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The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been unveiled, pre-orders are now live and Apple's 2022 flagships are almost ready to ship to your door now. The new iPhones can quite literally connect to satellites (in the US and Canada), they bring brand new 48MP cameras, and even do away with the physical SIM card tray by replacing it with eSIM.
However, as it turns out, even this impressive set of brand new features doesn’t hold a candle to the iPhone 14 Pro’s new… Dynamic Island.
What? You thought Apple would make a foldable iPhone? Don’t be silly! There’s so much more to squeeze out of the flat iPhone. Give it another five years...
In case you haven’t seen it yet, the Dynamic Island is essentially a display cutout (like the ones Android phones have had for ages) used to house the selfie camera and Face ID sensors of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s also much more than that, though…
In a nutshell, instead of being a punch-hole cutout that’s only there to interrupt your viewing experience, Apple’s utilizing the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island as an additional multitasking, alert, and notification area that will show your recent apps and expand and contract to let you control them. All without you having to leave the app you’re viewing at the moment.
I won’t go through all the details about the new Dynamic Island in this story, as Apple’s done a great job at showing what the new cutout is all about. If you’d like to find out more, check out Rado’s story, which features Apple's video teaser for the new Dynamic Island.
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Anyway, I laughed out loud every time when one of the presenters said “Dynamic Island” during the iPhone 14 Pro’s unveiling, and while this extravagant and unapologetically Apple name will never stop being funny, the response the Dynamic Island's been getting from tech enthusiasts and the general public on the internet has actually been very serious (so, the opposite of funny). Serious, and more importantly, seriously positive.
Surprise, surprise... Unlike 99% of the human population, I’m here to tell you that... I’m nowhere near as convinced that the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island is “the smartphone future we’ve been waiting for". I also think it might not turn out nearly as useful as Apple's trying to make it seem.
Sure, judging by the initial response, the new Dynamic Island will certainly help Tim Cook & Co sell millions of iPhone 14 Pro units to existing Apple users and even Android users, but that’s a story for a different time.
Now, here’s why you shouldn’t fall for Apple’s new Dynamic Island trap and spend at least $1,000-1,550 to have it, depending on where you are in the world. Yes iPhone 14 Pro prices outside the US are outrageous this year, but that's also a story for a different time.
(AT&T) iPhone 14 Pro: get at Walmart and save $200
You can buy the iPhone 14 Pro AT&T-locked from Walmart. Starting at $26.37/month for 36 installments. The sold device comes with 256GB of storage. Get it now and save.
(Straight Talk) iPhone 14 Pro Max: Get at Walmart now
You can get a Straight Talk-locked iPhone 14 Pro Max at Walmart. The model with 128GB of internal storage in Gold is currently available without any discounts.
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: Apple creates a problem and then sells you a solution… again, and again and again
First things first, I have to commend Cupertino on being the genius marketers and salesmen that they’ve become. I don’t believe "you’re born this way", so it must’ve taken many years of trial and error to get to a level of brilliance in the field of sales...
With that out of the way, in case it’s not clear, Apple took the notch, which some considered to be the iPhone 13 Pro’s biggest disadvantage compared to Android, and turned it into what’s shaping up to be the iPhone 14 Pro’s biggest selling point. In case you're wondering, the last time Android pulled the same feat was... never.
Anyway, Tim Cook & Co achieved all of that simply by shrinking the notch into a slightly smaller punch-hole and making it an essential part of iOS 16 instead of an annoying bit of the iPhone that your brain learns to ignore.
However, that shouldn’t distract you from the fact that Apple’s been employing this sneaky strategy to attract users’ for ages now. The Californians have become what I’d call masters of “create a problem and then sell people the solution”...
Apple did it with the MacBook Pro when it stripped it naked off essential ports and gave it an extra Touch Bar display, only to remove the Touch Bar and bring back the ports that were never supposed to go years later
Cupertino created another problem by removing the headphone jack from the iPhone and then started selling AirPods which served as the solution
Apple also removed the charger from the iPhone’s box only so you can buy the charger (solution) separately
It won’t be shocking if next year Apple removes the charging port and sells you a special MagSafe accessory so you can charge your iPhone 15 (that's also a story for another time)
The iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island is Apple’s (il)logical answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4?
Try smart. Not hard.
One way to look at the new iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island is to say: “Hey, it was probably always going to be part of the iPhone 14 Pro, but at least Apple is making the most out of it, and that’s noble”. To that, I say… sure.
