iPhone on the market. If you’ve just got your new iPhone and are already annoyed at not knowing if your smartphone is locked or not because the display is too bright when unattended, I highly recommend testing the Always On Display without a wallpaper as it has vastly improved my enjoyment of the feature and my iPhone’s battery life.

Android is still really struggling to catch up to the iPhone in terms of speed.

As reported by CompareDial, new testing shows that the iPhone 14 Pro is a whopping 21% faster than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The tests, which were performed using Geekbench 5, compared both single-core and multi-core performance across a number of phones.

Specifically, that separation in performance between the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra was found when looking at single-core performance. According to the tests, the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 1480 for single-core performance whereas the iPhone 14 Pro came in at a score of 1874, a difference of 21%.

In terms of multi-core performance, the difference was smaller but still significant. While the Galaxy S23 Ultra averaged a score of 4584, the iPhone 14 Pro achieved an average score of 5384, a difference of almost 15%.

It's not all bad news for Samsung

While the iPhone 14 Pro handily beats the Galaxy S23 Ultra in both single and multi-core performance, it's not all bad news for Samsung.

As the report notes, "the gap at least appears to be closing. Last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra scored an abysmal 926 for single-core performance and 2911 for multi-core performance. The new S23 Ultra with the revised Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip has boosted speeds by 59.83% and 57.47%, respectively."

One thing to keep in mind is that, even though the performance gap is closing, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra isn't even out yet. That phone will officially launch on February 17, a full five months after the iPhone 14 Pro was released. So, while the performance gap is closer, Samsung's phone certainly has the benefit of being a much newer phone.

Speaking of a newer phone, we're already only seven months away from the iPhone 15. The iPhone 15 lineup is rumored to bring the Dynamic Island to the regular models, add USB-C to the iPhone for the first time, and upgrade the Wi-Fi chip to Wi-Fi 6E. The iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to feature a titanium frame the usual round of camera upgrades.

Apple originally wanted its 2022 Pro models such as the iPhone 14 Pro to include a reverse wireless charging feature, a new report claims -- but having missed the deadline the company continues to work on the technology.

That means it's possible the iPhone 15 Pro could get the feature later this year. If not, it seems likely that the best iPhone in a future lineup will.

Powered up

The prospect of reverse wireless charging has been bandied about for years, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in 2021 that it wasn't going to happen any time soon. The feature was originally planned for launch in 2019 but was then canned, he claimed.

Now, 9to5Mac reports that Apple wanted to add the same feature to the iPhone 14 Pro -- but again wasn't able to. "Nonetheless, our sources indicate that Apple engineers are pressing ahead with the development of bilateral wireless charging alongside software optimizations for it," the report says.

Reverse wireless charging (or "bilateral" if you want to sound all fancy) would let iPhones charge other devices, most likely AirPods or AirPods Pro. It's also possible that iPhones could charge Apple Watches, although they don't use the Qi wireless charging standard currently.

Phones from other companies like Samsung have featured reverse wireless charging for years, but Apple has so far held off. 9to5Mac reports that Apple is "developing a unique 'wireless power out' firmware as the basis for the feature." That firmware would control things like wireless charging speeds, ensuring that devices don't get too hot during use.

However, the same sources reportedly told 9to5Mac "that reverse wireless charging could ultimately be delayed again or scrapped altogether," perhaps suggesting that we shouldn't get our hopes up just yet. And the iPhone 16 is just around the corner, right?

Analysts say that they expect Apple to post its first year-on-year revenue decline since 2019 when the company shares its earnings on Thursday.

The last time Apple posted earnings that represented an annual decline was back in the March quarter of 2019, with analysts of the belief that the company's inability to build its best iPhones quickly enough was a major factor.

Apple's 2022 came to a close amid ongoing production disruption at a key Foxconn plant in China — the only plant capable of building the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Things got so bad that Apple warned investors that iPhone availability would be impacted.

