iPhone 14 Pro: Apple reveals redesigned model with range of new features

Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 Pro, a redesigned version of its high-end phone.

It gets rid of the notch that has marked out the iPhone for years. Instead, it has a small cutout at the top of the display, which Apple said is “sure to become iconic”.

The sensors that used to be in that notch have been shrunken and moved into a little pill at the top of the screen. The new design also brings software changes that will put alerts and background activity at the top of the display.

Apple referred to that space at the top of the display as the “Dynamic Island”. When new alerts arrive, they appear to expand out of that small pill-shaped cutout.

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It can also show background activity, such as what music a person is listening to, Apple said.

Away from that dynamic island, the new display has received a range of upgrades, Apple said. It has smaller borders at the side, and is brighter than before, it said.

And that screen also brings the first always-on display to the iPhone. That will show some important information – such as notifications – at all times, without using too much battery, Apple said.

Apple claimed that together meant that the display is the most advanced in any smartphone.

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On the inside, the iPhone 14 gets the A16 Bionic chip. While Apple said that chip was faster than any from a competitor, it did not give specific details of how much faster it is than the A15 Bionic in the previous iPhone – comparing it only to its competitors.

That chip upgrade is not available on the non-Pro version of the iPhone 14, which loses out on many upgrades that are coming to the higher-end version.

As with the normal iPhone 14, many of the improvements to the camera appeared to be software-based, with Apple focusing on the new features made possible by that A16 Bionic.

It does however include a range of revamped camera hardware. Improvements to the hardware mean the main camera can perform twice as well in low-light, for instance, and a vastly increased number of pixels mean that it should be able to take more detailed photographs.

The main camera has a 48 megapixel sensor. The improved sensor captures four times more information than ever before – and can use those extra megapixels to give extra zoom, as well as improved images.

Altogether, Apple claimed the new improvements were the “biggest leap ever” for the iPhone’s camera.

The iPhone 14 Pro also gets all of the upgrades that were introduced with the normal iPhone 14. That includes new crash detection that can tell if a person has been in a motor accident, and the ability to call for emergency services through satellite connectivity.

Like its cheaper sibling, the iPhone 14 can also use a new “action” mode, which dramatically stabilises videos so that people no longer have to carry specialist equipment such as a gimbal, Apple said.

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And the iPhone 14 Pro also introduces new colours, including a revised black colour.

The phone starts at $999, or $1,099 for the Pro Max. That is the same price as the existing iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.