If you were thinking of upgrading to an iPhone 15 - you might just be tempted to hold onto your old iPhone for now after seeing these photos.

The annual iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) this week announced the winners of its competition, which is now in its 16th year, where it looks for some of the best photos taken on an iPhone.

The camera on Apple's smartphone has come on leaps and bounds since we could only take photos and nothing else back in the days of the iPhone 3G. But now, not only can you record video, slo-mo videos, add filters to what you've taken, and more, but there are also three whole lenses to help focus on certain subjects for example in certain modes like Cinematic.

With iPhone 15 Pro Max rumored to feature a new lens to help give better photos when zoomed in, you may have been waiting to upgrade. But once you see some photos in this competition taken with an iPhone 7 Plus, there's a small chance you may reconsider.

It's not over yet for older iPhones

Scroll to the Abstract section, and you'll find the winner, Tim Wheeler, with his photo having been taken on an iPhone 7 Plus - and that's the same for the runner-up, Neil Nesheim as well.

These are amazing photos, and you can easily lose an hour simply scrolling through all of these while wondering why you are still struggling to take a decent photo of some plants in your garden.

The list goes on, with other winners including an iPhone 12 Pro, an iPhone XR, and even an iPhone X, proving you don't need Apple's best iPhone to take the best pictures. Granted, many of these may have been edited with a third-party app such as Pixelmator or Adobe Photoshop to help bring out the colors and the subjects even more.

But it says a lot that something like the iPhone 7 Plus, released back in 2016, is still capable of taking amazing photos, and also how far we've come since.

Have these photos made you reconsider holding onto your iPhone for now? Let us know in the iMore Forums if that's now the case.

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?

This is iMore's Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review. When the iPhone 14 Pro Max was first released back in September 2022, there was no doubt it was one of the best – not to mention biggest – handsets on the market. 

Fast-forward to 2023 and Apple has since launched the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. All three new handsets in the iPhone 15 line-up bring a whole host of upgrades on previous handsets.

So, if you're looking for the best iPhone money can buy, you'll need to take a look at what the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max now offer instead. But if you're still considering the iPhone 14 Pro Max – and we don't blame you, it's still a fantastic choice – this review will help you decide.

The first thing you'll need to ask yourself if you're considering the iPhone 14 Pro Max is whether you need a very large display and a big battery. While the baseline iPhone 14 doesn't push the needle on all that much from its 2021 forerunner, the Pro line shifts up a gear in the performance department by standing apart from their vanilla siblings, with the company's latest A16 Bionic chipset. 

The notch has finally freed itself from the mainland of the display's bezel to form the Dynamic Island – which is just one of a few big display advancements – and the rear cameras are bigger and more bombastic than ever, with an new 48MP primary sensor, backed up by something Apple calls the 'Photonic Engine'.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price and availability

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max hit retail on Sept. 16. 2022, right alongside the standard iPhone 14. And while the iPhone 14 Plus featured at the same launch event as the standard 14 and its Pro-branded counterparts, it saw a delayed release of Oct. 7, 2022.

Colors and storage remain consistent across this generation's Pro line, with Deep Purple being the new signature color this year (pictured). Like the 14 Pro, the Pro Max is available in Space Black, Deep Purple, silver or gold and can be paired with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.

The 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099 / £1,199 / AU$1,899 for the 128GB model but full pricing is as follows:

Essentially, you pay a $100 premium to opt for the Pro Max over the 14 Pro at whichever storage capacity you land on.

Despite predictions of a price increase for the whole 14 series, Stateside, iPhone fans needn't have worried, as the – still admittedly high – asking price for either Pro variant remains unchanged from the previous years.

In markets further afield, however, such predictions were made real, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max starting a £150 more expensive than its predecessor (for the 128GB model), and similarly significant hikes at every storage configuration up the ladder, making the decision to buy outright that much harder this year for more potential customers worldwide.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design

Provided you're not looking at the exclusive new Deep Purple colorway, there's little to help set the iPhone 14 Pro's design apart from its predecessor without proper scrutiny, save for the Dynamic Island (which I'll talk more about in a bit).

The same straight-sided design revived by the iPhone 12 series persists here and being a Pro model, the 14 Pro Max sports a polished stainless steel frame against a contrasting frosted glass back; the inverse of what you'll find on the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, which feature polished glass backs and lightly-textured metal frames.

There aren't a lot of purple phones out there – at least ones worth buying – giving the Deep Purple 14 Pro Max tested here the ability to stand out from the crowd somewhat. I wouldn't have minded if Apple had pushed the saturation and brightness of this newest hue a little further before rolling it out of the factory though, as in some lighting conditions it's hard to tell apart from the Space Black model. However, when the light catches that glass back, especially around the (now even more prominent) camera bump, it can really 'glow'.

Assuming you're not a fan of fingerprints, as with the 12 Pro's and 13 Pro's polished frames, you're going to want to opt for one of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases out there, as smudges and smears are otherwise unavoidable.

As for durability and ergonomics, that straight-edged steel frame feels reassuringly rigid in the hand, not to mention the phone boasts both IP68 dust and water resistance, as well as Apple's own Ceramic Shield across the display.

I say "boasts" but while I wasn't brave enough to drop test my 14 Pro Max, I did inadvertently subject the display to a scratch test, which was nothing more than placing the phone face down on a (recently-cleaned) flat surface, only to find that some imperceptible piece of grit had dragged a scar right across the Dynamic Island when I picked the phone up one day. This corroborates previous reports of lacklustre scratch resistance from Ceramic Shield that, in future, would push me to pick up a screen protector at the point of purchase (and, of course, we have a rundown of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protectors, if you're worried about your display befalling the same fate too).

A note that only really applies to those that have never used a Pro Max iPhone before, it is one of the largest, bulkiest and heaviest handsets at its screen size, making one-handed use particularly cumbersome and precarious. It's advised to at least handle one in-person before laying down cash for this phone, unless you're fortunate to have larger hands than most.

Having skirted around it long enough, grab your shades, it's time to take a trip to Dynamic Island.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Dynamic Island

Having reviewed a mountain of smartphones from other manufacturers who'd already made the jump to a punch-hole front-facing camera, I didn't expect the 14 Pro series' move away from the notch to be as revelatory as it might seem to those who've only ever been on team iPhone.

Apple being Apple though, the company waited until it was comfortable in building on the concept in such away that bidding the notch farewell offered users genuine new benefits.

Could the added value that the Dynamic Island offers have been achieved on the previous iPhone's notch? Possibly, but the implementation wouldn't have been as elegant (or on-brand).

As silly as it may seem at first, Apple's clearly put a lot of work into the interplay between hardware and software that is the Dynamic Island. Yes, at certain angles you can see the individual Face ID TrueDepth and front-facing camera sensors, but the intention is that all you ever really notice is a black pill-shaped element that can shrink or grow as needed to convey additional information or provide additional control over select features.

The only thing I refute is any claim that states it's less-intrusive than the notch. Sure, it's a smaller overall element – now truly separated from the bezel by a channel of pixels – but it actually sits lower and more towards the center of the phone's display than the bottom edge of the notch ever did.

There are lots of passive animations that the Dynamic Island can serve up: a padlock when the phone is locked, a spinning ring when Face ID is making an assessment, an audio equalizer and the tiniest album art thumbnail on either side during music playback and there are so many more examples I've both encountered and am undoubtedly yet to encounter.

There are more active experiences too: incoming calls include key info as well as accept or decline buttons, any active timers are reflected with an ever-present countdown and a long-press turns the pill-shape into a full rounded rectangle about the size of a notification, with more information and added controls (depending on the experience).

You can also tap the Dynamic Island while it's active to open the relevant app in full and if it splits apart – having been engaged by two compatible apps simultaneously (like Spotify and a timer) – you can tap on either element of the now-two-element pill to jump to either experience directly.

There's a learning curve, sure, but it's small and as user interaction goes, the Island is both elegant and playful.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Display

While Apple granted the 14 Pro Max the same size and resolution display as previously, this generation now integrates an always-on display (AOD) mode.

Across both the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the screen still serves up great OLED visuals with a super-smooth 120Hz peak refresh rate at its disposal, but the panels at work can also step right down to 1Hz for minimal power consumption while still being able to display timely information.

Much like Apple's decision to intentionally sleep on punch-hole front-facing cameras until now, it's take on the always-on display is significantly different to what you'll find in the Android camp; for one, your wallpaper remains visible.

Most other phones boasting an always-on display serve up a near all-black screen, with some small elements like a clock and a few notifications icons to keep you informed of 'something', whereas Apple's version of the AOD doesn't look that dissimilar from your normal lock screen. You can still read notifications as they come in and the clock remains visible, but so does the entire wallpaper, albeit darker and dimmer until you tap the screen to wake it up.

If you leave the 14 Pro Max alone long enough, and it doesn't detect any significant presence, even the AOD will turn off to conserve even more power but, in practice, this makes for one of the most useable and best-looking AODs on any phone currently out there (not a sentiment everyone agrees with, it seems).

You will have to get used to thinking your phone hasn't just lit up with a fresh notification or you didn't forget to lock it in the first place, but once you can quickly distinguish between your lock screen and the AOD, it's a great new boon, currently unique to the 14 Pro and Pro Max in the iPhone family.

If you'd rather not use the AOD, you can turn it off completely if you want or at least schedule it to disengage while you rest as part of a Sleep Focus. Meanwhile the rest of the display experience is par the course; generally excellent color, contrast and viewing angles, with the added benefit of new peak brightness that was class-leading at launch (1,000nits typical max brightness – the same as the 13 Pro Max, 1,600nits peak HDR brightness – up from 1,200 on the 13 Pro Max, and 2,000nits peak outdoor brightness, according to Apple).

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software and features

Expect the latest iOS 16 out the box, which builds on the familiar user experience offered by the last few releases of Apple's smartphone operating system, with some noteworthy enhancements.

That great new display makes the most of the release's richer, more customizable lock screen experience (which even allows for depth-mapped photos to appear both behind and in-front of elements like the clock), new clock styles, the ability to long-press and drag images between apps and text fields, enhanced focus modes with allowances for the phone's AOD, message editing after sending, multi-segment trips in maps (with the ability to add stops via Siri) and a host more additions to boot.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Emergency SOS and Crash Detection

At launch, two powerful new (but hopefully seldom used) additions to this generation's repertoire are Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection.

Initially available exclusively in the U.S. and Canada in November 2022, before expanding to France, Germany, the U.K. and Ireland the following month, the iPhone 14 series' biggest unseen upgrade centers around safety.

Emergency SOS via satellite lets you send a series of messages, designed to help gather key information about your emergency and sending it onto the emergency services – even if you're out in the wilderness, away from cell towers and without cellular or WiFi connectivity. This new feature is made possible through new investment Apple has placed in a satellite connectivity operator, called Globalstar.

As with accessing the power menu, you can initiate the feature by holding the side button and volume up keys and then swiping on the subsequent emergency SOS slider (there's a demo mode in the settings menu if you want to see how the feature operates in more detail without actually using it).

For those wondering why it only lets you send a text message and not a call, satellite connectivity isn't built for lots of data – as would be the case with conventional messaging and calls – and even requires that you actually aim your iPhone at the nearest satellite to ensure your messages go through (something the iPhone guides you through in the moment). For best performance, it's stated that you should be outside, with a clear view of the sky, unobstructed by trees and the like, if possible.

Another iPhone 14-series exclusive addition (for the time being) is Crash Detection, which uses combined data from your phone's gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, barometer, microphone and an 'advanced motion algorithm' to judge whether you've actually been in a collision. If it does detect a crash, you'll be given the option to swipe to call the emergency services (or dismiss the prompt) and if there's no user input detected after approximately ten seconds, an addition ten-second countdown will commence, after which the emergency services will be automatically contacted.

In both cases, these are the kinds of features that it's great to have at your fingertips but you hopefully won't ever have to use, although the former does also grant the iPhone the edge for avid hikers and the like, looking for the best phone for their lifestyle.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: eSIM

We've heard talk of portless iPhones for a few years now and while we bid farewell to the headphone jack back in 2016 – with the iPhone 7 series – in the U.S. at least, the iPhone 14 family – including the 14 Pro Max – is also now devoid of a physical SIM slot.

The main criticizm to Apple going all-in on eSIM is that it makes swapping your SIM between devices almost impossible without carrier involvement, at least right now. While the average user won't need to change SIM cards all that often, it does pose a problem for travellers looking to pop in a local SIM while they're abroad.

As I reviewed a global iPhone 14 Pro Max, mine still came complete with the physical SIM slot, making moving over to Apple's latest  and greatest pain-free, however, Christine Chan – who wrote iMore's iPhone 14 Pro review – picked her device up from Apple in the U.S. with T-Mobile as her carrier of choice.

In her review, Christine detailed the setup experience as follows, "eSIM activation was very simple and straightforward. I just had to follow the on-screen instructions – since I chose my carrier when purchasing, the device was already provisioned for T-Mobile. I was worried at first that there may be issues connecting to T-Mobile’s network, but it all went down without a hitch. Within minutes, my cellular service was activated and I could make and receive calls as well as send messages and get data."