"We continue to see strong demand for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models," Apple said in a statement in November 2022. "However, we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products."

No iPhones, no sales

CNBC reports that some analysts expect Apple to report just over $121 billion in revenue for the December quarter, a figure that would be a decline over the $123.9 billion posted in the same quarter the year prior.

However, some analysts believe that this is a temporary issue and that Apple's value to customers will drive it onward and upward.

“While the state of consumer demand remains a near-term concern, we believe the underlying drivers of Apple’s model - a growing installed base and spend per user - remain intact, and that the strength/stability of Apple’s ecosystem remains undervalued,” Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring wrote in a note earlier this month and seen by CNBC.

Apple, for its part, continues to refuse to give guidance on earnings citing the pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty.

It isn't all bad news for Apple, however. Analysts expect Apple's Services revenue to grow almost 6% to around $20.67 billion for the December quarter.

Is this the best iPhone 14 Pro rip-off we've come across? Probably. Should you buy it? Probably not, no.

The phone in question is the LeEco S1 Pro, and it comes in a rather fetching shade of blue and something that looks like Graphite, and we're absolutely here for them both. But the design is absolutely supposed to look like an iPhone, including that Dynamic Island at the front.

That, we can't quite get behind.

It gets worse

To make matters worse, the LeEco S1 Pro only looks like an iPhone and certainly doesn't perform like one. At least, that's our assumption, given the hardware that's in play according to a Weibo post by @WHYLABthat was picked up by ThePhoneTalks.

That hardware includes a 6.5-inch LCD with a standard 60Hz refresh rate and 720 x 1600 resolution. But where things go south is when you get inside, right into the guts of the thing.

That's because the LeEco S1 Pro might look like Apple's best iPhone, but it certainly can't compete in terms of silicon. It's running a 12nm Zhanrui T7510 chip that doesn't sound like something likely to compete with the A16 Bionic. In terms of the other specifications, you're looking at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which, given how Android likes globs of memory, doesn't sound like a lot.

Those hoping for iPhone 14 Pro-like photos will be disappointed to hear that the LeEco S1 Pro has a 13-megapixel main camera out back and a 5-megapixel shooter up front. There's a 5,000mAh battery and 10W charging as if you care at this point.

How much will the LeEco S1 Pro cost? It's available for pre-order for CNY 899, which is around $135. The good news? You can't buy it — the phone is only available in China.

For most of 2022, we heard Apple was planning to decrease the size of the TrueDepth camera and Face ID notch on iPhone 14 Pro models by making it pill-shaped. But, of course, when it happened, no one expected Apple to introduce something as cutting-edge as Dynamic Island to hide the new camera design in fun new ways.

Undoubtedly, the best new feature on the iPhone 14 Pro lineup, Dynamic Island, has proven so popular that it looks set to jump to every iPhone 15 model later this year when the devices are released. The feature isn't available on the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Max. According to a new report, however, Apple plans to retire Dynamic Island when a redesigned iPhone 16 Pro is released in 2024. 

Would Apple remove a popular iPhone feature after just two generations? Perhaps, although it's also possible, the company could keep Dynamic Island around in some other capacity, which is ultimately what I believe the company plans to do. 

Say it ain't so, Apple

Earlier today, The Elec reported Apple plans on introducing an "underpanel Face ID" (good) to the iPhone 16 Pro models, which would make the need for Dynamic Island less necessary (bad). The report notes Face ID will be available, but it will look "like a normal display when this function is not used."

As Stephen Warwick explains, "Sadly, and somewhat confusingly, the report says that there will still be a lens hole that is visible for the iPhone's front camera. This could indicate that while the larger Dynamic Island will go, a small camera housing could remain."

Don't be mistaken; Apple created Dynamic Island to remove the negativity associated with the previous iPhone notch design. Instead of an annoying black strip at the top of the device, Dynamic Island uses hardware and software to adjust what's shown on display, depending on what you're doing with the smartphone. The result is something fresh and spectacular.

