In 2023, every iPhone buyer faces a tough question – which one to buy? 14 pro or 14 pro max? This dilemma is exactly what we are going to cover in this article because after using these two very similar phones, I can’t believe how different the experiences are. After countless hours of comparing these two phones, I found out which one would be a wise purchase, and which one would be a waste of money. So, keep reading these lines till the end to know how to get the best phone for the money.
Let’s change the strategy a bit – instead of comparing head-to-head, I’ll compare use cases and how each phone performs in them. From everyday use, pocket, bag, comfort grip, and all.
iPhone 14 Pro Vs Iphone 14 Pro Max size and weight
The 14 Pro takes a point easily – it’s much smaller with its 6.1-inch screen than the pro max with a tablet-like 6.7-inch screen. Both phones are built very similarly — same thickness, same stainless steel frame, and glass front and back. But the weight is very different, and believe me—your hands, especially your pinky, will feel every ounce. The 14 pro weighs only 7.27 ounces or 206 grams, the pro max weighs 8.47 ounces or 240 grams.
You might say – not a big deal. But add to it a case, MagSafe wallet, and MagSafe battery pack, and you’ve got a phone that’s very comfortable in one hand and a brick in the other. The 14 Pro max is a beast, and its size just screams about that. I don’t know how we got from tiny 3.5″ iPhones to 6.7″ tablets.
14 pro max is much bigger than the regular 14 pro. 14 pro max is a straight road to getting swollen hands and battered pockets… I’m exaggerating but still. It’s a two-handed phone at all times. 14 Pro, however, is very comfortable. We watch most of the content on our phones, so the viewing experience is crucial. Screen size, brightness, resolution, etc.
Both screens are incredibly bright and top out at 2,000 nits, have P3 color, and support 120Hz. Despite my love for smaller iPhones, size is everything. The 14 Pro Max’s huge 6.7-inch display is the best. Its sheer size makes everything look better and more realistic. Watching videos, movies, and browsing the web are more convenient with the 14 Pro Max.
Once you taste it once, you can’t go back. Having spent some time with the 14 Pro Max, it took me a while to get used to the 14 Pro’s smaller screen. No matter what others say – size matters.
iPhone 14 Pro Vs Iphone 14 Pro Max Performance and smoothness
Don’t get me wrong – both screens are great, but the pro max makes it just a little bit better. But sure, if you’re used to smaller screens, going straight to the Pro Max might be a stretch for you. Now you might think you should buy a pro max just because of that screen, but I’m not done yet. This huge screen poses a real accessibility issue while watching something.
Again, it’s a two-handed device, and watching everything with two hands makes the experience very similar to that offered by the iPad. Playing games is another use case.
I want to say the gaming experience is identical, but it’s not. Under the hood, both phones pack the same 4nm A16 chip with 6GB of RAM. In terms of performance the two are identical, every synthetic test will confirm this. But in games they perform differently. On the one hand, the 14 Pro is better for time killers and one-handed games.
On the other hand, big games with lots of controls, like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty or PUBG MOBILE | THE BEST BATTLE ROYALE MOBILE GAME is more fun on Pro Max. Larger screens provide more room for controls and make everything bigger.
Games
Call of Duty, as a highly competitive online game, benefits more from big screens – you see enemies more clearly, and your fingers get in the way less. Plus, let’s not forget about the throttling issue — the Pro Max is physically larger and has more surface area to dissipate heat. The 14 Pro heats up very quickly and lowers screen brightness almost instantly, but the 14 Pro Max takes much longer to do so.
I noticed that in some games the 14 Pro Max does not dim the screen at all, which is good news for all mobile game players.
However, if you’re gaming in bed, holding your phone above your head, the 14 Pro Max is more likely to slip and leave a bad mark.
How about going out on a camping trip? I didn’t go myself but I was able to simulate the experience. What do we do on such trips? We take photos and videos, watch movies and listen to music. In other words – battery abuse. Again, for the third time in a row, the 14 Pro Max gets a point.
iPhone 14 Pro Vs Iphone 14 Pro Max Technical details
battery
The regular 14 Pro has a 3,200mAh battery, while the pro max has a 35 percent larger battery — 4,323mAh. As you might have guessed – a bigger battery performs better. I don’t know what you have to do with your phone so 14 pro max won’t last a full day. You watch videos for hours, play games, take pictures, and this continues. The 14 Pro turns off but the pro max still has some juice. Even so always – shown.
