An updated iPhone 14 Pro review after using it for 6 months
The iPhone 14 is the sixteenth generation of Apple's smartphone, and Apple released it in late 2022. This year I ordered the iPhone 14 Pro instead of the Pro Max version, and it arrived just in time for a photo trip to Germany. After I did a few phone calls, I could pick up my shiny new iPhone 14 Pro at the airport right before the plane departed.
In this iPhone 14 Pro review, I'll share the reason I bought it in the first place and how I feel about the iPhone 14 Pro after six months of using it.
Table of Contents:
- Why I bought the iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro features
- Camera Apps and Photo Accessories
- What's new in iOS 16
- iPhone 14 Pro: the verdict
Why I bought the iPhone 14 Pro instead of the Pro Max
The main reason why I upgraded from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 was the larger camera resolution of the primary (1x) camera. You can now take 48-megapixel photos using the 1x lens of the iPhone 14.
Then I had to decide if I'd buy the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. Last year I bought the iPhone 13 Pro Max because I thought the larger screen was more convenient for photo editing. While that assumption was valid, the larger form factor was also inconvenient for everyday use.
As I also bought an iPad mini 6 in 2021 for photo editing while traveling, I purchased the smaller iPhone 14 Pro instead of the Pro Max.
Features of the iPhone 14 Pro
Screen size of the iPhone 14 Pro
The screen of the iPhone 14 Pro is 0.6" smaller compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max screen. In terms of pixels, you'll get 3,01 million pixels with the iPhone 14 Pro, while you'll get 3,6 million pixels with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. That's just 17% fewer pixels on an iPhone 14 Pro than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. I can live with that.
The pixel density (PPI) is identical for iPhone 14 Pro models at 460 PPI.
Battery of the iPhone 14 Pro
There is one notable difference between the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max that I was worried about: the battery.
While the iPhone 14 Pro's battery has a capacity of 3,200 mAh, the iPhone 14 Pro Max battery has 4,323 mAh. So the iPhone 14 Pro's battery has 25% less capacity than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
After six months of using the iPhone 14 Pro, I notice the smaller battery during everyday use and especially while traveling.
During my first photo trip with the iPhone 14 Pro, I had to recharge it while photographing after taking about 220 ProRAW photos. I'll have to use my Anker magnetic battery more often with the iPhone 14 Pro - especially when taking photos.
But I also noticed the iPhone 14 Pro's smaller battery during everyday use. With the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone would easily make it through the day without recharging; but the iPhone 14 Pro won't. I usually have to recharge it during the evening, especially when I use turn-by-turn navigation or listen to music while on the go.
Here are the battery sizes of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models. As you can see, even though the battery capacity of the iPhone 14 Pro increased compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, it has 25% less capacity than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
| iPhone | Pro Battery Capacity | Pro Max Battery Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 | 3095 mAh | 4352 mAh |
| iPhone 14 | 3200 mAh | 4323 mAh |
If the next iPhone Pro model still has 25% less battery capacity, I'll go for the Pro Max Model again.
iPhone 14 Pro Lenses and Camera
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have identical camera lenses. Here's the camera data of the iPhone 13 Pro models compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Models.
| Camera | iPhone 13 Pro (Max) | iPhone 14 Pro (Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Lens | 48 megapixels, f/1.78, 24mm | 12 megapixels, f/1.5, 26mm |
| Telephoto Lens | 12 megapixels, f/1.78, 48mm (3x optical zoom) | 12 megapixels, f/2.8, 77mm (3x optical zoom) |
| Ultra-wide Lens | 12 megapixels, f/2.2, 13mm | 12 megapixels, f/1.8, 13mm |
The 48-megapixel wide camera was the main reason I upgraded the iPhone 14. I've been waiting for a larger camera resolution for years.
But there's a catch. With the built-in camera app, you can only take 48-megapixel photos using Apple's ProRAW format. Using the built-in camera app, there's currently no way to take 48-megapixel photos in JPEG or HEIC format. You must use a third-party camera app like Halide or ProCamera. ProCamera rolled out version 16 shortly after the iPhone 14's release, which allows you to toggle the primary (1x) camera's resolution between 12 and 48 megapixels, independently of the file format.
To enable 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in the built-in camera app, open the settings app, then:
- Scroll down to the camera settings and tap it
- At the top of the screen, you'll see formats. Tap it.
- Enable Apple ProRAW and set the ProRAW resolution to 48 MP.
If you plan to take 48-megapixel ProRAW photos with the iPhone 14 Pro, ensure you have enough storage. I checked the file size of all 220 ProRAW images I took with iPhone 14 Pro. The largest one was 93.2 megabytes! So 10 to 15 photos may consume 1 GB of the iPhone's memory.