Although an anecdotally painless experience, it doesn't detract from the challenges users committing to the current eSIM ecosystem face; mainly its reliance on pre-emptive carrier provisioning in order to facilitate a seamless setup experience for end-users. But if any company can nudge the entire mobile industry to collectively improve upon an established technology like eSIM – in the pursuit of a more seamless user experience – it's Apple, and the SIM-tray-free iPhone 14 series in the U.S. looks to be the company's equivalent of a call to action.

As such, however you feel about eSIM right now, I have a sneaking suspicion we're only going to start seeing more and more phone makers serving smartphones devoid of a SIM tray – may it rest in peace.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance

As mentioned at the top of this review, in a cruel twist of fate to prospective iPhone 14 and 14 Plus buyers, only this generation's Pro models receive a truly new SoC (system-on-chip) from Apple; in the latest A16 Bionic (the non-Pro models arrive with the five-core GPU-laden A15 Bionic, previously exclusive to the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max).

Apple's phones always offer up more performance headroom than the majority of their Android competitors and the A16 helps place the 14 Pro Max at the top of the pile, when comparing artificial compute tests like Geekbench 6. Understandably, real-world performance is just as sure-footed, and with the 13 Pro Max still not showing any signs of slowdown a year on from release, the 14 Pro Max makes for one of the most sensible buys for those after a device with the ability to deliver well beyond the average two-year contract.

The A16 Bionic's six-core CPU (comprised of two performance cores and four efficiency cores), five-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine ensure that the 14 Pro Max will feel like a fast and capable upgrade from almost any phone more than a year old, plus 50% more memory bandwidth, supports gaming experiences with aplomb, while the Neural Engine is tailor-made to cut through image processing tasks carried out by the new 'Photonic Engine' and anything else that 's best-served by ML-based (machine learning) processing.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Cameras

For the first time since the iPhone 6S line, Apple has upped the resolution of the its phone's main camera; with a new 48MP sensor not just offering more raw pixels to play with, but fundamentally changing how the iPhone processes images and what functionality is on offer.

As well as that main sensor's new revised wider 24mm lens (down from 26mm, previously), sits a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical magnification – as before – along with quad-pixel-binning (from four down to one) for resultant 12MP stills, not to mention lossless 2x zoom – through smart cropping on the new main sensor – when needed.

Shooting in ProRAW lets you capture stills at the main sensor's native 48MP resolution – if desired, but unless you plan to carry out some heavy-duty editing after capture, the resultant file size means it's a feature best used sparingly. The same is true when capturing (admittedly impressive-looking) 4K ProRes video too, which consumes storage at a comparatively alarming rate – one minute of footage can fill up to 6GB of space – which is why, like the previous Pros – the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max only allow for ProRes capture at up to Full HD resolution.

Storage aside, handling these raw image and video files and working with them on-device is, thankfully, mercifully pain-free, as the A16 outputs near-instantaneous rendering when working with such video files, for example.

If you're coming from the 13 Pro Max – despite the promise of so many new technologies – in day-to-day use you might not immediately spot the differences in camera performance. Generally, however, you can expect marginally wider dynamic range, crisper details and slightly different color science that pushes color temperature more in one direction or the other, depending on the scenario, compared to shots from its predecessor.

Such differences are thanks, in part, to the new Photonic Engine, which integrates Apple's Deep Fusion tech earlier on in the processing pipeline – on uncompressed stills – alongside working with more raw image data, thanks to the move to that larger and more pixel-dense main camera sensor.

Year-on-year, the 12MP ultra-wide delivers faster and more accurate focusing, while the ability to squeeze four lossless focal ranges out of only three sensors is a very neat trick that ups this Pro Max's camera versatility credentials beyond its predecessors too, while also narrowing the gap in quality telephoto photography compared to noteworthy generational rivals; like the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. That said, a 15x maximum zoom range means it still falls short for those with a penchant for tele snaps in particular.

While the 14 Pro Max ensures that Apple retains its dominion over smartphone videography (which now includes Action Mode, for gimbal-free super-stable video that should have GoPro sweating), the 12MP TrueDepth camera also reminds users of the company's excellence when it comes to taking selfies.

For the first time ever, the iPhone's front-facer finally gains autofocus, not to mention a wider ƒ/1.9 aperture, which collectively help with scenarios like low-light shooting and groups shots. Portrait mode selfies look better than ever too, with Apple's best edge detection and most natural-looking bokeh yet.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery life

The beauty of practically every Pro Max is that they offer excellent battery life, which is just as true on this latest entry as it was with the 11 Pro Max, three generations prior.

A mixed day of use – including social media, web browsing, gaming, streaming video and camera usage – isn't enough to stump the 14 Pro Max, not by a long shot. 7.5 hours of screen-on time per charge is well towards the top end of the current best and brightest phones on the market too, equating to up to two days of use per charge, for those willing to be a little more considered with their usage.

The battery is fractionally smaller than the one found inside the last Pro Max in terms of mAh and yet the improved efficiency of the A16 Bionic clearly wins out, even with the addition of the helpful new AOD.

As for recharging, while you won't find a power adapter in-box, those already in possession of a compatible Apple charger should be able to fast-charge the 14 Pro Max to over 50% in 30 minutes, which is exactly what my testing confirmed.

Using the 30W Apple USB-C adapter that came with my M1 MacBook Air, the iPhone 14 Pro Max reached 28% charge in 15 minutes and 55% charge in 30 minutes. 100% took a disproportionately-long 1 hour 52 minutes but the last 15 to 20 minutes solely spent reaching that magic 100%, meaning the 14 Pro Max is really ready to go for a full day's use much sooner than that.

The arrival of the 14 series marks the third-generation of MagSafe for iPhone-compliant accessories, meaning the 14 Pro Max can leverage a rich ecosystem of compatible cases, stands, chargers and other additions that have cropped up over the last three years.

Like wired charging speeds, peak wireless charging (at 15W) still sits behind the curve, especially when you look at what companies like Xiaomi and Oppo offer, but the versatility and availability of first and third-party MagSafe products stands unmatched.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Competition

As already hinted at throughout this review, it should come as no surprise that the biggest and most powerful iPhone's most like-minded rival is... Samsung's biggest and most powerful Galaxy: the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Ceramic Shield squares off against Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (which boasts superior scratch-resistance that would have proved welcome, based on my time with the 14 Pro Max), the Ultra's display is sharper and supports stylus input – enabled by the phone's integrated S Pen – while I think we're still a ways off Apple Pencil support on iPhone. The 14 Pro Max's display is brighter overall, however.

Both phones also sport a ceiling of 1TB of storage, with the Samsung boasting a larger 5,000mAh battery (resulting in greater longevity) and faster peak charging, at 45W. There's also the camera systems to consider.

While Apple moved from 12MP to 48MP for the main Pro iPhone's camera this generation, Samsung traded an already-sizeable 108MP sensor for a new 200MP unit; not to mention the S23 Ultra also boasts two telephoto lenses (3x and 10x), as well as a maximum 100x zoom range. As such, camera versatility clearly goes to the Galaxy, however, actual image quality is far more comparable, where personal preference may be the deciding factor on this front: Apple's more natural imagery or Samsung's more striking shots.

In day to day use, you'll likely find both phones pack in more than enough power for whatever you throw at them, but numbers place the A16 Bionic ahead of the Galaxy's tailored Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which likely renders the iPhone the better long-term buy.

iOS also serves up more apps that can better leverage the power of the A16 Bionic, compared to equivalent Android experiences available to the S23 Ultra, by way of apps like iMovie and the like.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Should you buy it?

Buy the iPhone 14 Pro Max if...

You want one of the biggest and best iPhones
The iPhone 14 Pro Max packs in the most powerful mobile chipset on the market, the richest always-on display out there, stellar battery life, more versatile camera performance than any iPhone before it and a great software experience with superb long-term support. Of course this can now be beaten by the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the 14 version is still a worthy handset – especially if you're looking for a big phone.

You want an iPhone with a killer camera
The 14 Pro Max marks a pretty seismic shift in iPhone camera hardware and yet the transition feels painless and welcome. The new 48MP main sensor enables lossless zoom at more focal ranges than previously, higher quality ProRAW stills and improved image stability with the new Action Mode, not to mention it retains a confidence and consistency in its images that few other phones can match.

You’ve been wanting an iPhone with an AOD
Apple being Apple, despite the technology being available for years on the Android side of the fence, it's taken the company all that time to land on an implementation it was happy rolling out to users, but I'd argue it was worth the wait.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max's big AOD conveys more glanceable information than most alternatives, while also letting you still enjoy your chosen wallpaper.

Don't buy the iPhone 14 Pro Max if...

If it's beyond your means
Sure, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a formidable phone that will last most users three years or more, without feeling like it's falling behind the curve, but such performance and longevity unfortunately comes with a high price.

If you have to work especially hard to make the payments to get the latest Pro Max in your pocket, maybe consider a capable alternative, like the previous 13 Pro Max or even a Google Pixel 7 Pro; which delivers an equivalent flagship experience and long-term support for significantly less.

Photography isn't your main reason for buying an iPhone
If all you plan on using your iPhone's camera for is posting to Stories and TikTok, the 14 Pro Max's impressive triple rear camera will likely be overqualified for your needs and result in an unnecessary overspend. If you like the size and battery gains, the iPhone 14 Plus is right there as a worthwhile alternative.

You're not impressed by the display enhancements
The 14 Pro Max's display is an undeniable triumph, with its exceptional peak brightness, the versatile new Dynamic Island and the expertly-implemented AOD, but if none of that grabs you and you just want a phone you can see in the day to day, plenty of other phones (including iPhones) will meet your needs for less.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Verdict

Perhaps more years than most, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are the smarter buys of this generation of iPhone 14 handsets. Sure, they're pricier but (especially in the US) no more so than expected, and for the extra cash you're getting a significant leap in terms of hardware and functionality. Now the iPhone 15 range is here, you might even find the 14 range availably at a reduced price.

Unlike the 14 and 14 Plus, you get a totally revised camera system – with that impressive-new 48MP lead sensor, the display's skill set has taken a significant step up – which the 14 Pro Max is particularly well-suited to showing off, and the A16 Bionic chipset offers major gains over the A15 Bionic first seen in the 13 Pro line and now powering the non-Pro models of this generation.

There are also the range-wide benefits, all of which the 14 Pro Max enjoys, like Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection. All in all, price-tag permitting, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best of the series to date and a device true iPhone fans can be proud of.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max used in this review was supplied by Vodafone UK. Click here for Vodafone's latest iPhone deals.

Apple is expected to announce a slew of new iPhones this September, with the flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max being the model that is getting the most attention. Now, a new leak once again puts what will soon be Apple's best iPhone firmly under the microscope.

That's because you might actually need a microscope to find the iPhone 15 Pro Max's bezels, according to Twitter leaker Ice Universe. They say that not only are the bezels going to be noticeably thinner than the bezels of the current iPhone 14 Pro lineup, but they're also going to be thinner than any other phone currently on the market as well.

How thin? Just 1.55mm thin, they say.

Barely bezels

While the leak doesn't make it clear whether the iPhone 15 Pro will also benefit from such svelte bezels, it does seem likely. In fact, they also share the iPhone 14 Pro's bezels as a point of comparison (2.17mm) as well as that of the current record-holder — the Android-powered Xiaomi 13.

If that is indeed accurate then we can expect the iPhone 15 Pro lineup to look mighty impressive when it's announced later this year.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max during an event in September 2023, with the handsets going on sale a week or so later.

All four new models are expected to switch to USB-C in favor of Lightning for the first time in a decade, while the non-Pro models are also expected to sport the Dynamic Island for the first time.

Back to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that's expected to get a new periscope camera with improved zoom capabilities, while it and the iPhone 15 Pro are also likely to see the debut of the new A17 Bionic chip based on TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process. A recent leak suggested that the new chip could offer quite the performance boost over the A16 Bionic that powers the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max too.

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.

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.

For those of you that weren't aware, my iPhone 13 Pro got smashed. It remains as such, and in the meantime, I’m using an iPhone 11 Pro that I’ve been kindly lent by someone on my team. It’s made me realize something – the iPhone 11 family was really the peak of iPhone design.

I’ve also been lucky enough to try out an iPhone 14 Pro Max in recent weeks. I absolutely love the features like Dynamic Island and the power at my disposal, but I just can’t help feeling that the design itself has some problems. Problems that I think could be rectified by a return to a curvier time. A more … iPhone 11 Pro time.

The Problem at hand

See, the way that I hold my phone means that my pinkie finger sits under the charging port of the iPhone, supporting the device as I use it. It takes a lot of weight, and the bigger the phone, the greater the weight. The iPhone 14 Pro Max, in particular, weighs a lot. It’s a 240g (or 8.47oz) slab of metal and glass, filled with all kinds of mad gubbins that make it work. That’s a lot of strain for my poor little finger to hold, let alone when you look at the edges on the device that dig into my digit.