For example, when Apple Music is being played, you'll see tiny album art and a visual equalizer in Dynamic Island. Meanwhile, when using the official Maps app, your next turn is noted in the screen location, and so forth. You can also hard press Dynamic Island anytime to activate a playback control, return to the app, and more. 

At launch, Dynamic Island was mainly offered only through native apps. Since then, developers have quickly jumped on board to enhance the user app experience. With the iOS 16.1 update last fall, Dynamic Island became even more useful with the introduction of Live Activities. This feature allows developers to add anything from weather disturbances to real-time sports scores to Dynamic Island. 

Watch any significant sporting event in the United States on television, and you'll likely see a costly Apple ad highlighting the new feature on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Dynamic Island is also prominently displayed on the Apple website and at Apple retail stores. Assuming the entire iPhone 15 lineup gains Dynamic Island this fall, ads for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Max will undoubtedly highlight the feature ad nauseam.

And we're supposed to believe this all goes away in 2024 with the iPhone 16 Pro? That's highly unlikely. 

What will probably happen with the iPhone 16 Pro

Let's assume Apple ditches what we know as Dynamic Island with the iPhone 16 Pro next year. Given the feature's popularity, I'd expect it to be made a software-only feature that isn't tied to Face ID or TrueDepth on devices going forward. As such, it would be a feature that pops up (and goes away) at the top of the smartphone, depending on what's happening.

With Dynamic Island no longer tied to hardware, it could also make it possible to bring the feature to iPad. It's a feature that would work on the larger device if done correctly.

More than a few readers have contacted me recently, worrying Dynamic Island could become the next Touch Bar. Introduced on select MacBook Pro models beginning in 2016, Touch Bar was heavily advertised by Apple — until it wasn't. 

I don't believe Dynamic Island is going down the same sad path as Touch Bar for a few reasons. First, the former is on Apple's No. 1 product lineup, and its footprint is expected to grow substantially in just a few months when the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Max get released. Second, that will translate into millions of new Dynamic Island users that app developers won't want to ignore. 

Finally, Dynamic Island has a lot of room to grow. In future versions of iOS, for example, Apple could update the feature to tweak how we see notifications, for example, or communicate with friends via Messages or FaceTime without actually opening the apps. And yes, there could be many benefits in giving Dynamic Island a much larger playground on future iPads. 

It will be interesting to see what Apple has planned for Dynamic Island in the coming months and years. Stay tuned. 

Apple's new Crash Detection feature is getting turned on by accident and initiating false 911 calls to emergency services.

As reported by MPR News in Minnesota, the feature, which launched with the new iPhone 14 lineup, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch Series 8, is kicking off false alarm 911 calls. The report specifically calls out a number of instances where snowmobiling or skiing has kicked off accidental calls to emergency services despite no such crash or accident occurring.

The feature, which is designed to automatically call emergency services in the event of a car crash, has been causing concern due to the large number of false alarms it has been generating.

The false alarms have been causing significant problems for emergency services, as they have been inundated with calls that turn out to be non-emergencies. This is concerning officials who worry that such false alarms could lead to delays in response times for genuine emergencies.

One official said that “it was taking up a lot of time in our dispatch center, and if they can’t verify that it’s false, then they have to send deputies out, and it’s a lot of stress on our office, being that we’re a small office in the first place, to go and track some of these calls down."

Apple needs to fix this fast

It remains to be seen how Apple will address the issue, but it is clear that the company will need to find a solution quickly in order to prevent further problems for emergency services and to restore trust in the feature.

The issues have been reported before. Soon after launch, Crash Detection was going off for people riding roller coasters. Apple has since released a software update to address that particular issue, but it seems that even more updates are needed in order to properly handle these other false activations.

Apple has explained that the feature is specifically designed for certain vehicle types, so it's unclear why the feature is being activated for all of these different situations. As Apple explains, the feature will automatically detect a car crash (in certain vehicle types) and call emergency services using both your iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple says that "with a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection on iPhone can now detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone."

