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Mobile Syrup

How to view/restore deleted iMessages in iOS 16

If you’ve updated to iOS 16, you’re probably excited about the ability to delete and edit messages, but what happens if you delete the wrong thing?

Well, don’t worry because Apple has made it relatively easy to recover your deleted messages.

Just open the Messages app and tap on ‘Edit’ in the top left corner. Some users might have a button that says ‘Filter’  here instead, but you can tap on it and it will take you to the same place.

From that drop-down menu, select ‘Show Recently Deleted.’ After that, you’ll be shown a list of all your deleted conversations, and you can pick what ones to recover.

It”s important to note that these recovered conversations are only available for up to 40 days after you delete them before they’re automatically remvoed.

Source: Apple

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Mobile Syrup

What are Safari Tab Groups and how to share them on iOS 16

Apple introduced Safari Tab Groups to the iPhone last year with the release of iOS 15. The feature allowed users to group multiple Safari Tabs together and create a new tab group, which could be synced to the cloud, giving you access to your tab groups on other Apple devices, like a MacBook, or iPad, for example.

Now, with iOS 16, Apple is adding the ability to share Tab Groups, making research and collaboration among peers easier. Once shared, your peers can add tabs of their own to the group, and the same will reflect for you as well. So whether you’re working on a group project for school, or planning a trip abroad with your friends, everyone with the Shared Tab Group can contribute towards research visible to all.

Firstly, let’s go over how you can create tab groups on Safari on iPhone:

  • Open Safari and click on the ‘Tabs’ on the bottom right.
  • Tap on the middle bar that mentions how many tabs you currently have open.
  • Tap on ‘New Empty Tab Group’ and name it whatever you’d like. In my case, I named it “iOS 16 Tips.”

Check out the screenshots below for visual cues:

From there on, you can continue your research, and whenever you stumble upon a page that you think would fit in the tab group you created, long press the page URL, tap on ‘Move to Tab Group’ and select whatever you named your Tab Group. When multiple pages are added to the Tab Group, it should look a little something like the last screenshot below:

What you’ve read up until now can be done with devices running iOS 15. iOS 16, however, as mentioned above, iOS 16 adds the ability to share these tabs with your peers. All you need to do is open the Tab Group, tap the ‘Share’ button on the top right and select the person to share the Tab Group with.

Once shared, you’ll notice that the share button has been replaced with the profile image of the person you shared the Tab Group with. By tapping their profile icon, you can manage the shared Tab Group and add/remove people from it.

Check screenshots below for visual cues:

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Mobile Syrup

iOS 16 bug creating problems for iPhone 14 users

Apple has confirmed some iPhone 14 series users are experiencing trouble activating iOS 16 due to a bug.

According to MacRumors, the new device doesn’t go through Wi-Fi, creating a host of problems.

An internal Apple memo obtained by MacRumors says, “there is a known issue for iOS 16 that may impact device activations on open Wi-Fi networks.” The solution lies in users selecting the option to connect to Mac or PC with iTunes when asked to connect to a Wi-Fi network, the publication reports.

New iPhone 14 customers can download an iOS 16.0.1 update to fix the issue. MacRumors notes users may need to restore iOS 16.0.1 through Mac or PC to activate their new devices. They will likely face problems with iMessage and FaceTime until that’s done.

Apple says it’s currently investigating the problem.

Source: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Little-known iOS feature turns screenshot scribbles into perfect shapes

TikTok creator @ramalmedia uncovered a secret iPhone trick that makes scribbling over screenshots much cleaner.

Normally, when you have to show a screenshot to a friend with an emphasis on something on the screen, you’d circle the area of interest or scribble an arrow towards it, as seen in the images below:

TikTok creator Ramal Media shared a short video (via The Verge) showing that you can scribble any shape over screenshots, and it magically transforms into a perfect shape as long as you hold the scribble down.

In my testing, the feature works when drawing circles, arrows, triangles, squares and rectangles, and makes it easier to highlight a portion of the screenshot. The screenshots above look a lot cleaner when the scribbles are held down, as seen below:

 

We are not entirely sure when Apple added the utility to screenshots, but it surely isn’t a part of the newly-released iOS 16. And while it isn’t a tool you’ll use daily, it’s still a handy trick to know. Other features the screenshot editing app includes are the ability to add a description to the screenshot, add a signature, decrease/increase the opacity of a scribble or magnify a specific area of the screenshot.

