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Phones · Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

18owners with an opinion
33%of verdicts positive
4/8positive/negative since 2024
0happy after 3+ years

Praised for reliability and performance; criticized for software and battery.

What owners wrote

Doesn’t like itOwned 2 years
I discovered something insideous after being in the iOS ecosystem. Apple still slows down iPhones, but not in the way you think - every year around their iPhone launch schedule, like clockwork, my iPhone 14 Pro Max slowed down just enough to make me think it was ageing, but not enough to suspect - after a lot of tests, it turns out, the reponsitivity of the touch was being reduced in software. So, the "smooth" iOS polished animations feel a bit laggy, but not enough to raise eyebrows. But, this is not even the worst part. I casually - out of pure coincidence discovered that Apple actually reduces the camera's clarity around their new iPhone launches. Particularly low-light performance. I thought I was being paranoid, but I'm a photographer and the hotel I walked across everyday in the evening had these beautiful hanging creepers which combined with golden lighting, always provided a pleasant sight. So, I loved taking pictures of it randomly until one day I noticed that regardless of the camera mode, the noise was insanely high and the pictures suddenly looked like they were taken from an old Android phone from 2015. I cleaned the lenses, had no cover, etc. I copied the images to my computer and the difference was clearly visible. After a little bit digging, it turns out, I wasn't the only one. A lot of people had complained about the lagginess around iPhone launch dates. This is an old graph from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.... This i…
Doesn’t like it
In my personal experience, this is definitely the case. My iPhone 14 Pro Max slowed down a LOT exactly 3 days before the launch of the new iPhone. I thought it was just a coincidence and did upgrade to 15 and it happened again. Someone on reddit a while ago actually graphed Google trends data for "iPhone slow" and found out there were peaks for the search term right around Apple's launches.
Doesn’t like it
In my experience, iOS only misses keys during the time the keyboard is loading (which can be over a second- crazy!) But I often have input lags where I will press several keys, and then a period of time (which can be multiple seconds) will pass before my taps are registered. The 14 Pro Max launched less than four years ago, and should not be slower than an Android which launched a decade prior.
Doesn’t like it
I have an ‘old’ model (iPhone 14 pro max) and text frequently misses characters due to the lag/input delay. It’s most pronounced when using safari for some reason. In any case, it’s odd that hardware is multiples better yet it doesn’t always nail something as basic as typing
Neutral
I usually read articles like this, however I could not. I use an iPhone 14 Pro Max and plan to upgrade soon. When I do, it won't be because of of AI or Siri. It will be because of my battery slowly dying and me wanting a better camera. I read a report recently that AI subscriptions have paid out around $20 billion or something, where-as investment far exceeded that. I am still waiting on someone to tell me we aren't in a bubble based on that info.
Doesn’t like it
I went through many iPhones, my first iPhone 3G is still lying around. But nowadays I need to look for howto vidoes and blogs for rather simple things. The simplicity is gone, there are too many settings and bugs. Looking for used Google Pixel 9 or 10 Pro Fold to install GrapheneOS and give it a try. It can’t be worse than my iPhone 14 pro max with broken mail.
Doesn’t like it
After updating to iOS 18.3.1, my iPhone 14 Pro Max has encountered many strange bugs. For example, the camera's balance indicator randomly disappears. Additionally, the battery drains significantly faster. I hope Apple can fix these weird bugs as soon as possible.
Neutral
They are replaceable. I've replaced batteries in older iPhones plenty of times, had Apple replace the battery in a few, and I'm probably going to use the Self Service program to get the parts for my 14 Pro Max soon as it's getting a bit tired out.
Neutral
I think if I were in the market for a new iPhone the non-pro ones are more than enough for me. I’ve a 14 pro max and I don’t use all of it or its pro features. What’s even crazier is I am tempted by the pixel fold — that looks amazing for content consumption which is what I use my phone for the most.
Doesn’t like it
I'm waiting for 10X optical. There are times where I borrow my wifes s21 Ultra to get a shot i just can't on iphone. Everything else isn't really needed. I haven't even upgraded to iOS17 on my 13. I also have a 14 Pro Max as my gamer but hate the island so i'm sticking to my 13 Pro as daily driver at least 1-2 more years.
Doesn’t like it
>6.3 inches on iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on iPhone 16 Pro Max — the largest iPhone display ever. People want this? My current 6.7 14promax is already in hindsight too big for single hand operation. Realistically I'm probably skipping 16 anyway. Top end 14 is still adequate for everything I need
Doesn’t like it
Curious how you're finding it so far? I mowed my Note20 Ultra in June of last year and replaced it with a 14 Pro Max then just last month went and swapped back to an S24 Ultra. I found Apple to be too restrictive. The OS level stuff was one thing but the app store lacking things like emulators or vape apps because "Apple said so" rubbed me the wrong way, whether I need them or not. Plus I like writing python on my phone.