iPhone 14 Pro get Always-on Display, 48MP camera, Dynamic Island and more [top features]

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are the "most innovative Pro lineup yet." They might as well be, given how some simple features have been executed in a remarkable fashion. Dynamic Island, Emergency SOS via Satellite, Crash Detection, Action Mode in camera, reimagined wallpapers and the all-new Always-On Display, are just some of the headline features that make the new Pro iPhones truly innovative. Let's discuss them in detail.

Dynamic Island

We have an entire article dedicated to this feature. It's pretty cool how well Apple has utilised the notch and did an even more fantastic job at concealing it with animations and notifications. Even though Apple is late to the party of ditching the notch, the execution of the Dynamic Island will definitely catch on.

Emergency SOS via Satellite

Ever seen those bulky satellite phones with thick antennas? Well, that's the ideal design to be able to communicate using satellites which are thousands of miles away into space. But Apple has changed that and packed complex antennas inside the sleek body of iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.

The new iPhones combine custom components deeply integrated with software to allow antennas to connect directly to a communication satellite in space, enabling messaging with emergency services. This comes in truly handy at times when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi signal.

Apple has given thorough thought to using this feature. Since it is an emergency feature, there are a few questions to assess the user's situation and then it shows a radar where to point their phone to connect to a satellite.

The feature is not only useful when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere. It can also be used to share location via satellite using Find My when there is no Wi-Fi or cellular connection. For the feature to work, there must be clear sky.

Sadly, not everyone will get to use this feature immediately. The feature rolls out in November in US and Canada and is free for iPhone 14 users for two years.

Crash Detection

Another important safety feature is added in the new iPhones. Using a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection can detect severe car crashes and call for help. It's identical to Fall Detection. Hopefully, the user doesn't need to use this, but it's a feature no other smartphone offers.

Action Mode in camera

iPhone 13 Pro was already capable of shooting smooth videos. Now, the iPhone 14 Pro gets smoother, especially when there's a lot of shaking involved. With the new iPhone 14 Pro, you can shoot a stable video while running or when you are on a bumpy car ride. It replicates a gimbal, only without an external attachment. The Action Mode adjusts to significant shakes, motion, and vibrations, even when the video is being captured in the middle of the action.

Always-On Display

Apple has finally brought Always-On Display to iPhones. The iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are the first ones to get the feature. The Always-On Display is enabled by 1Hz refresh rate and leverages Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion's power-efficient technologies to show time, widgets, and Live Activities available at a glance. You will have fewer reasons to wake the iPhone, which we are hoping will add to the battery life.

A16 Bionic

Each year, the new iPhones get new chips. This year, it's A16 Bionic and it focuses on power efficiency, camera and display. It has two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, along with a new 6-core CPU, which is up to 40 percent faster than the competition, Apple claims. The A16 Bionic also has an accelerated 5-core GPU with 50 percent more memory bandwidth and a new 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple claims is capable of nearly 17 trillion operations per second.

The chipset also plays a crucial role in the camera as it powers computational photography features. The CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, and image signal processor work together to support the new camera hardware and perform up to 4 trillion operations per photo.

48MP Main Camera part of Pro set up

The iPhone 14 Pro series has a triple camera setup. But for the first time, the iPhone gets a 48MP sensor, up from 12MP. The main camera, which is a quad-pixel sensor, is where all the magic is happening. It adapts to the photo being captured and features second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization. The main camera is capable of producing brighter and more detailed low-light images. The new camera is capable of producing 2x better low-light images compared to iPhone 13 Pro. Users can also shoot proRAW images at 48MP image, which is ideal for post-processing. Apple says, even reframing an existing shot will retain the maximum details.

Accompanying the main camera is an improved Telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. Interestingly, Apple has also improved the flash. The all-new Adaptive True Tone flash has been completely redesigned with an array of nine LEDs that change pattern based on the chosen focal length.

Apple's Photonic Engine works on all cameras, up to 2x on the Main camera, up to 3x on the Ultra Wide camera, up to 2x on the Telephoto camera, and up to 2x on the TrueDepth camera. The quality of the image is improved by applying Deep Fusion on an unprocessed image to retain maximum details, colours, and textures.

The cameras also offer powerful computational photography benefits like Night mode, Smart HDR 4, Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, Night mode Portrait photos, Photographic Styles. Cinematic mode is also improved, now available in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps.

Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion

The new iPhones also have the most advanced displays. The iPhone 14 Pro gets a 6.1-inch screen and the Max uses a 6.7-inch panel. The same peak HDR brightness level as Pro Display XDR is available on the iPhone 14 Pros with 1,600 nits. But in outdoor usage, the display can get wildly bright at 2,000 nits, which is twice as bright as the iPhone 13 Pro.

It doesn't come cheap

The new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max won't come cheap. All this comes at a price, but those who can leverage the available features will find their worth in spending the top dollar. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at Rs 1,29,900, the 256GB is priced at Rs 1,39,900, 512GB at Rs 1,59,900 and 1TB variant costs Rs 1,79,900.

iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,39,900. The 256GB model is priced at Rs 1,49,900, the 512GB is Rs 1,69,900 and the 1TB storage options costs a whopping Rs 1,89,900.

The new iPhones will be available in India from September 16. Pre-orders for all iPhones start Friday, September 9.