❤ Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The best iPhone ever, version 2022, size XL – we have the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The list of novelties this year includes the notch morphing into a pill, the introduction of an Always-On display, and an all-new primary camera – and while you can get all of that on the 14 Pro, the extra screen estate and longevity coupled with the Max’s ‘ultimate’ status mean it has a market niche of its own.
The Face ID notch that’s been with us since the iPhone X was nobody’s favorite, and perhaps its reincarnation as a pill is a step towards its eventual removal. But not before turning the eyesore into a feature – the pill is a Dynamic Island of notifications, blurring the line between hardware and software.
In a similar vein is the Always-On display – a software feature only made possible now in Apple’s world thanks to LTPO displays being able to ramp down to 1Hz refresh rate.
A massive increase in brightness is also among the key developments this year, this one solely in the hardware department.
Late to yet another party, Apple finally joins virtually every other manufacturer and introduces a camera with a Quad Bayer type sensor – the specs on the 48MP main unit don’t read like any other, so apparently, it’s an exclusive design. The telephoto remains unchanged, but the ultrawide has gotten a sensor size upgrade, while the front-facing one now features autofocus (and maybe even OIS).
On the hardware front, there’s the mandatory chipset update, of course, and little else worth mentioning. Well, there’s the blanked-out SIM card slot for the US models, which will only operate with eSIMs – does that count as a hardware change? Crash detection and emergency sort-of satellite connectivity are also on the list of new features combining software and hardware.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max 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 – A2894, A2896 | |
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 – A2651, A2893 | ||
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 – A2895 | ||
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 – A2894, A2896 | |
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 – A2651 | ||
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 – A2893 | ||
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A2895 | ||
Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
LAUNCH | Announced | 2022, September 07 |
---|---|---|
Status | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
BODY | Dimensions | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
---|---|---|
Weight | 240 g (8.47 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 | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) | |
Resolution | 1290 x 2796 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 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 4323 mAh, non-removable (16.68 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 | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, iphone15,3 | |
SAR | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) | |
SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | |
Price | $ 759.70 / € 855.44 / £ 720.92 |
TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
---|---|---|
Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
Camera | Photo / Video | |
Loudspeaker | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) | |
Battery (old) |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max unboxing
Hardly anything has changed in the presentation of the iPhone 14 Pro Max compared to last year’s model. The half-height box has a color-matched likeness of the phone printed on the lid, and opens with a couple of paper tear-off pull tabs.
Inside, the phone is lying face down, its back greeting you as you remove the lid. There’s no charger bundled, but there’s still a USB-C-to-Lightning cable, at least. And an Apple sticker, because free advertising.
Competition
There are two ways to look at the possible competitors to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. On the one hand, you have the people looking for an iPhone, and those can be subdivided into those looking for a large-screen iPhone and others looking for a Pro iPhone. On the other hand, you have the undecided folk with less of an ecosystem allegiance and more of a ‘what’s the best I can get regardless of price’ attitude.
Then there’s another matter complicating things further – iPhone prices vary greatly from region to region this year, more so than usual. While the US numbers have remained unchanged, the Euro prices have gotten a steep hike – €200 is not insignificant, even at this level. The INR 10K increase in India isn’t as severe, but it’s still an increase.
That price development can make a strong case for the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which fits neatly into both subsets of prospective iPhone buyers – it’s got a large screen, and it’s a Pro model. Sure, Apple may have discontinued it, but retailers appear fully stocked still. You’ll be missing out on some improved cameras, but the last generation is still a competent cameraphone, while the pill vs. notch argument is, well, hardly an argument.
If, on the other hand, it’s specifically the new cameras and/or the pill that you’re after, but you don’t quite fancy the Max’s bulk and heft, then there’s the 14 Pro. The same as the Max, but more compact and with slightly shorter battery life, the 14 Pro will also save you some cash – $100/€150/INR 10K.
The 14 Plus, too, can appeal to those looking to spend a little less and still have a large-sized iPhone. It’s not quite the best deal in the US, where it goes for 14 Pro money ($200 less than the 14 Pro Max), but in Europe and even more so in India, you’d be looking at some serious savings – €300/INR 50K. You’d need to wait a couple of extra weeks and settle for last year’s internals, but it’s still a big iPhone at a sort of bargain price.
For the brand agnostics out there, the obvious choice is the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung’s ultimate non-foldable is Max-sized too, has a great set of cameras and packs a stylus (or a remote shutter release, depending on how you look at it). There’s also the Galaxy Z Fold4 – a phone and a tablet in the same device that’s only barely heavier than the 14 Pro Max. A Pixel 7 Pro is also on the way if you’re more into Google’s way of doing cameras and software. Somewhat of a niche alternative (judging by market share, at least) can be found in the Xperia 1 IV too.
Verdict
The best iPhone ever comes with a wide range of advancements, and even if you don’t consider any of them groundbreaking or relevant to your usage, they’re there and add up. The brightest screen by a country mile, now with AoD, a pill for the notch-ache, a camera system with all-around improvements and great full-res images, and emergency hardware/software features – that’s the new stuff.
These come on top of Pro Max staples like great battery life, superb speakers, and premium and durable build quality. The most potent chipset in the business and at least 5 years of support for the software you’ve known for ages (and likely love and hate at the same time) are other classic arguments for the iPhone, Pro Max included.
The price increase in RoW markets (that is, outside of the US) is a tough pill to swallow on at least two levels. There’s the absolute monetary dimension of the extra cash leaving your pocket, and then there’s the sense that you’re paying for part of the US customers’ iPhones – we’re not sure which is the more bitter sentiment.
But in any case, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is undoubtedly a wonderful handset with few faults. And where you can see possible negatives, those come with the territory and aren’t exclusive to this specific generation or size. So, ultimately, if it’s your time to upgrade and the price is right for you, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Pros
- Class-leading design, water resistance and durability.
- Class-leading OLED screen, 120Hz, AOD, Dolby Vision, 2000nits.
- Class-leading performance, very good stability.
- Class-leading battery life.
- Outstanding photo and video quality across all four cameras.
- Best video stabilization available on a smartphone, high-quality action mode.
- Superb stereo speakers.
- Every iPhone comes with at least five years of iOS updates.
Cons
- Dynamic Island is a love-it or hate-it affair.
- Bigger and heavier than most.
- No charger in the box, somewhat slow charging.
- Apple’s iOS restrictions can be off-putting to newcomers to the ecosystem.