iPhone 14 Pro Max: More of the same, with a Dynamic touch

When a company releases a phone that feels as complete and well-rounded as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, what should they do next? It was the best flagship phone we've ever seen. Its overall performance was at the top of its class and it was still among the best when it came to picture quality.

The answer is that you start making changes across the board. One tap of the screen shows that this isn't part of your run-of-the-mill release cycle, as Apple's newest phone retains the same design that was introduced back with the iPhone 12 lineup. Most of the time.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price and Availability

On September 7th, the rest of the iPhone 14 lineup was announced. It was available on September 16 after pre-orders began. There are four different storage configurations, starting with the 128 gigabyte model priced at $1,099. There are four different colors of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

There are today's best Apple deals.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: It might be time for a design change

The design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the same as that of the previous model. The 14 Pro Max is big, heavy, and slightly uncomfortable to hold with its sharp edges that can get into the palm of your hand. You will definitely want to improve the strength of your finger, or just grab a PopSocket to improve one-handed use.

I didn't start out with the Pro Max models until I pre-ordered the 13 Pro and 14 Pro. The only reason for this was due to the one-handed use, as the sharp edges made my hands feel uncomfortable after a while.

The display on the Pro Max is huge for a slab phone, but it doesn't feel right compared to the one on the Pixel 7 Pro. The two phones have the same screen size, but they feel different in the hand. I have mostly been a fan of the design changes introduced with the iPhone 12 series, but I have found myself missing the rounded edges of the iPhone 11.

I decided to go with the smaller Pro because it feels lighter in the hand. There are two reasons why I got rid of my 14 Pro. The larger screen, something I've become accustomed to, and the fact that my eyes don't like using smaller screens are the first two reasons. It's something I've noticed when I use the cover screen on my phone.

The battery life of Apple's most expensive phone is one of the reasons I keep it. The "battery king" of the phone world was claimed to be the iPhone 13 Pro MAX. I knew it wouldn't be enough after just a few days with the new device.

There is a reason why Apple leads the charge in that area. It's possible for Apple to take full advantage of the power offered by the hardware when it needs to while pulling back and sipping on battery when it doesn't.

Apple's continued inclusion of MagSafe makes it easy to use other phones. In January 2021, I wrote that I was hoping for the same thing as Apple has done with MagSafe: integration into its phones. I don't have to worry about the charging coil being wrong with MagSafe. There are a lot of accessory opportunities, from things like wallet to car mounts.

I'll save my rant for another time, but I wanted to point out that MagSafe has broken me when I use phones that don't have it. I have to keep using MagSafe when I switch to another phone because I picked up a bunch of Spigen and Mophie adapter.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Going to the Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island is something that I keep going back and forth about, even though I have the new iPhone 14 Pro Max. On the other hand, there are a lot of things that I like about it, particularly when it comes to how the elements are handled.

Many of the things that used to be in the middle of the screen have been moved to the Island. The island is expanded when I need to do any type of verification.

More and more apps have support for the Dynamic Island. I'm not a fan of the change as I don't know how to set timers or see the Island grow when I close the Clock app.

More third-party app developers are including support for this feature, which blends hardware and software, with the upcoming release of iOS 16 and iOS 16.1. I admit that it's been nice to have Overcast or "Pixel Pal" with me, but I'm still hoping that Apple will continue to add more features.

There are some elements of the game that could take advantage of the Island. The notification box could be expanded to show an incoming message or a way to use Apple Pay without taking up the whole screen. The current implementation is solid, but there's room to grow, so I'm hoping for a new version of the software.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software

It's fun to point out when Apple "stole" or "borrowed" something from the other side. As Apple does an excellent job at implementing new features or changes and then acting like it was the first company to do such a thing, I wrote a couple of posts about it. Lock Screen, Always-on display, fitness app, and more are included.

Despite some of the bugs we've seen since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, I think that the new version of the operating system is more interesting than ever. I don't know when I'll be able to put an icon on my Home Screen. This still isn't a thing because how are we in 2022.

It's starting with the Lock Screen that Apple may be planning another major redesign. This is the screen that you look at the most, and for the first time ever, you can change the look of it.

If you want to start messing with automation, you need to use Focus Modes. The best part is that they work in conjunction with the new Focus mode, because you can set several lock screens and cycle between them throughout the day. Focus Filters have been added to Apple's mobile operating system, which allows you to hide content in certain apps.

