iPhone 14, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max: first impressions in international reviews

Apple presented the new generation of iPhones a week ago during the Far Out event. first international reviews that allow us to familiarize ourselves with the different models announced and to know in detail the opinion of the experts. We will now review the tests of the main overseas (and other) newspapers in a collection that does not claim to be exhaustive but which we hope will be of help to all those who are considering the purchase or who are simply curious to learn more about the subject. Waiting for our review, of course.

The authoritative Wall Street Journal has focused its attention on the iPhone 14 available from Friday 16 September, namely iPhone 14, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. For the 14 Plus there will be a wait until 7 October, the test is therefore postponed to autumn. In short, the transition to the new generation is justified above all if you come from an iPhone older than 13, such as the 11 series. And to represent a real generational leap are the two Pros: “dynamic island will make every other phone look … static“says the WSJ.

The elements that liked the most are basically three: the dynamic island – “a trick for smart multitasking“, a”interactive dock” -, L’always-on display and the refurbished cameras. This is why the standard iPhone 14 does not seem to represent at first sight a real generational leap (other newspapers, we will see, speak of iPhone 13S…), while the two Pros are enhanced by the brightness of the display right from the start. More importantly, the AOD doesn’t seem to compromise battery life too much. The Pro shut down after a busy day at 7:30 pm, the Pro Max was still on at bedtime.

Another element of distinction are the cameras: the improvement of night photos on the 14 “plates” it doesn’t seem to be that obvious as Apple promised, while the two Pros perform much better both for the zoom (2x through crop and 3x with the tele) and for the ProRAW format, which with the 48MP sensor leads to excellent results.

Last note is for the batteries: in other words, compared to the iPhone 13 and its variants there do not seem to be major improvements.

iPhone 14 is a good smartphone, just as iPhone 13 was. This is, in summary, the opinion of The Verge on the entry model of the new 2022 range, defined – as anticipated above – an iPhone 13S. On the contrary, iPhone 14 Pro introduces many new features. On iPhone 14 improve the main camera (more details, good portraits too) and that frontsome functions of emergency, for the rest, however, there do not seem to be any particular reasons to pass from one generation to the next. Including the display with refresh rate always a 60Hz and the chip, again the Apple A15 Bionic (but with 1 more GPU core).

If you are coming from an iPhone 12 or earlier, then the purchase can be considered, otherwise “it is better to look elsewhere“. Rating: 7.

For the iPhone 14 Pro the vote rises to 8, given that there are many innovations starting from the dynamic island up to the always-on display, without forgetting the emergency and satellite messaging andabsence (in the USA) of the drawer for physical SIMs. The double hole that replaces the notch it becomes an element to look at rather than pretend it isn’t there, is the center of multitasking and is destined to become the trigger of the developers’ imagination. It widens and shrinks, though it’s not as interactive as Apple showed us at the keynote. The Verge says “apps are still the main focus of the iPhone“, touching the island does not access the expanded widget but the app to which it refers. It is not so interactive, in short, but it is a collection of information in the background.

As for the photos, there doesn’t seem to be a huge difference between the 13 Pro and 14 Pro. On the second there are more details, both on the main cam and on the ultra wide angle one. Noise reduction in night photos looks a bit too aggressive. The best results, says The Verge, are achieved in mode ProRAW. Both iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have a slightly shorter battery life than previous models, we read in the review. Probably the AOD has its responsibilities.

Gizmodo focuses on two Pro models. The first element on which the review focuses is the always-on display which, unlike that offered by different models of Android smartphones, is nothing more than a version more faded of the lock screen, with the exact same elements. In short, the AOD it cannot be customized individually. Another aspect concerns the dynamic island, with fluid movements and which allows you to have an eye on up to 2 apps in the background.

The third element is the camera, which now allows you to get excellent quality night shots thanks to the quad-pixel solution. The differences in daytime photos are less noticeable with the previous generation. The videos continue to offer very good results.

If you are coming from iPhone 12 and earlier, the step is justifiable. Otherwise it is better to wait or bet on something else.

It starts with iPhone 14, indistinguishable from iPhone 13 except for the absence of the SIM trolley. Inside it changes for some tricks such as the possibility – now – of replace the rear glass in case of breakage more easily. The display is still at 60Hz, is slightly brighter than the 13, and the audio has improved almost imperceptibly.

The Photonic Engine is the novelty of cameras that allows you to get better shots in low light conditions. Despite this, there don’t seem to be major differences between the two generations. Same goes for the selfie cam, now with AF but which leads to results identical to the 2021 generation. Here the deepening.

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce the dynamic island, a classic example of how Apple transform a “necessary” hardware solution in a plus. The hole in the display came later than the competition, but managed to customize it like no one has ever done before. The dynamic island is in fact the only real aesthetic difference of the iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max compared to the previous generation.

And then there is the always-on display, which is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the lock screen because they are so similar. Another element that distinguishes the new Pros from the previous ones is the main camera from 48MP, also powered by the Photonic Engine and Action Mode. The comparison with the 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro is not always to the advantage of the new iPhone, both with and without light. The only real tangible difference can be seen in the ProRAW shots. HERE find the complete article.

Techcrunch emphasizes the renewed internal structure of the components which allows you to get a better heat dissipation and to replace the rear glass without necessarily having to disassemble the entire smartphone. The front glass of the Pro can then be replaced without removing the True Depth Camera.

The review is rather an overview of the main features of the iPhone 14 and the two Pros, and the focus on the photographic capabilities of all three models is particularly interesting. We recommend reading to get a better idea (link).

Also Pocket Lint expresses his thoughts dwelling on the iPhone 14 Pro, defining it an excellent solution regarding the dynamic island, the display and the AOD, as well as the cameras and autonomy. Negative points go to the fingerprints on the dynamic island, in addition to some lag recorded in the ProRAW shots.

iPhone 14 Pro, says the newspaper, is the model “that it makes more sense to buy“among the four. It is compact, aesthetically” different “from the 13 Pro due to the absence of the notch and has the always-on display that allows you to access the lock screen even when the screen is off.

Battery and cameras will be the subject of further investigations.

A 13 Pro cheaper: this is how iPhone 14 is defined by CNET. Outside it is almost identical, inside almost, albeit with some improvements such as cameras and emergency tools. The photos are excellent, says CNET, those of the ultra wide angle are a step below. Good night mode, although there are several aspects to improve.

Performance side, the benchmark shows that the improvements are almost imperceptible. Autonomy well, slightly improved thanks to the redesign of the internal components.

If you are coming from the iPhone 11, then the 14 is the right solution. Otherwise it is better to save.

It is useless to dwell on what is considered the novelty package on the two Pros: dynamic island, 48MP camera, A16 Bionic chip are the three strengths of the smartphone. CNET liked it less the AOD, a bit cumbersomeas well as the performance of the tele camera, especially in low light conditions, was not entirely appreciated.

Do you have an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max? Then maybe upgrading doesn’t make sense. If you come from previous models, the situation changes.

Credits opening image: The Verge

(update of 14 September 2022, 11.00 pm)