In other iPhone screenshot-related news, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s Dynamic Island will be visible in screenshots, but only when it’s in use. Read more about it via the link below:

Source: Ramal Media Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

How to change iOS 16’s notification style

iOS 16 has a ton of new features and capabilities, from crazy new lock screen customizations to scheduled emails and more. Along with the lock screen changes, Apple switched up how iOS displays notifications in the Notification Center with a new bottom-up design.

Fortunately, for those who aren’t big on the change, there are some customization options to tweak notifications, although you can’t get the old notification style back. If you head into Settings > Notifications on your iPhone running iOS 16, you’ll see three options for how iOS displays notifications: Count, Stack, or List.

Stack is the new default, which shows your notifications in, well, a stack at the bottom of the display. With this setup, you’ll see one notification with the rest layered underneath it, fading away into the background. Swiping up brings the notifications up into a list that you can scroll through. From there, you can also open notifications, manage them, clear them, and more, just like you would with the old notification view.

iOS 16 notification settings and the Stack option.

Next up, Count. This view collapses all the notifications into a single line of text that tells you how many notifications you have. It sits at the bottom of the screen between the flashlight and camera buttons. This gives you the best view of your lock screen and overall looks the cleanest but gives you the least amount of information. Once again, you can swipe up to view your notifications.

Left: Count notification option. Right: List option.

As an added bonus, if you’re using the other notification options and you want to collapse everything into the Count style, you can swipe down to minimize the notifications.

Finally, the List option is most like the old notification style. This shows a list of notifications that you can expand by swiping up. The list is still bottom-aligned to keep the fancy new lock screen widgets in view, but it’s still as close as you’re going to get to the old iPhone lock screen.

Via: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

iOS 16.1 beta brings battery percentage indicator to iPhone mini and XR

Apple’s iOS 16.1 beta update allows iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11 and iPhone XR owners to turn on the new battery percentage indicator that was added to other iPhone devices alongside the recent release of iOS 16.

While Apple initially offered the battery percentage indicator option for several years, it ditched the feature back when the iPhone X launched in 2017. However, it’s now making a comeback, though the percentage indicator isn’t flashy and is just a very basic-looking number dropped within the familiar battery indicator.

It’s also strange that the visual battery indicator doesn’t actually change, regardless of how charged the iPhone’s battery is. For example, in the image above, my iPhone 14 Pro Max is at 30 percent and is indicated by a number, but not actually visually in the battery image.

Still, even with its issues, it’s nice that Apple is listening and bringing the numerical battery indicator back.

The next public release of iOS 16 will likely include the ability to add the battery percentage indicator to the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11 and iPhone XR.

Check out my iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max review here, and my iPhone 14 review here.

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Mobile Syrup

Hate that new Search button in iOS 16? Here’s how to turn it off

iOS 16 brought a ton of helpful new features to iPhones, but not every change was welcome. For example, the new ‘Search’ button that now appears on the home screen.

The Search button sides below your apps and above the dock where the home screen indicator used to be (the indicator still shows up when you swipe between home screens). But, for most iPhone users, the button will likely be useless since you can swipe down on the home screen to open Search instead.

So, if you want that Search button gone and your precious home screen indicator back, here’s what you need to do:

  • Open Settings
  • Scroll to and tap Home Screen
  • Find the Search section
  • Tap the toggle next to ‘Show on Home Screen.’

That’s all there is to it. If you want to go back to having a Search button, just follow the same steps to bring it back.

If you want to learn more about iOS 16, check out the various MobileSyrup guides, including how to customize your lock screen, how to enable the battery percentage icon, and more.

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Mobile Syrup

iOS 16 has a slightly higher adoption rate than iOS 15

It seems like iPhone users are excited about iOS 16.

Data compiled by Mixpanel indicates that iOS 16 has had a higher download rate than iOS 15 in its first three days of release.

Mixpanel’s data indicates that after 24 hours of availability, iOS 16 has been downloaded by 6.71 percent of users, compared to iOS 15, which saw only 6.48 percent of users. However, iOS 14, on the other hand, had a 9.22 percent download rate.

Further, in its initial three days release, iOS 16 saw a 10.45 percent adoption rate, iOS 15 had a 9.68 percent adoption rate, and lastly, iOS 14 had a 14.68 percent adoption rate.

