As expected, Apple today introduced four new iPhone models, the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max. There are a lot of new hardware and software features spread across the iPhone range this year, so let’s dig deeper.
iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
The iPhone 14 is available in five colors (midnight, blue, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED and purple) and has a 6.1-inch screen protected by Apple’s Ceramic Shield technology. The Plus model comes in the same colors and has a 6.7-inch display. Both models’ Super Retina XDR OLED displays can reach a maximum brightness of 1200 nits and support a contrast ratio of 2 million:1 and Dolby Vision. The insides of both models have been redesigned to improve thermal performance and battery life has also been improved.
As in years past, the cameras of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus were a key focus of Apple’s presentation. The company introduced a new name in today’s keynote: the Photonic Engine, which helps with low-light performance. According to Apple, this results in a doubling of mid- and low-light performance when using the Ultra Wide camera, 2x on the TrueDepth camera and 2.5x on the main camera, which is achieved by Deep Fusion technology earlier in the frame. to apply processing.
The main camera has a 12MP sensor with an aperture of ƒ/1.5 and pixels of 1.9 µm, which reduces noise and reveals more detail. The TrueDepth camera has also received a performance boost, with an aperture of ƒ/1.9 and autofocus.
Action mode is a new video mode that smoothes out shaky video better than before. Movie mode can record video in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps, the Ultra Wide camera’s performance in low light is improved, and the True Tone flash is 10% brighter, with more consistent lighting.
While the iPhone’s camera has been a highlight of every iPhone launch, Apple has also paid attention to new safety features for all iPhone models this year. The first is crash detection. Using a new dual-core accelerometer that can measure up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, along with the iPhone’s existing barometer, GPS radio and microphone, the iPhone 14 can detect a serious car accident and call emergency services on your behalf. The new crash detection feature works in tandem with similar features coming to the Apple Watch Series 8, SE, and Ultra, but an Apple Watch is not required.
The other safety feature coming to all iPhones this year is Emergency SOS via satellite. As Apple explained on stage today, and as I wrote about recently in MacStories Weekly, emergency satellite communications systems tend to be bulky. However, Apple has managed to build text-based satellite communications into the iPhone with a combination of custom parts and smart software.
Users who are out of range of a mobile signal can use Emergency SOS to call for help. New software built into the iPhone instructs users where to point their iPhone to get the best satellite signal to send a message. The service uses a series of questions and multiple choice answers to assess a person’s situation, and all sent text is compressed so that sending messages takes less time. Then trained operators who receive the requests for help relay the messages to the first responders. The feature also works with Find My to let others know your location when you’re out of range of a cellular or Wi-Fi signal. Emergency SOS comes out in the US and Canada and is free for two years.
All iPhone users can also use Fitness+ without Apple Watch on their iPhone.
The iPhone 14, which starts at $799, and iPhone 14 Plus, which starts at $899, will be available to pre-order on September 9 in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations, with deliveries starting September 16.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
Like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the Pro models come in 6.1” and 6.7” screen sizes and feature crash detection and emergency SOS messages via satellite, plus a number of other interesting updates.
Improvements to the iPhone’s camera are a given every year, and the Always-On Display Apple announced has been rumored and telegraphed by iOS 16 betas. What no one saw coming was the Dynamic Island, a wacky name for what seems like a really cool feature that uniquely blurs the lines between hardware and software.
The Dynamic Island combines the camera body of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max with software to provide a new way to deliver alerts and other information to users. First, the TrueDepth camera housing is no longer in a notch. Instead, it’s in a smaller oval-shaped area just below the status bar.
Apple will use the space around the camera oval to display controls for apps such as Music and Phone, but it will also be available to third-party developers to provide status information such as sports scores. Interaction is controlled with a tap-and-hold gesture, and everything animates in a lively and fun way that makes it seem like the camera crop is alive.
The Dynamic Island demos were fantastic. I can’t wait to try the feature myself to see what it’s like in everyday use, but it seems like a great use of space at the top of the iPhone.
The Pro model iPhones also get an Always-On display, making the Lock Screen widgets to iOS 16 even more useful. The screen dims when locked and refreshes as slow as 1 Hz, which, combined with other power-saving strategies, enabled this feature on an iPhone for the first time. When dimmed, the Always-On display continues to update the time, widgets, and Live Activities, another upcoming iOS 16 feature.
The screen of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max also matches the brightness of the Pro Display XDR for the first time this year, with a peak brightness of 2000 nits, double that of the iPhone 13 Pro.
The third leg of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max stool is a big step forward for their cameras. Both iPhones have a 48MP quad-pixel main camera, the one Apple used to call Wide. Every four pixels are combined into one larger pixel to keep the size of images at 12MP for most shooting modes, but the extra pixels allow for better low-light performance and a new 2x Telephoto option. The Pro models can create a full 48MP image using Apple’s ProRAW format.
Like the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, the new Pro models feature the Photonic Engine for improved low-light performance. Apple says low-light performance has been improved by up to 2x with the main camera, 3x for the ultra-wide camera and 2x for the telephoto camera.
In addition, there’s a new 12MP Ultra Wide camera, an improved TrueDepth camera with an aperture of 𝑓/1.9 for better low-light performance, and a new Adaptive True Tone flash that uses 9 LEDs that change depending on the focal length of the camera. a recording . Like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the Pro models also shoot in Cinematic mode in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps and feature the new Action mode for improved video stabilization.
There is also a new SoC for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple says the 6-core A16 Bionic is 40% faster than its competitors, but hasn’t said how it compares to the A15. The 5-core GPU has 50% more memory bandwidth and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 17 trillion operations per second. Together, the technology in the iPhone allows it to perform up to 4 trillion operations per photo.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are available in deep purple, silver, gold and space black in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB configurations for $999 and $1099 respectively. Pre-orders begin September 9, and deliveries begin on 16 September.
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