iPhone 14 Pro review: high expectations meet harsh reality

I’ve been using the iPhone 14 pro for two weeks now. It has held up its yearly tradition of being the top Apple phone to date – a well-rounded flagship that has no real weaknesses in my eyes. So, if you want a new iPhone and the high price tag doesn’t bother you, go for it. You’ll be satisfied. Nevertheless, the iPhone 14 Pro hits below my personal expectations. And Apple is to blame.

It’s the most innovative pro line-up yet ... We’ve reinvented the way you interact with your iPhone ... The iPhone 14 Pro’s camera heralds a new era in photography ... These are just three of the many sentences Apple CEO Tim Cook and his colleagues used to introduce the iPhone 14 Pro. The descriptions are brimming with superlatives. Mind you, this is nothing new. But this year I was honestly impressed by the keynote. No one saw the new pill-shaped notch called Dynamic Island coming. The always-on display looked nicer and more power-efficient than its Android competition. And then the camera: significantly larger sensors, better lenses, better image processing and, last but not least, a 48-megapixel resolution. Impressive! That sure sounded like a massive leap forward.

So, my expectations were high – higher than in previous years and perhaps higher than fair. Here’s the thing: the iPhone 13 Pro was already excellent in my eyes, and it gets harder with every year to make smartphones even better. Nevertheless, pity for Apple would be out of place. Make larger-than-life promises and you’ll be measured by them. That’s exactly what I’m doing in my review.

Design: a pretty heavyweight

The iPhone 14 Pro looks like the iPhone 13 Pro, which looks like the iPhone 12 Pro. The back is made of a matt glass, the frame is made of polished stainless steel. This looks chic, but the glossy surfaces put every single fingerprint on display. The angular design still doesn’t convince me in terms of ergonomics and is not helped by the fact that even the smaller, 6.1-inch version of the iPhone 14 Pro weighs over 200 grammes. But it is nice to look at. I also like the new colour «Deep Purple».

The camera bump protrudes further than on the 13 Pro. This means that without a case the phone is more wobbly when lying screen up on a table. Cases that aim to stop this wobbling completely will have to be thicker than for the previous model. But I’m not going to give the iPhone 14 Pro a hard time about that; after all, the larger lenses are there for good reason.

Cameras: no quantum leap

Camera performance is the most important feature for me on any phone. Just like its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro has three cameras: an ultra-wide-angle camera with 13 mm focal length (all specifications are given as their full-frame equivalent), a main camera with 24 mm focal length and a telephoto camera with 77 mm focal length. With that, the main camera is two millimetres more wide angled, which I personally think is a shame. I prefer standard focal lengths.

On paper, the most important improvement is the larger sensors. The only one that hasn’t changed is that of the telephoto lens. On the main camera, the sensor is 65 per cent larger, and on the ultra-wide-angle lens it’s almost twice as large as in the predecessor. That means larger pixels – and larger pixels mean more light input, which in turn should result in less noisy, more detailed images. The individual pixels of the main camera are smaller than before because the resolution has been quadrupled to 48 megapixels. But in standard camera mode, Apple groups four pixels into one again, which should give you twelve megapixels and better quality. All this sounds promising, at least in theory.

In practice, I’m somewhat disappointed by the new camera module. Not that it’s bad. On the contrary, it’s astonishing just how good the pictures look. The thing is, they already looked great on the iPhone 13 Pro. Comparing images directly, the difference is less pronounced than I would have expected given the much larger sensors.

Main camera

48 megapixels – what does this large number do in practice? In most cases, nothing. If you shoot in Apple’s compressed HEIC format, which is the default setting, the images you’ll get are only 12 megapixels. As far as I’m concerned, in good lighting conditions, they’re hardly distinguishable from pictures taken on the iPhone 13 Pro. If you really look for the difference, you’ll be able to see a bit more detail in the shadows in high-contrast scenes – which could also be due Apple’s new «Photonic Engine» image processing. The HEIC images have a touch more contrast and look just as overly sharp as on all phones.

Even in low-light conditions, the difference between the 14 Pro and 13 Pro is minimal; I expected a bigger jump here. This could be due to the fact that the lens of the main camera now only has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 instead of f/1.5 as before. It lets in less light, which partially negates the advantage of the larger sensor.

It’s only when you activate RAW mode that the iPhone 14 Pro’s main camera reveals what it’s really capable of. In daylight, it records noticeably more detail than its predecessor, and the artefacts caused by the aggressive image processing engine disappear. The images boast a remarkable dynamic range; I can boost shadows in Lightroom much more than I could on the 13 Pro before the image gets too noisy. Nevertheless, the new iPhone can’t keep up with a dedicated camera with a similar resolution. My 50-megapixel Sony A1 continues to capture fine details more cleanly along with more information on highlights and dark shadows. As expected, the iPhone’s performance collapses at higher ISO values, while the Sony still delivers good results even at ISO 6400. But the fact that I’m comparing a smartphone to a camera that costs almost 8,000 francs shows just how good the iPhone’s RAW mode is under optimal conditions.