With iOS 16’s revamped lock screen, un-sending iMessages and more, it makes sense that it’s seeing a pickup.

Source: 9to5Mac, Mixpanel

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone 14 Review: Familiar design with camera upgrades

Apple’s new iPhone 14 is a lot like the iPhone 13.

It features the same overall design with squared-off corners, a dual rear-facing camera with a sizable bump and the now very familiar display notch, with most of the changes to the device occurring under the hood. The main wide shooter has been upgraded with a larger sensor, improving the base-level iPhone 14’s low-light performance by a slim margin.

The iPhone 14 also marks the first time Apple has released its entry-level smartphone with a lesser chip when compared to the iPhone 14 Pro. This year’s base-level iPhone includes last year’s A15 chip (with an extra GPU core) vs. the new A16 in the higher-end iPhone 14 Pro.

iPhone 13 Pro top down shotThe main question surrounding the iPhone 14 is if it’s the iPhone the average Apple user should buy like has been in the past. To some extent, this is still true.

“Apple likely could have got the Dynamic Island working with the notch, but it also seems intent on separating both devices..”

It features an excellent camera, solid battery life and a great-looking OLED display. Still, even more so than the iPhone 14 Pro, it’s a marginal upgrade over the iPhone 13 that will likely only be worthwhile if you’re using an iPhone 11 or older that doesn’t feature an OLED display.

For an in-depth look at the iPhone 14 Pro, check out my review.

iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Plus

Display

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2278 x 1284 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

Processor

A15 Bionic chip

A15 Bionic chip

RAM

N/A

N/A

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Dimensions (in.)

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

160.8 x 78.1 x 7.80mm

Weight

172g

203g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

Front Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iOS 16

iOS 16

Battery

Up to 20 hours of video playback

Up to 26 hours of video playback

Network Connectivity

LTE/ 5G

LTE/ 5G

Sensors

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

September 16, 2022

October 7, 2022

Misc

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

Display

iPhone 14

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2532 x 1170 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

iPhone 14 Plus

6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2278 x 1284 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision

Processor

iPhone 14

A15 Bionic chip

iPhone 14 Plus

A15 Bionic chip

RAM

iPhone 14

N/A

iPhone 14 Plus

N/A

Storage

iPhone 14

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

iPhone 14 Plus

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Dimensions (in.)

iPhone 14

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm

iPhone 14 Plus

160.8 x 78.1 x 7.80mm

Weight

iPhone 14

172g

iPhone 14 Plus

203g

Rear Facing Camera

iPhone 14

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

iPhone 14 Plus

12-megapixel (f/1.5, OIS, wide) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4, OIS, ultra-wide)

Front Facing Camera

iPhone 14

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

iPhone 14 Plus

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iPhone 14

iOS 16

iPhone 14 Plus

iOS 16

Battery

iPhone 14

Up to 20 hours of video playback

iPhone 14 Plus

Up to 26 hours of video playback

Network Connectivity

iPhone 14

LTE/ 5G

iPhone 14 Plus

LTE/ 5G

Sensors

iPhone 14

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

iPhone 14 Plus

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

iPhone 14

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 14 Plus

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

iPhone 14

September 16, 2022

iPhone 14 Plus

October 7, 2022

Misc

iPhone 14

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

iPhone 14 Plus

Colours: Midnight, Purple, Product Red, Blue, Starlight

What’s new?

The short answer to the above question is not a lot. The iPhone 14 Pro’s overall design and its 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 pixel resolution display match its predecessor, including the now familiar notch. Only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max offer the potential-filled ‘Dynamic Island’ front-facing display cutout this year.

Apple likely could have found a way to make the Dynamic Island work with the notch, but it also seems intent on separating both smartphones to an extent, offering those considering buying the Pro a reason to opt for the more expensive device.

Nearly all of the iPhone 14’s upgrades are tied to the smartphone’s cameras, which Apple says features 49 percent better low-light performance thanks to its new main sensor and its ‘Photonic Engine,’ the new version of its ‘Deep Fusion’ tech (also known as Sweater Mode) that now occurs earlier in the photo process. For those unaware, the Photonic Engine is Apple’s branding for the tech giant’s computational photography, which combines machine learning and hardware to boost photo quality.