Those edges make the iPhone 14 Pro Max look magnificent. There’s a kind of regal splendor to the Purple, and the sharp angles lend the whole affair an industrial feel. The problem with that feeling is that it can become uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

The edges of the phone that sit on my pinkie finger are sharp and painful. It digs in when I’m using the phone, and makes scrolling through Twitter a whole lot more horrible than a simple doom scroll. It’s not the worst, but it's not very pleasant.

It’s a problem that’s been around on iPhone devices for a little while. I have the same problem with the iPhone 12 I use sometimes, and while the smaller device is less heavy, it still becomes rapidly uncomfortable. I’m not a fan. It’s not going to make me change to Android, and find a new device that doesn’t have square edges, but it does make me think thrice about buying a new iPhone.

The solution is curvy

Because I would like to go for the Pro Max model next time. The display, for one thing, on this 14 Pro Max is stunningly massive and intoxicatingly beautiful. I just can’t get enough of it – until it hurts my finger, and I drop it on my face while scrolling Instagram in bed. No one likes that.

I use the svelte iPhone 11 Pro again, however, and all my worries wash away. It’s those curves. They’re so smooth, and they leave no sharp edges for my fingers to get caught on. The phone just melts into your hand, as if the screen were always just stuck to your palm. It’s organic in all the best ways, whilst being premium enough to remain an Apple experience.

I firmly believe that the iPhone 11 Pro was the peak of Apple’s iPhone design. It’s a simple device, with no extraneous details to detract from the rest of the device. Those sumptuous curves, that satin glass back panel that sits slightly proud of the stainless steel frame. It’s an experience, and one that I feel is missing from the new iPhone models.

iPhone models now are just a little bit too ‘much’. The camera bumps are almost comically big, and the metal surrounds are gaudier than ever. These are not badly designed phones, but they are, in essence, the very image of excess in the smartphone landscape.

Don’t get me wrong, pulling one of the great monoliths from the box is a reassuringly weighty experience, but it's one that’s not only getting a little old, but also ever more uncomfortable. And honestly, if I have to put up with my iPhone digging into my finger, then Apple had better make a pinkie finger iPhone pillow to take the weight and the pain. Because I don’t think I can do it for much longer.

What should the iPhone 15 look like?

So I’m no designer, but I am a user, and I know what I want. I wouldn’t review tech if I didn’t. First and foremost, I want a return to those lovely, svelte edges from my new beau, the iPhone 11 Pro. Make using my iPhone 15 Pro Max easier on my little finger, and we’re flirting dangerously close to having a deal, Apple.

Trim that camera bump down while we’re at it, because at the moment it’s leaving me in a constant state of iPhone breakage panic. I love how good the cameras are, but it's ludicrous how far these things stick out. It’s not even funny. Bring them in Apple, trim a little off the top so that they fit more easily in a pocket, and so that cases don’t have a ridiculous lip anymore.

I want these things not out of nostalgia, but because my current experience is telling me they’re better. If I was waxing lyrical about the iPhone 11 Pro without using one for a while, then yes, it would be. But I am using one, and it’s simply a nicer experience all around. I just wish it had the internals of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Actually, Apple, scratch all that. Make me an iPhone 15 Pro Max but put in an iPhone 11 Pro Max body. You needn’t sell it to anyone else, just me. Please. And thank you.

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.

The price it costs for Apple to make your $1099 iPhone 14 Pro Max has been revealed — about $464, a 3.7% increase from the 128GB 13 Pro Max production cost.

In a report by Counterpoint Technology Market Research, the blended bill of materials (BoM) with a breakdown of each individual component of the iPhone 14 Pro Max has been revealed. The iPhone 14 Pro Max, currently the best iPhone on the market, starts at $1099 for a 128GB model.

According to Counterpoint’s report, the A16 Bionic processor equates to over 22% of the total BoM cost which is slightly more expensive than the 20% from the previous A15 Bionic. The other major factors in the increase in production costs are the 48MP image sensor found in the main camera and the updated screen with Apple’s Always On Display.

Will the iPhone 15 be even more expensive?

With the reveal of increased production costs on the Pro models of iPhones, it could bring validity to the rumors of an increased price when the iPhone 15 lineup launches later this year. If the production costs for Apple are on the rise and improvements to the Apple Silicone processors and other hardware features are on the horizon then we’re likely to see a more expensive iPhone.

There are also rumors surrounding an iPhone 15 Ultra which would bring the premium iPhone lineup to a new level. The Ultra could be a rename of the Pro Max lineup of phones as suggested by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, or a totally new device that we’ve never seen before with a bigger price tag. Whether an iPhone Ultra comes in 2023 or 2024 is up for debate.

With the launch of the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro devices, the prices in the United States stayed the same with price hikes affecting countries across Europe due to local currency exchange rates against the dollar. Will we see price hikes finally affect the U.S.?

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's iPhone 14 Pro Max has been the go-to phone for anyone wanting the ultimate in battery life since it was released in September 2022. But there might finally be some competition.

Samsung recently announced its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and early tests suggest that it's a battery life monster. And while it isn't quite up to the standards of Apple's finest, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is definitely the best Android has been able to muster so far.

(But it still isn't an iPhone.)

All the powah

The new Galaxy S23 Ultra has a lot going for it, including a whopping 200-megapixel camera and a speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside. That chip, coupled with a 5,000mAh battery, means this is now the Android phone to get if you're all about that battery life.

NotebookCheck reports that early battery life tests are more than promising. Tech Droider for example put the phone through a suite of tests including gaming, video playback, video recording, and more. In that test, the Galaxy S23 Ultra lasted a solid 11 hours and 15 minutes.

For comparison, Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max lasted ten minutes longer at 11 hours and 25 minutes.

As if to illustrate how impressive the Samsung phone's result was, the next Android offering was the Xiaomi 13 Pro at 10 hours and 26 minutes. Last year's Galaxy S22 Ultra? A poor nine hours and 43 minutes on a single charge.

While it's clear that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best iPhone for anyone wanting battery life, there is no doubt that a viable Android option now exists as well. At least, in terms of battery life.

But the thing still doesn't run iOS. And that might be a bit of a deal breaker no matter how long it lasts on a charge.

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.

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.

When it was first launched in September 2022, we assessed every aspect of the iPhone 14 Pro and called it "the best iPhone you could buy." Fast-forward to 2023 -- and a lot has changed. Since the iPhone 14 Pro first came out, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have landed on the scene, bringing a whole range of upgrades on previous handsets.

That means if you still want the best iPhone you can buy, take a look at the iPhone 15 Pro instead. But if you're still considering the iPhone 14 Pro – especially since it'll be cheaper than the latest handset – then this review will still help you weigh up your options.

On the surface, the iPhone 14 series looks pretty identical to the iPhone 13 lineup, but while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro look the same as their predecessors on the surface, there’s far more to these devices than meets the eye. Well, maybe not quite so much for the standard iPhone 14, but definitely the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Updates include an amazing new Always-On display, a 48-megapixel Main camera sensor, the Dynamic Island, and so much more. So is the iPhone 14 Pro worth it? You bet. Let’s dive in and find out why.

iPhone 14 Pro: Price and availability

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max launched alongside the standard iPhone 14 on Sept. 16, 2022.

The Pro models come in four colors: Space Black, Deep Purple, Silver, and Gold. You can get the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities. Prices for the iPhone 14 Pro start at $999 for the base model, then $1099, $1299, and $1499, respectively. The iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1099 for the base model, then $1199, $1399, and $1599, respectively, depending on storage size.

You can purchase the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max directly from an Apple Store or online, your carrier of choice, and big box retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.

Though there was a lot of speculation that the price of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models were going to be more expensive, that’s not the case, at least in the U.S. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, just like the iPhone 13 Pro before it, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1099 as well.

However, outside of the U.S., the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro just got more expensive because the value of the U.S. dollar is currently strong. Other countries may also include tax in the price, whereas only a few states in the U.S. exclude sales tax, making these big price differences you may be seeing.

iPhone 14 Pro: Hardware and design

Physically, the iPhone 14 Pro looks the same as the iPhone 13 Pro. It has the stainless steel flat edges that have been present since the iPhone 12, a frosted matte glass back, and the Ceramic Shield front that should make the front glass more drop resistant and resilient to scratches (though in my past experience, this hasn’t always been the case). If you’ve had an iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro, then really, nothing has changed too much in terms of the hardware itself.

While the silver and gold colors are quite similar to previous generations, Space Black is slightly darker than iPhone 13 Pro's graphite color (though it’s still grayer than actual black). Sierra Blue and Alpine Green have also been eliminated in favor of a new Deep Purple color. This is the color that I personally chose for my iPhone 14 Pro order, and I think it’s one of the more exciting colors for the Pro, at least since Pacific Blue.

Despite being called “Deep Purple,” it’s actually a more subtle shade that can vary wildly depending on the lighting situation that it’s in, at least on the matte glass part. Sometimes it can look like lilac with a lot of gray blended in, but in cooler lights, the purple can really stand out and shine. On the camera bump, the purple is definitely more of a deep color as advertised. I believe if you go with the Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max and need one of the best iPhone 14 Pro cases, then a clear one would work best for this unique hue.

Though the iPhone 13 Pro had a big camera bump, Apple hasn’t stopped there. The iPhone 14 Pro has a slightly thicker camera bump, and that’s due to the bigger sensors and lenses that Apple packed into the device. So if you prefer to use a naked device and set your phone down, the unevenness may be more noticeable. But if you use a case, depending on the one that you choose, it may be less noticeable as some provide thicker cutouts to make it as flush as possible.

Of course, there is a big standout feature of the iPhone 14 Pro design that blends both hardware and software together into a seamless experience. It's the all-new, yet oddly named, Dynamic Island.

iPhone 14 Pro: Welcome to Dynamic Island

This is one of my absolute favorite features of the iPhone 14 Pro models. If you’ve followed my work on iMore, you’ll be aware that I truly hated the notch when it was first introduced on the iPhone X. In fact, it was one reason why I decided to skip the X and instead got an iPhone 8 at the time (plus I was unsure about forgoing the Home button). I’ve grown used to it over time, but I still find the notch to be a big waste of space on the status bar. With that said, I’m happy about the notch’s replacement: Dynamic Island.

The Dynamic Island is a combination of the pill and hole-punch cutouts at the top of the display, which houses the TrueDepth camera and Face ID sensor array. Apple turned the useless notch into something useful through a fusion of hardware and software design and engineering. It’s interactive — hence the “dynamic” part of the name — and just an absolute delight to use.

When the Dynamic Island is in an “idle” state, you see a single, elongated capsule at the top of the screen, where you’d normally see the notch on previous devices. Despite it being two actual cutouts, thanks to the integration with iOS 16 software, it appears as a singular “cutout.” But as you use your iPhone 14 Pro, the Dynamic Island will fluidly change, depending on what you do.

When the iPhone 14 Pro is locked, the Dynamic Island will stretch out slightly and show a lock icon on the Always-On display (I’ll get to this in the next section) to indicate that it’s locked. When you pick it up and unlock it via Face ID, there’s an animation to indicate that you’ve unlocked the handset, and then it will go back to the idle size.

Dynamic Island is also home for your notifications and alerts. If you get a phone call, it will expand to show the incoming call info, and also have buttons to answer or decline. It shows a Face ID animation if you use Apple Pay or a way to authenticate an app in general. As you play audio from the Music or Podcasts apps and you return to the Home Screen, the Dynamic Island transforms and shows tiny album art and has a visual equalizer to show that there is audio playing in the background. You can also tap and hold on the Dynamic Island to make it expand into a playback control center, or just tap the Dynamic Island itself to return to the app.

You can also have multiple apps running in the Dynamic Island. For example, say you have your Music app playing, and you need to set a timer, the Dynamic Island can handle that without breaking a sweat. With two apps, the Dynamic Island splits up into two separate areas: one longer, more elongated capsule (which hides both the Face ID sensors and the TrueDepth camera), and a secondary circle — think of the letter “i,” but sideways. In the case of the timer, the secondary Dynamic Island element features a timer icon that displays how much time remains.

While we all saw the notch replacement coming, none of us expected the Dynamic Island in 2022. Apple surprised everyone, and it's the defining feature of the iPhone 14 Pro and beyond. It’s still delightful, even whimsical, to use, and it adds another layer to multitasking on the iPhone which is a beautiful blend of hardware and software.

iPhone 14 Pro: Display

New on the iPhone 14 Pro is the Always-On display (AOD). This isn’t a brand new concept to Apple, though, as the Apple Watch began using AOD with the Apple Watch Series 5. However, this is the first time that the AOD has come to the iPhone, though Android devices have had AOD for quite some time. But you know how it goes — Apple isn’t first because it wants to do it the best.

This also applies to the AOD. In fact, the way Apple handles this on iPhone 14 Pro is a bit different than how most Android devices have done it. I had a brief stint with a Samsung Galaxy S8 a few years ago, which had an AOD. From my brief experience, the AOD was quite minimal, only showing the clock, battery level, and any missed notifications you had for calls or messages.

I believe that Apple’s implementation of the AOD is much nicer, though it seems that I may be in the minority with that opinion. It dims your entire Lock Screen wallpaper, but you can still see the date, clock, and even any widgets you set up. Incoming notifications come in from the bottom and are visible with a quick glance. When you tap or raise your iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, the AOD springs to life. Even in direct sunlight, I found the AOD to be very easy to see when not in use. It may depend on the wallpaper that you use, but mine was still visible in direct sunlight, and the on-screen information is legible, though this may also depend on the color and transparency you set.

