Right on schedule, Apple has announced its latest lineup of iPhones, including the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. These models pack the most powerful camera yet in an iPhone, the fastest processor of any smartphone, and a few other new display features.
The biggest upgrade, and the thing at the top of most users’ list, is the camera. The main lens in both Pro models has been upgraded to 48 megapixels (MP) – four times that of the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, and even last year’s Pro models. It is, however, about average for Android phones in recent years. That main camera is supported by a depth-sensing front camera, and on the back an ultra-wide and two telephoto lenses, all 12 MP.
To tap into that, the phones use a quad-pixel sensor, which Apple says allows for better low-light image capture and lets the telephoto lens take full-resolution shots using the middle section. Other photography improvements include an Action mode for smoother videos of fast motion, and a flash system that adapts to different focal lengths.
The iPhone 14 Pro sports a 6.1-in Super Retina OLED display, with a resolution of 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, while the Pro Max ups that to 6.7 in and 2,796 x 1,290 pixels. Refresh rates climb to 120 Hz, and the peak brightness hits 2,000 nits outdoors, a new high for smartphones in general.
There’s a couple of new features on the display there, too. Apple has finally joined the Always On party, where info like the time, date, and reminders can be made visible on the display even when it’s not in use. Brand new is what Apple calls the Dynamic Island, and it’s quite a clever rebranding and repurposing of the much-maligned notch – the black rectangle cut into the top of the screen that houses the front camera. That black space now expands and changes shape to display different information, like incoming calls, FaceID verification animations, navigation directions, song details or sports scores.
All this is powered by the new A16 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is the fastest chip in any smartphone. This packs a 6-core CPU that is up to 40% faster than other phones, a 5-core GPU with 50% more memory bandwidth than the previous generation, and a 16-core Neural Engine that can perform almost 17 trillion operations per second.
Battery life is better, too, especially since Apple has started measuring it in hours rather than compared to previous models. The iPhone 14 Pro can reportedly run for up to 23 hours of continuous video playback, while the Pro Max lasts 29 hours. That should translate to several days’ worth of regular use.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will be available from September 16, starting at $US999 for the iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Source: Apple