The difference between compressed images and those in RAW format makes one thing clear: the new sensor allows you to get more out of the iPhone 14 Pro than Apple’s new «Photonic Engine» does. This is where the device seems to reach the limits of its processor. This is also apparent due to the fact that, at full resolution, it takes over a second after capture for the image to be saved as a DNG. And the file size is a whopping 70 megabytes, by the way.

Ultra wide-angle, telephoto and front camera

Apart from the 48-megapixel mode you get on the main camera, the ultra-wide-angle camera’s new sensor is the most noticeable upgrade. Even if the difference to the predecessor isn’t huge, the dynamic range in backlit scenes is clearly better. To cope with image noise in low light, the iPhone 14 Pro smudges photos a bit less than the 13 Pro. Even in RAW mode, the resolution remains at 12 megapixels. Overall, the ultra-wide-angle camera does still lessen the gap in quality between itself and the main camera.

The same cannot be said of the telephoto lens. Nothing has changed here apart from the new image processing – and the 3x zoom is still the weakest link in the entire camera setup. The Photonic Engine does indeed seem to get more out of the images, because I do see finer detail. But in suboptimal lighting conditions, the small sensor quickly reaches its limits and starts to create noise. In this case, even the new 2x digital zoom, which uses a section of the main camera’s sensor, delivers higher quality.

The front camera now has an autofocus. You’ll only notice this if you want to take close-ups of your nose, though. One improvement I did notice is the new front-facing camera seems to be less susceptible to flaring in backlighting than the iPhone 13 Pro. The images look clearer and have more contrast. I expect this is an improvement that will actually make a difference for most people.

Video

Video quality remains one of the biggest strengths of Apple’s Pro lineup. The 4K footage is so good that with some post-processing I can mix it with footage from my big Sony camera. The dynamic range and clarity of the recordings are amazing and vastly superior to the competition. The slightly better sensors of the main and ultra-wide-angle camera are also reflected here, although the differences to the iPhone 13 Pro are even less noticeable in moving pictures than in photos.

There are only two new things: first, the artificial depth of field called «Cinematic Mode» now also works in 4K resolution and at 24 frames per second. Throughout my quick testing, it also seemed to capture people a little better. Artefacts and halos are still aplenty, though, which makes the mode continue to be unusable for me. I take a similarly critical view of the second new feature called «Action Mode». It’s an aggressive digital image stabiliser that reduces the resolution from 4K to 2.8K. Afterwards, the shots really do look like they were filmed with a gimbal. However, the quality suffers too much for me – especially since the regular optical image stabiliser is already excellent.

Screen: the always-too-on display

Let’s cut to the positives first: the display of the iPhone 14 Pro is outstanding. With up to 2,000 nits peak brightness, it’s another significant leap in brightness. In direct sunlight, the difference to the 13 Pro is noticeable. I can’t complain about the rest of the screen’s specs, either. Colour reproduction and contrast are beyond reproach, and the adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 hertz makes animations and scrolling movements look buttery smooth without draining the battery.

What’s totally new is the always-on mode. When on, the iPhone 14 Pro displays the time, any messages, music and even your wallpaper (significantly dimmed) when locked. This allows you to see up-to-date information at a glance without having to tap the screen. In this state, the display only updates its image once per second, which should keep it from significantly reducing the battery life. Sounds great in theory. But in practice? I find the feature irritating. The display frankly remains too bright for me. Especially with a bright wallpaper, I constantly get the feeling my phone is unlocked. In addition, the battery life does suffer noticeably. Both pain points are less of an issue when I switch to a dark wallpaper, but even after two weeks I still haven’t got used to the always-on display. I have to flip over the iPhone when it’s on the table, otherwise it’s too distracting. But then I get annoyed that I have to pick it up every time I want to check my notifications.

There would be an easy fix to this problem: I’d like to be able to personalise the feature – like on certain Android devices. It would be nice to have a slider for relative brightness and the option to hide the background image. No can do thus far – Apple only gives me one option: on or off. I hope the California-based company will change this in a future software update. In its current form, a more apt name for the always-on display would be the always-too-on display.

Dynamic Island: could be even better

Of course Apple would have the idea to call the new pill-shaped notch, which contains sensors for Face ID and the front camera, «Dynamic Island». But for all its ridiculousness, the name has already made for so many memes and has such a high recognition value. I, unfortunately, have no choice but to respect it – just like the idea behind it. Instead of simply shrinking the notch of the predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro has turned it into a feature. A brazen but ingenious move. The black area now expands out to the left, right and down. Depending on what app is currently doing its job in the background, a different small icon appears in the bar. A quick tap immediately opens the corresponding app. Press and hold, and the notch metamorphises into a small widget with control options. This allows you to, for example, directly switch to the next song.

When it comes to the question of whether the Dynamic Island really adds significant value, I’m torn. The playful and perfectly coordinated animations as the tab enlarges, splits in two or closes again are pleasing to the eye. Wondering what they look like 5x slower? You can see that in the video above. The animations make Dynamic Island look very well integrated into the device and software. So what’s the downside of all the fun? This new notch is much more in your face than the one on the iPhone 13 Pro. There’s constant movement; I see colourful album covers or running timers that steal my attention. The bottom of Dynamic Island also reaches lower than the bottom of the classic notch. This doesn’t matter in most cases, but some of my favourite Youtubers upload their videos in 18:9 format. While it was only a few pixels that protruded out into the picture with the notch, now almost half of the island barges into it.