Crash Detection is currently available on the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple's upcoming iPhone refresh will reportedly bring one premium feature further down the lineup for the first time.

The Dynamic Island, currently only available on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models, will be available on the standard iPhone 15 devices, according to a new report. This isn't the first time that we've heard this claim, with display analyst Ross Young reporting the same thing last year.

This time, it's Bloomberg's Mark Gurman who with the report, adding that we should expect the same display sizes this year that were offered last year.

So dynamic

Writing in his weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the Dynamic Island will no longer be reserved for Apple's best iPhone. Instead, "the Dynamic Island will expand to all four models," he notes.

The Dynamic Island replaces the notch that was introduced with the iPhone X in 2017 and allows Live Activities and other information to be displayed at the top of the screen — replacing the dead space previously reserved for that notch.

The same report goes on to confirm that the iPhone 15 lineup will switch to USB-C for the first time — a move necessitated by European laws that require a common charging port across all phones starting in 2024.

While Apple is planning on bringing one premium feature to its base iPhones, Gurman reports that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will gain a new one. "A titanium frame replaces stainless steel on the Pro models," he says, while he also notes that Apple will use "haptic volume buttons" this year.

Both of those two rumors have appeared before, with the company responsible for making the hardware required for haptic buttons almost confirming them in November of 2022. Analyst Jeff Pu has also pointed to the use of titanium recently.

If you've been looking at the photos your iPhone 14 Pro is taking and wondering what is going on with them, you aren't alone. Something's amiss, and YouTuber Marques (MKBHD) Brownlee thinks he has the answer.

Brownlee recently ran his annual smartphone camera awards to see which device people think is taking the best photos and, as is often the case, Apple's flagship found itself floundering in the middle of the pack. But given the new 48-megapixel camera, you'd be forgiven for expecting better.

So what's going on?

It's all about the software

In a new YouTube video looking at the iPhone 14 Pro's camera performance, Brownlee points to the Google Pixel lineup as one example of where Apple needs to do some work.

You should definitely watch the full video to see what's going on, but Brownlee points to the fact that Google historically relied on the same camera sensor across most of its Pixel devices — using software to then tweak photos to look pretty great. The combination of the same sensor and gradually improving software meant for some awesome photos — even if the video performance sometimes left a little to be desired.

But Google found that when it changed the sensor for a new 50-megapixel one, things didn't look right. The software was doing too much work, creating an image that appeared artificial and overworked. And Apple now has the same problem.

For years, Apple's iPhones all used the same 12-megapixel camera sensor with Apple layering its own software on top to work out any kinks. Just like Google, that allowed Apple to iterate and refine that software, taking great photos along the way.

But things changed with the iPhone 14 Pro. Now, Apple's using a much higher resolution sensor — a 48-megapixel one, no less. But Brownlee believes that Apple's software is going overboard, working just as hard as it did with that 12-megapixel sensor when in reality it doesn't need to anymore.

The result? An artificial-looking photo. One that appears over-processed and just...off.

So what happens next? It's all down to Apple and, in all likelihood, this will all get fixed in software. Apple just needs to dial things back a bit to let that new sensor do the work, not its software.

Whether that'll come to the iPhone 14 Pro or not, we'll have to wait and see. Will Apple's best iPhone get a camera software update or will we all have to buy a new iPhone 15 Pro to see the fruits of Apple's labor?

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the first iPhones to offer an Always-On Display (AOD) after years of Android phones having the same feature. But now that it's here, how much does it impact an iPhone's battery life?

Does it impact it at all?

Well, the answer turns out to be more complicated than you might think.

Battery drain

The iPhone 14 Pro devices allow users to have their display remain on even when not using it, which obviously uses more power than if turned off. Just how much that AOD impacts battery life is something YouTuber PhoneBuff set out to discover.

The AOD impacts battery life, but it isn't as cut and dried as that. See, the iPhone allows users to disable or display their wallpaper while it's locked, so PhoneBuff set about finding out what impact that option had on battery life.

