Waiting for the magnificent review that Luis is finalizing to show you everything in the usual video of the new iPhone 14 Pro Max, I have been able to use the new iPhone 14 Pro Max for a full weekend, taking advantage of its new features and I bring you my (personal and under my criteria at the user level) first impressions of what the new flagship of the Cupertino offers us from a point of view of use (and not so much detail of specifications). These are my first impressions with a weekend of using the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
To tell you these first thoughts about the new iPhone, I have tried to test all the news that it brings and we will go through all of them throughout the post, going through the new design, testing the cameras and analyzing the screen with its new Always-On-Display functionality. Let's go with it.
Design: a new color for a continuous line
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a new color that comes out of the already typical black, white and gold: the dark purple. At first glance, purple is, as Apple calls it, dark. The matte touch that the rear glass gives it is very nice, it does not appear purple and is closer to a bluish-gray hue. We will only notice the purple nuances with intense light outside or if we look at the camera module, where the purple color is much more appreciated due to the nature of the glass in this area, being brighter than in the rest of the part. rear.
It's a striking color, but striking in case you look at the stainless steel sides, where, having more brightness (and attracting all our traces) the color has more presence. Something like in the area of the camera module. However, the color gives a very elegant touch to the device. Having compared it to the new (and also gorgeous) space black, purple remains a dark color for those who don't want the white back of the silver and gold models but with a different touch that is not eccentric.
The camera module is now bigger
The new (and huge) camera module, it will feel huge especially if you come from an iPhone before 13. It protrudes a lot from the body of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and if you do not put a case on the device, it will dance when you leave it on the table. The unevenness between the sides caused by the hump is very noticeable. This is somewhat uncomfortable, for example, when writing when we have our device on a table (perhaps it does not apply to everyone). he will dance so much that it will be almost impossible to be able to write in this way.
Another negative point of such a large module is the dirt that accumulates between the objectives. They are a magnet for dust that is not exactly the easiest thing to clean since you require a handkerchief, a t-shirt or any object that can get into a narrow and deep recess. It's not as easy to clean as it could be on the 11 Pro model, where it hardly stuck out.
Goodbye Notch, Hello Dynamic Island
Perhaps the change at the design level that is most striking in the device compared to previous generations. Apple has said goodbye to the Notch and says hello to the acclaimed Dynamic Island that totally changes our interaction with the device. But let's analyze it first at the design level.
The Dynamic Island, despite Apple having implemented it with the opposite intention, occupies more than the notch. I explain. The Dynamic Island is lower than the Notch was, leaving part of the functional screen on top of it and that makes it take up a bit more of the screen than the Notch did. This makes iOS 16 elements such as the Wi-Fi symbol, coverage, the name of our operator, etc. that are housed in the top bar, now they are seen with a larger font size of what was coming in other devices (perhaps this is an appreciable change only for those who do not come from a Max version of another generation).
But it's pretty, very pretty. The Dynamic Island refreshes the design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and it seems that there has indeed been a design change. At the end of the day, the part we interact with the most and look at the most is the screen and that gives us this feeling of true change. There have also been many rumors that "the jump from the FaceID module to the camera is noticeable." Lie. It is noticeable at times of backlight, with the screen locked (or Always-On-Display) and looking at it from the indicated angle. Very elaborate. In your day to day you will not realize it and looking at it from the front (as you look at it 99% of the time), you will see the complete and black pill that we all already know.
The Dynamic Island in design mode is a success vs the Notch.
Cameras: 48MP for spectacular detail and good video stabilization
One of the biggest novelties compared to the previous generation is (or are) the new camera module that now it has 48MP to be able to capture much more detail in our photographs. And, analyzing from a user point of view (since I am by no means an expert photographer and I am learning to use the new lens and its capabilities), it is a real blast.
I was able to go to the mountains, to capture different landscapes, with many textures (stones, trees, clouds, sun...) and The new camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max takes spectacular photos. In a natural light environment, the 0.5x works very well (although I think Apple still can't find 100% on this one. Lack of improvement, for example, compared to an average GoPro of the latest generations). On a personal level, I don't really like taking photos in 2x or 3x. I always prefer to capture them with 1x and zoom in or out until I find the frame I want, but for mountain areas, the 2x and 3x take very detailed photos and allow distances that, in this case, I could not reach physically and easily.
I leave you 4 examples of simple photos at 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 3x. A higher digital zoom is better or use it.
