Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: Our biggest review yet!

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Specs

Apple prides itself on significant milestones in the recent past. iPhone 14 Pro Max, chiefly, is the latest trending milestone. The iPhone has a giant screen, the first ever Always On display screen, a fantastic dynamic Island, better camera upgrades and the A16 Bionic chipset. If you are not keen to detail, you may miss out on the difference between iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

This time, Apple worked on upgrading the screen display (suitable for gaming), camera sensors and a longer-lasting battery to differentiate the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Based on these features, iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best phone of the year, having more upgraded features and the best performance.

👉 For more info, read our features breakdown of the iPhone 14 series here.

“Our customers count on their iPhone every day, and with iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, we’re delivering more advancements than any other iPhone. iPhone 14 Pro introduces a camera system that empowers every user — from the casual user to the professional — to take their best photos and video, and innovative new technologies like the Always-On display and the Dynamic Island, which offers new interactions for notifications and activities,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Ground breaking safety capabilities bring users even more security, offering help when they need it most. And with the incredibly powerful and efficient A16 Bionic chip and all-day battery life, this is the best iPhone yet.”

Source: https://www.apple.com/my/newsroom/2022/09/apple-debuts-iphone-14-pro-and-iphone-14-pro-max/ 

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance

You know what? iPhone 14 Pro Max performs faster and better with the best graphics of all time due to the fluid IOS 16 software and A16 Bionic chipset.

iOS 16

Did you know that you can manipulate your lock screen multiple times in a fraction of a minute? That's not an exaggeration. Running on IOS 16 software, your iPhone 14 Pro Max allows you to edit and create several screen locks for easy and fast switching, add widgets and change your time font. With the Always-on-Display, you can't get enough of these beautiful displays. However, the modifications are destined for more upgrades.

As you imagine, that's not all with the IOS 16; there's a lot more. There’s the unsend and edit feature in messages, and you can cut photo sections as needed, keyboard haptics and many more. Check out the Weather App—all the information and data you want about weather forecasts is available at a tap.

As part of its footprint, Apple keeps upgrading the IOS 16 software. For the iPhone 14 Pro Max, do expect up to six upgrades after its release, which translates to continually improved performance.

A16 Bionic Chipset

Talk about the iPhone 14 Pro Max's performance, which is second to none. Thanks to the power provided by the A16 Bionic chipset, only available in 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max iPhones. The chipset, once A15 5nm in 13 Pro Max but upgraded to 4nm A16, delivers exceptionally in gaming and performance. All these qualities mean faster, smoother and more power than the predecessor offered. The iPhone comes in a range of storage capacities, like 128GB to 1TB, since you need more space for your files and photos. With such energy, you sure will need that memory.

How can you miss the multitasking feature? Do you think of anything you want to do with the phone, make a call while playing Call of Duty or Tetris? Go ahead, and it's a smooth ride. Open an App? It's perfect and instant. The chipset and 6GB RAM will give you an unforgettable experience. The phone will do what you ask it to do seamlessly.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max watches over you. That's not creepy but in a good sense. If you get into a collision or car accident, your iPhone, through car crash detection, sends an alert message to emergency services. And it can send SOS emergencies via satellite if you are in an area without communication signals.

Battery Life and Charging

While the 14 Pro Max battery can last a full day comfortably, it cannot compare to the 13 Pro Max champ battery. However, you can have a two-day charge by switching off the Always on Display and setting the refresh rate at 60Hz.

👉 This might interest you: Our iPhone 13 Pro Max prices.

Apple's typical fashion is using the USB-C lightning cable and wireless charging. But don't expect a charger in the box. Official MagSafe accessories and other third-party options can support 15W charging, while you may expect a 20W adapter to give you a 50% charge in 30 minutes. It suffices to say Apple needs to up its battery game to match that of its competitors.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Camera

The iPhone 14 Pro Max's photos compare to those high-resolution typical camera pictures, largely reminiscent of Pinterest images.

One of the significant upgrades this time is the camera features. There was a substantial positive leap in resolution from the usual 12MP to 48MP. The 14 Pro Max is your best choice if you are a photography enthusiast. Although you can still capture 12MP snaps, you can enable the 48MP ProRAW features for wild high-resolution images. All courtesy of the f/1.78 aperture lens with OIS and the large 24mm Angle of view.

