Apple unveiled the new generation of iPhone a week ago at the Far Out event. With pre-orders already open and waiting for the first specimens to arrive in the hands of buyers – we will have to wait for the 16th – here come the first international reviews that allow us to familiarize ourselves with the different models announced and to know in detail the opinion of experts. We will now review the evidence of the main overseas newspapers (and not) in a collection that does not claim to be exhaustive but that we hope will be of help to all those who are considering the purchase or who are simply curious to deepen the topic. Looking forward to our review, of course.
WALL STREET JOURNAL
The authoritative Wall Street Journal has focused its attention on the iPhone 14 available from Friday, September 16, namely iPhone 14, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. For the 14 Plus we will have to wait until October 7, the test is postponed to autumn therefore. To make a long story short, the transition to the new generation is justified especially if you come from an iPhone prior to the 13, such as the 11 series. And to represent a real generational leap are the two Pros: “the dynamic island will make every other phone look like … static,” says the WSJ.
The elements that were liked the most are basically three: the dynamic island – “a trick for smart multitasking”, an “interactive dock” -, the always-on display and the renewed cameras. That’s why the standard iPhone 14 does not seem to represent at first glance a real generational leap (other newspapers, we will see, talk about iPhone 13S …), while the two Pros are exalted for the brilliance of the display from the first moment. Even more important is the fact that the AOD doesn’t seem to compromise battery life too much. The Pro turned off after a busy day at 7:30pm, the Pro Max was still on at bedtime.
Another element of distinction are the cameras: the improvement of the night photos on the 14 “flats” does not seem to be as evident as Apple has promised, while the two Pros behave much better both for the zoom (2x via crop and 3x with the tele) and for the ProRAW format, which with the 48MP sensor leads to excellent results.
iPhone 14 is a good smartphone, as was iPhone 13. This, in summary, is the opinion of The Verge on the entry model of the new 2022 range, defined – as anticipated above – an iPhone 13S. On the contrary, iPhone 14 Pro introduces many new features. On the iPhone 14 improve the main camera (more details, well also the portraits) and the front one, some emergency functions have been introduced, for the rest, however, there do not seem to be particular reasons to switch from one generation to another. Including the display with refresh rate always at 60Hz and the chip, still the Apple A15 Bionic (but with 1 more GPU core).
If you come from an iPhone 12 or earlier, then the purchase can be considered, otherwise “it is better to look elsewhere”. Rating: 7.
For iPhone 14 Pro the vote rises to 8, since the novelties are many starting from the dynamic island up to the always-on display, without forgetting the emergency and satellite messaging tools and the absence (in the USA) of the drawer for physical SIM cards. The double hole that replaces the notch becomes an element to look at instead of pretending that it is not there, it is the center of multitasking and is destined to become a trigger for the imagination of the developers. It widens and shrinks, although it is not as interactive as Apple showed us at the keynote. The Verge says that “apps are still the main point of the iPhone”, tapping on the island does not access the expanded widget but the app to which it refers. It is not so interactive, in short, but it is a collection of information in the background.
It starts with iPhone 14, indistinguishable from iPhone 13 if not for the absence of the SIM cart. Inside changes for some tricks such as the possibility – now – to replace the rear glass in case of breakage more easily. The display is still at 60Hz, it is slightly brighter than the 13, and the audio is improved almost imperceptibly.
The Photonic Engine is the novelty of the cameras that allows you to get better shots in low light conditions. Despite this, there do not seem to be any major differences between the two generations. The same goes for the selfie cam, now with AF but which leads to identical results to the 2021 generation. Here is the deepening.
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce the dynamic island, a classic example of how Apple transforms a “necessary” hardware solution into a plus. At the hole in the display she arrived late compared to the competition, but she managed to customize it like no one had ever done until now. The dynamic island is in fact the only real aesthetic difference of the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max compared to the previous generation.
And then there’s the always-on display, sometimes hard to distinguish from the lock screen as they are similar. Another element that distinguishes the new Pro from the previous ones is the 48MP main camera, also enhanced by the Photonic Engine and Action Mode. The comparison with the 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro is not always to the advantage of the new iPhone, both with and without light. The only real tangible difference can be seen in the ProRAW shots. HERE you will find the complete article.
TECHCRUNCH
Techcrunch emphasizes the renewed internal structure of the components that allows you to achieve better heat dissipation and replace the rear glass without necessarily having to disassemble the entire smartphone. The front glass of the Pro can then be replaced without removing the True Depth Camera.
The review is rather an overview of the main features of the iPhone 14 and the two Pros, and the focus on the photographic capabilities of all three models is particularly interesting. We recommend a reading to get a better idea (link).
POCKET LINT
Pocket Lint also expresses its thoughts by focusing on the iPhone 14 Pro, calling it an excellent solution with regard to the dynamic island, the display and the AOD, as well as the cameras and autonomy. Negative points go to the fingers on the dynamic island, as well as some lags recorded in the ProRAW shots.
iPhone 14 Pro, the magazine says, is the model “that makes the most sense to buy” among the four. It is compact, aesthetically it is “different” from the 13 Pro due to the absence of the notch and has the always-on display that allows you to access the lock screen even when the screen is off.
Battery and cameras will be the subject of subsequent investigations.
