Video: iPhone 14 Pro Max Thoughts One Year After Launch

[MacRumors]

With the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup fast approaching, MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera thought he'd take a look back at his last year (almost) using the iPhone 14 Pro Max before it's time to move on to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

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The iPhone 14 Pro Max introduced the Dynamic Island for the first time, and it's been a feature that Apple doesn't seem to have taken full advantage of yet. It also brought the higher-end 48-megapixel camera sensor and the Always-On display.

Dan goes into depth on how the iPhone 14 Pro Max (used caseless!) has held up over the course of the last 11 months, what battery life is like, and how the latest feature set has worked out for him. The video provides an thoughtful retrospective on a year with Apple's flagship iPhone as we head into iPhone launch season.

We're expecting the iPhone 15 models to come out in September as usual. The standard models won't get much in the way of an upgrade aside from a transition to the Dynamic Island and a USB-C port, but we can expect slimmer bezels, faster chips, and a periscope telephoto lens for the iPhone 15 Pro Max that will replace the 14 Pro Max. More details on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models can be found in our roundups.

Article Link: Video: iPhone 14 Pro Max Thoughts One Year After Launch

 

[rgeneral]

Thoughts. time for 15.?

 

[alexandr]

Of course apple hasn't taken full advantage of the dynamic island yet — it takes time. This responsibility also falls on developers, perhaps even more so.

 

[Mykbibby]

I had instant regret buying the Max. It's way too freaking heavy. Definitely going smaller next time, even if the camera is lesser, but even that's not a perfect fix. I'm fine compromising on thinness these days, but I'm tired of compromising on lightness. There has to be a better way...

 

[zorinlynx]

Really surprised to hear about battery issues given the size of the battery in that thing. My 11 Pro Max from 2019 on its original battery is still giving me a day and a half of battery life!

 

[tonie walker]

its a heavy brick - fell in the bathroom and bounce (tile floor), survived without scratch!

but dynamic island will be the twin of 3D Touch/ forced touch, under utilised and one day Apple will just kill it.

If my iPhone 11 Pro Max wasn’t crippled by software updates, i would stick to it.

 

[Biggleby]

I had instant regret buying the Max. It's way too freaking heavy. Definitely going smaller next time, even if the camera is lesser, but even that's not a perfect fix. I'm fine compromising on thinness these days, but I'm tired of compromising on lightness. There has to be a better way...

why didnt you return it?
im eyeing plus variant for the lighter weight, unless they make PM lighter this year

 

[klasma]

If my iPhone 11 Pro Max wasn’t crippled by software updates, i would stick to it.

Crippled how?

 

[dumastudetto]

iPhone 14 Pro Max is absolutely the best iPhone Apple has ever made up until this point. I'm excited to see if the iPhone 15 Pro Max will take it to another level and convince me to upgrade.

 

[1BadManVan]

its a heavy brick - fell in the bathroom and bounce (tile floor), survived without scratch!

but dynamic island will be the twin of 3D Touch/ forced touch, under utilised and one day Apple will just kill it.

If my iPhone 11 Pro Max wasn’t crippled by software updates, i would stick to it.

Crippled? Our son uses a base 11 and it still works perfect

 

[1369281]

Does this review mention living with PWM for an entire year? Sounds like torture.

PWM is display flickering at a fast rate which gives many people headaches and eye-strain.

 

[ctk02]

100% agree with the battery health. My 14PM doesn't last a full day anymore. I almost exclusively wireless charge except with im in the car and have my phone plugged in for carplay. Battery health is 89%. I do also wish Dynamic Island was utilized more.

 

[mlrproducts]

“Dynamic Island” is just marketing spin for a notification UI that could have always existed but was brought forward to account for holes in the middle of a display lol.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

100% agree with the battery health. My 14PM doesn't last a full day anymore. I almost exclusively wireless charge except with im in the car and have my phone plugged in for carplay. Battery health is 89%. I do also wish Dynamic Island was utilized more.

Mines is at 99%. Had it since release date. Do you let your battery completely drain?

 

[Timpetus]

My thought on the Dynamic Island is that of course it's underutilized. What else should we expect when not every device has one? It's the iPhone version of the Touch Bar - too little installed base is death to software development.

 

[Momof2.1107]

I have been pleased with my 14 Pro Max. Yes the battery do not last the whole day if I’m using it heavily, but that is also why I carry a portable charger with me.

 

[unregbaron]

Useful review - had no idea about the battery life...

 

[pope123]

Im having the same battery problems (14 pro iOS 16). Less than a year and my battery health is down to 94%. I find myself having to plug it in by 1-2pm with light to moderate use. And this phone does get hot! There are multiple times that I've noticed significant heat with almost no use. And I did my due diligence and made sure it wasn't an app or setting that was contributing (at least from what I could find). I would gladly exchange the dynamic island for whole day battery life.

 

[tom_uk]

14 Pro Max user. I bought it for the cameras - I ditched my DSLR and use the 14 PM instead. I almost always shoot ProRAW, export from Photos into Lightroom, edit there, and then - delete the ProRAW originals from Photos and re-import high-quality JPEGs back into Photos! - to save on storage. (I have so much more storage available on the iMac, both internal and external.) I have been delighted with this phone, and I can’t see myself upgrading to the 15 Pro Max, even with the periscope lens. Maybe the 16, when it appears.

I specifically chose the Pro Max over the Pro because, being bigger, it was easier to hold for photography, and I don’t regret doing so.

 

[Tagbert]

“Dynamic Island” is just marketing spin for a notification UI that could have always existed but was brought forward to account for holes in the middle of a display lol.

OK. Does that matter? It is an interesting and unusual way to display realtime events utilizing a part of the screen that does not get much use.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

I love my 14 Pro, it’s a solid phone. However, I’m ready for the 15 Pro Max and the 2nd gen AW Ultra. Titanium Twin FTW!

 

[pdaholic]

My iPhone 13 Pro Max battery life has been incredible. I heard 12 was poor, and now several people talking about 14. 13 FTW 🙌

 

[Akrapovic]

“Dynamic Island” is just marketing spin for a notification UI that could have always existed but was brought forward to account for holes in the middle of a display lol.

This is a little disingenuous. Every feature is just a marketing name for something - hardware or software. Action Mode is just marketing spin for stability control. Ceramic shield is just tough glass. FaceID is just a facial recognition system. TouchID is just a fingerprint scanner. Adaptive transparency is just marketing spin for fancy noise cancellation. etc etc

 

[Born Again]

Can we all agree saying dynamic island is cringe as #%}^?

 

[dustin_]

I'm glad no one's figured out how to make Dynamic Island useful. I'm not missing out on anything sticking w my 13 mini. Hopefully it'll soon disappear altogether.