iPhone 14 Pro: A breath of fresh air is blowing off the Dynamic Island

With the introduction of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple has really launched a new smartphone for the first time in years. Yes, it generally looks the same as its predecessor. But the arrival of the dynamic island, the 48-megapixel camera and iOS 16 provide a very nice picture.

That is also allowed, because this smartphone costs the consumer at least 1,329 euros. A hefty price tag that is really worth every cent for anyone who wants to get the most out of a phone. However?

iPhone 14 Pro: breath of fresh air Dynamic Island

You will undoubtedly have seen it pass by, but the iPhone 14 Pro has a new solution for the notch. I’m sorry, the TrueDepthcamera as Apple prefers to call it.

Where in recent years we had to deal with a large notch that went completely through, Apple is using the concept of the hole punch this year. A concept that we’ve seen at Android for years, but never felt so complete before.

Apple has made the Dynamic Island interactive, allowing the iPhone 14 Pro to reach a new level of experience. Notifications from your favorite applications, minimized services and pop-ups like Face ID: they’re all there.

As soon as you close an app like Spotify, the player disappears in the Dynamic Island. If you press this briefly, the app will open again. If you hold it down longer, you will see a small mini player with which you can quickly control the music.

It ensures that the iPhone 14 Pro feels fresh on a daily basis, although at the moment the question is mainly how developers, and Apple, deal with it exactly.

Touch Bar 2.0?

We saw this, for example, with the introduction of the Touch Bar. Initially a nice solution for the MacBook, but in the end little was done with it. Besides the fact that developers didn’t capitalize on the innovation, Apple didn’t seem to pay much attention either.

In that respect, the Dynamic Island can now be called a nice addition, but will have to prove how useful it is in the coming year.

Personally, the notch comes across as very handy, although it stands out more. Considering it is an extra means to control your iPhone 14 Pro, it may not be a big deal, but not always ideal when watching content.

The new 48-megapixel camera

The Dynamic Island isn’t the only thing that stands out about the iPhone 14 Pro’s design. The lenses on the camera system have also become a bit bigger (party!). Not without reason, though.

Apple has equipped the Pro models of the smartphone with a new 48-megapixel lens. Compared to the previous 12-megapixel, really a step forward. Although the difference is mainly in the details.

Yes, in the evening the iPhone 14 Pro takes better photos than its predecessor. The smartphone needs less light to take better pictures, although low-light photos in 2022 are still not your cup of tea.

If you shoot the images during the day, you mainly see certain details better. When photographing flowers, for example, you can see the seams better, and zoomed-in details, such as hair, are easier to see in people. This, in combination with the fact that the background can be made more blurred, creates a wonderful appearance. Something that is also the case in the selfie camera.

Apple automatically reduces those photos to 12-megapixel images. If you want to take a photo with the full 48-megapixel, this can be arranged in the settings.

Power of video

The big advantage of the 48-megapixel camera is, as far as I’m concerned, the best in terms of video. The ProRes videos are easy to get through and the extra options are better brought out as a result.

This also applies to the Action mode that Apple already introduced with the iPhone 13 Pro from last. The stabilization of moving images has really improved a lot.

iPhone 14 Pro with Always On

We can’t help but look over the fence with the iPhone 14 Pro. Android phones have been carrying cameras with far more megapixels for years and feature displays with a hole punch. Only Apple seems to be doing better in both areas.

Unfortunately that does not apply to the Always Ondisplay, a feature that Apple will also introduce significantly later. Let me put it this way: the idea is nice, but the execution could really be better.

what it Always On of Android phones is the fact that the entire screen is turned off except for the time and any notifications. Apple does things differently and leaves the entire screen on in extremely low brightness.

This not only ensures that you constantly think you have not locked your phone, but also has a serious impact on your battery life. Despite Apple’s promise that this would not be the case.

A 4 hour screen time is what I manage to get out of the battery on a day of navigation and standard daily use. Switch it on Always-On-screen off and the problem is almost gone.

Does the function then provide such an advantage that it is completely worth it. Not as far as I’m concerned. Always On That’s a nice idea, but the function is disabled for me.

iPhone 14 Pro: buy or leave?

Despite the disappointing Always Onscreen, the iPhone 14 Pro is a real pleasure to use. The smartphone, especially with iOS 16 and the A16 Bionic chip, holds its own. But he is not cheap.

The iPhone with 128GB storage capacity is available as standard for an amount of 1,329 euros. Something you don’t want to do, because full ProRes functionality is not available with this. So you have to go for at least 256GB and with that 1459 euros will fly out of your wallet.

A hefty amount, but well worth it. The new Dynamic Island, the camera system and all other known functionalities in iOS 16 provide great enjoyment. Every day again. Something you will benefit from for years to come.