- I bought the new iPhone 14 Pro Max the day after it went on sale at Apple stores.
- I got $640 back by trading in my iPhone 13 Pro Max, but I still had to pay another $780.
- I was really excited about the “Dynamic Island” feature, but I had to listen to Steve Jobs’ daughter.
For the past decade, I’ve been one of Apple’s best customers. I’ve bought every new iPhone since switching from BlackBerry to iPhone 4S.
This year was no different. I bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max 256GB Silver the day after it was released on September 17. I got $640 back by trading in an iPhone 13 Pro Max, but I still had to pay $780.
After playing with my new toy for two weeks, I can say that there are no big surprises other than “Switching Island”. That’s Apple’s name for the dead space between the selfie camera and the Face ID sensor that now “integrates notifications, alerts and activity into one interactive space.”
My colleague Antonio Villas-Boas can tell you all about the technical aspects of Apple’s latest products, so I’ll focus on the usability.
Steve Jobs’ daughter is right
Finally, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ daughter Eve Jobs posted a meme on Instagram saying that the iPhone 14 looks remarkably similar to the previous model.
“I’m upgrading from an iPhone 13 to an iPhone 14,” it reads, showing a man holding a shirt similar to the one he’s wearing.
While the new series of smartphones have several new software features, I’m disappointed that there isn’t anything more.
I admit I was excited when the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max went full screen – especially now that the standard is gone.
I will admit that the dynamic island feature is pretty cool. I love that you can easily load it while listening to music and it will take you back to your app. However, it can be used more effectively.
Having an iPhone 13 Pro Max, I couldn’t see the difference it would make for an actual upgrade other than a flexible island. Maybe he just found a smartphone as good as it gets?
Dynamic Island uses the space at the top of the screen to display ads, song titles, and other information.
Apple
Nonsense
I always find an excuse to splurge hundreds on the newest smartphone: I can use my iPhone for work, report on trips, have the battery last all day, and support everything else I need to do with it. We call it exactly what it is: vanity.
Even the now-vintage iPhone 8 (from way back, erm, 2017) can do the job. But, there’s an appeal to getting the latest cell phone, and it’s not just bragging to your friends.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told a man who asked if Apple would adopt RCS – the messaging app developed by Google for Android phones – to buy his mother an iPhone so she could easily see the videos he sends her.
With AirPods, iPads, MacBooks and Apple Watches around, it’s not just the iPhone that Cook thinks everyone should have. And yes, I own all those tools too, of course.
Although I always say that I don’t think I can switch from iPhone to Android, many people have done it and somehow survived. Maybe it’s time I took an iOS holiday?