Photo captured with 1x
Photo captured with 2x
Photo captured with 3x
Another point that I have seen greatly improved is the quality of panoramic photos. Before they were very blurry when zooming in and they were only pretty if we saw them in full mode on our iPhone, but the detail, the quality, the light and in general, the panoramic photos also show great quality.
On the other hand, at the video level, the action mode is very successful. I'm used to shooting "action" videos with my GoPro and didn't expect to have such stabilization on the iPhone. We recorded climbing rocks on the mountain and running through them and the truth is that the video maintains very good stabilization and will be liked by the vast majority. A good first contact of Apple with this aspect although with room for improvement. However, I am sure that it will be used much more than the cinema mode.
Screen: Always-On Display mode as a major novelty
The biggest novelty at the screen level is the Always-On display mode, which cIt totally changes the way we interact with our device (when you don't have an Apple Watch). The always-on screen of the iPhone 14 Pro Max radically changes what we have seen in other Android terminals. Although in these they went through putting all the pixels in black and leaving the time and some notification icon on, Apple has revolutionized this concept and darkens the entire screen highlighting the elements at the top (time and widgets). But we see the whole screen.
The Always-On Display mode of the new iPhone Pro shows our wallpaper even notification banners as if the screen was on but not. We can check the last notification (because if we want to see more if we have to interact with the screen and it turns on) without having to touch the screen to turn it on. This, at the user level, is a brutal change when it comes to interacting with the device.
Always On Display. Traces of lateral steel can also be seen.
I try to explain myself. As an average user, I am used to having my iPhone on the table, face up, and every time I want to see if there is something new, I tap on the screen and check. Now there is no need. It is much more agile to check if we have something that we have missed and you consume less time for other tasks. Another case is that you have the Apple Watch connected. In this case, you may not be interested in having it active since you will generally receive notifications on your Apple Watch and you will not need to check the iPhone screen so much.
On many other occasions, and until you get used to this mode (I'm still at it), you will hit the lock button because you have the feeling that the screen is on and you do not know if it is in Always-On display mode or not.
Dynamic Island: Apple's great success with the iPhone 14 Pro
I like it, i like it so much. The Dynamic Island not only fits the new display design elegantly and well, but also brings very colorful and detailed functionality. as only Apple could incorporate.
You play music and you can easily manage it from the Dynamic Island, the calls go out from it and we can manage the conversation with an integrated interface while we navigate and we can see details such as voice waves or visible timers at all times.
And all this will be enhanced by third-party apps that integrate more functionality into the Dynamic Island. For now, the use may be scarce at some times and you may miss having more interaction with her, but in the short-medium term this will be enhanced with app updates. Results of sporting events, status of orders, etc.
Without a doubt, it is the great success of Apple with these Pro models. It changes not only the way we see our terminal but also the way we interact with it. Defining here a roadmap for notifications and devices in the coming years.
Top brightness low setting?
Apple launched the most powerful screen in terms of brightness to date in an iPhone (and in a smartphone), with a new outdoor peak of up to 2.000 nits. Until now, I have not been able to unleash that power on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the brightness in normal use like the one I am telling you about is not appreciated too much. It is a bright screen, yes, but having the brightness at its fullest and being outdoors, that capacity is not so noticeable, nor do you reach a WOW moment. I'm probably missing something about the settings or the times when the iPhone can reach this brightness (I have not played content outdoors and it has been use of the main screen, social networks and photos).
Battery to fight a whole day (and more)
The battery is another of the points that I highlight (and more so being a Max model). Squeezing it, watching streaming content, taking photos, playing games and using social networks, a load arrives more than an envelope from the beginning to the end of the day, having arrived with an approximate 30% at the end of the afternoon.
I have not been able to test it on a normal day, to see if the battery is enough for two days (and one night) without charging, but I can assure you that with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can miss a day of visiting anywhere that you will not need to be "wall hughers" and charge the device.
Conclusion: Incredible
The iPhone 14 Pro Max meets all expectations. Design, novelties on the screen, the spectacular camera and maintains a performance that was already superior in the previous generation. Coming from an iPhone 13 Pro model, the jump may not be that big and it's not worth it, but Coming from any other generation, I recommend the change to anyone who is thinking about it. The difference is evident.
My highlights are the camera, with some photos and a spectacular jump vs previous generations and the battery, point that for me is very important and I do not come from a Max format that multiplies the duration. On the other hand, the new design with Dynamic Island has made it feel like a new device and not feel like a single "resize" and I still have the same thing. a 10/10 for this Dark Purple iPhone 14 Pro Max.