As it turns out, after 24 hours of idling, the iPhone 14 Pro used zero battery when the AOD was turned off. After 24 hours, it somehow remained at 100%, which is mighty impressive.

With the AOD and wallpaper enabled, the battery fell to 80%, which might or might not surprise some. But with the wallpaper disabled, the iPhone 14 Pro finished the test at 84%.

That means anyone who wants to get the very best battery life out of their iPhone 14 Pro should disable that AOD. But if you absolutely must have it turned on and the clock and your widgets visible, disabling the wallpaper is the way to go.

Of course, in real-world use, these numbers mean little. Using your phone will impact its battery life much more than the AOD, after all. And whether the AOD is on or off, there's no denying the iPhone 14 Pro is the best iPhone money can buy.

Foxconn's beleaguered Zhengzhou iPhone factory has reportedly increased its production to around 90% of its original capacity. The news comes following weeks of problems, including riots, COVID-19 lockdowns, and fleeing workers that left the plant in dire need of reinforcements.

The Zhengzhou plant is particularly important to Apple because it is the world's largest iPhone factory. What's more, it's the only one capable of assembling the iPhone 14 Pro models, with the plant's issues directly impacting the availability of Apple's very best iPhones.

However, Bloomberg now reports that the plant is on the upswing, adding that Foxconn "has secured enough workers despite a Covid resurgence and recent staff upheaval."

200,000-strong

The Zhengzhou plant, known to run with hundreds of thousands of workers at any one time, is now reportedly operating with around 200,000, according to Foxconn executive Vic Wang. That number is considered the norm, with December 30, 2022, seeing the plant reach 90% of peak capacity in manufacturing output.

The revival comes after Foxconn was forced to offer bonuses to ensure workers remained on-site, with thousands choosing to leave. In addition, they were concerned over ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns when China's zero-tolerance approach was causing hiccups across the country. According to Bloomberg, that policy has now been reversed, although that could also potentially cause issues.

"A nationwide Covid flare-up after Beijing abruptly dropped most Covid Zero-era curbs had clouded the prospects for manufacturers like Foxconn, which require armies of workers to keep factories humming," the report notes.

At one point, it was estimated that the Foxconn troubles would cost Apple around six million iPhone units, causing delivery estimates for some models to stretch well into the future. But delivery dates are already beginning to improve for those who are yet to get their hands on Apple's latest and greatest models. Depending on color and storage options, those ordering today could see their new iPhone 14 Pro land on their doorstep next week.

Apple’s iPhone 14 supply chain is once again under threat, as one of the company’s key production centers is hit by a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases.

The Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, otherwise known as ‘iPhone City’, is seeing the virus sweep through its workforce once again, according to a report from The Times.

More than 200,000 people work at the factory, with insiders at the plant claiming that Foxconn bosses are forcing those with the virus at the live-in production center to continue working despite being ill. It’s understood that previous production targets have been missed, and so the ailing workers are being made to work in order to make up the shortfall.

Combined with general unrest at the factory city, which saw violence erupt between workers and police in protests over pay and living conditions just weeks ago, already-reduced iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro shipments could be delayed even further.

Worse to come?

China is on the cusp of one of the worst resurgences in Covid-19 infection rates since the pandemic began. An estimated 250 million people have tested positive for the virus in China in the past 20 days, following the lifting of restrictions due to nationwide protests against the strict measure put in place by the Beijing government.

For Apple it’ll be another problem to overcome in what has already proven a difficult financial year for the company. It's seen its share price drop 27 percent to $131.86 at the time of writing, despite managing to hit a 14th successive quarter of revenue growth.

The disruption to the supply chain is making Apple rethink its approach to global production. Where once its manufacturing efforts were focussed predominately on China, the pandemic years have made clear the dangers of putting the majority of production in one nation — not to mention navigating the geopolitical tensions associated with working with America’s biggest economic rival. As such, the company is expected to begin transitioning some iPad production to sites in India, while Vietnam will take some of the MacBook production load. 