Other iPhone 14 upgrades include Face ID working in landscape orientation, and ‘Cinematic Mode’ supporting up to a 4K resolution at 30fps alongside Dolby Vision HDR. The new ‘Action mode,’ available on the iPhone 14 Pro (check out a test clip here), is also featured in the iPhone 14 and seems to perform similarly to the iPhone 14 Pro. It smooths out movement in video, but features a significant amount of contrast and doesn’t work well under low-light

Even the iPhone 14's chip is the same as last year's, with the iPhone 14 still featuring the A15 bionic, though it does include an additional GPU core. Does this mean much in daily use? Not really. Still, the A15 is powerful enough to run iOS apps, and I didn't experience any slowdown during my time with the smartphone.

Camera upgrades

The iPhone 14's 12-megapixel main shooter features larger 1.9μm pixels and a wider f/1.5 aperture, which is a minor step from its previous 12-megapixel f/1.6 1.7μm shooter last year. Further, the ultra-wide remains identical at 12-megapixels f/2.2, though the camera's quality is marginally improved thanks to the Photonic Engine.

I've often argued that offering iPhone 14 users some level of optical zoom would be far more helpful than an ultra-wide lens. Unfortunately, Apple seems to have no interest in ditching the wide-angle shooter from the base-level iPhone camera array.

Flipping the iPhone 14 around to the front, the new TrueDepth camera system still housed in the notch now offers a wider f/1.9 aperture, which is a step above last year's f/2.2 aperture, allowing more light into the sensor. More importantly, the camera now supports autofocus, making it easier to snap crisp selfies quickly.

So what do all these new specs mean when actually taking photos with Apple's new iPhone 14?

First, the ultra-wide lens in the iPhone 14 snaps images nearly identical to the iPhone 13's. As you can see in the photo above, both photographs look almost identical. You could argue that the iPhone 14's ultra-wide shooter is slightly sharper, but the difference is barely noticeable.

On the other hand, the iPhone 14's upgraded selfie shooter offers noticeable white balance and detail improvements. You can see more detail in my face and the focus is slightly sharper. Still, as you may have already noticed, there's a theme here, and the difference isn't substantial.

It's really under low-light where the power of Apple's Photonic Engine and upgraded iPhone 14 shooter come into play, but even then, the images look very similar.

In this low-light shot of a very dirty BMW, the colours pop slightly more and the focus is crisper in the iPhone 14 image, but again, both photographs are strikingly similar.

All three of the above smartphone's main cameras, including the iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, perform remarkably similarly under ideal lighting conditions, as you can see above, with the iPhone 14 Pro offering slightly more colour vibrancy and definition in the mural's bricks. That said, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 main camera shots look pretty much identical to my eye.

While Apple's claims regarding the iPhone 14's cameras are likely mostly accurate, just like the iPhone 14 Pro vs the iPhone 13 Pro, the law of diminishing returns comes into play here. The images indeed do generally look better, but there's not that much of an improvement.

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IMG_0011
IMG_0013
IMG_0014
IMG_0015
IMG_0016
IMG_0018

Everything else

Other new features worth noting include Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection, which you can read more about in my iPhone 14 Pro review. Of course, the iPhone 14 Pro also supports iOS 16, which adds features like the new customizable Lock Screen, the ability to pull back messages, an expanded Maps app and more. Lock Screen customization is already a hit and one of my favourite iPhone features to release in the last few years.

The iPhone 14's battery life is impressive, measuring in at well beyond a day and even into the following day with moderate use, backing up Apple's claim that the iPhone 14 offers great battery life (the tech giant says the iPhone 14 Plus features the best battery life ever offered in an iPhone).

Finally, there are also new colours this year, including a variant of ‘Product Red,’ ‘Purple,’ and ‘Blue.’ While the new hues look fine, I prefer the more pastel colours Apple has featured in past versions of the base-level iPhone.

Note: This review will be updated with impressions of the iPhone 14 Plus when I'm able to get my hands on the smartphone. Beyond its larger 6.7-inch size, the device is identical to the iPhone 14. The smaller 5.42-inch iPhone mini is now dead, though Apple is still selling the iPhone 13 mini.

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max Review: Island vibes

Every year a new iPhone drops like clockwork, and here we are in early September with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Similar to last year’s move from the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 13 Pro, the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are yet another marginal step forward, albeit they offer a killer new feature that could eventually change the way you interact with your iPhone: the ‘Dynamic Island’ front camera display cutout.

iPhone 14 Pro back While I’ll delve into the Dynamic Island in detail later, I will say that the feature’s subtle animations and quick access to widgets combine to create one of the most exciting smartphone user interface features I’ve encountered in years.