But what value is the Dynamic Island actually adding to your iPhone? Does it make it faster? More Pro? Longer-lasting? Not really. Yet, here’s the description of the new iPhone 14 Pro video introduction on YouTube:
“What lies beyond a traditional smartphone? Let’s find out. This is iPhone 14 Pro… It starts with the Dynamic Island, an interactive place that bubbles up alerts, notifications, and activities.”
Now, I hope you’ll excuse me, Apple, but I beg to differ...
This is totally not “what lies beyond a traditional smartphone”, since the new display cutout (as functional as it might be) is very much just a tiny part of the traditional smartphone. Also, let’s not blow smoke and pull out the mirrors for the unsuspecting average Joe who'll buy into this marketeer chitchat.
Apple isn’t saying it directly, but what shines through is that the company doesn’t pay too much attention to the outside world. In particular, the fact that phone-makers like Samsung and Xiaomi are now making foldable phones. Because Apple can generate more interest with… a display cutout.
Let’s not forget that just days ago, Samsung openly tried to mock Apple for not making a foldable iPhone. Karma is a… notch, asApple can now poke fun at Samsung for not making the most out of the regular Galaxy flagship.
Back in 2019, the Samsung Galaxy S10 had a similar camera cutout to that of the iPhone 14 Pro but Samsung had no idea how to use it and make the most out of it. All the South Korean company could come up with was a secondary ultra-wide-angle selfie camera. Today, both Apple and Samsung achieve the ultra-wide selfie view through software - with one camera, and Apple is about to sell a gazillion iPhones thanks to pushing the pill-shaped cutout to its limits.
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: The “best iPhone software feature ever” or an overhyped Touch Bar 2.0 disaster?
Now, to the practical side of the story...
In my view, the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island is just another example of Apple breaking things in order to fix them and come out as the hero. Is that a problem? Is it illegal? Does it hurt anybody? Not really. But it also doesn’t tell the whole story...
Think about it - does the Dynamic Island add any functionality to the iPhone that couldn't have been supplied without the presence of a pill-shaped display cutout? No. The Dynamic Island’s cool tricks are 95% software and 5% touch-sensitive area within the cutout.
In no way is the new display cutout an essential hardware feature. It’s just a (literal) hole in the hardware that Apple filled by using the help of its ingenious human design and marketing teams. The notch could've become Apple's Dynamic Peninsula ages ago.
Potential issues for iPhone 14 Pro users and the new Dynamic Island - Apple is contradicting itself...
The Dynamic Island is positioned way too high up on the iPhone, so using it won’t feel nearly as natural and intuitive as Apple is making it seem. I don’t envy those who’ll spring for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and then try to control their music from the Dynamic Island while holding the giant iPhone 14 Pro Max with one hand. Remember, iOS 16 is moving your notifications to the bottom of the screen only so it's more convenient for you to reach them. Self-contradiction much?
You’ll constantly have to wipe the brand new 12MP Auto-focus selfie camera on your iPhone 14 Pro because your greasy fingers will be touching it every time you try to interact with the tiny icons within the Dynamic Island. Here's a link to Apple's Polishing Cloth. $19 before tax. Enjoy!
I have the feeling that the tiny Dynamic Island app icons might turn out to be tricky to hit with your fingertips, which is why the new display cutout might end up being about as useful as the Touch Bar was for the MacBook Pro. But I hope I'm wrong. If not, Apple will ditch it in 3-4 years and everything will be fine. Calm down.
On the contrary, what about accidental touches? Would the new Dynamic Island be sensitive but yet intelligent enough to know when you want to press it and when you don't? Fingertip-rejection, please, Apple.
And, of course, there’s the one drawback of having a giant cutout in your display that everyone (somehow?!) immediately forgot about when they saw the flashy animations of the new Display Island… What about watching videos or playing games on iPhone 14 Pro? Weren’t we supposed to be getting closer to that “full-screen iPhone experience” by now? Instead, we stick to the big black bars when consuming media. Notch much?
iPhone 14 Pro and Dynamic Island: Apple’s 2022 definition of "what lies beyond the traditional smartphone" is puzzling, but as lucrative as always
In the end, please, don’t get me wrong...
I don’t think the new Display Island is worse than the notch. I’m just not sure if it’s any better. But that’s what happens when a company doesn’t like to play by the rules and when no one else makes smartphones that run iOS. We get only Apple's definition of innovation and with that Apple's “it is what it is - take it or leave it”. That's helped the company a ton, but that's also a story for a different time.
Anyway, rumor has it that the new iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island is heading to the standard versions of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus too, which means it’s certainly here to stay. Until when? Probably for another five years or so...
Yes, I think Apple might make and release a foldable iPhone in 2027. But forget about that. The Dynamic Island is here now and it's exactly "what lies beyond the traditional smartphone". OK?
Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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