In daily use, I’ve mainly been using Dynamic Island to control my music and sometimes a timer. Status indicators like navigation or calls finally have a dedicated spot, instead of just colouring the upper left corner blue or green as before. All of this is a small improvement over the old setup, but it doesn't change my iPhone experience significantly. The position of the island makes it unsuitable for single-handed use. I also find it unintuitive that a tap opens the full app while pressing and holding opens the split-screen view instead of the other way around. For these reasons, I’m giving Dynamic Island a net zero influence on my review. Because Apple has released it to app developers, it does have the potential to become more useful over time.

Further features: the iPhone can save your life

Apart from the display and camera, there are other noteworthy innovations. For example, the new accident detection feature is supposed to detect when you’re in a car crash. The iPhone then automatically dials 911. I haven’t tried this out myself, but some Youtube channels have reported successful tests. This is something most people will probably never need. But in those rare few cases, accident detection may save lives. The satellite emergency call feature aims to do the same. In places without cellular reception, the iPhone 14 Pro can connect to satellites to text emergency services. So far, this only works in the USA and Canada, and only outdoors. Cynics insinuate that such security features are pure marketing. I still think they’re commendable – good marketing and useful features aren’t mutually exclusive.

I am more sceptical about the switch to eSIM; In the USA, Apple is flat out eliminating the physical SIM card slot in the iPhone 14 Pro. It’s likely just a matter of time before this happens in Europe, too. This will force mobile operators worldwide to offer eSIM support – but this switch will take a while, especially in emerging markets and developing countries. Until that happens, the lack of a physical slot will be a deal breaker for some people; those who travel a lot and like to buy local SIM cards will no longer be able to use them. But this is all a future worry. For now, I’m glad that we still have the choice between physical and electronic SIM cards in Switzerland and Germany.

Performance, battery and speakers: a well-rounded package

Apple’s latest flagship is, as every year, a bit faster than the last one. This is a difference that hasn’t been noticeable in practice for a while now; it’s only the synthetic benchmark Geekbench 5 which reveals a performance increase of a few per cent. Apple says the new A16 Bionic chip is more efficient and therefore good for battery life. I haven’t noticed that, probably because of the always-on display – with it, the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery lasts a bit shorter than the 13 Pro. However, these are first-world complaints. The iPhone 14 Pro still easily lasts a full day with 30 to 40 per cent battery at the tail end.

The new modem seems to provide better reception. For instance, in a remote valley in Ticino where I had no reception on the 13 Pro, I suddenly have one to two bars on 4G. I cannot say the same for the WLAN connection – Apple has opted to stick to Wi-Fi 6 instead of supporting the latest 6E standard. However, the speakers sound better than the 13 Pro’s – more balanced, and the individual instruments and voices can be distinguished better. The audio quality is really amazing for a smartphone. In fact, when it comes to audio, Apple is doing everything right at the moment on all its devices.

Verdict: eight per cent improved

The iPhone 14 Pro is good. Very good, even. The camera, display, battery life and features are state of the art. Its only problem is Apple’s over-the-top marketing, which drives expectations to dizzying heights. Anyone who buys into it, as I did, will be disappointed. The camera hasn’t heralded a new era in photography. Dynamic Island hasn’t reinvented the way I interact with my smartphone. And the iPhone 14 Pro isn’t the most innovative Pro lineup ever, either.

Here’s the bottom line: the newest iPhone Pro is just a bit better than last year’s – about eight per cent better, if I had to put my subjective experience into a number. The camera takes pictures of equal quality in most cases; the new 48-megapixel sensor only really shows what it can do in RAW mode. However, only very few users will activate it because of the large file size. I find the Dynamic Island elegant, but not particularly useful so far. The always-on display distracts me more than it helps. Apple could significantly improve the latter two points with software updates. It is therefore quite possible that these new features will only unfold their true potential in a few months’ time.

Outside of the spotlight, it’s the little things that really make the iPhone 14 Pro better than the 13 Pro in everyday use. Namely, great speakers, a better modem, new security features and a brighter display. If you ask me, they’re the real heroes that make Apple’s new flagship an overall well-rounded phone without weaknesses – as always, at a steep price. In both Switzerland and German, its slightly higher than the launch price of the iPhone 13 Pro.

So, who may want to get the iPhone 14 Pro? If you’re someone who stays on top of the latest technology, you’ve probably already ordered it anyway. And if you need a new iPhone, whatever the reason, or want to switch from Android, I have one tip for you: the iPhone 14 Pro stands out so clearly from the regular iPhone 14 this year that it’s worth the premium. But if you already own an iPhone 12 Pro or 13 Pro and are happy with it, I’d say you can save your money. This year’s model doesn’t feel better enough compared to the older ones to be worth it – just eight per cent improved.