MAX ELOQUENT: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Providing more than just a Dynamic Island, this brings huge advances in its screen, camera and processor

There's no doubt that the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers an upgrade. The specs show advances in almost every area of the phone, from the brighter always-on display and new 48MP camera to the A16 processor and longer life battery. But does it offer enough to tempt users to upgrade from their iPhone 12 or iPhone 13? 

Slightly unusually for Apple, the design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max has changed very little from the 13 Pro Max, and the 12 Pro Max. Holding the three phones next to each other, the only clear differences come in the shape of that notch or Dynamic Island and the exclusive colours that each year brought.

In previous years the iPhone has undergone a more physical change at least every two years, with the model in between often being an 's' version. We're actually glad that Apple didn't decide to change the design this year. The flat edges make the phone more tactile than in previous modes, the overall size and weight of the Pro Max are very satisfying and it doesn't feel unwieldy, despite the 6.7-inch screen size.

As with previous models, the 14 Pro Max uses a ceramic shield on the front display for strength and strengthened matte back glass, plus a colour-matched stainless steel band around the edge. It retains its IP68 rating, which gives dust, splash and water resistance down to 6 metres for up to 30 minutes. The days of worrying about dropping your phone in water are long gone - though you'd be brave to throw this phone in the water on purpose.

Seamless screen

There are two real differences with the iPhone 14 Pro Max screen: the brightness and the always-on functionality. The peak brightness in regular HDR mode now goes up to 1600 nits, compared to the previous 1200 nits. There's also a new outdoor mode (which isn't HDR) but offers a 2000 nits brightness. Even in direct sunlight, the screen was still really easy to view, even to evaluate photos and videos.