This iPhone’ designers must have been photo lovers. Who could have thought of bigger sensors? Here’s the thing, bigger sensors improve lighting in both high brightness and dim or dark lighting. That said, this version is best in very dim lighting or when taking photos at night. Also, the vast sensors give your picture a more natural background making them appropriate for portraits.

Best part, you will have an additional three-times optical zoom created by the 12MP telephoto camera characterised by a 77mm angle of view, OIS and an f/2.8 aperture. The internal 12MP sensor only produces a 2X zoom, but when combined with the 3X zoom, you will have the best cropping even in well-lit backgrounds.

👉 Check out our in-depth review of the iPhone 14 camera specs.

Plus, there’s also an ultra-wide camera (making the total number of cameras three). As the name suggests, with its 13mm 12MP resolution, this camera offers a wide angle of view, approximately 120 degrees. Photos resulting from this configuration are balanced with a unique depth and warmth. The colours are equally consistent and accurate, bringing much detail to focus without over-sharpening.

The Selfies camera was also upgraded with autofocus. The camera is excellent in good lighting, but you may prefer to avoid indoors or in poorly lit environments, which are worse at night.

For videos, the iPhone 13 Pro Max camera recorded a 1080p resolution. That's a shallow resolution compared to the giant 4K resolution of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. What an upgrade in the esoteric cinematic mode! This same feature blurs out a video's background as in a portrait.

Then, the action mode gives you almost GoPro image stabilisation at the expense of resolution. With the action mode, you can record stable footage even when the focused object or the videographer is in motion. In the process, a narrower angle of view is captured, cropping into the frame.

Lastly, an upgrade designed to allow this Pro Max to capture and play 4K Dolby Vision footage works ideally on its wide screen.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Screen and Display

If a 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max were placed side by side, a newbie to iPhones may need more time to discern the difference. Both have clear, vivid and beautiful screen colours, texts are easy to read, and screens are brighter. However, the 14 Pro Max’s 6.7-Inch screen is superior to its 14 Pro’s 6.1-inch. A bigger screen gives a roomier space to canvas when gaming, browsing sites on Safari, scrolling through social media and watching YouTube videos. Also, the Pro Max screen, an OLED with a 2796 x 1290 resolution, plays out better.

You will have no trouble scrolling through your 14 Pro Max screen on sunny days. In standard lighting, the phone uses 1000 nits brightness, but in extremely high brightness, the phone doubles up to 2000 nits as if there was no change for easy readability.

Always-on-Display

This was a long-overdue feature, but we are grateful it’s here at last! The iPhone competitors have had it for some time now, but Apple has delivered the prettiest.

Once you switch off your screen by pressing the power button, you can still see your incoming notifications, weather, calendar, wallpaper, album artwork and other lock screen widgets but more dimly than in an active screen. It makes the screen livelier. That’s made possible because the Pro Max retains the 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate while the Display refresh rate can scale down to 1Hz.

Dynamic Island

If you haven’t thought of getting an iPhone, you should because of this killer feature. It is the phone’s dashboard, not even a mini dashboard. You can access any information regardless of the App you are using.

As you listen to music through your AirPods, the playlist waveform is displayed on the island, and you can adjust your volume or stop the piece with a single tap to launch into the App. You can also control or pause your timer, receive incoming call notifications, google Maps directions and other activities. You can also have two simultaneous activities viewed on Dynamic Island.

Amazingly, in addition to housing the TrueDepth Camera, Dynamic Island is the key to biometric recognition, particularly the FaceID. You need this innovative feature to unlock your screen.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design

When you lift the iPhone 14 Pro Max and look at it, you’ll notice that it is heavier and thicker with a wider screen than the 13 Pro Max (assuming you had the 13 Pro Max before). The14 Pro Max weighs 8.47 ounces, its dimensions are 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 inches, while its predecessor weighed 8.46 ounces and measured 6.33 x. 3.07 x 0.3 inches. Apple slightly increased the size to accommodate the three camera lenses at the back.