However, the larger file size of the ProRAW files will result in detail-rich photos you have never seen before from an iPhone. I was blown away. In this photo, you can see the texture of the bricks, each branch of the trees and shrubs that grow into the room, and all the cracks in the walls. It's just amazing.
A photo converted from an 48-megapixel ProRAW
Mind that you'll have to develop the ProRAW files into a JPEG or HEIC before sharing them. I have a dedicated blog post outlining how to shoot RAW with iPhone.
Dynamic Island
Another new feature of the iPhone 14 Pro models is Dynamic Island. Dynamic Island is a user interface trick to replace the notch of previous iPhone models. But Dynamic Island is not just a black pill at the top of the iPhone screen. It will display helpful information depending on what you do with your iPhone.
For example, if you have an active route in Apple Maps, it will display an icon, and if you tap it, Apple Maps will open.
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island with Apple Maps navigation active
Similarly, listening to music will display a small cover icon that you can tap to open Apple Music.
And if you do both, you'll get two icons in Dynamic Island. One to open Apple Maps and the other one to open Apple Music.
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island with Apple Maps navigation and Music active
During Apple's keynote, I wondered if I'd ever use Dynamic Island. After six months of using the iPhone 14 Pro, my short answer is: Yes, I'm using it quite often and like it.
Always On Display
The third new feature of iPhone 14 (all models) I want to talk about is the always-on display - which is not an "always on" but rather a "most of the time on" display. I'm saying that because the display turns off under certain circumstances like:
- If you put it into the pocket of your trousers.
- If you have connected an Apple Watch, leave the room where your iPhone is.
Try it: Cover the Dynamic Island with your hand. The always-on display will turn off after a second or two.
When I first heard about the always-on display during the keynote, I thought, "Okay. Nice. Next feature, please". But I found iPhone 14's always on display helpful while traveling because it does not only display the lock screen with up to four widgets. It can also show e.g. the stops of an active route in Apple Maps.
Apple Maps always-on iPhone 14 Pro
Here is how it works: Open Apple Maps, start a route, and lock the screen. Now you have your travel plan right at hand. I found that helpful while riding the train in Germany. With a glance at the always-on screen, I could see if the announced next stop was where I needed to change trains.
Tip: Swipe up over the route's steps so it covers the whole screen, and the map will be hidden. Then you'll see the route's steps in your always-on display
Unfortunately, the always-on screen works only with a few Apple-made apps. I'd love to see this feature for e.g., ticketing apps!
I didn't do any scientific test to see if the always-on display drastically reduces the battery life, so I can only share my feeling here, which is: a little bit.
Action mode camera
There's one new feature I still have to try (even after six months of using it): The action mode camera. That's a new camera mode for taking videos with iPhone 14 Pro. It uses the iPhone's optical image stabilization for smooth videos when enabled. But as I've mentioned, I still need to try that.
iPhone 14 Storage
All iPhone 14 pro models have a storage capacity of either 128GB, 256 Gb, 512GB or 1 TB.
As always, I bought the iPhone 14 Pro with the lowest capacity (128 GB), which is perfectly alright for me as I tend to "shoot more but keep less". As you can see, I still have almost 80GB left on my iPhone 14 Pro.
Remaining Storage on my iPhone 14 Pro
I should note that I use iCloud Photos with the "optimize iPhone storage" turned on.
As a minimalist, I usually delete 90% of the photos I take and keep only a carefully curated and edited selection of images. Because neither I nor anyone I know wants to look at 200-400 pictures of a city or a lost place.
I also use only a limited number of apps on my iPhone. While Steve once said "There is an app for that", I keep asking myself, "Do I need an app for that?"
Camera Apps and Photo Accessories
As usual, developers quickly updated their camera apps to work with iPhone 14. I can confirm that all my recommended iPhone camera apps work with my iPhone 14 Pro and iOS 16. The same applies to all the recommend iPhone photo accessories I use. They all work with my iPhone 14 Pro.
What's new in iOS 16
The iPhone 14 ships with iOS 16, Apple's latest iPhone operating system. Please head to my blog post about what's new in iOS 16.
My verdict about the iPhone 14 Pro and if I'd buy it again
Because of the 48-megapixel camera, I'd buy an iPhone 14 again - but I'd go for the iPhone 14 Pro Max because of the battery life. However, if you do not use your iPhone for lots of shooting and photo editing with apps Light Adobe Lightroom, the battery life of the iPhone 14 Pro will probably be sufficient.
Though I was not enthusiastic about Dynamic Island and the always-on display, these features proved helpful during everyday usage and traveling.
You can order the iPhone 14 directly from Apple, buy the iPhone 14 Pro (renewed) from Amazon or get the iPhone 14 Pro Max (renewed) also from Amazon.
