Why I went back to the iPhone 14 Pro Max (and why I still love it)

3 weeks ago

Someone holding a Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro Max, showing nan backmost of nan phone.

As conception editor for Digital Trends’ Mobile section, I often usage a lot of different phones. But sloppy of which fantabulous Android phone aliases bleeding-edge folding phone I’m reviewing, I’m ever utilizing an iPhone astatine nan aforesaid time. From September 2022 until early March 2023, my iPhone of prime was nan iPhone 14 Pro Max. But aft getting irritated pinch its gargantuan size and weight, I downgraded to nan smaller (and much manageable iPhone 14 Pro).

I’ve been utilizing nan iPhone 14 Pro since then, and it’s been a awesome experience. It does everything nan iPhone 14 Pro Max does, but successful a shape facet that’s importantly easier to usage — particularly one-handed. But successful mentation for nan iPhone 15 bid coming soon, I precocious went backmost to nan iPhone 14 Pro Max to spot really I would get on pinch it aft months of surviving pinch its smaller sibling. And successful doing so, I realized something. This is still a beautiful darn bully telephone — and 1 that makes maine excited for nan iPhone’s future.

The artillery life situation

Close-up position of remaining artillery life connected an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Complaints astir nan iPhone 14 Pro’s battery first started rolling successful soon aft folks sewage their hands connected nan telephone past September. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Some iOS updates complete nan past fewer months appeared to person improved things, while others seemed to do nan opposite. The wide consensus, though, is that artillery life still isn’t peculiarly bully — even aft 11 months.

This is thing I noticed myself — and complained about soon aft switching to nan iPhone 14 Pro. With mean use, I was uncovering myself hitting 20% (or lower) by precocious afternoon. That ne'er improved arsenic nan months went on, and it only sewage worse aft I downloaded nan iOS 17 beta. I’ve ne'er felt assured successful nan iPhone 14 Pro’s artillery life, and while that’s not a huge issue erstwhile I’m astatine location each day, it’s incredibly annoying erstwhile I’m walking aliases hanging retired pinch friends successful nan evening. Thinking astir erstwhile I should drawback a charger is ever oin nan backmost of my mind pinch nan iPhone 14 Pro, and that benignant of artillery worry isn’t nosy to unrecorded with.

Battery stats connected nan iPhone 14 Pro Max.

I’ve been utilizing nan iPhone 14 Pro Max connected nan iOS 17 nationalist beta since I switched backmost to it, and moreover connected beta software, artillery life has been importantly better. It doesn’t past rather arsenic agelong arsenic it did during those first mates of months successful September and October of past year, but it’s still very good. Even pinch 6 to 7 hours of surface clip — pinch complete an hr of that being maine playing Call of Duty: Mobile — I tin comfortably get to 11 p.m. earlier I dip to 10% artillery remaining. If I limit my gaming time, I tin easy get done a day-and-a-half connected a azygous charge.

Yes, I wish nan iPhone 14 Pro Max wasn’t rather truthful large and heavy, but I’m becoming much consenting to place those things erstwhile there’s such a large quality successful its endurance. It’s not ideal, but if it intends I don’t person to interest astir artillery life 24/7, I’ll happily usage a heavier telephone than I’d like.

Big screens conscionable do it better

Mobile moving connected an iPhone 14 Pro Max.

But it’s not conscionable a bigger artillery that’s helped maine admit nan iPhone 14 Pro Max again. Most of nan phones I’ve utilized this twelvemonth person had large displays. Whether it’s nan Motorola Edge Plus, OnePlus 11, aliases Nothing Phone 2, I’ve gotten utilized to smartphones pinch 6.7-inch displays. As such, going backmost to nan 6.1-inch surface connected nan iPhone 14 Pro came pinch immoderate unexpected consequences.

I emotion really compact nan iPhone 14 Pro feels and really easy it is to negociate pinch 1 hand, but I besides recovered it was emotion a spot cramped. It’s good for browsing Threads aliases checking Microsoft Teams messages, but if I want to do thing much immersive — specified arsenic pursuing Apple Fitness+ workouts, watching YouTube videos, aliases playing excessively galore matches on Call of Duty: Mobile — nan iPhone 14 Pro Max is acold and distant nan much enjoyable phone.

There are plentifulness of phones that connection a large surface successful a much manageable shape factor, including each of nan Android phones mentioned above. But aft utilizing some Pro iPhones and reasoning astir wherever my priorities lie, I’ve recovered myself being much consenting to put up pinch nan bulky size if it intends getting a bigger, much expansive display. Videos look better, workouts are easier to follow, and games are much immersive. It sounds for illustration specified a elemental point connected paper, but I didn’t recognize really overmuch I really weighted nan iPhone 14 Pro Max’s bigger show until I had to unrecorded without it.

I can’t hold for nan iPhone 15 Pro Max

I wanted to revisit nan iPhone 14 Pro Max for a mates of reasons. The first was to spot if I had made nan correct prime successful downgrading to nan regular iPhone 14 Pro earlier this year, and to that end, I find myself a spot conflicted. I still vastly prefer really nan iPhone 14 Pro feels. It’s a overmuch much comfortable telephone successful almost each regard, and for a gadget you chiefly interact pinch by holding it, that’s a large deal.

But arsenic I usage nan 2 phones broadside by side, it’s difficult to contradict really nan iPhone 14 Pro Max outclasses its smaller sibling. The iPhone 14 Pro’s artillery life problem has only persisted arsenic nan twelvemonth has gone on, and while nan Pro Max isn’t a artillery champion, it still fares acold better. Also, arsenic personification who’s recovered myself playing much mobile games and watching much videos connected my phone, nan larger surface size has been a important affirmative I can’t overlook.

So, what does each of this mean? I’m going to support utilizing nan iPhone 14 Pro Max for nan contiguous future, but if anything, it’s only made maine much excited for nan iPhone 15 Pro Max. Rumors heavy propose that Apple is switching to a titanium assemblage this twelvemonth alternatively of stainless steel, which should thief reside my interest astir nan iPhone 14 Pro Max’s weight.

I person very fewer bones to prime pinch nan iPhone 14 Pro Max, truthful if its weight is addressed successful a meaningful way, that’s really exciting. And that’s earlier we moreover commencement reasoning astir the beardown likelihood of a USB-C port, a periscope zoom camera, and a caller A17 chipset pinch (hopefully) amended powerfulness efficiency.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max remains 1 of my favourite phones of nan past year, and if Apple delivers connected nan iPhone 15 Pro Max rumors we’ve been hearing, that sounds for illustration a telephone I can’t hold to get my hands on.

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