I admit though, it was weird having an AOD on the iPhone at first. Often I simply thought I didn’t turn the screen off. But after just a few hours, I got used to it, and now I’m not sure how I did without it this entire time. It’s wonderful just being able to glance over at your device and just see the time, or if you have any notifications waiting for you. It’s very much like when the AOD came to the Apple Watch — it was possible to live without it, but why would you want to?

Of course, there may be concerns about how the AOD affects battery life. I’ve kept the AOD on by default and honestly have not noticed any difference in the battery from normal, everyday use. Any effect it has is very negligible. And if you don’t want to use the AOD at all, don’t worry — there’s a toggle in the Settings app to turn it off completely if you so choose.

But what about when you sleep? If you have a sleep schedule set up, then you should already have a Sleep Focus, which automatically kicks in at your bedtime. When your iPhone 14 Pro goes into the Sleep Focus, the AOD turns off until you wake up, so the display won’t be visible throughout the night. So if you haven’t already been using a sleep schedule, now would be a good time to start.

iPhone 14 Pro: eSIM-only activation for the United States

One of the major differences between the U.S. version of the iPhone 14 Pro compared to other countries is the lack of a physical SIM card tray. Instead, Apple opted to remove physical SIM for the U.S. and go all out on eSIM. Though this may pose a problem for those who travel internationally or like to constantly switch between phones, for the average user, it may not matter.

I ordered my iPhone 14 Pro directly from Apple in the U.S. and chose T-Mobile as my carrier. Once I got my iPhone 14 Pro and was setting it up, the eSIM activation was very simple and straightforward. I just had to follow the on-screen instructions — since I chose my carrier when purchasing, the device was already provisioned for T-Mobile. I was worried at first that there may be issues connecting to T-Mobile’s network, but it all went down without a hitch. Within minutes, my cellular service was activated and I could make and receive calls as well as send messages and get data.

For the average person who does not travel abroad frequently or switch between multiple iPhones and Android devices, the eSIM issue may not be a big deal. I cannot speak for those who do either of those things though, because there are all kinds of factors involved. For example, does the carrier you want to use overseas support eSIM? Is it available without having to purchase 12 months at a time? Is it actually more expensive than a physical SIM card? 

For those who like to switch between Android and iPhone, well, even if your Android device of choice supports eSIM, I still think using a physical SIM card is easier for that than eSIM. But hey, I could be wrong — if I am, let me know. I think I would still prefer to just be able to pop out a little SIM card and then put it into another phone and just have my stuff work right away.

iPhone 14 Pro: Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection

New safety features in all iPhone 14 models, including the iPhone 14 Pro, include Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection. Both of these are incredibly useful to have, though it’s honestly a feature that you hopefully don’t have to use. In my time with the iPhone 14 Pro so far, I’m thankful I haven’t had to experience these features myself just yet, but it’s good to know that they’re options if I absolutely need them.

Emergency SOS via satellite will allow you to connect to emergency services by sending texts for help, even if you are nowhere near a cell tower or have Wi-Fi signal. For this feature, Apple has partnered up with Globalstar, a satellite connectivity operator, to make this all possible. To activate Emergency SOS via satellite, you hold down the side button with a volume button until the Emergency SOS comes up. But with satellite connectivity, it won’t be making a phone call like the normal Emergency SOS — instead, it will send a series of short text messages after you answer very quick questions about your situation.

The reason that Emergency SOS via satellite sends messages instead of making a call, is that satellite connectivity is very limited and does not allow for regular data, voice, or text. But for all of this to work, you’ll need to point your iPhone 14 towards a nearby satellite, so this works best when you have a clear view of the sky with few or no obstructions. Think of it this way — the situations where you may need this feature (hiking in remote areas, etc.), getting a good view of the sky shouldn’t be too difficult compared to when you’re in the city with cell towers.

Crash Detection is another safety feature exclusive to the 14 models so far, that may be more useful to a wider range of people, and though you can disable it, I don’t see why you would want to. With Crash Detection, your iPhone 14 can be used to detect when you’re in a severe car crash involving most passenger cars.

This works by utilizing the high dynamic range gyroscope and high-g accelerometer, GPS, barometer, microphone, and other advanced motion algorithms in the iPhone 14 (and Apple Watch). Once a crash is detected, the iPhone shows an alert on the screen for about 10 seconds, in which you can either swipe on the screen to call for emergency services or dismiss it if you don’t need them. However, if there is no interaction after the first 10 seconds, another 10-second countdown starts before emergency services are automatically contacted.

Again, I thankfully have not had to use either of these two features in my brief time with my iPhone 14 Pro, but having these options gives me additional peace of mind. If you are the type who loves to go hiking in remote places, then Emergency SOS via satellite is a must-have feature. And well, anyone could benefit from Crash Detection, regardless of whether or not you actually drive.

Also, keep in mind that these safety features are not just on the iPhone 14 Pro models — it is also available on the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

iPhone 14 Pro: Software and performance with A16

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both have Apple’s newest A16 Bionic chip packed inside, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are on the A15 from last year. Like the A15 before it, the A16 has a 6-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores, a 5-core GPU for faster graphics performance, and a 16-core Neural Engine. 

Honestly though, coming from an iPhone 13 Pro with the A15 that was already pretty fast, the A16 performance improvements are hard to notice in my daily use. But if someone is coming from, say an iPhone XS, then the A16 will definitely be a huge jump in performance.

Apple touts the A16 as the “ultimate smartphone chip” that powers the capabilities of the iPhone 14 Pro. The faster 6-core CPU can handle any workload you throw at it smoothly and efficiently, while the 16-core Neural Engine can perform 17 trillion operations per second, making it possible for pixel-by-pixel analysis with the new Photonic Engine. Gamers should expect even better performance with 50% more memory bandwidth.

Of course, this is how Apple advertises the A16, so it’s marketing jargon. However, I have found the iPhone 14 Pro to be fast and snappy with iOS 16 so far, especially when it comes to editing photos and videos on the device. One of the reasons to purchase an iPhone Pro is the capability of shooting 4K ProRes video, which can equate to incredibly large file sizes — one minute of footage eats up 6GB alone! With the A16 chip, one could apply edits and filters to that 4K ProRes footage, and it would render pretty much instantaneously.

Again, if you’re coming from an iPhone 13, or even an iPhone 12, you may not notice the snappiness and improved responsiveness of the A16. But if you are coming from an older iPhone, then it’s going to be very evident when you first pick up the phone and start using it. While you're upgrading, one of the best Wi-Fi routers for Apple devices may help with local network speeds at home.

iPhone 14 Pro: Cameras

For those serious about photography, the iPhone 14 Pro is the one to get. With the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, you get a triple-lens camera system: 48-megapixel Main camera, 12-megapixel Ultra Wide, and 12-megapixel Telephoto. However, while Apple advertises the 48-megapixel Main camera, it doesn’t quite work the way you think it would.

If you're expecting all of your regular photos to say “48 MP” in the image metadata, don’t. The way the 48-megapixel main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro works is due to the quad-pixel system. That means that there are four sub-pixels that makeup one larger pixel, and thus that’s where the 48-megapixel count comes from. So when you shoot a regular photo, it will still say “12 MP” in the image metadata when you view it.

However, if you opt to shoot in ProRAW format, there is an option for the full 48 MP resolution, though these files can end up around 75MB or more each, and the resolution is 8064x6048 pixels. So though the iPhone 14 Pro can shoot in 48MP, it’s probably not something that you’ll want to be doing all the time. But if you want the most detail in an image, and you plan on printing the photo out on a larger canvas, then turning on the 48MP ProRAW resolution will give you the best image quality possible.

But Apple has done more than just give the Main camera a huge boost to 48MP (the largest jump for iPhone cameras yet). The main camera now has a wider focal length (from 26mm to 24mm), which means that more of the scene you want to capture can now fit in the frame. It’s a minor detail, but it can make all the difference when you want to get that perfect shot. Additionally, all of the camera lenses across the board now have larger sensors, which allows more light to be captured for each photo. From the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro Main camera went from a ƒ/1.5 to ƒ/1.78 aperture, and the Ultra Wide went from ƒ/1.8 to ƒ/2.2 with more focus pixels for sharper images. The Telephoto aperture remains the same with 3x optical zoom, but Apple included 2x on the Telephoto thanks to the quad-pixel sensor system.

Apple has also implemented the new Photonic Engine, which is also available on the standard iPhone 14 models as well as the Pros. This is a new computational photography process developed by Apple that improves mid and low-light photos you take by integrating the Deep Fusion process earlier in the post-processing pipeline before the multiple images taken for the shot are compressed together into a single photo.

Essentially, it’s the evolution of Deep Fusion, which was introduced with the iPhone 11 series. For those who need a refresher, the Deep Fusion process took a total of nine images — four are captured before you hit the shutter button, and another four are captured when you press the button. Deep Fusion takes all of those images and compiles them into a single image that combines the best parts of those images into one. With Photonic Engine, the Deep Fusion process happens earlier on uncompressed images, so more detail, color, and exposure will appear in the final image.

Another improvement this year is with the 12MP TrueDepth camera, which now has autofocus for the first time, as well as a ƒ/1.9 aperture for better low-light photos. This means faster focusing in low light, and it’s easier to capture group selfies with a wider field of view. Those who take videos will appreciate the new Action Mode, which uses its full sensors with more overscan and advanced roll correction to correct significant shaking, vibration, and other unintended motion when recording video footage. Basically, you can get smooth videos without the need for a gimbal accessory.

My colleague Luke Filipowicz was able to test and compare the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro cameras, and there are some observations that he noticed.

According to Luke, the average user probably won’t notice a huge difference between the iPhone 14 Pro camera and its predecessor, but there are a couple of small changes that you can notice when looking closely.

Across the board, we found the iPhone 14 Pro shots to be a little less saturated in color and, at times, a little cooler or warmer in temperature. You can really notice the difference if you look at the sky and Canada flag in the pics with the bird on a hydro pole. Also, in the ultra-wide pics of the path in the woods, you’ll notice that there’s a bit more contrast to the photo taken by the iPhone 14 Pro as well — take a look at the detail of the woodchips for example.

What surprised us the most though, was that Night Mode doesn’t want to activate as frequently on the iPhone 14 Pro as it does on the previous generation. However, low-light photos on the iPhone (Night Mode or not) still remain some of the hardest shots to pull off well. Even with the iPhone 14 Pro’s better camera array, the results of my low-light shots here leave something to be desired.

Of course, if you are actually a professional photographer, you’ll likely be able to pull off some very sweet shots using the iPhone 14 Pro. I will say, even for a very amateur photographer such as myself, I really appreciate how large the 48MP shots on the main lens are — it makes for a better post-editing process to just have so many more options for cropping available to you.

iPhone 14 Pro: Battery life

I previously used the iPhone 13 Pro, which I thought had amazing battery life. It would make it to the end of the day with juice left to spare. It’s still pretty early with the iPhone 14 Pro, but so far, with pretty much the same usage habits, the iPhone 14 Pro is about the same. This involves constantly checking emails and social media throughout the day, playing some Disney Emoji Blitz in my free time, and shooting photos and videos.

From my usual daily use case, the iPhone 14 Pro battery is pretty comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro, though I believe that iOS 16 may have put a small dent in it.

But if you’re worried about the AOD affecting battery life, don’t be! I’ve kept my AOD on since setting up my phone, and again, the battery is about the same as my previous one. Any effect that the AOD has on the battery for me is quite negligible, and honestly, if you notice more drain on the battery than before, then the AOD can be turned off.

According to Apple’s spec sheets, the iPhone 14 Pro should last about 23 hours on a single full charge, which is about an hour more than the iPhone 13 Pro before it. Those who want the most battery should think about the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which I discuss over in the next section.

However, Apple still does not include an AC adapter in the box, and you’ll still get the fastest charging speeds with a separate adapter of 20W or higher for wired charging. MagSafe is still 15W, and Qi-compatible chargers remain capped at 7.5W, unfortunately. With a 20W adapter, Apple says you should be able to get about 50% charge in just 30 minutes.

iPhone 14 Pro: Go big or go home? iPhone 14 Pro Max in brief

While I personally prefer the standard-size iPhone 14 Pro with the 6.1-inch screen, those who like a larger screen should definitely go with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. I just find the size a little unwieldy myself, but this is all subjective.

Spec-wise, there are few differences between the regular iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the Pro Max will display more information on the screen at once with a 6.7-inch display, and it has a few more hours of battery life (29 hours versus 23 hours, respectively). Other than that, both models have the same A16 Bionic, triple-lens camera system with a 48-megapixel Main camera, 12MP TrueDepth camera, Dynamic Island, AOD, up to 1TB storage, and more. Whether you go big is ultimately up to you and how comfortable you are with a large phone.

iPhone 14 Pro: Competition

Since the iPhone 14 Pro is Apple’s new flagship iPhone, the best comparable competitor on the market right now is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. While Apple uses the Ceramic Shield glass on the front screen, which makes it more shatter-proof than the S23, the S23 Ultra's Gorilla Glass Victus 2, is actually more scratch-resistant than Apple. 

