Apple iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max finally ditch the notch... well, kinda

Notch be gone! Long live the new notch! Or 'Dynamic Island' as Apple is calling it

Apple
(Image credit: Apple)

Apple's Far Out event dropped plenty of mega new releases: the introduction of an Apple Watch Ultra, the advancement of the AirPods Pro 2, and an all-new phone called the iPhone 14 Plus

But despite all those big-deal announcements, the one thing many were most excited about before the event even kicked off was the then rumour that the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max were finally set to ditch the notch

And that came to be. Well, kinda. As you can see from the image up top of this very page, the notch is no more for the top-end iPhone models (the entry-level iPhone 14 and 14 Plus retain the older notch design), replaced by what Apple is calling a 'Dynamic Island'. 

It may sound like a hip new band, but the Dynamic Island featured on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max is, to my eyes, more akin to moving the notch away from the top of the screen. It opens up a little headroom in the display above it, but the pill shape is no small factor in the design.

iPhone 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max best new features

Apple

(Image credit: Apple)

Is that a disappointment? I don't think so. We've all got so used to punch-hole cameras and pill-shaped doubled cameras over the years, even multiples in a single device. What I'm more impressed about is the new screen technology in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. 

Crucially it's brightness that gets the biggest boost: the 6.1-inch screen of the Pro and 6.7-inch screen of the Pro Max can now deliver up to a claimed 2000 nits, which is absolutely massive. In addition both handsets offer Apple's ProMotion adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz for silky smooth scrolling and battery-saving when not in those extra frames just aren't needed. 

There's also a new camera system, with both models introducing a 48-megapixel main camera. It uses quad-pixel processing, taking four pixels and using that data to produce one equivalent, outputting in 12-megapixel. So while it's not an output benefit in terms of scale, it ought to deliver greater dynamic range, colour and processing opportunities. 

So whether or not you can say the new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are truly notch-free or not, whatever you're going to call it – Dynamic Island or something else entirely – it's the screen and camera improvements that are the real winners for this generation. Plus there's new iOS 16 software, the latest A16 Bionic processor, and a host of other features. 

The iPhone 14 Pro will be available for pre-order from 9th September, with an on-sale date of 16th September, priced at £1099/$999/AU$1,799. The iPhone 14 Pro Max follows the same pre-order and on-sale dates, and is priced at £1,199/$1,099/AU$1,899. A little pricier than the outgoing models, but if you're all about a Dynamic Island future then you'll have to get dynamic with your wallet.

Mike Lowe
Tech Editor

Mike is the Tech Editor and AV Editor at T3.com. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 and, as a phones expert, has seen hundreds of handsets over the years – swathes of Android devices, a smattering of iPhones, and a batch of Windows Phone products (remember those?). But that's not all, as a tech aficionado his beat for T3 also covers tablets, laptops, gaming, home cinema, TVs, speakers and more – there's barely a stone unturned that he's not had a hand on. Previously the Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for a 10 years, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more. In addition to his tech knowledge, Mike is also a flights and travel expert, having travelled the globe extensively. You'll likely find him setting up a new mobile phone, critiquing the next MacBook, all while planning his next getaway... or cycling somewhere.