The four latest iPhones come in the form of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus share the same features, but they differ in their physical size and battery capacities, and the same applies to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
With the Pro models offering a refreshed design and more powerful hardware than their standard siblings for this line up though, is the iPhone 14 Pro Max the biggest and best iPhone the company has ever made? Here is our review.
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is not just big in form, but it's big in character. There's a refreshed design that's really striking, especially in this larger format, coupled with performance enhancements, battery improvements, camera improvements, the Always-On Display and the Dynamic Island feature.
Pros
- Premium design
- Great display with well-executed Always-On feature
- Dynamic Island is cool
- Excellent performance snd battery
- Great camera results
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Will be too big for some
Refreshed design
- 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85mm, 240g
- Four colours: Deep Purple, Space Back, Gold and Silver
- IP68
- Dynamic Island
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max features a surgical-grade stainless steel frame, glass rear and it delivers a solid and super-premium build quality. There's also a refreshed design, just like its smaller sibling, the iPhone 14 Pro.
It's a heavy device - heavier than the iPhone 14 Plus that opts for an aluminium frame and is therefore lighter - but the Max's weight is something you get used to over time. We found the same with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, so while you might feel the heft when you first get it out of the box, it's something that quickly becomes normal.
The flat edges - first reintroduced in the iPhone 12 - remain and while the glossy finish of the 14 Pro Max's frame is a fingerprint fiend, it adds to the premium appeal of this device. The left edge houses the silence toggle and volume buttons, while the right edge has the power button. The SIM tray remains on the left for all models except those in the US, where a frosted section on the right edge highlights the switch to eSIM only.
On the bottom, you'll find - perhaps disappointingly - the Lightning port and not a USB-C port, while speakers are positioned either side. There's also a speaker at the top of the display but it's not on top of the notch anymore. That's because the iPhone 14 Pro Max has said bye bye to the trusty notch we've seen grace the front of Face ID iPhones since the iPhone X in 2017.
In place of it is a wide pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and the front camera, which Apple calls Dynamic Island. It pulls in information from certain apps, like the Apple Music app and Clock, making use of what would otherwise be redundant space.
The Dynamic Island adapts based on the app or notification being shown. For example, when using Apple Pay, the Dynamic Island turns into a square, while when you switch the silence toggle, it widens to acknowledge the change. It's an excellent blend of hardware and software that makes subtle but useful differences to the way you use and interact with your phone.
While the front of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is clearly quite different from its predecessor thanks to Dynamic Island, the rear sticks to its roots. The frosted glass panel features a large and prominent camera housing in the top left corner, with three lenses and the LiDAR sensor. The edges of the housing blend into the rear too, making for a smooth and seamless transition.
There are four colour options available comprising Deep Purple (which is beautiful), Space Black (which is also lovely in the flesh), Silver and Gold.
Always-On Display
6.7-inch, OLED, 2796 x 1290 pixels, 460ppi
1Hz-120Hz ProMotion, Always-On Display
2000nits peak brightness
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch OLED display on board and it's stunning. The blacks are lovely and black, colours are rich, vibrant and punchy and there's ample brightness.
There's a peak brightness of 2000nits now, though the size and resolution - which is 2796 x 1290 pixels on the 14 Pro Max - pretty much matches that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and many of the same features are on board too, including True Tone, Haptic Touch and support for HDR.
Hardware and specs
A16 Bionic Chip, 16-core Neural Engine
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage options
Up to 29 hours battery
5G connectivity, Emergency SOS via satellite
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max runs on the latest A16 Bionic chipset, which offers a performance increase compared to the A15 that the standard iPhone 14 Plus runs on. Everything is buttery smooth, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max coping well with multi-tasking, as well as more demanding features. We played a brief stint of Call of Duty Mobile on the iPhone 14 Max and it ran smoothly without any issues, and it didn't heat up anywhere either.
Upgraded cameras
48MP main camera, f/1.78
12MP ultra wide, f/1.8
12MP telelphoto, f/2.8
12MP front camera, f/1.9, autofocus
The camera department has always been an area of focus for the iPhone Pro models, and this year is no different. While it's no longer the only differentiating factor of the Pro models, there's still plenty to talk about here, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max seeing an upgraded main camera sensor and upgraded ultra wide sensor.
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