7 Months Later, iOS 16 Makes the iPhone 14 Pro Even Better

Spring has sprung. Baseball is in full swing, Tax Day is behind us and we’re previous the midway level till Apple sometimes pronounces new iPhone fashions. Final September, we bought the iPhone 14 Professional and 14 Professional Max. Apple’s top-of-the-line jewels launched the much-hyped Dynamic Island, up to date cameras, A16 Bionic processor and a new deep purple color. 

The common iPhone 14 and 14 Plus additionally launched alongside the brand new Professional fashions, with the Plus taking on the slot previously occupied by the iPhone 13 Mini. For the sake of this check-in, I am focusing solely on the Professional fashions, since Apple drew a powerful line within the iPhone 14 collection between Professional and non-Professional fashions for the primary time in years. The common fashions are basically the iPhone 13 with some modest {hardware} enhancements.

Apple’s new iPhones launched seven months in the past, however quite a bit has modified since then. A lot of the main iOS 16 options that have been teased in September have lastly launched, corresponding to Apple Pay Later, Reside Actions and Emergency SOS through Satellite tv for pc. Google and Samsung additionally launched their Cellphone 14 Professional rivals, the Pixel 7 Professional and Galaxy S23 Extremely. And the common iPhone 14 and 14 Plus bought a brand new yellow paint job.

Watch this: 7 Months Later and the iPhone 14 Professional Nonetheless Makes Me Joyful

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iOS 16 on the iPhone 14 Professional

Total, I am as proud of the iPhone 14 Professional as Tim Cook is seeing someone with a Macintosh SE at the new Apple Store in Mumbai. Apple’s iOS 16 software program is the most important factor that is modified on the iPhone 14 Professional because it launched in September. At its coronary heart, iOS 16 is what defines the iPhone 14 collection. Sure, iOS 16 is obtainable on older telephones, nevertheless it shines on the iPhone 14 Professional due to the seamless means options work collectively, just like the always-on display, lock display and Dynamic Island.

In December, Apple added the power to show off the at all times on show’s wallpaper and have the display flip black, which has been transformative. I at all times discovered the Dynamic Island to be helpful, however the comparatively new Reside Actions assist makes it extra intuitive and useful. Reside Actions is a slick widget that reveals an app’s ongoing exercise (just like the rating of a basketball recreation or the standing of your Uber experience) on the lock display, always-on show and Dynamic Island.

Total, the Dynamic Island is like having a shortcut on the prime of your display it doesn’t matter what you are doing in your iPhone. Glancing at my Uber experience standing from my lock display or within the Dynamic Island simply is sensible.

I would like extra from the Dynamic Island, particularly if there have been options that folks might customise for their very own iPhone. In 2016, Apple rolled out the iMessage app retailer for stickers and video games with iOS 10. I do not suppose we want a Dynamic Island app retailer, however one thing that may make it really feel much more private like the power to pin an Memoji sticker as a Dynamic Island icon. However for the Dynamic Island to actually take off, each Professional and non-Professional fashions within the subsequent iPhone technology want it. That will incentive extra apps to reap the benefits of it, in addition to extra options to be developed. And happily, iPhone 15 rumors point out that every one fashions will get the Dynamic Island.

However the iPhone 14 Professional and iOS 16 have not been with out their bugs. And I am not speaking about Automobile Crash Detection being triggered on curler coaster rides or by skiers, although that did occur. And I must be clear that Automobile Crash Detection, at the same time as Apple fantastic tunes the bugs, is definitely probably the most important additions. I am glad Apple included the instrument on all iPhone 14 fashions as a result of it has already helped save people’s lives.

In my seven months, there have been occasions the 14 Professional froze for a second or two. Irrespective of how I tapped the display, it was unresponsive. Taking a look at discussion forums on Apple’s website, I am not alone. Normally a restart bought every thing again so as. And I ought to level out that the problem wasn’t frequent and appears to have resolved itself — possibly this was via an iOS replace.

I additionally suffered the Weather app bug the place the app would solely present town title and the forecast would stay clean. As a loyal Darkish Sky consumer for years who was pressured to provide the app up in January, this bugged me. Has it been fastened since? Appears so.

The iPhone 14 Professional cameras

Past iOS 16, the iPhone 14 Professional can be the place Apple flexes its digital camera prowess. On the entire, photographs are fairly good and at occasions wonderful. I do discover that the 14 Professional pushes shadows and highlights far, which provides some photographs a flat look. Distinction is not a nasty factor, Apple. I typically discover myself enhancing photographs after I take them, however possibly I must undertake a Photographic Style in the Camera app. Under are a number of photographs that I took with the iPhone 14 Professional.

Video has at all times been an space the place the iPhone is a step forward of the competitors by way of picture high quality. However with the Galaxy S23 Extremely, it appears Samsung has lastly caught up. However out of all of the telephones I’ve entry to as a reviewer, the iPhone 14 Professional stays my go-to machine for making media.

One thing I hope to see on the following iPhone are enhancements to the Digital camera app. It is getting filled with instruments and options, a few of which require you to know the place to swipe with a view to discover. Others are buried within the menu maze referred to as the Settings app. 

The iPhone 14 Professional battery and last ideas

As I highlighted in my three-month check-in, the iPhone 14 Professional’s battery life is sweet, nevertheless it’s positively a step down from the iPhone 13 Professional. And the identical applies to the iPhone 14 Professional Max, which has been my go-to. The bigger 14 Professional Max battery will get via a day on a single cost even with heavy use. My display time averages round seven-and-a-half hours, which is sweet.

On the finish of the day, the iPhone 14 Professional is Apple’s finest. And for those who’re contemplating getting one, now remains to be a great time to purchase, however know that the rumored iPhone 15 collection will probably come out in September.