Not only that, but Apple is also thought to be making cust-cutting adjustments to its future product line-up, too, with the next iPhone SE, previously on track for a major design overhaul, now potentially being canned altogether.

What is it like to live in a world that ignores your existence? To live in a future, which has no “now” for you? 

Them: “Keep waiting, we’ll get to you eventually.” 

Automation. Artificial intelligence. In its early development, it won’t be for many of you. Not Google search and facial recognition. If you’re Black, it will mistake you for a gorilla. Not automated soap dispensers or faucets. The below viral video posted by a Facebook employee in Nigeria features a Nigerian man and a white man, showing what happens when companies likely don’t test their sensors on melanated hands before bringing their product to market. 

Photo optic sensors have long had a love/hate relationship with layers of pigmented flesh, depending on the color of your skin. A lack of representation in tech has meant that, if you're not white, smartphone snaps often leave you looking like a wax figure at Madame Tussauds or have your skin tone just completely washed out.

Finally though, it’s our turn? Maybe. 

Do you know about the “Shirley card?” I’ll take a long story and give you the tl;dr: In the mid-1950’s, a caucasian American woman by the name of Shirley Page was a model for Kodak. They used her to set the standard for how the color temperature for an image should be appropriately processed. Because Kodak was the largest supplier of film and printers for small finishing labs, for many years, she became the standard for making sure processed negatives looked “normal.” You dropped off your photo negatives, the processing guy or gal processed your images and used her image as a guide, et voila. You received your exposures back, processed perfectly. If you looked like Shirley.

Apple and others have sought to right that wrong with differing technologies and methods for attacking the problem of processing for darker skinned human beings. Apple has given us deep fusion, and with the launch of iPhone 14 devices, Photonic Engine. When it has shown us sample images during its launch events, and during media briefings, they’re absolutely gorgeous. People of all hues look beautiful. Dark to light. Midnight to morning. A variety of skin tones and lighting conditions, all producing people’s faces as they should look. Their natural best.

But what do my dark skinned fellow human beings look like outside of immaculately choreographed presentations? In real users hands, in real life?

Marques Brownlee of MKBHD fame reviewed the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and found the experience mostly positive but was still left wanting when it came to how the phone rendered his skin when taking pictures alongside people of much lighter skin tones. He displayed this in a tweet (which I unfortunately can no longer find). He being a dark skinned Black male, and that tweet being a photo of him next to a white friend.

I endeavoured to see how this would work because my photos generally come out fine, but I’m more of a caramel than a dark chocolate complexion. To that end, I enlisted the help of a family friend who is closer to Brownlee’s complexion. And, to have something to compare the iPhone’s output to, I also brought along Google’s new Pixel 7 Pro. Why? Because with the release of its Tensor chip, it made a big deal of its new Real Tone technology which is meant to address the specific problem dark skin human beings encounter with smartphone camera AI. 

Google learned from its terrible primate faux paus and actually trained its AI with massive data sets of melanated individuals so that its Pixel cameras would process broad ranges of hues appropriately. Showing them in their best light, even if the lighting wasn’t actually the best. I took the images on a tripod with a double head, both phones mounted, and with the three-second timer turned on to eliminate any blur. I then presented these images to two photographers I highly respect. Ant Pruitt, host of TWiT’s Hands-On Photography, and Juan Carlos Bagnell who literally wrote the book on smartphone photography. This was a blind test for Ant. He received only 44 numbered photos and didn’t know which came from the iPhone 14 Pro Max or the Pixel 7 Pro. As he references the images, Series 1 were those I captured with Google’s Pixel 7 Pro. Series 2, the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Ant Pruitt's thoughts

Here’s what Ant had to say about the nighttime photos, taken with any night modes deactivated:

“On series 1, there's a boost in saturation that isn't needed. This negatively affects darker skin tones. Series 2 doesn't boost the saturation so darker skin tones are more accurate. On series 2, there's an apparent boost in warmth for fairer skin. This doesn't always work. It's overdone most of the time. 