Other additions this year include Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, an always-on display, a revamped TrueDepth camera system housed in the Dynamic Island cutout, and, finally, a revamped 48-megapixel main shooter offering improved low-light performance. But are the improvements to the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera system substantial? No, not really, but they’re still noticeable, and the type of upgrade long-time iPhone users will appreciate.

However, the overall design of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max remains the same as last year’s devices, including the bezels that are starting to look rather large compared to the high-end Android smartphone competition. With that in mind, if you were hoping this would be a redesign year for Apple, you’ll be disappointed with the tech giant’s latest iPhones.

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Display

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2556 x 1179 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2779 x 1290 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

Processor

A16 Bionic chip

A16 Bionic chip

RAM

N/A

N/A

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Dimensions (in.)

147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85mm

160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm

Weight

206g

240g

Rear Facing Camera

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

Front Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iOS 16

iOS 16

Battery

Up to 23 hours video playback

Up to 29 hours video playback

Network Connectivity

LTE/5G

LTE/5G

Sensors

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

Nano SIM, eSIM

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

September 16, 2022

September 16, 2022

Misc

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

Display

iPhone 14 Pro

6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2556 x 1179 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

iPhone 14 Pro Max

6.7-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 2779 x 1290 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate

Processor

iPhone 14 Pro

A16 Bionic chip

iPhone 14 Pro Max

A16 Bionic chip

RAM

iPhone 14 Pro

N/A

iPhone 14 Pro Max

N/A

Storage

iPhone 14 Pro

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

iPhone 14 Pro Max

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Dimensions (in.)

iPhone 14 Pro

147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85mm

iPhone 14 Pro Max

160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm

Weight

iPhone 14 Pro

206g

iPhone 14 Pro Max

240g

Rear Facing Camera

iPhone 14 Pro

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

iPhone 14 Pro Max

48-megapixel (f/1.78, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f/2.8, OIS, telephoto 3x optical ) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, OIS, ultra-wide angle)

Front Facing Camera

iPhone 14 Pro

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

iPhone 14 Pro Max

12-megapixel (f/1.9)

OS

iPhone 14 Pro

iOS 16

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iOS 16

Battery

iPhone 14 Pro

Up to 23 hours video playback

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Up to 29 hours video playback

Network Connectivity

iPhone 14 Pro

LTE/5G

iPhone 14 Pro Max

LTE/5G

Sensors

iPhone 14 Pro

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Face ID, Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer

SIM Type

iPhone 14 Pro

Nano SIM, eSIM

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Nano SIM, eSIM

Launch Date

iPhone 14 Pro

September 16, 2022

iPhone 14 Pro Max

September 16, 2022

Misc

iPhone 14 Pro

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple

For an in-depth look at the iPhone 14, check out my review.

Welcome to the Dynamic Island

The most exciting thing about the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the new ‘Dynamic Island’ — and for the record, I think Dynamic Island is a great name. The new camera cutout that houses alerts and specific notifications in one interactive location is a fascinating UI shift on Apple’s part.

“The Dynamic Island’s subtle animations feature a fluidity that makes the cutout feel alive…”

If you’re listening to music, a small waveform appears in the Dynamic Island, and when you briefly tap on it, you’re able to jump directly into the track. Connecting AirPods creates a quick-access tab, FaceTime is easily accessible, and multiple apps can even appear at once. For example, if you’re listening to music and set a timer, the cutout splits into two bubbles, and a little green circle appears when you’re snapping photos or shooting video.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island’s subtle animations feature a fluidity that makes the cutout feel alive, and I found myself repeatedly tapping it just to watch it in action. It’s yet another example of Apple taking well-established tech and improving it. Huawei launched the first device with a hole-punch display cut out several years ago, and Apple has now built on it in a meaningful way. Of course, on the other hand, this is also the company playing catch-up with its competitors several years later, most notably Samsung’s flagship S series line, which has offered its ‘Infinity-O’ display since the release of the Galaxy S10 in 2019.

But Dynamic Island isn’t perfect. Third-party app support is currently lacklustre, with only apps (like Spotify) that include Apple’s ‘Now Playing’ and ‘CallKit’ development APIs working as a quick-access widget. This will likely change shortly after the iPhone 14 Pro’s release, given the control Apple maintains over its mobile app development ecosystem and the upcoming release of its ‘Live Activities’ development API. It’s also strange that a long press opens a widget while a short press launches the full version of an app. To me, it would be more intuitive if this action were reversed.

