The iPhone 14 series has been out for roughly a year, and in that time, we’ve been given a whole lineup of models. There’s the iPhone 14, Pro, Pro Plus, and Pro Max.
At first glance, the naming system tends to be pretty straightforward. If you want the best, you buy the Pro Max, and if you’re just a casual user, you go with the base model.
However, it’s more complicated than that. Each advanced model tends to add features, but what’s added isn’t necessarily worth the higher price tag for many users.
Given that the iPhone 14 Pro is a popular choice within the 14 lineup, we’ve had a year to play around with it and gather a substantial number of user opinions.
In this review, we’ll discuss how it compares to the other options, the features that make it stand out, and, of course, whether or not it truly is the best option for you.
Let’s get started.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Design
In terms of design, nothing new is really happening here, except for the Dynamic Island (more of that below), which replaced the famous notch introduced on the iPhone X.
The iPhone 14 Pro looks the same as the iPhone 13 Pro that came before it. You still have the same but larger and more cumbersome triple-camera system.
Then, there are the new colors that Apple usually introduce to make it obvious that it’s the new iPhone since they mostly look the same for the past couple of years.
This year, the new color options are Space Black and Deep Purple, which replace the iPhone 13’s Graphite and Sierra Blue, respectively.
Apple has taken away another physical port from the iPhone. This time, it’s the slot for the SIM card—at least in the United States.
This means the iPhone 14 Pro doesn’t have a built-in SIM card tray and instead relies entirely on eSIM technology.
All iPhone 14 Pro models come with emergency satellite communications so you can make an SOS call to 911 when cell service isn’t available.
Once again, this year’s iPhone models do not have USB-C ports. The iPhone 14 Pro continues to use Apple’s proprietary Lightning port.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Display
Smally, muddy, janky screens might have been acceptable in 2010, but in 2023, even budget-friendly phones have to have a decent screen to stand out.
So, where does a premium option like the iPhone 14 Pro fall?
Well, it’s pretty solid. The iPhone 14 Pro features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screen with a 2556-1179 pixel resolution, and it supports ProMotion for refresh rates of up to 120Hz.
This higher refresh rate translates into smoother scrolling, seamless animations, and a reduced strain on the eyes.
Despite having slightly more pixels than the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro still offers the same density of 460 ppi. However, Apple has improved the brightness of the display.
During HDR video playback, the iPhone 14 Pro can hit up to 2,000 nits outdoors and 1,600 nits indoors.
Always-On Display
Apple finally introduced an Always-On display with the iPhone 14 Pro, which offers a visually captivating experience like the AOD on the Apple Watch.
While Android devices have had this functionality for years, Apple’s implementation takes it to a new level.
Unlike traditional always-on screens, which usually showcase basic information against a black background, Apple’s version presents a dimmed yet vibrant version of the Lock Screen.
Always-On display delivers a striking visual presentation with dynamic widgets, notification alerts, and full-color support.
The time and date are elegantly highlighted in a bright white font against your wallpaper. Notifications are easily identifiable, displaying the relevant icon and essential details.
Music and audio controls remain conveniently accessible on the screen. This allows you to wake the device with a quick tap and seamlessly manage playback.
This enhanced lock screen experience demonstrates improved responsiveness, providing sharper and more fluid user interaction.
For instance, tasks that previously required multiple taps can now be executed with a single touch, making for a more efficient and enjoyable user experience.
Always-On display is on by default on the iPhone 14 Pro, but you can turn that off in Settings with a flip of a switch.
While the Always-On display on the iPhone 14 Pro undoubtedly showcases impressive design and usability, it’s worth noting that it can impact the battery life.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Dynamic Island
There is a new feature present in the iPhone 14 Pro’s screen layout that wasn’t present with the base model, and it’s a welcome addition.
The “Dynamic Island” solves some issues that power users tend to have with multi-tasking and activity monitoring not only with iPhones but with practically every phone.
The Dynamic Island is an advanced notification system that keeps track of your music, tasks you have running, incoming calls, battery notifications, and more.
All of that is typically spread out around various parts of the display with most phones, or you just hear a beep, and then you have to dig through menus to find out what the notification was for.
The Dynamic Island presents all this information in real time without you having to dig around or dart your eyes all over the screen.
