Packaging and content
Apple’s packaging is familiar. Apart from the iPhone, all we find is the USB-C to Lightning cable and an Apple sticker.
Materials design and touch-and-feel
The materials of the Pro are glass and steel instead of aluminium, compared to which it is stronger but also heavier. The thickness is 7.9 millimetres and the weight 206 grams, but in the hand it holds well, the dimensions are just right and the grip is there.
Yes, we can finally say it for an iPhone too: the always-on display is there! Regarding connectivity we find 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band GPS and, in the US only, satellite service to send emergency calls.
Display
The display is a 6.1-inch LTPO OLED with 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, which is flawless when set to minimum and is always clearly visible when set to maximum, even in direct sunlight, the sensor adjusting it automatically being dual. In short I would say the best display ever seen on an iPhone, on a par with Samsung’s tops with the only flaw, common to the iPhone 13 Pro, that when it gets really hot it goes into a sort of protection mode and reduces the maximum brightness.
Processor and memory
The processor is Apple’s 4nm A16 Bionic flanked by 6GB of RAM and 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB of non-expandable internal storage.
Battery
The battery is a 3,200mAh 12.4 Wh that charges at 20W, 50% in 30 minutes, or wirelessly at 15W. It might seem small, but combined with the new 4nm A16 chip and iOS 16 optimisation the result is great, reaching the end of my stress day with still 25/30% or 15% if we keep always-on.
Software and ecosystem
iOS 16 has several new features that we have already talked about but the real innovation here, both hardware and software is the Dynamic Island. Apple has managed to turn what would be a classic and ugly hole in the display into something pleasant or even useful. Useful because this ‘island’ that expands and adapts to incoming notifications or the main info of apps running in the background shows information that was previously not shown, or in any case makes it accessible only with a touch, acting as a shortcut.
Phone department
The phone department is excellent both in terms of reception and audio quality, whether capsule or speakerphone. What is really anachronistic now is the dialer, which does not allow a quick search among contacts and does not warn of possible SPAM numbers.