Pro, or pro max? Pro......pro max……So a few weeks ago I made a review of this iPhone 14
Pro Max after 6 months and this was my first Max size iPhone ever. There was a bit of a transition
going from the regular size pro to the pro max as my main device, as I discussed in that video,
but now I feel like I can really tell you the difference between these 2 devices. So if you are
still wondering if you should go with the iPhone 14 pro or pro max, this video is for you!
So let me start with all of the things that are the same. If you remember back when the iPhone 6
and 6 plus were released……..all three of you who remember like I do…… the 6 Plus actually
had an advantage over the regular 6 with the camera. It was the first iPhone to get optical
image stabilization, which meant that the iPhone camera could physically move the lens around to
adjust for movement when taking a photo or video. Before that, there was only one iPhone, and since
the iPhone 11 Pro, both the regular and Pro were the exact same except for screen
size and battery size. …….which is the case for the iPhone 14 Pro and pro max.
On the outside is the modern apple design language that really started with the 2018 iPad Pro, or you
could say the iPhone 4 and 5. You get a stainless steel band all the way around, which I’ll talk
about later, with the glass front and back. They look and feel premium on the outside,
and inside is the stupid fast A16 processor with 6gb of ram.
These phones just fly no matter what you throw at it………………
For the displays, they Both of these devices have a beautiful, high res Retina display at
460 pixels per inch. Go ahead, try and see a pixel with your eyeballs….you can’t.
They get up to 2000 nits of brightness which helps with outdoor viewing,
the option for an always on display of that’s something you like, and all the
usual apple display stuff like True Tone and p3 color support and the 120hz pro motion.
Up top is the new dynamic island on both of these phones which is the exact same size on both so
it takes up less screen space but looks smaller on the pro max. I know you’ve seen all the features
of the dynamic island but it is a cool little novelty that takes the downside of a screen cutout
and adds a lively little interactive space. On the back these iPhones have the same comically
large camera arrays with a main, ultra wide, and zoom lens. These cameras perform extremely
well and remain at the top of the pack or near the top of the pack compared to other flagship
phones. The shots are almost always crisp and bright and good enough to hold onto.
With video there is the new action mode which just does incredible video stabilization as you can
see in this video of me running like an idiot. They also have cinematic mode that was introduced
with the iPhone 13 Pro but now with more formats. Add in the SOS features and crash
detection and that pretty much rounds out the features of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
As you can see these devices are nearly identical with all the same features and
performance and they are priced starting at 999 for the Pro and 1099 for the pro max.
The 2 big differences between these 2 devices are the screen size and battery size,
but before I get to that, if you were wondering how these iPhones looks so new,
its because of these Magic Stand cases from Casekoo, and Casekoo is sponsoring this video.
Now, the size and weight difference between these 2 iPhones are instantly noticeable and
for me coming from the regular Pro size, it was an adjustment. It took me a few days before it
felt like a normal size device, but with anything, you get used to it over time.
The pro max in my hand feels right at the edge of being uncomfortable to use. I don’t
have large hands, so your mileage may vary, but the wider and taller device makes it more
difficult to use one handed. I can’t reach across the device with my thumb or get to
the top third of the screen. I have to do a lot of hand gymnastics to hit keys on the other side when
typing or hitting a back button at the top. That’s not to say that I can reach everything
one handed on the Pro but I definitely need to work harder with the max.
When it comes to pockets, I don’t really have an issue with the pants I wear. My
pockets are generally deep enough that the pro and pro max do not stick out of
the pocket or dig into my hip when sitting. On rare occasions I might wear something with
smaller pockets or a different fit and I will see some of that, but generally it’s fine.
The bigger issue is the weight…. If there was one thing I would change about the iPhone Pro
and especially the pro max, it's the weight. The pro max weighs 240 grams compared to the
206 grams for the Pro. Again, this is something you feel instantly when
picking up or switching between the 2. I frequently find myself being aware of
the weight when I use the Max. Whether holding up to surf the web or type out emails, or laying in
bed and watching a video, or holding the phone one handed with my pinky supporting it, I feel
the weight and often want to go back to the Pro. The regular pro is just nicer to hold for a longer
period of time, in my opinion, even as the stainless materials make it
heavier than the iPhone 14 plus. Unlike going bigger, switching from
the Max, back to the Pro, almost feels like a novelty. Going down in size almost makes it
feel like a toy. It’s hard to explain but like I said before, with time it starts to feel normal.
Now, Because the max is a larger iPhone, you get the added benefit of a larger display.
This lets you see more content on the display at one time, get more screen space for games,
and have a better video watching experience. If you are someone who needs to have larger text
on the display you can do that on the pro max without losing that much content with the size
difference. My eyes are not getting any better so that may be more of a necessity in a few years.
And a bonus for the larger iPhone is the better typing experience. I am a 2-thumb typer and the
larger device is just about perfect for me. I am quicker and more accurate with the Pro
Max than I am with the pro……well, as accurate as the iOS keyboard lets you be, these days,
let's be honest….but that’s a different story. I switched back to the Pro a couple weeks ago
and I still can’t get used to the smaller keyboard that I was using
for years before trying the Pro Max. That was almost the hardest thing about
switching to the Pro….the hardest thing is losing the battery life…
Yes, the battery life on the iPhone 14 pro max is so darn good that it basically can outweigh
the size concerns for me. I mean this thing is an absolute beast. I have no battery anxiety
when using this device and I go to bed with a comfortable amount of buffer.
Apple says you can get up to 23 hours of video playback on the Pro and up to
29 hours on the Pro max!!!!!! That doesn’t really mean anything but here is my usage….
On the 14 pro in the last 10 days I was using about 5 and a half hours of screen
on time per day. My usage consisted of regular safari stuff, work apps, email, video, music,
podcasts. Regular stuff, just too much of it. With the Pro I am going to bed with somewhere
between 5-30% battery left over. That’s mostly without any
charging during the day. With the Pro max before I switched,
I was using it an even more unhealthy amount of more than 6 hours of screen on time with basically
the same app types. I’m pretty consistent. I usually go to bed with between
20-40% battery left on the pro max. So I spend more time on the max and have more
battery left over at the end of the day compared to the pro. That’s insane and I love it.
I think part of my lower usage on the pro was battery anxiety. Even though I could
charge the phone anytime during the day since I work from home, I usually don’t
and knowing I have a smaller battery I think I am subconsciously using it less. I don’t know,
I’m no psychiatrist, but the biggest advantage of the pro max is undeniably the battery life
and the biggest reason I will probably go back. So, that about covers this video and I hope that
it was somewhat helpful, but what do you think? Do you prefer the more pocketable, easier to hold
Pro or are you looking for a battery monster? Let me know below. If you are still rocking an older
iPhone and wondering if you should even upgrade, check out this video right up here. Hit the thumbs
up button if you liked it, hit subscribe if you want and I’ll see you next time.