The new Pro iPhones introduce new hardware and UI concepts such as an always-on display and the interactive Dynamic Island, giving users plenty of reasons to want to upgrade.
The brand new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have just been launched and Gadgets 360 is on the scene at Apple Park in Cupertino to bring you your first look at them. We can finally put all rumours and speculation to rest, which is interesting because the devices that I have with me are not quite what I’d been expecting – or perhaps dreading. Beyond the obvious new “Dynamic Island” front camera design there’s quite a bit to talk about. If you like always having the latest and greatest iPhone, or if you’ve been waiting a while to upgrade, read on.
Thanks to a stronger US dollar, both of Apple’s new Pro phones are more expensive than their predecessors in India even though the price levels in the US have not changed. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at Rs. 1,29,900 for 128GB, Rs. 1,39,900 for 256GB, Rs. 1,59,900 for 512GB and Rs. 1,79,900 for the 1TB option. The larger iPhone 14 Pro Max costs Rs. 10,000 more at each level, so the prices are Rs. 1,39,900, Rs. 1,49,900, Rs. 1,69,900, and Rs. 1,89,900 respectively. It’s still unclear why the gap between iPhone and iPhone Pro prices is so much wider in India than in other countries – Apple should be using the same multiplier across its products, but that isn’t the case.
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (Review) are officially discontinued but should continue to be available from third-party retailers for some time, hopefully at discounted prices.
The new 48-megapixel main camera is said to allow for more flexibility and better low-light shots
So, all the leaks and rumours were accurate, but it turns out that what we knew before this launch was only a tiny fraction of the whole story. This is a fantastic reminder that we shouldn’t all get on the hype (or hate) train based on leaks alone, and it’s also an example of how we can still be surprised and delighted by tech. I think Apple must have quite enjoyed knowing that it can still surprise people, and as a spokesperson said during the keynote, it’s Apple’s unique dedication to designing hardware and software together that makes things like this possible.
Multiple leaks and renders based on technical specifications, over the course of several months, all seemed to agree that Apple had settled on a weird pill-and-hole camera cutout design. Although it seemed so obviously awkward and distracting, it wasn’t hard to imagine Apple going with it just to be different – this is after all the company that brought us the idea of the notch, tried and failed to make the Touch Bar catch on, and even once convinced itself that a buttonless and screenless iPod was a good idea.
The latest leaks before this reveal were somewhat on the right track. While there is space between the pill and hole, it isn’t going to be visible to users because the hole has actually been expanded using software, so you get used to seeing a black patch. It’s integrated into UI elements for notifications and status indicators, and it’s interactive.