You could also make the argument that Dynamic Island is more obtrusive than even the notch. But just like the notch, for me, it quickly faded into the background of my experience with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

I clearly see the DNA of the MacBook Pro’s beleaguered Touch Bar in Dynamic Island, and we know how that worked out. Still, the potential is there, and it’s undeniably original and cool. I’m confident if any company can pull something like an interactive display cutout off, it’s Apple.

What else is new?

The other marquee new feature this year is the always-on display, another example of functionality several Android devices have offered for years. So, does Apple build on the established concept in a meaningful way? In this case, the answer to this question is a little mixed.

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max support Apple’s new always-on display with their respective Super Retina XDR 6.1-inch 2556 x 1779 (460ppi) pixel resolution and 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 (460ppi) displays. The tech giant’s take on always-on display runs at a low 1Hz refresh rate to save battery. When using the phone, the display can ratchet up to 120Hz ProMotion for animations and then down to 10Hz to conserve battery life. The always-on display will also shut off when in your pocket or if you flip the smartphone over.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Max

The iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display stands out from other smartphone manufacturers because it features a dash of faded colour behind its customizable widgets for features like Battery Life, Calendar, Weather and more. However, like the Dynamic Island, third-party app support for lockscreen widgets remains limited at launch. This will likely change quickly, with Google already jumping onboard, but at the outset, it’s still disappointing.

I continue to question how helpful always-on displays are and whether anyone needs to be that connected to their smartphone’s notifications. Still, Apple’s always-on implementation is the best I’ve seen so far, and surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to impact the smartphone’s all-day battery life significantly (I plan to test the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery life more in the coming weeks).

Speaking of the iPhone 14 Pro’s display, the new screen can hit 2,000 nits of brightness in direct sunlight, with HDR achieving 1,600 nits. The additional brightness is barely noticeable in everyday use, but while watching See on Apple TV+, I noted that certain portions of the TV show did indeed look noticeably brighter.

Then there's the new A16 chip, which benchmarks impressively above the A15 thanks to its 6-core CPU built on a 4-nanometer process and 50 percent increased memory bandwidth.

Though it's already been the case for the past several years, I didn't experience any slowdown or lag during my time with the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, regardless if I was editing photos, playing games, watching YouTube videos or just browsing the internet.

Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection

While 'Emergency SOS via Satellite' doesn't officially release in Canada until November, I briefly watched a demo of the feature in action at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. Emergency SOS launches if you don't have cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to orient the iPhone 14 Pro to connect to a nearby satellite.

You can then select from several pre-created messages that are sent to an Apple relay centre and forwarded to emergency services. Emergency SOS takes a few seconds to connect, but the process seems relatively smooth. It's worth noting that while the feature is free for the next two years, it will cost a subscription fee in the future.

Emergency SOS via Satellite is something no other smartphone manufacturer currently does and offers additional peace of mind. However, it's still the type of functionality the average iPhone user will likely never use.

On the other hand, 'Crash Detection' utilizes the iPhone 14's dual accelerometer to detect the high g-force commonly associated with crashes and automatically calls emergency services to provide a voice memo and your location. The feature can also notify your emergency contacts via a text message that includes your location.

It's impossible to verify the accuracy of Apple's claims regarding Crash Detection because you'd actually need to be in a car accident, so I have to take the tech giant's word on how well it works. Similar to Emergency SOS, this is the type of feature that very few iPhone users will ever take advantage of, but it's a welcome addition to the iPhone 14 Pro's arsenal.

Subtle camera improvements

For the first time in years, Apple has ditched its main 12-megapixel sensor in favour of a new 48-megapixel f/1.8 24mm sensor that uses "quad pixel" pixel binning to scale down to 12-megapixels. This allows for improved low-light performance and the ability to capture greater detail thanks to the iPhone 14 Pro's new version of computational photography 'Deep Fusion' called the 'Photonic Engine' that takes place earlier in the photo process.