However, though the S23 Ultra is bigger than the iPhone 14 Pro (but not the iPhone 14 Pro Max), the display does not quite match up to it. The S23 Ultra only has a resolution of 1440 x 3088 pixels with 500 PPI, while the iPhone 14 Pro has 1179x2556 resolution and 460 PPI. The display on the iPhone 14 Pro can also go up to 2000 nits of peak brightness, while the S23 Ultra maxes out at 1750 nits.

The Samsung S23 Ultra uses Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside, but in terms of raw power, Apple’s A16 (and arguably, even the A15) is a much better choice. For most people, the difference may be negligible, but for power users, the iPhone 14 Pro will still beat the S23 Ultra in terms of performance.

The iPhone 14 Pro also has more storage capacity than the S23 Ultra, which tops out at 1TB with 12GB RAM, while the iPhone 14 Pro also goes up to 1TB.

Of course, the biggest difference between the iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung’s S23 Ultra is the operating system. With the iPhone 14 Pro, you have iOS 16, which is a seamless experience for those who are already invested in the Apple ecosystem. But if you want more flexibility with what your phone can do, then S22+ is the way to go with Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Android is definitely king when it comes to customization, especially with the Material You options, but if you don’t particularly care about that aspect, then iOS 16 should be fine.

With iOS 16, Apple gives us some Lock Screen customization (on top of iOS 14’s Home Screen customization, though it’s still far from what Android can accomplish), edit and undo send in iMessage, multi-stop routing in Apple Maps, and more. Android 13 does also have better notifications, but the iPhone 14 Pro has the Dynamic Island, which as I mentioned earlier, is an incredible feat of blending together hardware and software into something unique and seamless.

And on the camera front, the iPhone 14 Pro has made some major leaps and could be catching up to the S23 Ultra. While the S23 Ultra has a 200 MP primary camera, 12 MP, f/2.2 ultra wide, 10 MP, f/2.4 telephoto, and 12 MP, f/2.2 front camera, the iPhone 14 Pro is also up there with a 48MP Main, 12MP Ultra Wide, 12MP Telephoto, and 12MP TrueDepth front camera. Though Samsung still has higher zoom (up to 30x space zoom), if that does not matter, then the iPhone 14 Pro is definitely the way to go with an impressive 3x optical zoom. Of course, it’s important to note that there are algorithmic differences in how Apple and Samsung choose to process photos taken with these devices, so you may find you prefer how the iPhone 14 Pro handles colors and saturation or vice versa. Again, both have great cameras, but the end result may depend on what you prefer your photos to look like (more natural and true-to-life versus too vivid and washed out), though magic can always be worked in the post-editing process too.

While both the iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are good phones, we definitely would still recommend the iPhone 14 Pro. Not only is it just better overall if you are already invested in the Apple ecosystem, but Apple has made some huge leaps in upgrades this year, especially with the Dynamic Island, camera system, and display.

iPhone 14 Pro: Should you buy it?

Buy the iPhone 14 Pro if...

You want a great iPhone.

The iPhone 14 Pro packs in a powerful A16 Bionic chip, gorgeous Always-On display, Dynamic Island, a 48-megapixel main camera, and a 12MP TrueDepth camera for the absolute best iPhone experience yet. It can now be bested by the iPhone 15 Pro, but it's still a highly capable handset.

You love to take photos and videos with your iPhone.

The 48-megapixel Main camera is an absolute beast, allowing you to take incredibly detailed photos, including up to 48MP ProRAW format that is perfect for editing and printing on large canvases. And video lovers will appreciate the new Action Mode, allowing you to capture super smooth video without the need for a gimbal.

You’ve been wanting an iPhone with an AOD.

This is the first iPhone with an Always-On display, and though it’s different from how a lot of Android devices present it, I’m a fan. It’s great to be able to just glance at the iPhone on a desk to quickly see what time it is without having to tap or wake up your device.

Don't buy the iPhone 14 Pro if...

You’re on a tight budget.

As great as the iPhone 14 Pro is, there’s no doubt that it’s quite pricey. Though we believe the Pro models are better than the standard ones, if you can’t spare the extra dough, then the iPhone 14 is still good, and it has Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection.

You aren’t serious about iPhone photography.

The iPhone 14 Pro is an absolute beast for iPhone photography with that 48MP Main camera. However, if you just want to be able to snap some decent photos just to post on social media, then it may be overkill.

You don’t care about the AOD or Dynamic Island.

I’m a fan of how Apple has handled both the AOD and Dynamic Island, but I know it’s not for everyone. If these aren’t your cup of tea, that’s perfectly fine! At least the AOD can actually be turned off completely if you so choose, but the Dynamic Island is here to stay.

iPhone 14 Pro: Verdict

Though Apple launched four iPhone 14 models back in September 2022, the iPhone 14 Pro lineup is still the way to go. The standard iPhone 14 is just not that much different than the iPhone 13 before it, as it still uses the A15 Bionic, retains the notch, and just has a slightly improved camera system with the addition of Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection.

But the iPhone 14 Pro features so many more unique features that make it worth the money: Always-On display, Dynamic Island, 48-megapixel Main camera, 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera, up to 1TB storage, ProRAW support, longer-lasting battery life, and so much more. Even though the iPhone 14 starts at $799, you’re just not getting enough new stuff to make it worth the price, especially when you can still get an iPhone 13 for less. Seriously, the iPhone 14 Pro still reigns supreme.

Apple has confirmed that it is expanding Emergency SOS via satellite to more countries next year.

As spotted by MacRumors, the company has revealed that it plans to bring the new safety feature to even more countries in 2023. At the bottom of the press release bringing the feature to four more countries this week, the company noted that "support for more countries will follow next year."

While the company has confirmed that more countries are being lined up for support next year, it has not yet said which countries those are or which ones are coming first. Until then, the feature is now available in six countries including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

The feature has already saved many

The new safety feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and will be available to iPhone 14 owners for free for the first two years. It is currently unclear what Apple may charge for the feature after those two years are up.

Emergency SOS via satellite "combines custom components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Satellites are moving targets with low bandwidth, and it can take minutes for messages to get through. Since every second counts, with Emergency SOS via satellite, iPhone front-loads a few vital questions to assess the user’s situation and shows them where to point their phone to connect to a satellite. The initial questionnaire and follow-up messages are then relayed to centers staffed by Apple-trained specialists who can call for help on the user’s behalf."

The feature has already come in handy for some who found themselves in an emergency situation, including a couple who used it after their car went into a canyon and a man who got stranded in Alaska.

Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro came to the rescue for a couple in California on Tuesday.

The Montrose Search and Rescue Team took to Twitter to share the story. According to the account, a couple was driving on the Angeles Forest Highway when their car went off the mountain, falling approximately three hundred feet into the canyon below.

The couple, incredibly, was able to get out of the car but found that there was no cellular signal in the canyon. Thankfully, one of them had an iPhone 14 model and was able to use the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to contact emergency services.

The emergency feature was able to communicate the exact latitude and longitude for the team to find the victims. According to the report, "Air Rescue 5 was able to locate the victims and insert a paramedic. The paramedic learned the patients, a male and female in their 20s, had mild to moderate injuries. The helicopter was able to hoist the victims out of the canyon and transport them to a local area hospital."

You can watch a video of the rescue below:

Emergency SOS via satellite launched in November

Emergency SOS via satellite is a new feature that is exclusive to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. The feature, which launched in the United States and Canada back in November, will be available to iPhone 14 owners for free for the first two years.

Emergency SOS via satellite "combines custom components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage."

The feature also just launched this week in France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It is currently unknown which other countries Apple plans to launch the service.

The iPhone 14's Crash Detection feature helped a man find his wife after she was in a major car accident.

In a post on Reddit, a user by the name of unclescorpion said that the feature enabled him to quickly locate his wife after she experienced a car accident and was unable to contact him. Apple's Crash Detection went into motion and not only called emergency services but also notified him about the accident and her exact location.

The man said that "earlier today, while I was talking to my wife on the phone as she drove home from the store, I heard her scream, and the line went dead. Within several seconds, I received a notification from her iPhone telling me that she had been in a crash and giving me her exact location. I rush over there and was there before the ambulance arrived, which her phone had called."

He went on, saying that it turned out that "a distracted driver crossed the centerline and slammed into my wife’s car head-on. Both her and the other driver are OK and are both recovering. Witnesses tried to call me, but she was so shook up that she wasn’t able to give them my phone number correctly. I only knew because her Apple device told me and I was there for her when she got in the ambulance."

He ended the story by saying, "if not for her iPhone, I never would have known and I would’ve been left wondering what had happened and worrying. I cannot express my appreciation enough for that crash detection feature."

thank_you_apple_for_sos from r/apple

Crash Detection is an exclusive feature on the iPhone 14 and new Apple Watches

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 new Emergency SOS via satellite feature may be coming to another country as soon as next week.

As reported by MacRumors, a source who spoke with the outlet has said that the new safety feature could launch in the United Kingdom sooner than Apple anticipated when it initially announced Emergency SOS via satellite back in September.

The report says that "emergency services personnel in the country have been told that calls from the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be routed to local emergency services facilities starting on Tuesday, December 13."

The feature is already available in two countries

With a launch in the United Kingdom, Apple would increase the number of countries supported by the feature to three. Emergency SOS via satellite is already available in the United States and Canada, having launched in both countries back in November.

The new safety feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and will be available to iPhone 14 owners for free for the first two years. It is currently unclear what Apple may charge for the feature after those two years are up.

Emergency SOS via satellite "combines custom components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Satellites are moving targets with low bandwidth, and it can take minutes for messages to get through. Since every second counts, with Emergency SOS via satellite, iPhone front-loads a few vital questions to assess the user’s situation and shows them where to point their phone to connect to a satellite. The initial questionnaire and follow-up messages are then relayed to centers staffed by Apple-trained specialists who can call for help on the user’s behalf."

In addition to the United Kingdom, Apple says that the feature will also launch in France, Germany, and Ireland in December.

Foxconn's iPhone City is no longer in the middle of a COVID-19 lockdown, allowing it to begin to return to full manufacturing capacity.

The Zhengzhou plant, dubbed iPhone City because it's the largest iPhone assembly factory on the planet, normally houses more than 200,000 workers but has been running at reduced capacity for weeks thanks to COVID-19 breakouts. It's also been the scene of worker riots over conditions and pay issues of late, too.

Now, it's reported that the factory can spin up production following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions along with other major Chinese cities including Shanghai. However, the downtime has already reportedly cost Apple around $1 billion per week in lost iPhone sales.

Billions in lost sales

The Zhengzhou facility is the only one in the world that assembles iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models, two devices that were already in short supply. However, stocks have dwindled further since the COVID-19 outbreak, with Apple saying that handset supplies couldn't meet demand.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also recently reported that he expected iPhone 14 Pro buyers to simply skip the model entirely, rather than wait for new stocks to become available. He pointed to the worsening global economic situation as the key reason for that decision.

With Apple's best iPhones hard to come by, the news of iPhone City's impending return to form will surely be well received by Apple. But it will take time for things to get back up to speed, with analyst Dan Ives telling CNN that there is "a lot of heavy lifting ahead for Apple to ramp back up the factories."

Kuo also believes that Apple will ship around 20 million fewer iPhones this year as a result of the Foxconn troubles. It's likely to be seen as another reason why Apple is trying to diversify manufacturing capacity rather than have all its eggs in the iPhone City basket.

Apple didn't say that the Phone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have any major MagSafe upgrades, but it turns out at least one model can charge faster for longer than its predecessor.

While MagSafe has been around since the release of the iPhone 12 series of devices, it hasn't really changed since. It's still limited to the same 20W maximum charging power, but according to some testing it appears that, in the case of the iPhone 14 Pro Max at least, it can charge faster than last year's model.

That testing was carried out by ChargerLAB and involved charging an iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max using a standard Apple MagSafe charger. ChargerLAB then measured the amount of power that the iPhones were able to draw from the charger, noting that the newer model was able to maintain higher charging speeds for longer.

That was a point further proven by the amount of time it took an iPhone 14 Pro Max to charge to 100% — two hours and 18 minutes. The iPhone 13 Pro Max took two hours and 26 minutes which, while not a huge difference, does point to the newer iPhone being able to charge at a faster rate, at least for a longer period of time.

As for why Apple's best iPhones are charging more speedily than last year's, it's likely all down to the newer models' improved thermal situation. MagSafe generates heat when charging, just like any other wireless charger. The only way to reduce that heat is to charge more slowly, but if the iPhone can keep itself cooler during the charging process it can accept power more quickly — hence the slightly shorter charging times.

Whether those improved charging times will make a huge difference to most people is a matter for debate. But if you're waiting to duck out of the door with a full battery, it can make all the difference in the world.

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro supply problems could see potential buyers choose to skip it entirely, according to a new report.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple's continuing struggles to get iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models onto store shelves could see customers choose not to wait, thanks in part to a global economic situation that isn't conducive to selling premium smartphones.

