Iphone 14 | iPhone 14: Why nobody needs a Pro model | apple iphone

Simon Lohmann

It starts with the question of price: are you willing to spend at least 1,149 euros for an iPhone 13 Pro? Maybe, because after all, for the money you get the latest features that Apple is currently building into its smartphones. Latest design, latest camera, latest display technology – it’s all included in this proud price. Unfortunately, before you buy it, you don’t know exactly whether you will use or appreciate these new features in everyday life. In this field report, I will explain why an iPhone 13 Pro is not necessary, apart from a few features, and why the question of the need for a Pro model will perhaps no longer arise with the next iPhone 14 generation.

reading tip

: (Almost) a year with the iPhone 13: Our experiences

iPhone 13 Pro: Who needs it – and who doesn’t

The iPhone 13 Pro has only been given a few new features:

What looks like a lot of changes on paper turns out to be quite monotonous in practice. The 20 percent narrower notch doesn’t really matter because it’s still very present on the screen. Anyone who has already been bothered by the large notch will also have problems with the “smaller” notch. The new colors (blue and green) are also a secondary feature, since most users wear a case with such expensive devices, so that in the end not much of the case color can be seen.

The 120Hz display is actually a feature that has convinced me since the iPhone 13 Pro came out. Once you’ve enjoyed such a smooth iOS experience, you won’t want to go back anytime soon. But I know enough friends and acquaintances who don’t really notice the difference between the Pro Motion display and the Super Retina XDR display (which is also installed in the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro).

reading tip

: 59% cheaper: Popular iPhone accessories on Amazon

The macro mode is quite nice and was extensively tested and used, especially in the initial phase. Once the first rush of enthusiasm has passed, you quickly switch to the normal wide-angle camera or use the new, improved zoom, which can still be a bit better. Speaking of the camera: the new cinema mode is also more of a fun feature to play around with, but in the end the results are usually not so good that you would like to use it more often. If you’re not a film student or use your iPhone a lot for hobby filming, you probably haven’t even discovered cinema mode.

The improved battery, on the other hand, is a real reason to buy it. Apple promises up to 22 hours of video playback, 19 hours for the iPhone 13 and only 17 hours for the iPhone 12. Pro features also need a pro battery. While 1 TB of storage is nice, it’s way overpriced and way overkill for the average user. In this respect, Apple has created an innovation here that should be irrelevant for the majority of users anyway. Just like the A15 chip. Since this is installed in all models, you don’t have to worry about whether the latest chip is sufficient for individual use or whether an older chip is the better choice. It’s there – and that’s a good thing.

Why I Don’t Need an iPhone Pro—And You Probably Don’t either

The iPhone 13 Pro is a beautiful device – no question about it. And I don’t want to deny anyone the right to buy such a device, even though not all the new features are used. Anyone who can afford it should do whatever he or she wants. In the end it is important that you have fun with the product and you definitely will with the Pro device.

I’ve been using the iPhone 13 Pro for ten months now and after all this time I can honestly say that only a few of the new features listed paid off for me in the end. I think the new pro-motion display is phenomenal and the better battery is also a big advantage for me as a power user. But are these features what make an iPhone an iPhone Pro? Hardly, unfortunately, my personal technical preferences can only be bought in an iPhone 13 Pro, which is why I inevitably have to go for the Pro model and put 250 euros more on the table. 250 euros is a lot of money when you consider that in the end you only use two features that are not available in a standard model like the iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 Pro models are also quite heavy, compared to the iPhone 13 exactly 30 grams to be exact. From my point of view a clear disadvantage.

The lines between pro and non-pro are blurring on the iPhone too, just like Apple’s line of Macs and iPads. Would you like to know in detail what the difference is between an iPad Air with an M1 chip and an iPad Pro with an M1 chip? If not, you will find the answer here. With the iPhone 14, however, Apple could finally make a clear distinction again.

iPhone 14: Still Pro, but…

A detailed overview of all information, leaks and rumors about this year’s Apple smartphone can be found in our large iPhone 14 rumors article. It also describes the portfolio that we expect for this autumn. The iPhone Mini is no longer available, but in addition to the regular iPhone 14 there is a larger variant, which will probably be called the iPhone 14 Max. The Pro models will also be available for the iPhone 14, each as a small and large model. However, the sizes are not necessarily the decisive argument for pro or non-pro, but the features that the current generation has.

According to current rumours, all models will have a new notch that doesn’t really have much in common with the current notch at the top of the screen. And the Pro Motion Display technology should also change in all models, not just the Pro models. Apple will certainly come up with arguments again as to why users should prefer the Pro models. There is currently a 2 TB storage version in the room and also that Apple is only giving the Pro models a better chip, while the non-Pro models will still have to make do with the A15 chip from the current generation. This would again be a real difference between pro and non-pro. The difference would be even greater should Apple actually bring another major camera update to the Pro models.

According to the current state of knowledge, Apple will subject the non-Pro models in the iPhone 14 to such a major upgrade that many users will ask themselves the question this year: Do I really need a Pro iPhone? Or is a “normal” enough?