It's still the same platform that drives some people crazy and others pledge their loyalty to it. We're barreling towards the "end game" of mobile processors in smartphones as Apple's A16 Bionic is more than powerful enough. For the purpose of this review, I held back from installing the developer version of the app, but I have been happy with it. There were a few bugs at launch, but I haven't run into any issues with the phone from a software perspective.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Cameras

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max have the same camera hardware and software features. You'll get an all-new 48MP primary wide-angle sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP 3x telephoto camera with this. The new 48MP sensor in the Pro Max allows it to use a 2x zoom, which is double the zoom of the previous models.

Apple's software can turn a 48MP picture into a 12MP one. You can use the 48MP sensor to enable Apple's ProRAW format. If you jump into the settings app, you will be able to turn on this feature.

The only noticeable change is the new 2x zoom button. The Camera app is the same one that Apple has been using for a while. The interface is very easy to use if you are taking non-ProRAW photos. There are two complaints about the camera experience.

The first image of 12.

I'm a big fan of taking pictures in scenarios that are in theRAW format. I can fine- tune the picture to my liking if I have more data to capture. You can't just use the shutter button when you switch over to ProRAW. The iPhone needs more time to finish taking and processing images.

You can see a rotating animation when you hit the shutter button. I've missed out on a few different photo opportunities when I tried to take different ProRAW pictures in quick succession because I had to wait before I could try again.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I want Apple to make it possible to capture native 48MP files. Even if you use the built-in Camera app, Halide is the best third-party camera app for the phone. The image files are already large, with some sizes approaching the 100MB mark.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: I'm growing tired of the "lock-in"

When I started writing this review, I kept mentioning the Appleecosystem and what it meant for the market. If you already own a Mac or an iPad and you want to enjoy what the Apple Watch has to offer, then the iPhone is the best choice.

In the US, Apple removed the physical sim card tray altogether. You will need to use an eSIM, which is frustrating for people who frequently travel abroad. I don't handle many phone reviews anymore, but I've been hesitant to switch over to the newer phones because I don't want to offend anyone.

I didn't experience any issues when I transferred my phone's sim card from the 13 Pro to the 14 Pro and then the 14 Pro Max. There are a lot of nightmare stories about going between two phones. I don't want to have to call my carrier to make sure my account is set up correctly on my phone.

I agree with Jerry about the future of eSIM and its benefits, but I feel that Apple decided to go eSIM only in the US in order to keep its customers. I might be able to just transfer my eSIM and not have to worry about anything. I don't like the fact that this change has made me think twice about it, and I can't do anything about it. It's stupid and it hurts.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: The competition

I'm kind of tipping my hand for the next section, but if you're looking to upgrade to an Apple product, go with the 13 pro max. If you're looking to upgrade, there isn't much difference between the 14 Pro Max and the iPhone. You won't be able to use the Dynamic Island and 48MP primary lens, but all of the other major changes are available with the new operating system.

We have a couple of recommendations for the phone. The 14 Pro Max is a better phone than the S22 Ultra. It also has the added benefit of being a reincarnation of theGalaxy Note with its included S Pen, along with some extras you won't find anywhere else.

The phone that I would recommend over the S22 Ultra would be thePixel 7 Pro. The improvements to the G2 chip do not match up with what Apple has done. It does not need to. The 7 Pro has achieved the same thing as my obsession with the iPhone. It has the same screen size but is more comfortable to use one-handed. The 7 Pro is the most affordable flagship out there, not including trade-in deals or Black Friday savings.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Should you buy it?

If you want to buy this, you should do it.

• You want the biggest and best iPhone out there.
• You need one of the best smartphone cameras on a smartphone.
• You need multi-day battery life.
• You already are part of Apple's ecosystem with other devices.

If that's the case, you shouldn't purchase this.

• You are on a budget.
• You don't care for the Dynamic Island.
• You want to easily swap SIM cards when traveling abroad.

One of the reasons I'm an Apple fan is that I enjoy all the different types of technology. It's why I have three different phones, a custom-built Windows PC, and an iPad Pro and Tab S8 Ultra. I'm aware that I'm not the only one in this industry. It's a blip on the radar.

The answer is yes if you want the best that Apple has to offer. The 14 Pro Max is an incredible piece of hardware that doesn't perform as well as it could, but is still very reliable and performant. If you upgrade from the 13 Pro Max, you'll still get an excellent camera experience, but the battery life is slightly better.

After the Dynamic Island's honeymoon period ends, a slab phone is just another big phone. With the help of third-party developers, there could be some excitement, but it's just another phone. The most boring phone is the iPhone 14 Pro Max.