Tech giant Apple Inc, during its biggest event of 2022, Far Out, has released its much-awaited iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max smartphones, with introductory and higher-priced versions. Apple this time didn't introduce many design changes to the new iPhones but some fresh features added to them could be useful to people buying new iPhones.
The new iPhone 14 lineup’s noticeable features on offer are – the always-on display, the first-ever 48MP camera on iPhone, crash detection, emergency SOS via satellite, and a new way to receive notifications called "Dynamic Island", which is also the most unexpected design change brought into the new iPhones.
Besides the new iPhone 14 lineup, Apple also unveiled the next generation of AirPods Pro, Apple Watch Ultra, new updates to Apple Watch Series 8, and the new Apple Watch SE. These products were unveiled at the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple's campus in Cupertino, California. The physical event was held for the first time since 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
These smartphones have been powered by the A16 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is the fastest chip ever in a smartphone. They also possess a new class of pro camera systems. Apple this time has introduced the first-ever 48MP main camera on iPhone featuring a quad-pixel sensor and has also come up with 'Photonic Engine', an enhanced image pipeline that dramatically improves low-light photos.
Pricing, colour & availability
Indian customers will have to shell out ₹1,29,900 for iPhone 14 Pro and ₹1,39,900 for iPhone 14 Pro Max. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available in deep purple, silver, gold, and space black in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities.
Customers in India and 30 other countries like the U.S. and UK will be able to pre-order iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max beginning September 9, with availability starting September 16. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will also be available through Apple-authorised resellers and select carriers.
Design & display
In terms of design, the new iPhone has removed the notch for Face ID. Instead, it has introduced a small cutout that includes a front camera and display alerts, including notifications, a feature that is called 'Dynamic Island'. The feature looks quite interesting as it’ll show all your notifications, and alerts and adjust its size according to them. Third-party apps in iOS 16 that provide information like sports scores and ride-sharing with live activities can take advantage of Dynamic Island.
Available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes, both models include a new super retina XDR display with ProMotion that features the always-on display, which makes Lock Screen features like time, widgets, and live activities more noticeable.
Pro Camera
iPhone 14 Pro's 'Photonic Engine' enables an increase in quality by applying the so-called 'Deep Fusion' earlier in the imaging process to deliver better details i.e. textures, colour, and more information.
The Pro lineup comes up with a new 48MP Main camera, with a better quad-pixel sensor, which can produce better pictures in low light. Additional pro camera features are a 12MP ultra-wide camera, an telephoto camera, a TrueDepth camera, True Tone flash, computational photography, new action mode, cinematic mode and pro-level workflows.
SOS via satellite & crash detection
One of the best features of the new iPhones could be the ability of a satellite phone, which could be helpful during emergency situations in rural and remote environments as people will be able to connect with emergency assistance via satellite. The feature has custom components integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
The feature could be useful, especially during hiking or camping off the grid where cellular network is an issue.
How does this feature work? With Emergency SOS via satellite, iPhone front-loads a few vital questions to assess the user’s situation and shows them where to point their phone to connect to a satellite. The initial questionnaire and follow-up messages are then relayed to centres staffed by Apple‑trained specialists who can call for help on the user’s behalf.
This allows users to manually share location over satellite in such situations. The feature, however, will be available to users in the U.S. and Canada for now, and it'll be free for two years.
The iPhone 14 lineup also comes up with 'crash detection', which will boost the safety capabilities of new iPhones. A new dual-core accelerometer in iPhone 14 can detect G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and has a new high dynamic range gyroscope. The feature could be useful in critical situations like severe car crashes. It'll automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone.
A16 Bionic chipset & iOS16
Apple claims its A16 Bionic chip in iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is "fastest chip" used in a smartphone so far. The results are all-day battery, exceptional photography and a Dynamic Island experience. The new smartphone features iOS16, with the reimagined lock screen and new communication and sharing features. With messages, users can now edit or recall recently sent messages, and mark conversations as unread to revisit them later.
Cellular capabilities & 5G
iPhone claims to offer fast downloads and uploads, better streaming, and real-time connectivity with 5G. "Support for 5G on iPhone now extends to over 250 carrier partners in over 70 markets around the world, with expanded support for standalone networks," says the company. Apple has also removed the SIM tray for the U.S. models of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
They will be able to connect via eSIM, enabling them to set up their device more quickly and easily. eSIM allows users to connect or quickly transfer their existing plans digitally. It could be a more secure alternative to a physical SIM card and allows for multiple cellular plans on a single device.