The iPhone 14 Pro also now offers 2x telephoto zoom (48mm focal length) alongside 0.5x ultra-wide (13mm), wide 1x (24mm) and telephoto 3x (77mm). With that said, despite Apple's claims, most wouldn't consider the new 2x focal length truly optical zoom.

iPhone 14 Pro camera bump

To achieve the 2x zoom, Apple is using the 12-megapixel centre of the 48-megapixel sensor, which isn't technically optical zoom since it's not a physical zoom lens on the rear of the smartphone. Still, it results in higher-quality telephoto images than purely digital zoom. It's worth noting that sensor cropping is something we've seen Samsung and Huawei offer in their devices for the past several years, and this isn't an entirely original feature from Apple.

Regarding the iPhone 14 Pro's other shooters, the telephoto lens remains the same as last year, while the ultra-wide features a new sensor that's larger than the iPhone 13 Pro's.

It performs better under low light but unfortunately still features the strange warping that often appears with ultra-wide lenses. It would be great to see Apple move towards removing this effect via software, similar to OnePlus.

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Flipping the iPhone 14 Pro to the front, the selfie shooter now resides inside Dynamic Island. It features a wider f/1.9 aperture, which improves its low-light performance by a very slim margin, offering more detail and better white balance when snapping selfies.

So what do all these technical camera upgrades mean in practice? The iPhone 14 Pro's camera is slightly better than the iPhone 13 Pro's, and the law of diminishing returns is definitely at play here.

In this relatively uninspired picture of my neighbours' backyards, you can see the improvements in low-light performance with night mode entirely off. The entire image looks sharper, but more importantly, the lights on the right side are far clear with the iPhone 14 Pro than they are with the iPhone 13 Pro.

This image taken on an overcast day is the best example of the sometimes imperceptible differences between the iPhone 14 Pro's and iPhone 13 Pro's shooters under good lighting conditions. You could make the argument that the foliage in my overgrown tomato plants is sharper in the iPhone 14 Pro photo, but you really need to pixel peep, and even then, the difference is negligible. That said, the wide camera's 24mm focal length allows for more of the subject to be photographed compared to the iPhone 13 Pro's 26mm lens.

On the selfie-shooter side, the situation is very similar. My face is slightly sharper, the white balance is more true-to-life, and there's additional detail present in the iPhone 14 photo. The background is notably more in focus in the iPhone 14 shot. Overall, the difference is minute.

The Phone 14 Pro's main shooter also manages to surpass Google's Pixel 6 Pro in terms of colour vibrancy and saturation. On the white balance side, the iPhone 14 Pro also surpasses the iPhone 13 Pro in the above test. Still, as I've mentioned before, the improvements are barely noticeable, even when adding Google's flagship smartphone to the mix.

It's worth noting the iPhone 14 Pro's flash has been redesigned with an array of nine LEDs, though in my experience, I didn't notice a substantial difference in quality beyond the flash illuminating the subject more. You can also shoot full 48-megapixel images with ProRes RAW mode enabled, though it's unlikely anyone will ever need an image of this size shot with their smartphone.

Then there's 'Action Mode,' Apple's new video stabilization feature. Under good lighting conditions, it produces pretty great-looking footage that features a touch too much contrast for my liking. I can see it being useful in certain situations -- for example, if you're trying to capture video while riding a bike or running. Action Mode supports up to a 2.8k resolution and 60fps.

Enjoy as I ride Xiaomi's Mi Electric Pro 2 scooter around my neighbourhood while testing out Action Mode.

Apple has also updated 'Cinematic Mode,' last year's video addition with the iPhone 13 Pro, to work in 4K resolution at 24fps.

Everything else

As always, there are new colours this year, including my personal favourite, 'Deep Purple,' along with 'Space Black.' Next to the iPhone 13's 'Alpine Green,' Deep Purple is my favourite iPhone colour yet. It's a subtle yet vibrant hue that fits well with my understated preference for smartphone colours. The new Space Black is... well, black, and is relatively bland. Other colours, including 'Gold' and 'Silver' (which is really just white) return this year.

iPhone 14 Pro Apple TV+Though not directly tied to the iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 16 brings an array of new features to Apple's iPhone line, including sharing iCloud Photo Libraries, the ability to unsend messages via iMessage and my personal favourite, the customizable lock screen.

I'm well aware that Android has offered similar functionality for several years. Still, the subtle intuitiveness of shifting the clock's colours or creating the nightmare eggplant emoji wallpaper of your dreams can't be understated. The feature will undoubtedly be a hit with most iPhone users, and I'm excited to see the inventive lockscreens and wallpapers people create.

iPhone 14 Pro in hand