❤ Apple iPhone 14 Pro
An improved display. Better cameras. A faster chip. This is the new iPhone. A phone that’s often criticized for being behind-the-curve in certain ways, but often copied. A polarizing device that sets the trends in more ways than one. The iPhone 14 Pro is as controversial as any high-profile iPhone to come before it, if not more.
The iPhone 14 Pro follows Apple’s formula to a T – it brings an even brighter Super Retina XDR OLED with an Always On option and a smaller pill-shaped cutout. Apple has done it again – turning weakness into strength. Once an eyesore, the infamous notch is now the Dynamic Island, a unique feature other brands are considering copying.
There are other improvements across the cameras, courtesy of new sensors, lenses and ISP. And, of course, Apple’s A16 Bionic chipset is faster and more energy-efficient than the A15, just as expected.
Let’s start with the screen. While it’s still a 6.1-inch OLED, it has a smaller pill-shaped cutout, can be as bright as 2,000nits, and supports Always On thanks to new more energy-efficient panel. The cutout is arguably the most iconic iPhone 14 Pro series feature, which actually comprises of two small cutouts – one pill-shaped and one round. Apple has turned this into a feature with various cool animations for notifications and calls it Dynamic Island.
Then come the cameras. The rear camera is still a triple-setup with a LiDAR scanner, but now the main shooter features a 48MP sensor with second-gen sensor-shift stabilization and a 2x lossless zoom option. The 12MP ultrawide camera got a new larger sensor and improved lens. Then there is the front camera, which now has a brighter lens, autofocus and even optical stabilization. There is also a better image processing called Photonic Engine and a new 9-LED flash.
The Apple A16 Bionic chipset offers an even faster processor and graphics though it still features a similar 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU architecture. It does support LPDDR5 RAM now and has higher memory bandwidth. Finally, a new ISP and DSP are present, of course.
Another new introduction as part of the new hardware is the Emergency SOS via satellite – a feature that allows you to send a message to emergency services wherever you are around the world – no need for SIM or network coverage. And thanks to a bunch of new sensors, the new iPhones now support Crash Detection and can automatically send for help if they detect you were in a crash.
This is the first iPhone series to come without a SIM slot in the US, which means the trial run for the SIM slot retirement has officially begun – at least as far as Apple is concerned. If successful, like it was with the nano-SIM, get ready for a smartphone world without SIM cards in a few years.
What hasn’t changed is the design – it’s the same as on the iPhone 12 and 13 series, and just as tough with Ceramic Shields and improved IP68 ingress protection. Battery and charging capabilities have also stayed unchanged.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro specs at a glance:
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | ||
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 – A2890, A2892 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53, 66, 71 – A2650, A2889 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 – A2891 | ||
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2890, A2892 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave – A2650 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2889 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2891 | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2022, September 07 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9 mm (5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 206 g (7.27 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM – International Dual eSIM with multiple numbers – USA Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) – China |
|
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
| DISPLAY | Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.1 inches, 91.7 cm2 (~87.0% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | |
| Always-On display |
| PLATFORM | OS | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 17.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) | |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2×3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth) | |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM | |
| NVMe |
| MAIN CAMERA | Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″, PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps) | |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) |
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Ion 3200 mAh, non-removable (12.38 Wh) |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) – requires iOS 17.2 update |
| MISC | Colors | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Models | A2890, A2650, A2889, A2892, iphone15,2 | |
| SAR | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) | |
| SAR EU | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | |
| Price | $ 618.95 / € 766.00 / £ 629.95 |
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 968412 (v9) GeekBench: 5346 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | -26.2 LUFS (Good) | |
| Battery (old) |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
So, what’s missing on the new iPhone 14 Pro? A proper file manager! Just kidding, this ain’t happening. It seems Apple has addressed many of the omissions from the past generations, and we have the best iPhone ever. Until USB-C-featuring iPhone 15 comes, that is.
Unboxing the Apple iPhone 14 Pro
The thin paper box contains the iPhone and a USB-C-to-Lighting cable. We were disappointed Apple didn’t retire the Lightning port on the iPhones this year, as it already did on its other devices. We guess that’s a task for the next one.
