iPhone 14 Pro Max (2024) Review: Still the Best Value for Money iPhone?

When Apple released the iPhone 14 Pro Max back in September 2022, it was the most premium, feature-packed iPhone yet.

Traditionally, the Pro Max models have been the finest in the family with the biggest display, the best camera formation, and the longest-lasting battery. And the year 2022’s offering was no exception.

But the question is, does the iPhone 14 Pro Max still offer the best value for money in 2024?

This blog will answer this question and all the questions that you want answered.

Let’s get started.

Design: First things First

Let’s be honest here. A phone might offer the best tech in the world, but… if it doesn’t look and feel awesome, you will have a bad feeling deep inside. 

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a beautiful fellow. With curved edges that make good friends with your palm, it’s a phone you can easily hold. You will appreciate the fact that the edges don’t give you the annoying feeling as you take calls or listen to a voice note while holding the device near your ears.  

The next big change is the pill-shaped Dynamic Island cut-out at the top, replacing the years-aged notch that many wanted to let go of. Apple finally listened to those fans.

Next in line is a bigger camera bump at the back. Along with a bigger flash, the camera array takes up a lot of space.

The IP68 water-resistant build is a sought-after amenity in 2024 as users want more insurance against accidental immersion and fall in shallow waters.

If you are ok without a physical SIM card tray, then you will be happy comfortably switching between different phone numbers courtesy of the eSIM (for US-based models, only).  

So, all in all, you have a future-proof device in your hands that’s cheaper than the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max while offering exclusive design brilliance.

Stunning Display that Still Looks Beautiful

The 6.7-inch, always-on display is powered with a dynamic 1-120 Hz screen refresh rate that provides an immersive visual experience whether you watch animated movies or play action-paced games on the couch.

Apple has made the always-on feature in a way so that it matches the lock screen colour with a minimum brightness level. This allows you to conserve the battery while still being able to see the calendar, weather info, and activity notifications.

The Super Retina XDR technology makes the display extremely bright and vivid, making it user-friendly in all lighting conditions.

The notch is gone, finally. Apple did something incredible and innovative in 2022. They replaced the infamous notch with an interactive mini screen – Dynamic Island.

Dynamic Island is used for displaying notifications and live activities including music play info, call status, Uber driver’s expected delivery time, and more.

This mini-screen expands to reveal more information when needed. Plus, you can actually tap to get more options on the screen.

While some might be interested in an iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max comparison, the device still offers one of the top smartphone screens.

A16 Bionic Chip

Apple loaded the Pro Max model of 2022 with the A16 Bionic chip – the first chip built by the company with the 4 nanomater process.

The CPU was designed to be 10% faster than the 13 Pro Max’s A15 Bionic processor but with 50% more bandwidth memory, it improves the gaming experience.

The phone is very responsive whether you are switching between different apps or playing graphics-rich games on the go. You will never feel processing lags.

We recommend the iPhone 14 Pro Max to power users who are in the market for something they could play around with without hitting those annoying lags or glitches.

So, in 2024, the phone definitely holds its feet for power users who frequently push boundaries and like to play wild with their phones.

Stellar 48 MP Camera

Apple introduced the 48 MP primary camera for the very first time in an iPhone. 

This camera uses quad-pixel technology to merge four pixels in a 12 MP shot. This will give better light photos if you want to get brighter clicks.

If you are someone who loves to get more details in a shot, however, then you can use the ProRaw mode for capturing full 48 MP pictures. This option works great for cropping in the clicks.

You will also get a 2x zoom with the primary shooter while the 12 MP telephoto lens brings a 3x optical zoom for loss-less zoom photography.

The Photonic Engine powered by the A16 Bionic chipset is behind better light in every photo you take with any camera setting. You will also get plenty of details and colour reproduction quality in every click.

The results surely make it a top contender for the best camera phones you can buy.

In terms of videography, there were two major upgrades: a brilliant Action mode for non-shaky videos and a bumped-up 4K resolution in Cinema mode.

If you like to shoot great-looking videos while you walk up the hilly tracks, then the Action mode will leave you in awe.

You will get very stable videos with this mode turned on as you walk and shoot. You just need to toggle on the Action mode in the camera app to dramatically stabilize your video.

Software Experience

The amazing software experience offered by the 14 Pro Max is powered by iOS 16 which was a great update at the time of its launch. The always-on screen will show all the things you choose during customization. 

You can now unsend the sent text messages and edit them. You also have the ability to change passwords with the Passkeys. There is a battery percentage indicator as well showing on the screen.

You can customize the lock screen to show widgets, photos, and more. Also, you will see sports scores, real-time progress of your food delivery order, and other live events’ information thanks to the ‘Live Activities’ feature.

Solid Battery Endurance

Thanks to a more efficient processor and a dynamic refresh rate, you will get more than 13 hours of battery life with normal use.

This is a great stamina shown by the battery and it will surely help you take on tasks fearlessly after you have juiced up the battery to full.

With the 20W charger, you can get up to 42% battery charge in 30 minutes. With faster chargers available in the market, we feel that Apple did a conservative job in this discipline.

As we mentioned in our iPhone 14 Pro review it falls short in battery life and screen size when compared to the 14 Pro Max, it’s a matter of choice of which features are most important to you.

Conclusion

Offering a stellar camera, an impressive battery life, and a beautiful always-on display featuring the Dynamic Island, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is an excellent top-end device in 2024. 

Whether you want a photography specialist phone or are looking to handle multitasking, this device will be your new favourite. 

You will get premium, futuristic features while saving a good chunk of money since the phone is a couple of years old now. So, you have nothing to lose here.