Completely useless feature in my opinion, but it drains the battery massively. And even with always on, the iPhone 14 pro max mops the floor with the regular 14 pro.
This is not to say that the 14 Pro has a small battery life, it outperforms many flagship Android phones with larger batteries. IT is not as good as you can get on 14 pro max. Great, but not that great. The battery in the 14 Pro Max is great, but know of anything that’s also great?.
the cameras
It may seem to you that 14 Pro Max is a no-brainer and 14 pro must be ignored completely. No matter what you’re doing – a social media photography or pro-level mobile photography– both iPhones will perform absolutely identical.
All camera modules are the same, algorithms are the same, so the results are the same. You won’t get here the difference we had with 12 pro Max and 12 Pro. on 14 Pro series iPhones Apple has updated the main sensor to 48 Mpix, and the quality of all images taken has improved dramatically.
Especially if you’re shooting RAW. That new 48 Mpix camera yields fantastic shots when shooting RAW – extremely detailed, perfectly colored, with amazing attention to textures, shadows, and amazing dynamic range. Just look at these shots! I guess we all can appreciate how far the cameras have gone in the last couple of years.
Even in 12 Mpix the shots look fantastic – the Photonic Engine knows how to process images for sure. Low-light photography is particularly great – there’s much less noise than in last.
year’s iPhones, more details, better light source treatment. Plus, the results are consistent – you’re getting great shots at all times. And the same goes to ultrawide and telephoto cameras. Updated ultrawide sensor and better processing on both do the trick. All images produced are equally great. I can’t personally say that ultrawide is the pinnacle of technology, there is still room for improvement, but even what we have performs reliably great.
Better use of the camera
I just wish Apple had given a bigger, better sensor next year so the ultrawide would gather more light and more details. When it comes to video, both phones are identical again. They both got upgraded 4K cinematic video and super smooth Action mode. Action mode performs identical and has one weakness – it’s not very detailed. Cropped image and use of ultrawide by default doesn’t sound like good quality to me. And reality confirms that.
Oh, almost forgot – the selfie camera now has Autofocus and the images look even better. Phones still struggle sometimes with white balance and dynamic range, but at least all faces are in focus. Summing up the cameras, both iPhones will never disappoint you. Everything you shoot will look amazing, trust me.
?What about everyday use
Well, that’s something we all do, right? How’s the interface interaction and that Dynamic Island? it’s hard to come up with unusual use cases, so this one will be very trivial and basic. And that’s where 14 Pro earns his points. using it is much more comfortable, and all new features like Dynamic Island really spread their wings on smaller pro iphone.
The Dynamic Island is meant to be interacted with, and doing it on smaller 14 Pro is much easier.
Reaching it doesn’t require using the reachability functions, and all interface elements are much more accessible. Take anything – social media, browsing the web, or texting – 14 Pro is much more comfortable. 14 Pro Max gives bigger buttons and text, but nothing can beat the comfort of reaching everything with one hand.
Perfect use
When it comes to fluidity and interface performance – both iPhones are equally magnificent. 120 Hertz screens make every scroll a true pleasure, and a fast processor opens apps faster than you think.
But I will give a point to a regular 14 Pro simply because it’s much more comfortable in everyday use. So, is there anything else to discuss? I guess it’s time for conclusions. If I was to choose between 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max I would take Pro. This small phone packs all the features as its big brother, but has no size-related disadvantages.
Yes, the battery is smaller, but you will rarely notice that simply because everyone puts their phone to charge overnight. And the price – let’s not forget that 14 Pro costs 1 thousand dollars and 14 pro max – 1100 dollars. 100 dollars does give you a much bigger phone with beefier battery and larger screen, but you lose comfort and usability.
For a thousand dollars 14 Pro is a better deal in my opinion. Period. If you don’t agree with me, feel free to write your opinions in the comments below.
