Without any surprise, the first presentation of the fall of 2022 from Apple concerned primarily the company’s new smartphones. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are new flagships that this time are more different from the “regular” iPhone 14. Among the most noticeable changes are a new notch in the display for the front camera and TrueDepth sensors, new cameras with a resolution of 48 PM, and A16 Bionic processors.
Despite the fact that the shape and design of the case have not changed, there are some differences from previous models. The dimensions of the cases are now 147.5×71.5×7.85 mm with a weight of 206 grams in the iPhone 14 Pro (versus 146.7×71.5×7.65 mm and 204 grams in the iPhone 13 Pro) and 160.7 ×77.6 × 7.85 mm with a weight of 240 grams in iPhone 14 Pro Max (160.8 × 78.1 × 7.65 mm and 240 grams in iPhone 13 Pro Max).
The camera block got larger behind. This happened because of the new sensors, which are now larger in size. The resolution of the main one has increased to 48 MP, and it is 65% larger than its predecessor. The camera has an aperture value of ƒ/1.78, sensor-shift optical stabilization of the second generation, and seven-lens optics. This sensor also combines the signal from different pixels, composing the image into a 12-megapixel picture, as Android smartphones now do to capture more light. And if you need more details, you can shoot in 48 MP ProRAW.
Also, this sensor can provide 2x zoom, which is now added to the camera application. The smartphone will use the same mode for portrait photos.
Other cameras should add capabilities, but remained with the old resolution — 12 MP. The ultra-wide-angle sensor has ƒ/2.2, 6-element optics and a capture angle of 120°. In addition, it should improve photos in low light by three times. The ƒ/2.8 telephoto, also with six lenses and 3x zoom, has twice the improvement of evening photos compared to its predecessor.
The front camera with 12 MP and ƒ/1.9 got autofocus this time.
Next, among the case updates is a new color — Deep Purple. Other options remained more familiar — Space Black, Silver and Gold, which may have slightly changed shades. But they all look good. At the same time, there were no changes in the case materials, it is the same steel and glass.
The display sizes remained familiar — 6.1 inches for the iPhone 14 Pro with a resolution of 2556×1179 pixels (460 ppi), and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2796×1290 (460 ppi). It’s a bit more pixelated because of the new cutout, which we’ll get back to now. And these are also Super Retina XDR displays with OLED matrices and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The refresh rate of the image now starts at 1 Hz, but ends at the same maximum mark of 120 Hz. Also, the maximum brightness has increased its level to 2000 cd/m².
So, the cutout is one of the loudest updates that has been talked about for so long. The camera and TrueDepth sensors are now a little lower and do not “lean” against the upper frame, which accordingly affected the “face” of the device. Now its silhouette on the schematic icon will not look the same as after the release of iPhone X. In addition, the company has found a rather interesting solution, how to use it with good effect – Dynamic Island.
The system constantly changes the visual size of the cutout, adapting to different events. The notch becomes larger and shows animations for unlocking the display, shows notifications (which used to just “fall” from the top), shows the connection to the charger, the headphone connection, and more. I have to admit, the company managed to use it quite creatively and interestingly make it part of the system interface. However, when watching videos or playing games, it will still remain a stain on the image, there is no way to avoid this.
And on top of that, displays now support Always-On mode. Apple did not follow the path of most manufacturers, which only partially leave the image on the lock screen. The iPhone will change the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the image, but leave most of the image on the display. Of course, along with the new widgets from iOS 16. And if you put it on the table with the screen facing down or put it in your pocket, the image will turn off to save power.
Another important part of new smartphones is the ability to recognize emergency situations and help in such cases. First, the smartphone will be able to figure out that it was involved in an accident with its owner and call for help (Crash Detection). Secondly, it now has satellite communication, through which you can call emergency services for help where there is no signal from cellular networks (Emergency SOS). The iPhone will help find a satellite and connect to it to call rescuers. And at the same time, you can briefly report what exactly happened.
And this time, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro really got different processors. The “younger” version was released with last year’s A15 Bionic, and the Pro model – with the new A16 Bionic. Now it’s a 4-nanometer chip, which the company says has focused on energy efficiency, display and camera. It consists of 16 billion transistors and is, as always, “the fastest mobile processor in the world.” The A16 is supposed to be 40% more powerful than the competition (although they were never named).
The processor also consists of 6 cores (2+4), 5-core graphics and 16 Neural Engine cores. There is also another new co-processor — Display Engine, which handles all display functions. Of course, there is also a separate ISP unit for photo and video processing.
For communication, there is support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6 (it is interesting that it is not 6e), Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra Wideband, NFC and a set of navigation systems. New models also support two eSIMs, but are left without slots for regular SIM cards (at least US models).
The storage capacity has not changed — from 128 GB to one terabyte. RAM capacity was not mentioned at the presentation, so we can safely assume that it is the same 6 GB.
They also do not mention the battery capacity. Previously, it was 3095 and 4352 mAh, respectively, depending on the size of the smartphone. So far, it is only indicated that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max increased the video playback time by an hour, while the other options (video streaming and music playback) remained at last year’s figure.
Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen, and the new iPhone 14 Pro got the old Lightning connector instead of USB-C. And the charging methods have not changed — fast charging with 20-watt power supplies, support for induction and MagSafe charging.
In the end, the prices did not change, although some insiders hinted at it. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Both models will be available for pre-order on September 9th, and will go on sale on the 16th.
Loading comments …