The heart of Apple Park of Cupertino, stronghold of the apple firm, beat a little stronger on September 7. Despite the presence of guest journalists on site, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, had recorded his presentation which, for 90 minutes, unveiled the firm’s new products: Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, AirPods Pro 2, but above all brand new iPhone 14s… and at stratospheric prices. With the fall of the euro against the dollar, the entry-level model of the iPhone 14 will cost 110 euros more than last year. For the 14 Pro Max, the increase reaches 220 euros.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus: Apple’s head in the stars
“We saw big with the iPhone 14 and even bigger with the iPhone 14 Plus,” said Tim Cook. Indeed: while the iPhone 14 arrives with OLED (Super Retina XDR) screens in 6.1 inches, the iPhone 14 Plus is displayed in 6.7 inches. Both models are powered by the A15 Bionic chip which was introduced in the iPhone 13 Pro a year ago. No big surprise, then. They are water and dust resistant, covered with ceramic glass.
On the photo and video side, few new features. Apple highlights the new 12-megapixel main sensor of its smartphone, the speed of autofocus, the brightness (49% higher, says Apple), the night mode (twice as fast). Currently available in the USA and Canada, an emergency satellite communication mode (by subscription) is on board. It allows you to send SOS where there is no cellular network or Wifi. A new system called Crash Detection will alert the emergency services and selected contacts in the event of a road accident (in the event of frontal or side impact, rear-end collision and rollover).
Availability: September 16 (iPhone 14) and October 7 (iPhone 14 Plus).
Indicative prices: from 1019 euros in 128 GB, 1149 euros in 256 GB, 1409 euros in 512 GB (iPhone 14); and 1169 euros in 128 GB, 1299 euros in 256 GB, and 1559 euros in 512 GB (iPhone 14 Plus).
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max: Apple innovates
Also available in 6.1 and 6.7 inches, these two iPhones premium will go further. Both compatible with satellite links and incorporating the Crash Detection function, they inaugurate (finally!) the possibility of permanently displaying the time and certain notifications on the screen. This is called “Always on Display”, a system already present on many Android smartphones.
More original, Apple launches its “Dynamic Island”. Located at the top of the OLED screen (in the small bar that incorporates the central photo sensor), it is a tiny screen within the screen that displays information about an open application (such as the music player) or notices. Always active in superimposition, Dynamic Island seems interesting from the point of view of use and wants to offer an enriched, more practical and user-friendly experience.
With the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, there is also a 48-megapixel main photo sensor on board (about time!), announced to be 65% larger than that of the iPhone 13 Pro. Taking 12-megapixel photos by default (each pixel is made up of four sub-pixels), it should capture more precise and brighter shots, especially in low light. Apple thus claims a photo brightness twice that of the iPhone 13 Pro. Photos can also be taken in 48 megapixels (ProRAW mode).
A new chip (A16 Bionic) also enters the scene on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. With its 16 billion transistors, “the most powerful chip ever designed for a smartphone” (sic!) also announces a better experience, especially in terms of speed. This should materialize in video (up to 4K, 30 frames per second and in Dolby Vision), with a new stabilization announced as very effective and named Action Mode. Finally, no surprise on autonomy, Apple evoking only one day of use.
Availability: September 16.
Indicative prices: from 1329 euros in 128 GB, 1459 euros in 256 GB, 1719 euros in 512 GB and 1979 euros in 1 TB (iPhone 14 Pro); and 1479 euros in 128 GB, 1609 euros in 256 GB, 1869 euros in 512 GB and 2129 euros in 1 TB (iPhone 14 Pro Max).