The Dynamic Island is also fully animated and capable of splitting to keep a multitude of tasks visible without clogging up your screen.
This is a huge step forward, even if it’s a small detail, and it sets the Pro apart from the base model in a meaningful way for all users.
One thing that you should consider, which has become a bit of a problem over the last year, is that the odd screen design makes DIY and non-official repairs a lot more complicated.
For most Apple users, this isn’t a problem. Apple doesn’t support the practice, and it’s common practice to bring a broken phone directly to an Apple repair store.
However, if you do enjoy doing your own repairs, you’re not going to find a generic screen that will work as you could for many Android phones or even older iPhones.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Performance
As expected, the iPhone 14 Pro is a smooth and powerful machine that can handle any task that you throw at it.
Processing Power
The processing power of the iPhone 14 Pro is truly impressive. It packs the A16 Bionic processor, a 6-core CPU with a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine.
In comparison, the standard iPhone 14 came with the A15 Bionic processor. It was decent, but it left some to be desired by power users.
Apple’s answer for the Pro was the new A16 processor designed to resolve those issues.
With the A16’s additional power, you can expect to handle more tasks at once, see snappier overall performance, and reduce the already short loading times for most apps to practically nothing.
You’ll also enjoy an extended battery life because the A16 processor can do more without drawing nearly as much power from the battery.
This isn’t an upgrade that is going to shock casual users. The A15 is already snappy enough for web browsing and using the majority of apps, and it handles multi-tasking perfectly fine in a casual sense.
The majority of users who notice a difference worth the price tag will be power users who use their phones professionally or are always trying to have the best of the best for hassle-free usage.
RAM
This is one area where the iPhone 14 Pro doesn’t offer anything new. All the iPhone 14 models pack 6GB of RAM.
This isn’t a problem, though, since the iPhone 14 Pro features the newer and faster type of LPDDR5 RAM compared to the LPDDR4X memory in the previous iPhone 13 Pro.
Anyway, 6GB of RAM on a mobile device is plenty for almost every user out there at the moment.
Only gaming-specific mobile devices go beyond that mark, and most mobile games don’t even use that much RAM. However, 6GB is the perfect amount to prevent bottlenecking your processor.
The only downside to this design choice was that when people are buying a “better” version of an already expensive item, they typically expect every aspect of the product to be better.
Keeping the 6GB RAM from the previous model works fine, but a little bit of a bump would have been a better addition looking back on it.
Operating System: iOS 16
Apple’s operating systems have always been one of the main draws for their products.
Sure, the products all tend to be premium, and there is definitely a massive cultural backing, but the simplicity and intuitiveness of Apple’s OS systems have traditionally been what draws people in.
There’s not much to talk about here. The operating system on the entire 14 line of iPhones is iOS 16.
Like previous iterations, it simplifies most tasks into extremely simple and repetitive gestures to the point that someone who has never touched an Apple product before can pick it up and fully understand it in a few minutes.
iOS 16 has seen a few updates since its release, but it’s still easy to navigate.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Camera Capabilities
The iPhone 14 Pro’s camera capabilities are worthy of amateur photographers, vloggers, and video chat users.
It’s a 48-megapixel camera with an above-average lens for extra wide shots. Additionally, it comes with a 2x camera lens that focuses in on the 12 central megapixels of the main camera for an up-close-and-personal shot of your subject.
The telephoto camera offers a 3x shot that comes through crystal clear.
These cameras aren’t necessarily what you’d want to use for high-end photography in a professional setting. You certainly won’t find professional photographers running around upscale weddings with their iPhones out.
But for 99% of users, the main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro is going to provide professional-looking quality and video performance, and it is a fair upgrade over the base model’s camera option.
Of course, there’s also a selfie cam that performs just as well to ensure all you social media influencers and frequent posters have all the clear selfies you could possibly need.
Photography Features
We’re listing this separately from the cameras because the post-shot features are what set most iPhone cameras apart.
It’s not just the lens that makes iPhones so popular for photography; it’s how the phone uses that camera to its maximum potential.
First, you’ll notice that the stabilization system is far more advanced in the Pro than it was in previous models.
This will help you take even the most intense shots with relative ease, and you won’t have to worry about it looking as if you’re trying to take a snapshot of The Flash at full speed.