Demand will 'disappear'

Kuo, writing on Medium, says that he believes that demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will "disappear due to the significant supply and demand gap" rather than choose to delay their purchase. It isn't clear whether those buyers will choose to hang on to their existing device or pick up an iPhone 14 instead, however.

The same report also points the finger at ongoing worker unrest at Foxconn's Zhengzhou, China plant as a major reason iPhone 14 Pro series devices aren't being replenished at stores around the world. He believes that iPhone shipments for the final quarter of 2022 will be around 20% lower than previously expected — with 15 - 20 million fewer Pro models produced.

The Zhengzhou factory, dubbed iPhone City, is the biggest iPhone assembly plant on the planet and is the only one currently building Apple's best iPhones. Ongoing unrest due to poor working conditions and COVID-19 restrictions have so far caused iPhone supplies to dwindle, with Apple going so far as to confirm that iPhone 14 Pro stocks are expected to dry up this holiday season.

"The average capacity utilization rate of Zhengzhou iPhone plant was only about 20% in November," Kuo says, adding that "it’s expected to improve to 30–40% in December." But that won't be enough to produce enough iPhones for holiday buyers, leading to missed sales at a time of year when Apple can normally rely on a bumper quarter.

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models were already hard to get hold of before unrest at the world's biggest iPhone-making factory. Now, it's thought that disruption has cost Apple as many as six million iPhones.

With the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, China at the epicenter of protests regarding poor working conditions and COVID-19 lockdowns, it's thought that the impact on production could see six million fewer iPhones built this year. The news comes as Apple continues to struggle to build enough iPhones to meet demand.

Foxconn turmoil

Riots at the Foxconn factory began last week amid reports of delayed payments, while strict COVID-19 lockdown rules have since seen tension stretch to other parts of the country. China's zero-COVID approach means snap lockdowns, and Foxconn workers are far from the only ones complaining.

As for the Zhengzhou plant, dubbed iPhone City because of its size and capacity, Bloomberg reports that "the situation remains fluid" but that the worker situation "is likely to result in a production shortfall of close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year."

Apple's Zhengzhou plant is the only one capable of assembling the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models, Apple's two best iPhones. The company has already warned that its Pro models will be harder to come by this Christmas as a result of Foxconn's COVID-19 predicament.

Apple is also acutely aware that its over-reliance on Chinese manufacturing continues to be problematic. Plans to move some manufacturing of Apple hardware to other countries continue, including India.

While getting hold of a Pro iPhone 14 right now is difficult, it isn't impossible. While online orders are unlikely to arrive before Christmas, it's still worth checking local Apple Store stocks regularly. We even have one iPhone 14 Pro upgrade program hack that might get you one sooner, too.

Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory, the world's biggest iPhone plant and the only one to assemble Apple's best iPhones, is in meltdown. And it's suggested that those hoping to pick up an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max could be impacted.

With the supply of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max already struggling to keep up with demand, Foxconn's 300,000-worker factory in Zhengzhou is in the midst of riots and ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns. Now, it's thought the unrest will further harm customers' chances of picking up a new device this holiday season.

Bigger problems than iPhones

An NPR report notes that the clashes between workers and security forces at the factory dubbed iPhone City are likely to make it even harder to pick up a new iPhone,  with those Pro models likely to be the worst hit. With workers already concerned that they would miss out on promised bonus payments, it's also thought that there was a COVID-19 aspect to the riots as well.

"They were upset about quarantine rules, conditions in the factory and then, generally, feared catching COVID, NPR's Joh Ruwitch reports. While Foxconn now says it has fixed a computer glitch that delayed bonus payments, that isn't the only concern. Ruwitch says that the workers were "also animated by these rumors that they were being forced to live and work with others at the factory who actually had COVID-19." Foxconn denies that was the case.

While not being able to buy an iPhone this Christmas will no doubt make gift-giving an issue for some, it's of course important to remember the conditions these workers have had to deal with. Reports of trash piling up, lack of food, and poor living conditions have become all-too-regular for a company so heavily relied on so heavily by Apple and other tech companies.

Apple's long-time competitor Samsung is reportedly responsible for more than 70% of the OLED displays that make their way into the company's iPhone 14 lineup.

Samsung Display now has such a dominant position in the iPhone lineup that the likes of LG Display and BOE are playing significant second fiddle.

One of the reasons for Samsung Display's dominance, The Elec reports, is the inability of LG Display and BOE to provide displays to Apple's standards. The former has "faced problems in production for the OLED panels aimed at Pro Max, allowing Samsung Display to gain more shares early on," the report notes.

All the displays

As for BOE, it was expecting to be able to be responsible for more orders but the lackluster sales of the standard iPhone 14 devices have impacted Apple's plans in that regard.

The Elec reports that Apple is expected to use more than 120 million OLED panels for the iPhone 14, with Samsung making up the vast majority — mid-80 million units, sources reportedly told the outlet.

LG Display is expected to ship mid-20 million units, while BOE will only ship around six million.

Samsung Display provides panels for all four iPhone 14 models including the best iPhone of all, the iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, LG Display only handles the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Max. BOE is the one left to pick up what's left of the iPhone 14 orders.

It's that breakdown that likely ensures Samsung will be the main supplier for Apple this time around, with Apple's Pro models reportedly selling much more readily than the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Apple had hoped that the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus would sell better than the much smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, but indications are that isn't the case so far.

If you're trying to find an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max this holiday season, you might have a really tough time doing so.

One popular place that customers visit to check out the latest and greatest cell phones is Best Buy. The technology retailer has a huge presence in the United States and elsewhere so it's a natural place that many may turn to this holiday season if they find that the iPhone they want is sold out at their local Apple Store or wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

However, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry says that they might not have the phone you're looking for this year. On a media call, Barry said that "one of the places where we're seeing a bit of (inventory) pressure is in those higher-end iconic iPhone devices."

You'll have more luck with an iPhone 14 Plus

Barry's prediction seems to be panning out. Media outlet Reuters made a trip to a Best Buy in the Bronx in New York and, like the CEO mentioned, the store was completely sold out of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Michael Phillips, a supervisor at the store, said that it takes at least two weeks to get new phones into the store when the company places an order with Apple for them.

Phillips said that "we lose a lot of customers because of that. You're not going to settle for something that doesn't have the specs you want."

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has estimated that Apple will sell over eight million units of the iPhone 14 lineup over Black Friday weekend this year. If that pans out, it will be a 25% decrease over last year with the iPhone 13 lineup., Ives attributes the potential decrease to the lack of inventory due to supply chain issues, saying that Apple Stores are expected to have about 25% less inventory when compared to a year ago.

Barry also weighed in on consumer behavior and financial strain with growing inflation, saying that "across consumers, we can also see that savings are being drawn down and credit usage is going up. Value clearly matters to everyone."

Regarding the fastest 5G performance available, nothing can quite compete with an iPhone 14 Pro. Except for an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to new research shared by Ookla, the company behind the hugely popular Speedtest apps and website. Using data collected from people using their phones to test the speed of their 5G connection, Ookla has been able to figure out which handsets offer the fastest speeds — and in the United States and the UK, nothing can touch Apple's best iPhone.

Faster 5G than anyone else

Ookla says its tests showed Apple's new pro iPhones to beat the rest of the competition surprisingly handily, with some exciting results across the two countries.

For example, in the UK, it's all about the iPhone all the time. Not only did the iPhone 14 Pro Max manage the best speeds of all — 171Mbps download and 16.59Mbps upload — but Apple's phones took all five top spots. The iPhone 13 lineup filled out the spots left by Apple's flagship devices.

1. iPhone 14 Pro Max — 171.24Mbps down, 16.59Mbps up
2. iPhone 13 Pro Max — 165.49Mbps down, 13.84Mbps up
3. iPhone 14 Pro — 158.24Mbps down, 15.06Mbps up
4. iPhone 13 mini — 157.42Mbps down, 11.91 Mbps up
5. iPhone 13 Pro — 154.50 Mbps down, 13.26 Mbps up

More competition at home

In the United States, it was again the iPhone 14 Pro Max in top spot, this time followed by the iPhone 14 Pro. Below that it was a sea of Samsung phones that made up the top five this time around.

1. iPhone 14 Pro Max — 177.21Mbps down, 19.28Mbps up
2. iPhone 14 Pro — 175.08Mbps down, 18.59Mbps up
3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 — 162.50Mbps down, 15.17Mbps up
4. Samsung Galaxy S21+5G — 140.06Mbps down, 14.77 Mbps up
5. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra — 137.42 Mbps down, 14.48 Mbps up

Ookla says it will monitor its results for the rest of the year, adding that the iPhone 14 Pro devices have "already shown that new devices are speeding ahead."

The iPhone 14 lineup uses a Qualcomm modem, with that expected to remain the case for at least the iPhone 15 lineup and possibly beyond. While Apple is working on designing its own 5G modems, it's thought that roadblocks have led to a return to Qualcomm, at least for now.

Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant is the biggest on the planet, building iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets that are sold the world over. But it's having a bad spell and has now had to freeze hiring despite a global iPhone shortage.

The pause comes as the company deals with a COVID-19 outbreak in the wider community and it reportedly can't hire any more people until more quarantine space becomes available.

iPhone lockdown

The situation at Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant was already bleak. The company first had to deal with lockdowns over spiraling COVID-19 infections and then saw people flee the plant in an attempt to avoid those lockdowns.

The factory's inability to produce Apple's best iPhones quickly enough saw Apple release a statement warning that iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max stocks would be limited. Now, the company needs 100,000 more workers to get its factory back up to speed, but a South China Morning Post report says that's proving problematic.

"Under the required closed-loop mode of production that keeps workers confined to Foxconn’s campus to minimize the spread of Covid-19, potential job candidates must go through a health check and a quarantine at a designated location before going to work on production lines," the report says. 

"New hires must quarantine for four days, according to the latest notice from Foxconn’s iPhone production unit in Zhengzhou."

Hiring has now been paused for three days to allow the backlog to clear. Once it does, Foxconn can get back to the business of hiring more people to build Apple's high-end iPhones. At full capacity, Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant can house as many as 300,000 employees at a time, with living quarters and other facilities provided.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been hard to come by ever since they went on sale in September. Supplies are so constrained that the chances of getting one before Christmas are thin even if you order today.

Apple can legally now sell iPhone 14 models in Colombia for the first time, with iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 also coming along for the ride.

The news comes after a Colombian judge overturned a preliminary injunction that prevented Apple from selling any 5G-powered devices in the country following claims by Ericsson that they infringed upon its patents. Now that the preliminary injunction has been overturned by the Sala Civil del Tribunal Superior del Distrito Judicial de Bogotá D.C., (Superior Court for the Judicial District, Civil Law Division,) Apple can finally release its best iPhones in Colombia.

Whether they'll be banned again in the future remains to be seen, however, with multiple Ericsson Vs Apple rulings set to be handed down in the early parts of 2023.

5G for everyone, or not

The irony here is that the 5G network in Colombia is non-existent, meaning even if people bought 5G iPhones they wouldn't be able to make the most of them. That didn't stop Ericsson from getting involved around four months ago, forcing Apple to skip the iPhone 14 launch and 5G-capable iPads entirely.

Foss Patents reports that the decision to overturn the injunction was made because the appeals court has access to more information than was previously allowed in front of the original court. "Apple argued that there were 'significant differences' between the claim language and the relevant part of the 5G standard," for example, with a sworn declaration from an expert also provided by Apple.

With Apple now able to release the iPhone 14 lineup, it can also bring other 5G-enabled devices back to the market in Colombia. But with the overall patent decisions expected to arrive in 2023, it's possible that Apple could be forced to remove its products from sale again or face paying licensing fees.

It's possible that Apple and Ericsson could agree on a settlement before then.

Qualcomm's newly-announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip will beat at the heart of the very best Android phones that 2023 will have to offer. But it's already been outperformed by 2022's iPhone 14 Pro and the A16 Bionic.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is expected to ship inside a number of flagship Android devices next year, with Samsung's very best Galaxy S offerings likely to attach globs of RAM and huge camera sensors to it. But in terms of raw performance, Apple already has it beat according to new benchmark numbers.

Not-so-fast, Qualcomm

Despite Qualcomm picking up iPhone 15 modem orders, the company is very much in competition with Apple's silicon team in terms of the processors that it sells to Android phone makers. The company announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to much fanfare earlier this week, saying that it will offer improved performance over last year's iteration. And well it might, but it still won't beat the A16 Bionic.

New Geekbench tests of an unknown Vivo Android device running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip give it a single-core score of 1483 and a multi-core score of 4709. Both are respectable scores by most measures, but they fall short of iPhone 14 Pro's 1874 single-core and 5372 multi-core results thanks to the A16 Bionic's beefy processing prowess.

Qualcomm's new chip is built on TSMC's 4nm manufacturing process, just like the A16 Bionic. That allows for improved power consumption and reduced heat, two things that Android buyers will be hoping for next year. Previous Qualcomm chips had been known for their toastiness, sometimes causing CPU and GPU throttling — especially during gaming sessions.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple's best iPhone in terms of gaming, thanks in part to its large screen but also the way it's able to offer strong performance for longer periods of time without throttling.