"BUT on series 1, fairer skin doesn't seem to have the same boost in saturation, nor does it have good color balance. There's a slight green tint on fairer skin which is in contrast to the slight warmth and magenta seen in series 2 for fairer skin. I like that series 2 didn't do so much auto-boosting in saturation in comparison to series 1. But, phone manufacturers know images are going to social media first and foremost, therefore a boost in saturation will more than likely lead to someone stopping to view your images vs scrolling past.” 

And the daytime photos, taken on an  overcast afternoon:

“Maaaaan. I swear it seems like series 1 is trying to work hard algorithmically. There's still a boost in saturation, just not as much as before. In image *20, the gent at the front of the frame looks like the algo decided an exposure lift was needed in series 1. This unnecessarily cranked the specular highlights on his face. It's not bad, but not necessary, in my opinion. Series 2 looks way more natural. The only time the algo's exposure correction looks beneficial to me is in *18 of series 1. But Series two has enough data to increase in post. The diffused lighting outside really made both of these cameras look good, though.”

Juan Carlos Bagnell's thoughts

And what did the guy who wrote the book on smartphone photography have to say? A lot actually, but I’ve condensed it down for the purpose of this article. First, it’s important to note that originally I’d planned to have him shoot many of the photos but our schedules didn’t work out. He was going to shoot with the Pixel, so he knew which phones I was using to shoot these, unlike Ant whose analysis was blind.

On the nighttime photos, Juan had this to say:

“I know this isn’t supposed to be a 'contest' per se, but immediately on image one, your shots here BEAUTIFULLY demonstrate my biggest issues with iPhone camera processing.

"I don’t know exactly what skin color and texture your models have, and shooting under fluorescent lights is a tricky challenge, but I can’t believe for a second that the fairer skinned model has that much pink in her cheeks. The Pixel drawing out more olive tones feels truer.

"Your darker skinned model shows this disparity even more dramatically.

"The iPhone seems to be trying to maximize exposure, at the expense of blowing out all the richer hues of the model on the right. She looks pale, and ashy, and a little ill. Apple’s color processing failing to properly represent her look, and again, almost adding a pink hue to her cheek and jaw line.

"This woman’s make up is on point, and it’s clearer in the Pixel photo. That touch of gold eyeshadow is really hot against her natural chocolate and bronze complexion. On our first image, the Pixel is absolutely delivering a bolder and richer image which feels more 'honest'. It’s not hyped HDR or overblown exposure.

"Image 4 helps highlight the issue I have personally with iPhones. I’m Hispanic, but pale, and photos of me from iPhones routinely feel off for the highlights and yellow/pink accents. Like your model here, I think the iPhone image again is washed out. The Pixel image might be a touch warm (again for not having met your model IRL), but is certainly more flattering. Seeing both models together, the iPhone version makes both seem a bit 'sickly'.

"Image 9 is another challenging shadowed shot for sure, but the iPhone just refuses to lean into yellow, gold, or bronze for skin. Seeing it side by side like this, it’s such a drab look for a variety of different faces.”

Coming into the daytime photos, Juan looked more favorably on the iPhone’s captures.

“Image 17 and 18 are nice! Some daylight shots. BOO photographer for missing focus on the Pixel on 17! 

"Here the iPhone is competing better. HDR photos drawing light and color out of the scene better. The exposure is MUCH more flattering for both phones. Again, the iPhone seems to highlight pink tones, and seems to avoid bronze and gold highlights. I’m not GREAT at describing this effect, but the iPhone photos just look a duller shade of 'dark brown', where the Pixel is richer.

"With image 19, this is the main image of the whole group where I feel the iPhone lands a similarly flattering exposure of the darker complexions in this scene compared to the Pixel, but unfortunately our paler companion looks washed out by comparison. Again, not the point of the exercise, but I like the brighter gradient of the blue sky better on the iPhone, but prefer the texture and detail in clothing better on the Pixel.”

