iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 16, and ahead of time, the first reviews of the devices have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.

The Verge iPhone 14 Pro

Image Credit: The Verge

Key new features of the iPhone 14 Pro models include an always-on display with a new Dynamic Island, upgraded cameras with a 48-megapixel main lens, car crash detection and satellite connectivity for emergencies, the A16 Bionic chip for faster performance, and new Deep Purple and Space Black color options. Emergency SOS via Satellite is not launching until November, so the feature was not available for review yet.

The only differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max relate to their respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, battery life, and the weight of the devices, as the Pro and Pro Max once again have identical camera systems this year.

We've rounded up both written and video reviews of the iPhone 14 Pro models below, complete with a feature-by-feature breakdown.

Dynamic Island

Exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models, the Dynamic Island replaces the traditional notch found on all iPhone 13 models. Aided by software, the cutout morphs into different shapes and sizes for things such as incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, Face ID authentication, timers, turn-by-turn navigation, Live Activities, and more.

While the Dynamic Island is certainly more useful than the notch on previous iPhones, The Verge's Nilay Patel said the feature's potential is not fully realized yet, as it currently only supports third-party apps that use the Now Playing or CallKit APIs.

"Right now, the Dynamic Island feels like one of those things that need a year of refinement and developer attention before we really know how important it is," said Patel.

Always-On Display

TheStreet's Jacob Krol said the iPhone 14 Pro's new always-on display did not have a noticeable impact on battery life during his testing:

And from my testing so far, using the always-on display doesn't negatively impact the battery life or overall runtime of the 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max. I've still been able to get a full day of moderate use on the 14 Pro, with the larger in size -- and likely in battery capacity -- 14 Pro Max lasting for a day and half with the same use. Apple specifically called out some enhancements within the new A16 Bionic which has cores designed to be efficient operators of the display.

48-Megapixel Camera

Input's Raymond Wong put the iPhone's new 48-megapixel main lens to the test and was impressed with the 48-megapixel ProRAW photos, but he said he could barely notice a difference for pixel-binned 12-megapixel photos in daylight.

I've tested more than my share of Android phones with high-megapixel camera sensors and they've always underwhelmed in some way. Apple’s ProRAW DNG was a bit disappointing for the iPhone 13 Pro and 12 Pro; there's barely more detail to get from a 12-megapixel RAW compared to a 12-megapixel JPEG. Not so with 48-megapixel ProRAW files; these images are massive (often clocking in between 70-80MB) and the amount of detail you can get is borderline nuts for a phone.

Wong's review includes numerous photos shot on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Deep Purple and Space Black Colors

Wong also shared his thoughts on the new Deep Purple and Space Black color options:

My iPhone 14 Pro review unit is Space Black. I love it. The glass back and the stainless steel frame are noticeably darker than the gray Graphite iPhone 13 Pro; like a mix between the black and Jet Black iPhone 7. My iPhone 14 Pro Max review unit is Deep Purple; it's a dark purple that sometimes looks gray or black. Both look sleek in person; both are still fingerprint magnets. You can also get them in silver and gold.

A16 Bionic Chip

Wong shared Geekbench 5 results for the iPhone 14 Pro models, revealing up to a 16% increase in multi-core performance compared to the 13 Pro:

- iPhone 12 Pro: (A14 Bionic): 1,586 single-core / 3,937 multi-core
- iPhone 13 Pro: (A15 Bionic): 1,725 / 4,722
- iPhone 14 Pro: (A16 Bionic): 1,875 / 5,495

Battery Life

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern said iPhone 14 Pro models did not get significantly longer battery life than iPhone 13 Pro models:

As far as battery life goes, none of the iPhone 14 or 14 Pro models I tried lasted significantly longer than their predecessors. The story might be different with the step-up model, the iPhone 14 Plus. Apple says it has "our longest battery life ever"—I'll test that claim when it arrives.

More Reviews

- WIRED's Julian Chokkattu
- TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino
- Pocket-lint's Britta O'Boyle
- CNBC's Sofia Pitt
- TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff
- MobileSyrup's Patrick O'Rourke

Videos










Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Zimmy68 Avatar
37 months ago
I hope iJustine isn't too rough on the new iPhone this year. She can be brutal with her reviews!
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
waquzy Avatar
37 months ago
On a side note, the new Verge is simply horrible.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alongdingdong Avatar
37 months ago
Lol half of those youtube thumbnails makes me not want to watch them. The cringy clickbait stuff, anyone got some recommended reviews that are not hype and presented by some hyperactive social media cringe lord?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
37 months ago