A new study claims that the buyers of Apple's best iPhone are willing to upgrade to the best storage options.

With the iPhone 14 lineup being on sale for a few weeks now, early numbers show that those picking up a new handset have been willing to hand over extra cash to avoid the base 128GB model, sometimes choosing to go all the way to the maximum 1TB.

All the gigabytes

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are sold in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are also available with a larger 1TB capacity. Now, numbers shared by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) point to people going further up the storage chart with this round of releases.

CIRP notes that the same data was found when looking at those buying iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models, too.

"Consumers continued their long-standing tendency to upgrade from base storage," the CIRP report says. "For the new iPhone 14 models and the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, most customers paid a premium for larger storage capacity phones."

It isn't clear why people might be going for more storage and ignoring the 128GB option, but there are some possibilities.

The first is that stock shortages mean people buy whatever model is available. So the 128GB model selling out could lead customers to upgrade to 256GB and beyond rather than wait weeks for their preferred configuration to become available. The numbers could back that up — 50% of people buying an iPhone 14 Pro this year went for the 256GB model.

Another option, especially with this year's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, is that people know the ballooning file sizes of images and videos created by the new handsets. The Pro iPhones now have a 48-megapixel camera capable of shooting ProRAW photos as big as 100MB each, for example.

Buying an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max is difficult right now, and according to Apple it's only going to get worse. But it isn't impossible.

Apple says that supply issues will mean that people have to wait longer to get their hands on a new iPhone, specifically the Pro models. Anyone trying to order one in the United States right now looks set for a multi-week wait, and getting hold of one in a store is almost impossible unless you happen to be in the right place at the right time.

But I managed to walk into my local Apple Store and walk back out with a Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro Max last week, despite Apple's website saying none were in stock.

Here's how.

The iPhone Upgrade Program trick

We've all heard of the iPhone Upgrade Program, and it's a great way to buy an iPhone. It lets buyers pay monthly and then give the handset back and pick up a new one every year. It's a no-brainer for a lot of people, but it doesn't work for everyone for a variety of reasons. But you can use the program to your advantage even if you don't intend to use it.

Here's what I did — and the process might differ slightly depending on the country you're in. I'm in the UK, and it worked well enough for me to get an iPhone five weeks sooner than Apple said I could.

Let me set the scene. I'd taken to checking local pick-up stock because I'd been told that Apple's website updated with new in-store stock levels every morning — around 07:30am, if you're wondering. I checked and no stock was to be found.

Except, when I checked to see if stock was available for those on the iPhone Upgrade Program, there was an iPhone 14 Pro Max with 256GB of storage just waiting to be picked up. It turns out, at least in this instance and at my local store, that the Apple Store either keeps some stock back for iPhone Upgrade Program buyers or at the very least has two different stock lists. Whatever the reason, the fact remained that I couldn't reserve an iPhone for collection unless I chose the iPhone Upgrade Program.

I decided to try my luck and made the reservation.

My Apple Store slot came a few hours later and sure enough, my iPhone 14 Pro Max was ready and waiting for me. When asked if I wanted to set up myself up on the iPhone Upgrade Program I asked if I could just buy the thing instead. The Apple Store employee said I could, no questions asked.

I walked out with the best iPhone Apple makes without the weeks-long wait, feeling mildly guilty as I went. But also a little bit smitten with that Deep Purple.

So there we have it. If your Apple Store says it has no iPhone 14 stock and you don't want to wait, check if stocks are available for the iPhone Upgrade Program as well. You never quite know your luck.

Hopefully this isn't something people will need to rely on for too much longer, though. Apple says that it's working with suppliers like Foxconn to try and get supply to the point where it can keep up with demand. But ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns, affecting the world's biggest iPhone plant, aren't going to make that easy.

If you need an iPhone this holiday season, this trick might just get you sorted out sooner rather than later.

Good luck!

According to a new report, Samsung is no longer the only company providing displays for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

While Samsung has been responsible for every display that went into Apple's pro models since their release in September, that is all now about to change, with LG Display reportedly picking up some of Samsung's business and reducing Apple's reliance on a single provider into the bargain.

Good business

Apple has been looking for ways to diversify its manufacturing lines in recent months, and while that has generally involved trying to move some manufacturing outside of China, it's also wise not to rely too heavily on one company wherever possible. This move to using two suppliers for the specialist screens that go into iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets is a good example of that.

ETNews reports that Apple is now using LG Display for some of its LPTO OLED displays, the type that is used in its high-end models. The LPTO design allows for the variable refresh rate that begins at 1Hz and goes all the way to 120Hz to bring ProMotion support to the iPhone. The 1Hz refresh support is also what allows the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max to bring the Always-On Display to Apple's phones for the first time.

"This is the first time that LG Display supplied LTPO OLED to Apple for mass-produced mobile products," the report notes, adding that the technology also allows for significantly reduced power usage.

The report says that LG Display is expected to post boosted fourth-quarter earnings as a result of the new orders.

The best iPhone 14 Pro deals are potentially getting a little more affordable now with the promise of the iPhone 15 arriving soon. The iPhone 14 Pro will remain a great phone even when it does launch, so if you're looking for a high-end smartphone deal, you're in the right place.

We've picked out all the best deals you can find from a number of different carriers. Some are straightforward deals while others involve a trade-in so it's a good opportunity to get rid of your older iPhone while still saving. 

The iPhone 14 Pro is one of the best iPhones ever made. It has the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen for some useful functionality. There's its 48MP camera on the back, along with a super-fast A16 Bionic processor to power everything. The iPhone 14 Pro may nearly be a year old but it remains top-of-the-range. Find the right deal for you and you've got a new phone that will delight you for a long time to come.

If you're after a different iPhone, we also have all the insight into the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals, as well as the best iPhone 14 deals and the best iPhone 14 Plus deals.

The best iPhone 14 Pro deals

• Buy iPhone 14: Apple | Best Buy | Walmart

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both include support for a new 2x camera feature and now the popular Halide camera app has also now been updated to take full use of it.

The new feature is specific to the Pro iPhones because they have the new 48-megapixel camera and the 2x zoom uses all of those pixels to artificially zoom, essentially cropping out parts of the image in the process. Halide needed to do some work to make the most of that new zoom level, and that update is now good to go in the App Store.

Zoom fun

The new update, Halide version 2.10, builds on the previous release that added support for other iPhone 14 Pro features including 48-megapixel capture support. The 2x zoom support isn't the only addition here either, with Halide now supporting focus peaking and generally getting faster in the process. The app has also gained the usual array of fixes across the board, too.

While Apple does include a Camera app built right into every iPhone that is sold, third-party apps like Halide take a step beyond what it offers including adding more power user-friendly capture modes and image tweaking.

Want to take Halide for a spin? The new update is available for download from the App Store now so existing users might already have it installed. For everyone else, Halide is a free download with a subscription available. Alternatively, a lifetime license is also an option for those who prefer to go that route.

Halide really is one of the best iPhone camera apps in the App Store today and is well worth checking out if you're at all curious about what those new iPhone cameras can do.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have technically been on the market for over a month and a half now, but that doesn't mean you can actually find one.

The new "pro" iPhone, which has been on sale since September 16, is still a tough find in the United States. To make things a litter easier, we've put together a list of the most common retailers that you would think to shop for the phone and give you an update on what the stock looks like.

As with any iPhone, the most popular configuration with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the base 128GB model, so we'll focus on that configuration when taking a look at stock levels at Apple and the major carriers in the U.S. like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

If you're in the United States and looking for an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, this should hopefully make your shopping extravaganza a little shorter.

Apple

Apple makes the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, so you'd think this to be the first place you might check to find one. However, even Apple itself is still facing inventory issues when it comes to the new phones.

The iPhone 14 Pro 128GB Space Black configuration, if you order today, won't get to you until at least November 29th. In fact, that delivery date applies to all color configurations across the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

If you need one now, your best bet is to increase your storage as there are still some configurations available in select Apple Stores depending on the exact configuration you choose.

AT&T

Things get a lot better if you're looking to purchase your new iPhone 14 Pro through AT&T, except if you're looking for the Gold one with 128GB. 

That particular model currently delivers between November 16, 2022, and November 23, 2022. Still better than Apple itself, but you'll have a couple of weeks to wait at least.

If you're looking for an iPhone 14 Pro Max in Silver, the 128GB version will also cause a delay. That configuration is currently being delivered between November 14, 2022 and November 15, 2022.

Verizon

With Verizon, the 128GB option of the iPhone 14 Pro is backordered until at least November 18th for the Space Black, Silver, and Deep Purple colors.

If you're looking for an iPhone 14 Pro Max in Silver, the 128GB version will also cause a delay. That configuration is currently being also backordered until at least November 18th.

T-Mobile

The iPhone 14 Pro in the Silver 128GB configuration is also backordered at T-Mobile, The company is currently advertising an estimated ship date of November 14th through November 28th.

Incredibly, all of the iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB colors are currently in stock and will ship to you within a few days.

When Apple fails, look to the carriers

As of the writing of this article, it appears that the carriers in the United States currently have better availability of Apple's iPhone 14 Pro models than Apple does. Weird.

So, as long as you are with one of the major carriers in the country, it appears that you'll have better luck picking up a new iPhone there than you will with the company that actually makes the phone.

Don't forget to look out for the best iPhone 14 Pro deals, as well as the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals. Black Friday is also on the way - and we are looking forward to the best Black Friday iPhone deals, with greater opportunity for stock refreshes before the end of the year.

Apple has confirmed that its primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max factory has been hit by COVID-19 restrictions, adding that it is now working at a "significantly reduced capacity."

The news comes days after it was reported that the Zhengzhou, China facility was in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak that had also seen the surrounding business park impacted, with local officials getting involved to ensure that lockdowns were being adhered to. Foxconn had previously said that the impact to manufacturing capacity at its 300,000-worker plant was minimal.

Foxconn had reportedly increased employee bonuses in an attempt to prevent workers from fleeing lockdowns.

An unusual step

It's unusual for Apple to confirm that stock shortages are expected ahead of time, but it did so by releasing a statement on Sunday. In it, it confirmed that "COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily impacted the primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility located in Zhengzhou, China," adding that manufacturing capacity was impacted.

Apple also noted that it continues to see strong demand for its high-end iPhones and that customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products" than had previously been hoped.

Anyone wishing to buy Apple's best iPhone will now face difficulties in doing so, with Apple saying that it will continue to work closely with Foxconn "to return to normal production levels while ensuring the health and safety of every worker."

The iPhone 14 lineup went on sale in September and stocks of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been difficult to come by ever since. This latest news will be particularly troubling for those hoping to pick up a phone for the holiday season, while Apple could feel the effects in what is traditionally a profitable quarter.

If you're on the hunt for an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, you're going to be in for a rough time.

Apple originally released the new pro models of the iPhone back on September 16 but, even after a month and a half, each is difficult to find, especially if you are hoping to walk into an Apple Store and pick one up off of the shelf.

As reported by AppleInsider, a new note by David Vogt from investment bank UBS says that analysis of the iPhone 14 Pro supply chain shows that lead times on the new phones are getting worse the longer the phone is out on the market.

According to the analysis, which tracks the new iPhone's availability across 30 countries, lead times on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have increased from 20 days to 25 days. Vogt attributes the increased lead times to the new phones exceeding sales expectations for their launch.

There's a lot to love with the iPhone 14 Pro

It's not surprising to see Apple's "pro" iPhones continue to pull away from the regular models in terms of popularity. The company continues to add more features to the more expensive models to further differentiate them from the non-pro offering.

There's a lot to love with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both phones feature the new Dynamic Island, an Always-On Display, huge upgrades to the camera system including a 48MP main sensor, and even better battery life. They also contain Apple's new Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite safety features.

If you've been or are going to be in the market for an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, you'll want to get on that sooner than later. Apple has already joined other merchants in officially announcing that it is now the holiday shopping season, so many people are sure to rush into the fray in hopes to pick one up for their loved one.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes with a big screen, and a bigger price – so you'll be looking for some of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals. You don't have to pay a massive premium for the biggest, most powerful iPhone, and we're going to show you how.

We track all the best iPhone deals throughout the year, and we'll be keeping this list updated with all the best prices as they go live. After a different iPhone model? We know where to find the best iPhone 14 Pro deals, as well as the best iPhone 14 deals.

US iPhone 14 Pro Max deals

• Buy iPhone 14 Pro Max:  Apple | Best Buy | Walmart

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So most of the iPhone 14 Pro Max deals are pretty expensive, right? The base 128GB version will set you back $1099 if you buy it outright, and it can cost an arm and a leg when you go for a contract. 

Thankfully, you needn't pay full price for an iPhone 14 Pro Max with Verizon - if you trade in your old phone, you could get $1000 towards the price of a new one. That won't pay completely for the phone but will leave you with only $100 to pay, which is broken up over the course of a 36-month contract - you'll pay $2.77 a month. This deal is only available to new Verizon customers.