Conclusion

I think that the analysis here really proves how much of photography is art and science. Both photographers are experts I highly respect. Both walked away with differing conclusions. Ant favored iPhone 14 Pro Max’s captures and Juan, not a fan, preferred the Pixel 7 Pro. 

Ultimately, I think the future looks bright for consumers of all shades, with manufacturers taking note of these previous inequities in how technology has treated darker complexioned consumers. I’ll end this with a quote from Juan, which I thought was poignant given the topic here, “...better accuracy for 'some' is really better accuracy for all. At the end of the day, we just want more flattering memories of our family and friends.” 

To hear more of what Ant Pruitt has to say and teach about photography, check him out at antpruitt.com/prints, and increase your photography IQ by checking out his podcast twit.tv/hop. Juan’s book, Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography for Noobs! Can be found on Amazon.com, and you can chat with him on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/somegadgetguy. And special shout to Jessica Schrody who helped me find models for the shoots!

With Apple already keen to move manufacturing away from China and towards other countries, a new report claims that some suppliers are already working to get facilities ready.

Ongoing manufacturing uncertainty in China has affected Apple's ability to get products into the hands of customers, particularly the iPhone 14 Pro models that are built in the country. The wheels have already been put in motion to try and move some manufacturing to other countries, including Vietnam and India. The latter is now reported to be the subject of applications for land in the country, with Apple suppliers ready to invest sizeable sums and generate thousands of jobs.

Diversification

A Business Standard report says that the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has already confirmed that some Apple suppliers have applied for land with the authority. It's thought that thousands of jobs would be generated.

"Seiko Advance Limited, an ink manufacturing company, expressed its desire to make its product on 5 acres of land in Sector 29 of YEIDA," YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh is reported as saying. Seiko Advance Limited is the company responsible for iPhone colors including the popular Midnight Green iPhone 11 Pro.

Apple's aim is to try and produce up to 45% of the world's iPhones, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Right now, that figure is in the single digits.

The company hopes that it can sidestep the issues that COVID-19 has highlighted, with Apple previously overreliant on plants in China. Putting all of its iPhone eggs into one basket has obvious problems, but it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic and China's rolling lockdowns that the issue became most obvious.

Apple had reportedly told its suppliers to actively seek out ways to build its products outside of China, with Foxconn itself also thought to be in the firing line following riots at its Zhengzhou factory last month.

On social media, some iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users are reporting a weird issue affecting their new handsets. These users see horizontal lines during startup. The lines are either green or yellow or a combination of both and go away soon after the restart process completes, and the Home screen appears. 

According to MacRumors, users on Reddit claim Apple Support has confirmed the lines result from a software bug in iOS 16, not a hardware issue. Other Reddit users claim the issue began showing up with the iOS 16.2 software release, although still others say it happened on older versions of iOS 16.

To date, Apple hasn't officially mentioned this bug's existence or whether iOS 16.3, now being tested by developers, will resolve it. MacRumors, however, says at least one Reddit user claims "an Apple engineer informed them over the phone that Apple is working on a software patch for the issue, but the exact details are unknown."

Possible software bug

As first mentioned by MacRumors, the horizontal line issue has been discussed by iPhone 14 Pro users on both Reddit, three Apple Support forums (1,2,3), and the MacRumors forums. 

Software bugs are common, and Apple typically solves issues like these promptly. So assuming the problem is real and is solved with iOS 16.3, Apple's likely to push the update out to customers sooner, not later. 

The iPhone 14 Pro, our best iPhone of the year, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max arrived in September. Since then, Apple has pushed out various software updates, the latest being iOS 16.2. That update, released earlier this month, includes multiple new features, including Freeform, Apple Music Sing, and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. 

We'll continue following this story and let you know when a fix is issued. However, if you're having a problem, it's best to contact Apple Support.