I've tested more than my share of Android phones with high-megapixel camera sensors and they've always underwhelmed in some way. Apple’s ProRAW DNG was a bit disappointing for the iPhone 13 Pro and 12 Pro; there's barely more detail to get from a 12-megapixel RAW compared to a 12-megapixel JPEG. Not so with 48-megapixel ProRAW files; these images are massive (often clocking in between 70-80MB) and the amount of detail you can get is borderline nuts for a phone.
I don't think the reviewer understands the purpose of shooting in raw format. It's not to get more sharpness or detail, it's to have more data giving better editing control overall to do things like lift shadows, dial back highlights, correct white balance, and choose your level of noise reduction or sharpening in ways you can't with JPEGs. A 12 megapixel ProRAW from an iPhone 12 or 13 will look similar in terms of details as a regular JPEG/HEIC, you simply have more editing control if you import it into apps like Lightroom.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pcmike Avatar
37 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/review/iphone-14-pro/')

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 16, and ahead of time, the first reviews of the devices have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.


Image Credit: The Verge

Key new features of the iPhone 14 Pro models include an always-on display with a new Dynamic Island, upgraded cameras with a 48-megapixel main lens, car crash detection and satellite connectivity for emergencies, the A16 Bionic chip for faster performance, and new Deep Purple and Space Black color options. Emergency SOS via Satellite is not launching until November, so the feature was not available for review yet.

The only differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max relate to their respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, battery life, and the weight of the devices, as the Pro and Pro Max once again have identical camera systems this year.

We've rounded up both written and video reviews of the iPhone 14 Pro models below, complete with a feature-by-feature breakdown.

Dynamic Island

Exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models, the Dynamic Island replaces the traditional notch found on all iPhone 13 models. Aided by software, the cutout morphs into different shapes and sizes for things such as incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, Face ID authentication, timers, turn-by-turn navigation, Live Activities, and more.

While the Dynamic Island is certainly more useful than the notch on previous iPhones, The Verge's Nilay Patel said ('https://www.theverge.com/23351948/apple-iphone-14-pro-review') the feature's potential is not fully realized yet, as no third-party apps support the Dynamic Island at launch. Third-party apps will be able to support the Dynamic Island once the Live Activities feature rolls out later this year.

"Right now, the Dynamic Island feels like one of those things that need a year of refinement and developer attention before we really know how important it is," said Patel.

Always-On Display

TheStreet's Jacob Krol said ('https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/apple-iphone-14-pro-review') the iPhone 14 Pro's new always-on display did not have a noticeable impact on battery life during his testing:48-Megapixel Camera

Input's Raymond Wong ('https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/iphone-14-pro-max-review-48-megapixel-camera-dynamic-island-impressive') put the iPhone's new 48-megapixel main lens to the test and was impressed with the 48-megapixel ProRAW photos, but he said he could barely notice a difference for pixel-binned 12-megapixel photos in daylight.Wong's review includes numerous photos ('https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/iphone-14-pro-max-review-48-megapixel-camera-dynamic-island-impressive') shot on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Deep Purple and Space Black Colors

Wong also shared his thoughts on the new Deep Purple and Space Black color options:A16 Bionic Chip

Wong shared Geekbench 5 results for the iPhone 14 Pro models, revealing up to a 16% increase in multi-core performance compared to the 13 Pro:

- iPhone 12 Pro: (A14 Bionic): 1,586 single-core / 3,937 multi-core
- iPhone 13 Pro: (A15 Bionic): 1,725 / 4,722
- iPhone 14 Pro: (A16 Bionic): 1,875 / 5,495

Battery Life

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern ('https://www.wsj.com/articles/iphone-14-and-14-pro-review-go-pro-or-go-home-11663160540') said iPhone 14 Pro models did not get significantly longer battery life than iPhone 13 Pro models:More Reviews

- WIRED's Julian Chokkattu ('https://www.wired.com/review/apple-iphone-14-pro-iphone-14-pro-max/')
- TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino ('https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/14/review-apple-iphone-14-pro/')
- Pocket-lint's Britta O'Boyle ('https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/reviews/apple/162582-apple-iphone-14-pro-review')
- CNBC's Sofia Pitt ('https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/14/apple-iphone-14-review-get-the-pro-model.html')
- TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff ('https://www.techradar.com/reviews/iphone-14-pro-review')

Videos




















Article Link: iPhone 14 Pro Reviews: Dynamic Island Shows Promise, 48-Megapixel ProRAW Photos Impress ('https://www.macrumors.com/review/iphone-14-pro/')
I don’t consider ANY of these reviews to be worth even reading, let alone relying on for helping me make any decisions. Rather than rush this post to the front page, you probably should have found some more nuanced reviews that actually have a bit more substance. The truly sad thing is that most of the public will probably be relying on these terrible sources for “technology reviews” just like you relied on them to push out this front page post as quickly as possible. ??‍♂️
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
37 months ago
I like Joanna Stern. To me she’s a journalist tech-reviewer, not a YouTuber tech-reviewer.

Anyway, I’m awaiting the pro max arrival Friday.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...