“Dynamic Island” is a term that could describe what it’s like to be at Apple headquarters for the first in-person event since 2019. To attend, you had to have a negative COVID test, pass through airport-like security and deal with a makeup-melting heatwave.
Still, the minute Tim Cook took the stage in the Steve Jobs Theater to announce the latest new round of Apple gadgets, it was like we finally had our “before COVID” lives back. And it felt good. Dynamic Island good.
Dynamic Island is the chuckle-inducing name Apple gave to the redesigned notch – or the shapeshifting “not” notch – that now sits at the top of the screen on the just-unveiled iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
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During the presentation, people groaned when Apple called it the “exciting new way to experience the iPhone.” But when I went hands-on with the new handsets, it was interesting to see in action.
The pill-shaped cutout takes up less screen real estate than the original notch and morphs into different shapes and sizes depending on what’s happening. The top cutout might appear like a little square box when you use Apple Pay, then transform into a sideways rectangle for a phone call.
It opens the top row of your iPhone screen for the first time ever and lets you do more without tapping apps. It’s interesting how it moves and changes in a dynamic way that makes sense with the other upgrades to this handset, too, such as the newer and smaller Face ID sensor.
It’s one of those upgrades that, very soon, we’ll wonder how we lived without, unless you still miss your home screen button. In that case, 2015 called and wants your phone back.
Here’s more from our first hands-on with Apple’s most drool-worthy mobile devices getting upgrades this fall.
Four New iPhone 14s
After years of speculation, rendering, and rumors, the iPhone 14 is finally here. Scratch that. Four new iPhone 14s arrived Wednesday starting with the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and going up to the fully-loaded 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The two iPhone 14 models are similar in shape and size to their predecessors. However, Apple doubled down on the notion that bigger is better – doing away with the mini handset and going all-in on the larger size.
These are the least expensive of the new handsets at $799 for the 14 and $899 for the iPhone 14 Plus. Most of the upgrades to these two models are inside – where it really counts.
The biggest news here is the addition of an SOS feature that uses satellites to send help your way – even if you’re outside of cell range. If you say, fall off a cliff, bump into a bear, or trip on a twig on some faraway trail, the phone will prompt you to point it in a specific direction so that it can communicate an SOS through a satellite orbiting the earth.
Safety was one of the main themes of the entire event, and this new feature was also added to the Apple Watch Series 8.
The cameras also got a decent boost. The front-facing cameras capture much higher quality and sharper-looking selfies than my iPhone 12 Pro. It also added autofocus, which is a long time coming.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus still capture 12-megapixel images, but it’s added an additional zoom length –so now it’s wide and ultrawide – and the sensor behind the main camera is bigger than in the iPhone 13, with bigger pixels and an f/ 1.5 aperture. That means better photos in low light.
Apple says all of its new phones have the best battery life of any iPhone to date but didn’t say what that means. Hopefully, it’s significantly longer than my iPhone 12 Pro.
You’ll likely want the 14 Pro Max if you can afford it. Yes, it’s ginormous – even though it’s only 6.7 inches – the same as all of Apple’s other large-ish-sized phones. There’s a beefiness to it that makes it feel a bit more robust overall.
iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
We already talked about the no-notch “Dynamic Island” feature coming to these two new Pro models, but that’s just the tip of the upsell iceberg. If you want the very latest and greatest, you’ll have to shell out at least $1,000 ($999) for the iPhone 14 Pro. The Pro Max starts at $1,099.
The new Pros have an “always-on” feature that shows widgets of the information you want and need the most without turning the phone on. You can check out the weather, calendar information, and more. It looks great, and wallpapers even darken to match the always-on mode.
What’s under the hood here is worth talking about too: These run on a new A16 Bionic chip featuring 16 billion transistors on a 4-nanometer process. Apple said the chip’s efficiency cores make it 40% faster at a third of the power consumption. The chip helps save battery life even with the always-on display.