It's really easy to grab the iPhone 14 Pro Max trade-in deal - It's pretty clearly signposted on the iPhone 14 Pro Max product page on Verizon's website. Under the 'add a new line' section of the page, you'll find all the deals available for the handset - you're going to want the first one. Click add, and then you'll be asked for your phone details. Pop those in, hit confirm, and then go on with the rest of the purchase process. You'll have to send your old phone in once you're all sorted, and then you'll get that big saving.

Save up to $1000 on an iPhone 14 Pro Max

If you decide to pounce on this epic saving, don't ruin it all by letting your new iPhone get damaged. Take a look at our guides to the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases and iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protectors to keep the phone in great condition and maximize your trade-in next time around too.

Trying to find other prices on the iPhone 14 Pro Max? We know where the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals are. Don't forget that Black Friday is on the horizon, too - here are the best Black Friday iPhone deals we think you can expect.

If you have an iPhone and accidentally activated the Emergency SOS feature, Apple wants to hear about it.

Earlier today, Apple rolled out the first developer beta of iOS 16.2. The latest version of the iPhone's software has added an option to report when you have accidentally activated the safety feature.

iDeviceHelp took to Twitter to show off the new reporting option. As per the screenshot below, Apple gathers some information from you when you report that the safety feature was accidentally activated:

It's clear that the company is looking to improve Emergency SOS on the iPhone so that it can prevent as many of these accidental activations as possible. For iDeviceHelp, it appears that they accidentally turned on the safety feature when they placed their iPhone in a cup holder:

This isn't the first time we've heard of someone accidentally activating one of the iPhone's safety features. There was a hilarious story where someone activated the new Crash Detection on their new iPhone 14 when they rode a rollercoaster.

Emergency SOS isn't the only feature being activated in error

Apple launched Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Both features look to provide extra peace of mind if you ever happen to be in a car accident or in an emergency situation outside of a cellular signal.

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...The iPhone 14 lineup also introduces Emergency SOS via satellite, which combines custom components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

Hopefully, with iOS 16.2, Apple gets enough feedback to make improvements to the Emergency SOS feature in order to prevent future accidental activations.

Apple claims the iPhone 14 Pro series are the best iPhones ever made, and with the addition of Dynamic Island, groundbreaking safety features, an always-on display, the A16 bionic chip, a new camera, and video features, we must agree. The tricked-out iPhone 14 Pro Max is large and in charge — feature-packed with the best Apple has to offer, and as such, comes with a high price tag to match. Protect your investment and shield your display from drops, scrapes, and cracks with one of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protectors.

Keep that screen clean with the best iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protectors

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Safeguard your iPhone

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best iPhone ever created, so you’ll want to safeguard your investment with one of the best screen protectors. Be sure to grab the best prices on these and other products you want this season with our Black Friday deals. 

Our favorite is the OtterGlass Amplify Glass Glare Guard. This screen protector was designed specifically for iPhone to deliver long-lasting, high-strength, glass protection for superior scratch resistance and premium anti-glare performance.

If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, NatuBeau Tempered Glass Screen Protectors are a great option. You get three screen protectors for under $10 that will protect your iPhone 14 Pro Max from drops, scratches, and general wear and tear.

If you're like most of us, and spend quite a bit of time on your phone everyday, consider protecting your eyes with the Speck Shieldview Glass Blue Light Blocking Screen Protector. Not only does it promote eye health, it's also fingerprint and scratch resistant, ultra-thin and touch responsive, and antimicrobial. 

Choose one of the best screen protectors for iPhone 14 Pro Max so it takes the hit, rather than your iPhone. And be sure to stock up on the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases for even more protection.

If you’re the would-be happy new owner of an iPhone 14 being plagued by a “SIM Not supported” message on your new smartphone, you’re not alone. A new memo sees Apple acknowledging that an iOS 16 bug is causing issues with SIM cards and cellular data.

As first revealed by MacRumors, a memo shared by Apple states that the error message is being shown to some users of iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets. The handset can then freeze after displaying the message.

And so far at least, there’s no easy fix for the bug. While Apple believes it’s a software issue rather than a hardware one, it’s advising users not to take any drastic action of their own on their devices. If the issue does not resolve itself after a few minutes, Apple is asking users not to attempt to restore the devices themselves, but rather to take the phone to an Apple Store to speak with an expert or an authorized service provider.

Apple is still “investigating” the issue, according to MacRumors.

eSIMs and bugs

Though it’s been a relatively smooth launch for the iPhone 14 line-up, it’s not been a perfect one.

The iPhone 14 Pro launched with a strange issue causing camera vibrations in some third-party apps like TikTok and Twitter, a lack of call and app notifications was reported, some users were suffering from low microphone volume through CarPlay, while others seemed to be experiencing faster than expected battery drain. The iOS 16.0.3 release patched over most of these issues, but this latest SIM problem seems to have slipped the net. Apple is expected to launch a more complete iOS 16 update, iOS 16.1, in the coming weeks, which will hopefully address the SIM error.

As for the iPhone 14 line-up itself, it’s been Apple’s first major push into eSIM, a move away from physical SIM cards to digital ones instead, activated on the device itself with a network provider. Using eSIM tech a user can keep as many as eight SIMs on a device at once, with two separate phone numbers at the same time. However, some people, particularly frequent travelers, have argued this can cause issues when quickly changing SIMs for local networks when abroad.

Your iPhone 14 Pro Max is a beautiful device, even if it is no longer the flagship iPhone and will soon look even older when the iPhone 16 rolls around. It's also somewhat large, which makes it harder to carry than other iPhone models. With this in mind, why have a separate wallet when you can get an all-in-one iPhone 14 Pro Max wallet case? 

When looking for a wallet case, find the one that matches your look, offers the card and cash room you need, and is within your budget range. Luckily, there are a lot of different iPhone 14 Pro Max wallet cases on the market to suit anyone's needs. Here are our favorites. 

Quick List

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Q & A

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, you should consider getting an all-in-one case for your new device. Our list above features long-time favorites like the Twelve South BookBook and Mujjo Leather Wallet, and newbies, including the DorisMax. 

Are you looking for a wallet that attaches to your iPhone? There's nothing better than Apple's official Leather Wallet with MagSafe. Available in various colors, many to match the season, these wallets snap on the back of your smartphone with easy removal. 

Be sure also to check out our comprehensive list of the best iPhone 14 Pro Max cases. Each gets the job done and looks beautiful as well. 

If you have an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro (or both!) and have been having some issues with your new phone, today could be a good day.

Today, Apple released iOS 16.0.3 which addresses a number of issues affecting the iPhone — especially the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. Since the company released the new iPhone lineup in September, a number of issues have plagued users. From battery life problems to camera shutter, the launch hasn't necessarily been a smooth one.

Today's update looks to fix a number of issues affecting the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro including the lack of call and app notifications, low microphone volume through CarPlay, and camera slowness. You can check out all of the fixes in the release notes below:

• Incoming call and app notifications may be delayed or not delivered on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Low microphone volume can occur during CarPlay phone calls on iPhone 14 models
• Camera may be slow to launch or switch between modes on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Mail crashes on launch after receiving a malformed email

The iPhone 14 Plus just launched

These fixes come just days after Apple launched the iPhone 14 Plus around the world. The new model is the successor to the iPhone 13 mini and is pitched as an iPhone the size of the iPhone 14 Pro Max without the "pro" features, the extra weight, and the higher price.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said that, with the larger 6.7-inch display, users can "enjoy more content onscreen when browsing the web and even more text."

“Our customers rely on their iPhone every day, and iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. With the new, larger 6.7-inch display on iPhone 14 Plus, users can enjoy more content onscreen when browsing the web and even more text. Both phones have a powerful new Main camera with a huge leap in low-light performance, advanced connectivity capabilities with 5G and eSIM, and the incredible performance of A15 Bionic, which helps enable even better battery life. All of this, tightly integrated with iOS 16, makes iPhone more essential than ever.” 

Users can download iOS 16.0.3 today and, hopefully, it will fix some of the issues you may have been experiencing with your new iPhone 14.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the highest-end iPhone you can buy. It's got Apple's brand new, blazing fast A16 Bionic chip, the cool new Dynamic Island, an Always-On display, and an impressive 48MP camera. You've laid down quite a bit of money for it, you'll want to spend a little bit more to protect your investment. Here are some of the best rugged heavy duty iPhone 14 Pro Max cases.

Get the best heavy duty rugged iPhone 14 Pro Max case

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Which of the best rugged heavy duty iPhone 14 Pro Max cases is the best for you?

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is one of the best iPhones ever, and you want to keep it in tip-top shape. I'm a big fan of the OtterBox Symmetry Series+ for a number of reasons. While OtterBox made its name in protection with big, bulky cases, the Symmetry Series cases are on the slimmer side while still being quite protective. In fact, this one is tested to withstand three times as many drops as military standard (MIL-STD-810G 516.6). While the one picture in this article is just plain clear, I like that this case is available in some very fun and colorful styles as well.

We definitely recommend supplementing your heavy duty case with the best iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protector. If you go for the nicely-priced Encased Rebel Armor, a screen protector is included. The interior of this case has a raised rubber pattern, which increases protection without adding a lot of weight. The Sleep/Wake and volume buttons have a satisfying clickiness. The Encased case even comes with a Lifetime Guarantee.

Swiping is the UX of the future.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been in the wild for a couple of weeks now, and one of the breakout features of the new phones is certainly the Dynamic Island.

While you may have seen plenty of breakdowns of the Dynamic Island, you may not have realized that there are more ways to interact with it other than tapping. One user took to Twitter to show that you can actually swipe your way around the Dynamic Island to expand or contract it.

It's pretty neat and fun to try out if you haven't come across it yet. You can check the video that shows it off on Twitter below:

The runaway feature of the iPhone 14 Pro

The Dynamic Island is Apple's new UI that works with the new cutout in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

As Apple explains, the feature "blends the line between hardware and software, adapting in real time to show important alerts, notifications, and activities."

The Dynamic Island enables new ways to interact with iPhone, featuring a design that blends the line between hardware and software, adapting in real time to show important alerts, notifications, and activities. With the introduction of the Dynamic Island, the TrueDepth camera has been redesigned to take up less of the display area. Without impeding content on the screen, the Dynamic Island maintains an active state to allow users easier access to controls with a simple tap-and-hold. Ongoing background activities like Maps, Music, or a timer remain visible and interactive, and third-party apps in iOS 16 that provide information like sports scores and ride-sharing with Live Activities can take advantage of the Dynamic Island. 

The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are on sale now. The iPhone 14 Plus will launch worldwide on Friday, October 7.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has been incredibly popular, with stock almost everywhere running out very quickly. Many retailers are shipping the phone out in times of up to a month away, and some are reporting even longer. Thankfully, there looks to be some light to brighten the day of many an impatient iPhone 14 Pro Max customer - Mint Mobile has joined the fray, and it looks like the expedited shipping option is still available, suggesting there is still stock in the warehouses. You'll also get a pretty great deal if you go through Mint - although you will have to pay upfront.

You can still find an iPhone 14 Pro Max

Even if the iPhone 14 Pro Max was in stock everywhere else, this is still a deal that is well worth considering. Six months free service is a great saving, especially when you work out that a full unlimited 5G plan could only cost the equivalent of $15 a month with the deal. You'll pay upfront, of course, but that means that the phone is yours to do with what you will, and you won't have to sign up for any long-term contracts with annoying cancellation fees. Sounds like a good deal to us - especially if it's the fastest way to get an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

If you're willing to wait a little bit, then these are the best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals out there. Don't forget Black Friday either - here are the best Black Friday iPhone deals.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a very good display.

In testing conducted by DisplayMate, the company concluded that the iPhone 14 Pro Max has earned the "highest ever Display Performance Grade of A+ and setting or matching 15 Smartphone Display Performance Records."

Based on our extensive Lab Tests and Measurements the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a Very Impressive Excellent Top Tier World Class Smartphone Display with close to Text Book Perfect Calibration Accuracy and Performance that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect. Based on our objective Lab Tests and Measurements the iPhone 14 Pro Max receives a DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award earning DisplayMate’s highest ever Display Performance Grade of A+ and setting or matching 15 Smartphone Display Performance Records including 7 that are Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect that are listed above.

The score is so high that DisplayMate said that it will have to adjust its scoring to properly score other phones going forward.

There's a lot to like with the iPhone 14 Pro Max display

The iPhone 14 Pro Max features a number of display upgrades including an Always-On display and 2000 nits of peak brightness:

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature a beautiful surgical-grade stainless steel and textured matte glass design in four stunning colors. Available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes,1 both models include a new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion that features the Always-On display for the first time ever on iPhone, enabled by a new 1Hz refresh rate and multiple power-efficient technologies. This makes the new Lock Screen even more useful, keeping the time, widgets, and Live Activities available at a glance. The advanced display also brings the same peak HDR brightness level as Pro Display XDR, and the highest outdoor peak brightness in a smartphone: up to 2000 nits, which is twice as bright as iPhone 13 Pro.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max went on sale earlier this month. It is incredibly difficult to find one right now but we can help out with our best iPhone 14 Pro Max deals.