You will also notice at a glance that the fantastic Dynamic Island replaced the Apple notch.

Colours

The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in four colours: Silver, Gold, Space Black and Deep Purple. Deep Purple is the latest version, replacing the Sierra Blue coloured model. The iP68 dust and water resistance, removable fingerprint-smudge-resistant matte glass back and ceramic shield at the front make these devices fashionable. The Face ID for quick unlocking, payments and password entry, wireless charging through Apple’s elegant MagSafe accessory and the colour-matched polished steel sides are excellent Apple touches.

👉 For more information about the iPhone 14 Pro Max colour range, read our in-depth review here!

Ports and Connectivity

Apple has removed two features from iPhones used in the US. These are the SIM card tray and the Jack Port for headphones. For US-based users, iPhones use eSIM card technology in which you can use two numbers simultaneously. For international users, 14 Pro Max is not a fit when abroad.

👉Tip: You will need iPhone 14 Pro Max cases to keep your iPhone ‘forever young’ and brand new.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price and Availability

Do you want an iPhone 14 Pro Max but don’t know whether they are available? Apple released all the iPhone 14 models (iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max) on September 7, 2022. All iPhone 14 lines except iPhone Plus were made available for purchase in all Apple stores as of September 16 2022, with pre-orders kicking off on September 9. iPhone 14 Plus arrived on October 7.

However, it’s important to note that the iPhone 14 Pro Max price is no longer available on the official Apple store website in the UK. You can get a refurbished option on Back Market starting from *£609 before trade-in, a huge cut if you compare it to its original release price of £1,199.00.

But why spend more on a brand new model when you can get a refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Max on Back Market at a reasonably low price? Together with a 12-month warranty and a 30-day return period, it's the same deal as when buying brand new but cheaper! 

We set ourselves apart from other platforms that sell items in second-hand condition by opting for refurbished goods. Our sellers diligently refurbish all products before making them available for purchase. The refurbishment process is thorough, involving the replacement of parts to ensure optimal functionality. The end result is a product that performs just as well as new. This offers a cost-effective alternative and elevates the safety and overall quality of our offerings compared to strictly second-hand items.

When you purchase from Back Market, you benefit from a hassle-free return policy of up to 30 days. If you encounter any defects or issues, there's no need to worry, as all purchases are accompanied by a 1-year warranty, providing the same coverage as when buying a new phone. This ensures a risk-free buying experience for customers.

Don’t be fooled that cheap compromises quality performance. Instead, though second-hand, the refurbished iPhone device has a new-like performance and promotes earth sustainability.

👉 For more information about the iPhone 14 prices, read our in-depth article here.

iPhone 14 Pro Max: Pros and Cons

Pros

• There’s extended battery life. The Dynamic Island is also a nice feature upgrade, as it streamlines multitasking by providing key information without switching between apps, and its functionality is set to improve further as more developers support it.

• The new Action mode offers smoother footage for video enthusiasts, and the enhanced Cinematic mode delivers even sharper video quality. The Always On display is effective, though it may require some adjustment to customise it to your liking.

Cons

• The iPhone 14 Pro Max is quite hefty and lacks the fast charging capabilities of some phones. 

• Despite these issues, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a powerhouse that combines professional-grade performance with user-friendly features. It's a great phone to buy, hands down.

iPhone 14 Pro Max Review Parting Shot

If you need a wider screen and longer-life battery, then iPhone 14 Pro Max is worth every penny if you can afford it. Its unquestionable performance, always-on-display, fun Dynamic Island and battery put it on top.

However, if you don’t like its wider screen and more weight, you may compromise on battery and opt for the iPhone 14 Pro. And if your priority in an iPhone is the battery life, stick to your battery champ, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, until Apple makes significant upgrades. Otherwise, iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best iPhone of the year. For other second hand iPhones, be sure to always check Back Market first, as every used iPhone advertised on the platform have been professionally refurbished to only the highest standards as each of our merchants are carefully vetted before joining. In addition to this, Back Market always provides a minimum 1-year warranty, plus a 30-day return policy hassle-free!   

👉 Read our unbiased review of the iPhone 14 Pro to compare.

*Price at date of writing