Other than the cable, you will get a SIM ejection tool for models with a SIM slot and one Apple logo sticker. While Apple has ditched the plastic wrapping from the boxes, the plastic sticker remains.
Alternative options
The new iPhone 14 Pro has a lot of upgrades over the iPhone 13 Pro, even if only a single one is visible at first sight – the Dynamic Island. There are new cameras, a new chipset, a new satellite connection and crash detection, and higher brightness for the screen, plus an always-on display option. But even with these novelties, upgrading from an iPhone 13 Pro to the 14 Pro makes little sense.
In fact, Apple has never been a company that wants you to upgrade every year and the 5-year software support plus the aggressive battery care are both statements for that. People still do that more often than not, of course, and if you’ve set your eyes on the new iPhone, be it this one, or another, there is nothing that will change your mind.
The new iPhones have seen a price increase everywhere but the US, which will surely lift a few eyebrows. This is the world we live in right now, with inflation and an ongoing war raging in Europe, unfortunately.
We still have to conclude this review like any other, and we will certainly do it. So, let’s suggest a few iPhones you can buy if this €1,300 iPhone 14 Pro is not your love at first sight.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a good alternative with a larger display and better battery life. It starts at €1450, which is hefty premium.
Smaller and lightweight iPhones are available, too. We certainly won’t suggest the new iPhone 14 unless you want the satellite feature, as it is the most insignificant update the iPhones have ever seen. Apple is selling both the €900 iPhone 13, the €800 iPhone 13 mini, and the €800 iPhone 12, so we’d suggest thinking about those if you want a light and compact iPhone and don’t mind not having a zoom camera or a 120Hz display.
The Android market is thriving, too, and you can now both have compact yet flagship smartphones. Samsung has the €700 Galaxy S22 and the foldable €900 Galaxy Z Flip4, a couple we encourage exploring. The €800 Asus Zenfone 9 will give you an all-around flagship package within an incredibly compact body. And you may want to consider the €1,050 Sony Xperia 5 IV for its superb camera kit and natural processing.
Our verdict
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro is the best iPhone Apple has made so far, as the maker just loves to point out. And it is – it has the best screen, cameras, performance, speakers and durability not only among the iPhones but across all flagship smartphones.
It introduces more than enough upgrades over the previous generation to make it interesting – an improved OLED with higher brightness, a smaller cutout with cool animations, and always-on option. The cameras have been updated all around, but the primary with its 48MP sensor and 2x lossless zoom is the showstopper, of course.
The new generation comes with interesting additions like global satellite connection for emergency and crash detection with automatic emergency call. The new faster chipset with improved stability is also worth mentioning.
Even with so many updates, the iPhone 14 Pro looks like the old iPhones, and if it weren’t for the new Deep Purple color and the pill-shaped cutout, you wouldn’t even know. And this design stasis may not be everyone’s favorite, even if this design is a self-proclaimed toughest in the world.
And it’s an iPhone, so not having a top-notch battery life and full OS access is something you choose to accept and live with for the foreseeable future.
Expensive or not, you will love the iPhone because it’s as good as advertised. The iPhone 14 Pro does make little sense as an upgrade over the 13 Pro, the 12 Pro even. But who are we to judge. The heart wants what it wants, right? And that’s the new iPhone. So, you should probably go and get it.
Pros
- Class-leading design, water resistance and durability.
- Class-leading OLED screen, 120Hz, AOD, Dolby Vision, 2000nits.
- Class-leading performance, very good stability.
- Outstanding photo and video quality across all four cameras.
- Best video stabilization available on a smartphone, high-quality action mode.
- Superb stereo speakers.
- Face ID, Satellite SOS support, Crash Detection, LiDAR scanner.
- Every iPhone comes with at least five years of iOS updates.
Cons
- Dynamic Island is a love-it or hate-it affair.
- Compact, but weighs a lot.
- So-so battery life.
- No charger in the box.
- Apple’s iOS restrictions can be off-putting to newcomers to the ecosystem.
