Apple Launches Its Most Sophisticated Smartphones With iPhone 14 Pro
We've got details fresh out of Apple's Fall 2022 Keynote.
Each September, tech editors and content creators from all over the world make the trip to Cupertino in Silicon Valley to attend Apple’s fall keynote, which empirically announces the launch of brand-new iPhones, watches and sometimes, AirPods.
Arguably the biggest announcement at this year’s keynote, the brand-new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple’s most sophisticated smartphones yet. At the glance, the newest iPhone Pro models will feature the first-ever 48MP camera on iPhone, Always-On display, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite and an all-new notification display called Dynamic Island.
The reimagined Lock Screen in iOS 16 offers a multilayered effect that artfully sets subjects of photos in front of the time, along with newly designed widgets that offer information at a glance.
They will be available for pre-order from Sep 9, with availability beginning Sep 16. iPhone 14 Pro is priced at $1,649, while iPhone 14 Pro Max is priced at $1,799, and can be purchased via apple.com/sg/store, the Apple Store app, and select carriers.
Ahead are some highlights you can expect with the phones.
Both iPhone 14 Pro (6.1 inch) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (6.7 inch) come in an immaculate surgical-grade stainless steel and textured matte glass design in four shades – space black, silver, gold, and deep purple (pictured). Both models also now include a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion – similar to the Pro Display XDR – making gaming and video-watching a much more enjoyable experience on iPhone. And with the new Always-On display, the Lock Screen becomes even more useful with time, widgets and Live Activities available at a glance. Both models will continue to offer the Ceramic Shield font cover to protect them from accidental spills and provide dust resistance.
Powered by Apple’s A16 bionic chip, the camera on Apple’s newest iPhone Pro line-up boasts an impressive 48MP main camera, a quad pixel sensor, Photonic Engine and an enhanced image pipeline that significantly improves low-light photos. Photonic Engine essentially increases image quality by applying Deep Fusion earlier in the imaging process, resulting in a photograph with greater details, textures and colours.
The quad-pixel sensor also increases image quality. Through a new machine learning model designed specially for it, the iPhone will now be able to shoot ProRaw at 48MP – a remarkable feat that’ll enable professionals to capture pro-quality images with greater details than ever before. In other words, you’ll now have a truly professional-grade camera in the palm of your hand.
Video content creators will also be delighted to learn that Cinematic mode will now be available in 4K at 30 fps and 4k at 24 fps. There’s also a new Action mode which renders the use of a gimbal unnecessary. Simply active Action mode to achieve glorious, smooth-looking videos that adjust to significant shakes, motions and vibrations. Basically, you’ll now be able to create better, more cinematic videos on the go than ever before using an iPhone. Another feature new to the iPhone Pro line-up is the ability to shoot at 2x Telephoto. Previously, only 0.5x, 1x and 3x were available.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models boast Dynamic Island – a new way to interact with iPhone that combines both hardware and software to display important alerts, notifications and activities. This feature also prompted a redesign of the TrueDepth – or front – camera to take up less screen real estate. Dynamic Island also provides users with easier access to controls with a simple tap-and-hold. Background activities such as Maps, Music, timer and other third-party apps will remain visible and interactive with this feature. For example, ride-sharing and sports scores with Live Activities can take advantage of Dynamic Island.
The entire iPhone 14 line-up introduces a brand-new safety feature that can provide emergency assistance when needed most: Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. Equipped with a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256 Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection on iPhone will be able to detect a severe car crash and automatically contact emergency services when a user is either unconscious or unable to reach their device.
This feature builds upon existing components like the barometer, GPS and microphone to detect severe car crashes using Apple’s advanced motion algorithms perfected using over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data.
Another notable feature introduced in the iPhone 14 line-up is Emergency SOS via satellite. It combines customs components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite enabling messaging with emergency services while outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
What’s more impressive is that this feature also tells you which direction to point your iPhone at for best connectivity, and is preloaded with quotations and answers to best assess these emergent situations. It’s perfect for those who enjoy hiking or camping off the grid. The only caveat is that this feature is only available to users in the US and Canada starting in Nov, and will be free for two years.
A version of this article first appeared in Harper's Bazaar Singapore