Then, there’s the larger image sensor. The image sensor allows the camera to pick up the image more clearly and allows the post-effect features to work more effectively.
In essence, let’s say it’s like if you had better eyesight and could see things in far more detail with a little upgrade.
Zero shutter lag is another bonus over previous models. If you’ve ever tried to snap a very specific shot and you just barely missed it, that was because of shutter lag.
The iPhone 14 Pro ensures that doesn’t happen, and when you press the screen, you get a perfect photo.
Deep Fusion
Finally, there are the AI-assisted after-effects.
The iPhone 14 Pro features Deep Fusion. This is an after-effects program that uses AI to analyze the photo you took and make corrections to the lighting, smoothing, and other key features of the image automatically.
This is what we meant by the iPhone making the most of its camera. Having Deep Fusion built-in is like having a Photoshop professional touch up all your photos.
It happens in the blink of an eye without you having to learn any complex skills. You just snap the photo, and Deep Fusion makes it look perfect.
Deep Fusion is a feature on the entire 14 line, so it doesn’t help the Pro model stand out as much. However, due to the quality of the camera, the Deep Fusion software has more to work with than the Pro Model.
iPhone 14 Pro Review: Battery Life
Finally, one of the biggest concerns for a phone is the battery life it has. After all, it’s an item that you probably have on you every moment you’re awake, and if it’s constantly dying, it’s not reliable.
You don’t want to deal with a dead phone during a long wait at the doctor’s office. Nor do you want to face that situation when you want to call home to double-check the grocery list.
And certainly not in a real emergency when you might need to contact emergency services.
Luckily, the iPhone 14 Pro boasts a 10-and-a-half-hour battery life with a relatively short charging period, especially if you use fast-charging options that are now available.
So, you should never be without your iPhone unless you neglect to charge it at night or whenever you’re least active on it.
This is a lot better than the base model, but it’s just slightly behind the Pro Plus and Pro Max models. However, those more advanced models are far more expensive for just an extra hour or so of battery life.
Is the iPhone 14 Pro Good for Streaming
Now, we can step away from the more technical aspects of the phone. Is it good for streaming? Yes.
The iPhone 14 Pro’s large, high-resolution screen makes viewing from any angle easy, and the advanced processing power makes streaming high-quality videos and movies a breeze. You won’t have to worry about buffering or long loading times.
The Apple Store also has the vast majority of streaming apps available to ensure you can tune into your favorite streaming platform whenever you want without having to do any weird backdoor tricks to get it going.
Is the iPhone 14 Pro Good for Mobile Gaming?
Apple isn’t really known for being gamer-friendly, and the iPhone 14 Pro continues that long-standing tradition.
There are games on the Apple Store and ways to run Android games on your iPhone, but the phone is still not ideal for gamers.
You’ll miss out on a lot of titles, and if you opt to use a virtual OS to run your favorites, you’ll have to deal with a lot of headaches.
This is a shame because the iPhone 14 Pro definitely packs enough power to handle mobile gaming to the fullest. It’s just the platform’s general lack of support that holds it back.
iPhone 14 Pro: Price and Availability
You can purchase the iPhone 14 Pro directly from Apple Stores or online, through carriers of your choice, and at major retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
The iPhone 14 Pro is priced at:
- $999 for the 128GB model
- $1099 for the 256GB model
- $1299 for the 512GB model
- $1499 for the 1TB model
Now comes the hard question. Should you take the plunge and buy an iPhone 14 Pro
Should You Buy the iPhone 14 Pro?
This is a complicated question to answer. It depends largely on the user. If you’re the type of Apple user who has to replace their phone every time Apple releases a new one, you’re a bit late to the party.
Upgrading from the base model to a Pro is fairly pointless when Apple is sure to have a new line of even better phones out before long.
In some cases, however, the iPhone 14 Pro may be a great option if you are just entering the Apple product economy or if you prefer to stick with outdated models for a few product generations.
While it’s not pushed as the best phone in the lineup, it balances price to performance better than the other options.
Over a year, the base model has fallen a bit behind in some key areas, and the “better” models are really targeted at professionals and hardcore power users.
The iPhone 14 Pro has proven to be reliable, and a few upgrades make it worth the slight price increase over the base model without untapped power driving up the price, as is the case with the Plus and Max.
