Dynamic Island, satellite connectivity, eSIM and more

Apple’s Wednesday Far Out event saw many Apple devices launch, from Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 2nd Gen to the new iPhone 14 series. With these new iPhones, Apple brought eight new features for its users, which will surely come in handy – as and when needed. While – like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series – the iPhone 14 series retails four iPhone models, this year, Apple ‘goes big’ and ditches the mini variant for a Plus model. However, the iPhone 14 series’ Pro models steal the show with their new features and pill cutout called the Dynamic Island. Here’re all the new features iPhone 14 series that it brings to the table.

1. Emergency SOS via Satellite

Emergency SOS via Satellite is a new feature to the iPhone 14 series’ arsenal that could help you get rescued from a place with a low-to-no cellular connection. It utilises Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services to request the emergency: If someone is injured, needs rescue, or any other urgent assistance. The user will have to point the iPhone at the satellite using on-screen navigation, and then it will notify emergency services for assistance.

Initially, this feature will launch across the United States and Canada in November 2022 and will be free for iPhone 14 series phone users for two years.

2. Dynamic Island

Since the launch of the iPhone X, Apple hasn’t changed its iPhone’s notch display much, apart from shrinking it a bit. That, however, changes with the new iPhone 14 Pro models. The new pill cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max display – called Dynamic Island – houses a new and smaller Face ID sensor. This small cutout extends to capture a wider display area showing more information and allows you to interact with any new alerts or notifications.

For example, if you’re playing a song and tap on the cutout, it will expand and give you access to on-screen buttons to control the music, making it an “exciting new way to experience the iPhone.”

3. Crash Detection

This new feature could save your life in case of an accident. In fact, the Apple Far Out event started with people across the world sharing their stories of how the Apple Watch has saved their lives during hard times. While these were the cases where the users were in full control of their surroundings, the same can’t be said for car crash cases where the victim might not be able to call for help. The new Crash Detection feature on the Apple Watch and iPhone 14 series alert your emergency contacts and rescue services of your exact location if you get caught in a crash.

Apple says this feature detects sudden g-force changes in four types of car crashes: front, behind, side, and rollover, and asks if you’d like to call an emergency service. If you fail to respond in 10 seconds, it will automatically alert your emergency contacts and rescue services.

4. eSIM only

While Apple didn’t make the iPhone 14 series eSIM only for India, it will only come with an eSIM option in the US. However, the Cupertino giant could get rid of the SIM tray in 2025 with the iPhone 15 series to test the waters for a port-less and tray-less iPhone. In India, carriers like Airtel, Jio, and Vi do offer eSIM support, but the adoption rate of an eSIM is slow.

5. 8K video capture

The iPhone 14 series’ Pro models flaunt a triple rear camera setup, which includes a new 48MP sensor that Apple says is 65 percent larger than the last gen Pro model and can perform 4 trillion operations per photo. This will significantly help users to capture low-light photos with less time taken in rendering. This primary 48MP sensor is set to f/1.78, has a 24mm focal length, and second-gen sensor shift OIS. Apple says it is capable of shooting 8K videos and 4K 30/24fps in Cinematic mode.

It also comes with a new 12MP ultrawide lens, a new front camera with autofocus, and an adaptive true tone flash.

6. Plus model

This year’s iPhone series sees the return of the Plus model after five years. This year, Apple ‘goes big’, making 2022 the big iPhone’s year, and as a result, there is no mini variant in the iPhone 14 lineup. Apple didn’t refresh the iPhone 13 mini with an iPhone 14 mini this year, citing poor sales for the same form factor iPhone. This addition of a Plus model could help Apple increase iPhone 14 series sales by giving an option to a bigger iPhone 14 model without going all in with the iPhone 14 Pro Max model.

To recall, the iPhone 6 Plus – the first Plus model – is the best-selling iPhone of all time, which tell us there is a sizable audience interested in the iPhone Plus model. Thus, the iPhone 14 Plus debut makes sense.

7. A16 chip

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s heart is the A16 Bionic chip, a six-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, built on a 4nm process. Apple says the CPU’s two highly effective cores use 20 percent less power than those in the A15 and is 40 percent faster overall than the competition. This chip has a 16-core Neural Engine capable of performing 17 trillion operations per second, and the 5-core GPU comes with 50 percent higher memory bandwidth.

8. Always-on display

Apple finally brings the Always-on display feature alongside the iPhone 14 series launch. This will allow you to quickly check time and information from the widgets you’ve added on your lock screen without unlocking the iPhone or lifting the device. The iPhone 14 Pro models come with an LTPO panel that supports a refresh rate as low as 1Hz, making it possible for Apple to feature an Always-on display on new iPhones. However, this also means that this feature will be exclusive to the Pro models.