It wouldn’t be a new iPhone without new cameras, though. For the first time, the iPhone is moving away from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel one that shoots in 8K. Improvements include advancements in low-light photography, all using a quad-pixel sensor with f/1.78 aperture and 24mm focal length.
There’s no way not to ooh and ahh over the camera package in these Pro models when you put them side-by-side with an older model.
The way Apple made it all look, there’s no real need for “old-fashioned” cameras anymore. Snag a $1,100 iPhone 14 Pro Max and become the next Martin Scorcese. Though as one reader commented on my Twitter feed, “they say this every year, but a year later, I’m still considering buying a mirrorless camera.” Still, it’s enough to out- TikTok the next guy or gal for sure.
Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, and SE
Three new Apple Watches are also coming this fall, including the Apple Watch Ultra that’s sure to give Garmin and other extreme-athlete watches an Olympic-level run for the money.
My current Apple Watch battery has never made it through a marathon. Apple promises to change that with its new Ultra, made with an Aerospace grade titanium case, a new action button, a larger digital crown, a second speaker, cellular, and up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge.
The Ultra is big all the way around, sporting a larger battery, brighter screen, apps for extreme sports, improved GPS, the ability to withstand more extreme temperatures, and water resistance up to 100 meters (compared with Series 8’s 50 meters). Apple says the battery is built to last some 36 hours during normal use, and on an optimized battery setting coming later this fall, it might reach up to 60 hours on a single charge. It also features that new SOS feature and works seamlessly with the latest iPhones and Apple’s new second-generation AirPods Pro.
I love how this watch looks and feels on my wrist, and I hope to go more in-depth — as in scuba diving IRL — with it as soon as they let us review it for longer than 20 minutes. The price for this model is $799 for GPS + Cellular.
The most remarkable features of the new Apple Watch Series 8 — $399 for GPS; $499 for GPS + Cellular — are the Watch’s health and safety improvements, most notably around women’s health. Apple says new temperature sensors allow the Series 8 to help track a wearer’s menstrual cycle, ovulation, and fertility. Apple also emphasized that its data is end-to-end encrypted, and the company won’t have the key to decrypt it. That’s important for privacy issues in these post-Roe v. Wade times.
Apple says additional motion sensors also detect car crashes, allowing wearers to get help faster. It’s available in aluminum and stainless-steel case options in two sizes, 41 mm, and 45 mm, on Sept. 16.
I didn’t spend time with the second-generation Apple Watch SE ($249 for GPS; $299 for cellular). While it’s the most affordable Apple Watch in the lineup, it’s also the most like all its predecessors — though 20% faster than the previous version. Apple also added car crash detection features to alert emergency services and loved ones if it senses a vehicle collision. It has a smaller display than the Series 8 and is available in two sizes, 40 mm and 44 mm, starting Sept. 16.
AirPods Pro 2
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of yet another Pro model getting an upgrade, and this one lives in your ears. The second generation AirPods Pro is finally here to give you all your favorite songs on the go for $249.
Inside the familiar-looking Pro pods, you’ll find a new version of Apple’s H2 chip, Apple’s in-house audio processor. The buds look the same as the first generation but also pack more advanced sensors and a slightly tweaked design. Likewise, the charging case has slimmed down a bit, making it even easier to toss the high-end audio gadgets in your pocket and forget about them until you need them.
I could hear a difference in “detail and clarity” and better noise blocking with the new Pods compared to the first generation. Apple also added new touch sensors in the stems that let you adjust volume with a swipe. The AirPods Pro case also comes with an upgrade — you can play an alert tone through a speaker when you lose it — which I do several times a day. You can also get your case engraved, including with your own tiny “memoji” likeness.
One more thing
There was no “one more thing” at Wednesday’s event. No movie stars. No Bad Bunny playing live music to close out the event like the Foo Fighters and Sia (to name a few) have done in the past. I doubt there will be long lines of people waiting overnight to be the first to buy these latest handsets. But Apple is still Apple. A Dynamic Island. It was excellent to be back there today.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: iPhone 14 first look: Details to know before upgrading your devices