iPhone 14 Pro Max Review – Still worth it in 2024?

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I’ve spent six months with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s my first big iPhone in some time, having spent the previous twelve months daily carrying the brilliant iPhone 13 mini.

I’ve been amazed by how quickly I’ve adapted to the large display and hand-filling form factor of Apple’s largest smartphone. It still feels uncomfortable in certain trouser pockets and I’m occasionally frustrated by the inability to use it confidently one-handed, but comparing the iPhone 14 Pro Max to the tiny iPhone isn’t particularly fair.

However, if you’ve reached this webpage, I guess you must be considering whether the iPhone 14 Pro Max is worth buying. And I understand the hesitation; it is significantly more expensive than the normal iPhone 14 – particularly when you look at the competition.

This is my final verdict on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and I can’t deny what a technical marvel the iPhone 14 Pro Max is.

It’s just a bit boring.

It isn’t too big

If you love small phones like I love the iPhone 13 mini, then the thought of wielding a 6.7-inch display is genuinely concerning.

I was scared that I’d get fed up with the finger gymnastics required to operate the device one-handed. Would I continually drop the damn thing? Would I hate the presence of it in my pocket?

As it turns out, all of those fears have gone quickly – I love the size of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Sure, I have to occasionally use my nose to press stuff on the screen if one of my hands is otherwise engaged (stop laughing at the back), and it isn’t particularly trouser-friendly in some instances, but the size of that display, what it offers for consuming content, does trump all of that stuff.

The camera is great, but not revolutionary

The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes with a 48MP main camera along with a 12MP Ultra Wide lens and a 12MP 3x Telephoto lens. All you need to know is that these cameras take great photos. The ultra wide lens in particular remains a cut above other Android competitors.

But, unless you’re going to dive into the possibilities of shooting full-blown 48MP ProRAW images with your iPhone the camera specs are a bit of a non-event. The iPhone still takes wonderful photos, as it always has done, but the new camera features built into the software will only make themselves known to those with a keen eye or the time required to shoot and edit ProRAW.

I personally prefer images produced by the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Google Pixel 8 Pro, but you can rest easy when buying the iPhone 14 Pro Max that the point-and-shoot ability of the camera system is excellent. And that’s all that really matters.

It’s still a hardware monster

Even after all these years, Apple still wears the crown when it comes to hardware.

Of this generation of smartphones, the Pixel 7 Pro comes mightily close but nothing quite beats the fit and finish of an iPhone. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the epitome of that; it feels super expensive, prestigious, and deserving of its heritage. It’s the sort of device you don’t want to cover up with a case (although I highly recommend you do so).

The A16 Bionic chip is a beastly processor. I haven’t noticed any slowdowns or sticky points when using the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is so good that Apple chose to use it again in the standard iPhone 15. Even in 2024 it holds its own and will satisfy the needs of 99% of users.

Apple often reuses it’s chips in subsequent products, something I cover in my iPad mini 7 review.

Although it’s getting closer with recent updates to Android in 2024, no software I’ve tried comes close to the buttery-smooth feel of iOS running on an iPhone.

Dynamic Island isn’t a big deal

If there’s one feature that has been discussed more than any other when it comes to the Pro iPhones, it’s the Dynamic Island…joined now with the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s Camera Control button.

The Dynamic Island replaces the maligned ‘notch’ that’s still present on the regular iPhone 14. At first, it really does offer that ‘fresh out of the box’ feeling that you’re getting something genuinely brand-new. However, Dynamic Island’s brilliant implementation is also its biggest challenge – you forget it’s there very quickly.

The fluid animations are nice and the screen space saved is good, I guess, but this wears off quickly.

After a couple of weeks, Dynamic Island simply becomes part of the device. It doesn’t get in the way any more than the notch, and its limited feature set at this moment in time means it rarely makes itself known throughout the day.

Don’t make a decision about buying the iPhone 14 based on the Dynamic Island.

The battery life is fine

If used normally, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is still a two-day phone but there are times when I look at the battery indicator and wonder why it has drained quite so quickly.

Oddly, this appears to happen during the first half of the day. I’ve never been able to pinpoint why, and I don’t use my phone any more heavily during the morning, but I suspect it might be more OS-based than anything to do with the battery itself.

The truth is, you won’t have problems with the battery life unless you’re using it intensively. The only slight detraction is that iPhone battery lives have been outpaced quite significantly in recent years by flagship Androids. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for example has a battery life superior to the iPhone 15 Pro Max by many hours.

But if that doesn’t bother you then the iPhone battery isn’t a dealbreaker.

What I don’t like

Upon release, I paid £1,309 for my 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max. At the time, I thought that was an eye-watering sum for a smartphone that has, as we’ve just discovered, some serious lower-priced competition breathing down its neck. And I stand by that sentiment.

The simple fact is that there are cheaper options that are nearly as good if you don’t mind a few minor concessions.

Apple currently sells refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Max devices for about $1000/£1000. You can also buy one here on Amazon for the same price.

For $999, you can get a Google Pixel Pro, the latest flagship phone from Google released in 2024. The camera is excellent, the hardware is amazing and it feels premium.

Or if you want something different, then you can pick up a Samsung Z Flip6 for £799 in the UK or $1,099 in the USA.

The point I’m making is, that for the price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can get equally good phones. There’s one thing that might stop you though…

Apple Ecosystem

There’s the one thing that keeps me welded to the iPhone as my main daily driver – the Apple ecosystem. I managed to last most of 2024 using the Samsung S24 Ultra and thoroughly enjoyed it.

But switching back to the iPhone 16 Pro Max recently has reminded me just how excellent the ecosystem is.

For me, it’s the Apple Watch and the ludicrously boring yet indispensable copy-and-paste Hand Off feature. Air Dropping is also so convenient and is something that I use several times ad ay.

I couldn’t do without either of these things. If you are also already locked into the Apple Ecosystem, then the iPhone 14 Pro Max will slot in seamlessly.

Conclusion

In the year that the iPhone 14 Pro Max was released, I crowned the Google Pixel 7 Pro as my phone of the year. So that lets you know I wanted that excited about the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It might be the best iPhone I’ve ever used, and it remains an essential tool for both my personal life and business, but it’s ultimately dull.

And guess what. That doesn’t matter. It is an exceptionally good smartphone, attractive to the masses.

If anything, the iPhone 16 release should solidify your decision making. The iPhone hasn’t changed all that much in the last two years meaning you aren’t really missing out by buying an older model. If you can find an iPhone 14 Pro Max for a good price, then I say buy one if you want a top-level iPhone that still performs today.

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