Apple iPhone 14 Pro review - The Apple smartphone is ready for the island

[Redaktion]

This year's annual upgrade to Apple's iPhone not only brings an obligatory new SoC, but also the end of the notch. Instead, the new model introduces a dual hole-punch solution, which transforms into the new Dynamic Island through some clever software tweaks. For the first time, the camera now has access to a 48-MP sensor and pixel binning. Find out more in the following review.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-iPhone-14-Pro-review-The-Apple-smartphone-is-ready-for-the-island.659550.0.html

[JRUK]

The eye strain and headache I had the next day after one evening of use with the 14 Pro was brutal.

After Apple increased the PWM frequency last year, there were many of us hoping it would continue to be increased so those of us who are PWM sensitive could finally use an OLED iPhone. But no, Apple have decided to go backwards. Is this due to the addition of the always on display? An attempt to save more power because of other changes?

The standard 14 was almost bearable but still caused some eye discomfort and motion sickness feelings. These iPhones are terrible for those who are affected and Apple are blocking us out of flagship phones for the 5th year.

[NikoB]

But no, Apple have decided to go backwards. Is this due to the addition of the always on display? An attempt to save more power because of other changes?

Unfortunately, today it is impossible to buy a mid-range or high-end smartphone with a decent IPS matrix (contrast from 1500: 1). Alas, manufacturers essentially do not care about those who hang behind the screens of smartphones for a long time - and there are a lot of them. It seems to me that the problem is not of great concern to manufacturers for a simple reason - most people have a slow nervous system, and those who have a fast (i.e., the most sensitive) somehow solve this problem by ignoring smartphones with AMOLED or choosing models with DC Dimming and sacrificing drop "deep black" because of this.

The main reason is consumption at medium brightness and the impossibility of a flexible screen for IPS. Plus impossible to release "Instant On" feature on IPS.

AMOLED cannot be made with high-frequency PWM - they simply burn out faster in this mode or the color balance is greatly disturbed vs IPS.

At high screen brightness or white(light) screen theme, IPS panels are actually more energy efficient panels. And they do not flicker thanks to the high-frequency PWM, while having a parallel resource 2-3 times higher than a typical AMOLED.

It is strange that the author of the review writes about 4k@30Hz maximum, although it is written everywhere that 4k@60Hz is supported on the rear and selfie cameras as old model.

Of course, it is disappointing that 4k is supposedly disabled on the model with 128GB (they are quite enough to make videos for 2-5 minutes for several shot series). And there is no 6k-8k resolution in the video, because it allows you to remaster with post-effects in 4k right away.

Well, for such a heavy smartphone, the 3200 battery looks like a mockery. Other pieces of hardware inside, due to their weight, did not allow Apple to install the usual 5000-5500mAh for such sizes.

Judging by the fact that Apple, despite the flickering screen, sells smartphones in tens of millions, the problem of eye fatigue during prolonged reading of information from the screen is of little concern to the majority of the public. The damage to the eyes and nervous system is still, of course, inflicted latently, but this affects slowly, like smoking tobacco.

Unfortunately, there is apparently no hope for microLED - there will most likely also be low-frequency PWM due to very small LEDs and the same sharp drop in their resource as in organic ones. So I don't know where this will lead us all. Of course, my condolences to the owners of the fast nervous system.

PS,
And again, I see incorrect data on the minimum consumption, which simply do not fit in with the battery capacity. Just take the battery capacity in watt-hours as about 12Wh, i.e. approximately 43000 joules and divide by 0.56W (for one second or 0.56 joule) of the supposedly "minimum" consumption ... we get approximately 76700 seconds of operation in this mode. Or about 76500/3600 - 21-22 hours in "reader/idle" mode maximum. The author assures that in this mode the smartphone lasts as much as 2660 minutes or 44 hours! How is this possible, author? Do you know math? If you know, you should recalculate the minimum consumption at least twice from what you measured ...

[NikoB]

From the point of view of fast transferring information from/to a smartphone on computer, including a PC, there is only one recommendation (unless, of course, such software is available on iOS as on Android) - install an FTP server. Through it, it is very convenient to send photos/videos and other data at Wi-Fi speed at home and wherever there is a Wi-Fi router. At least that's the only way I've been dropping photos/videos from a smartphone for many years with 802.11ac 2x2 inside. I have enough speed of 25-35Mb/s by FTP. It's much easier than fiddling with cable or unreliable clouds. Although cloud lovers do not get used to throwing private data into the clouds, where they can be analyzed by everyone and sundry, including Apple employees and their contractors. Who is used to living in an aquarium will not understand someone who does not want to live like this and is trying to keep the secret of his personal life...

The main problem with privacy on any smartphone, both iOS and Android, is the lack of a firewall that allows you to 100% block any traffic from any OS and other software that is not explicitly authorized by you. This is a hole in your security originally made intentionally by the manufacturers of smartphones and OS to them. But very few people realize this. On the PC, everything is different so far, because. there are no restrictions and you are still a machine administrator with root access and the ability to flexibly configure any firewall to completely block traffic (at least it was still possible before).

[RobertJasiek]

private data into the clouds, where they can be analyzed by everyone and sundry, including Apple employees and their contractors.

According to iCloud terms, anybody in the world can, if forwarded by Apple, fully use all, including the device-local, private files etc.

On the PC, everything is different so far, because. there are no restrictions and you are still a machine administrator with root access and the ability to flexibly configure any firewall to completely block traffic (at least it was still possible before).

Not quite any more. E.g., Windows 10 and later sometimes ignores its own firewall etc. to allow Microsoft's own application software (such as Edge) internet access.

[Aquila Imperiale]

Hi, could you create a new section on your website about PWM free Smartphones?
It would be very useful.
Hope you approve my suggestion.
Have a nice day.

[NikoB]

This is a completely pointless idea from the start. If you need a database of IPS smartphones, then it has been on gsmarena for a long time with a search filter. These models are practically gone from the fresh ones, those who may interest you. There is simply nothing to choose for people with a fast nervous system and therefore more sensitive to flicker than ordinary people. It remains to pull with old smartphones until the last, until a miracle happens and the first models with microLED with high-frequency PWM appear, but as I wrote earlier, there is practically no hope for this. This is what happens in the history of mankind when it comes to a dead end from the point of view of a vulnerable minority, whose problems the majority do not care..

[NikoB]

I'm more afraid of the spread of AMOLED on laptop and monitor screens, because if you don't abuse your smartphone and don't look at its screen for more than 1 hour of day, then low-frequency PWM may not have time to do much harm, but laptop and monitor screens are a working tool , behind which people sit for many hours and this is already an extremely dangerous precedent and a trend that needs to be suppressed in every possible way.