The iPhone 14 Pro Max is – without a doubt – an amazing smartphone. It’s easily one of the best phones you can buy in 2023, touting hardware and software that’s almost perfect on every level. It’s the phone I’ve carried with me every day since its launch last October, but after living with it for about five months, I worry I made a huge mistake in choosing it as my primary iPhone.
nothing mistake or bad About iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is the most capable and technically impressive iPhone on the market today. But even with that command, I can’t use it anymore – and I’m going to move on to something else.
My biggest problem is with the iPhone 14 Pro Max
Before getting the iPhone 14 Pro Max, one of my biggest reservations was the sheer size of the phone. At the time, Digital Trends’ Andy Boxall talked about how a large footprint was one of the main things that kept him from getting the iPhone 14 Pro Max in the first place. But unlike Andy, I caught the wind and went the Pro Max route anyway. I said to myself, “Size won’t be a problem! I’ll get used to it just fine!” That’s what I naively meant to believe anyway.
But as the weeks and months progressed, I gradually found none of these things to be true.
There wasn’t a single turning point where the iPhone 14 Pro Max became too big to handle, but rather a lot of little things I had to deal with along the way. If I’m typing long messages on the keyboard, I have to put my iPhone 14 Pro Max on a table or pillow. If I sit with the phone in my front pocket, the top half comes out and hits me in the waist.
And any kind of one-handed use is guaranteed to be awkward. It’s not impossible, but it always requires advanced hand exercise that’s uncomfortable and puts the iPhone 14 Pro Max at risk of falling. As much as I appreciate the extra screen size and long battery life, I often feel like I grudgingly put up with the iPhone 14 Pro Max to get these things, rather than just enjoy them.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s size was far from surprising; I knew the phone was big and bulky. And while I prefer smaller phones, I don’t mind other big Android phones. I’ve used the Pixel 7 Pro, OnePlus 11, and Galaxy S23 Plus — all large phones — without size being an annoying issue. So, what about the iPhone 14 Pro Max actually?
For one thing, it’s noticeably heavier than any of those other phones mentioned above. Compared to the weights of 212g, 205g, and 196g of the three Android phones, respectively, the iPhone 14 Pro Max packs a punch. 240 gr. And that’s despite it being within 3 millimeters of height and width of its Pixel, OnePlus, and Galaxy competitors.
It’s one thing to look at those numbers on a spec sheet online, but quite another when in reality you’re lugging around 240g of the smartphone with you on a daily basis.
Other big phones do it better
Besides my growing frustration with the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s awkward size, things came to a head when I got my hands on the Galaxy S23 Ultra last month. The S23 Ultra isn’t any smaller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max – it weighs 234 grams and is just a few millimeters taller and wider. But I found myself enjoying it more than the iPhone.
One of the main reasons for this is the feeling inside. Besides being a few grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a rounded bezel compared to the completely flat design of the iPhone. It’s a slight difference, but it allows the S23 Ultra to feel more ergonomic and comfortable to hold. I never feel like I have much of a grip on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and when you add that with the sharp edges of its flat frame, the end result is a phone that’s tough to argue with — especially in a side-by-side comparison with the S23 ultra.
But it’s not just about weight and design. Samsung too Do With more Galaxy S23 Ultra than Apple does. Compared to the smaller S23 and S23 Plus, the S23 Ultra gives you a vastly superior camera system, a gigantic battery, faster charging, more storage, and even a built-in S Pen.
What do I get with the iPhone 14 Pro Max that I couldn’t get with the regular iPhone 14 Pro? Bigger screen, bigger battery. But that’s it. Camera, charging, storage, and other specs are identical. This creates a strong argument in favor of the smaller iPhone 14 Pro, while making it difficult to justify why the 14 Pro Max should still be used.
Back to the normal version iPhone 14 Pro
Because of these reasons, I switched from iPhone 14 Pro Max to iPhone 14 Pro two weeks ago. And you know what? I’m really glad I did. It’s just as fast, the camera experience is identical, all of my apps work the same, and Dynamic Island is still there… for better or worse.
The best part? I get the same experience on a phone that I can use without constantly thinking about how heavy or bulky it is. I can use the iPhone 14 Pro with one hand, put it in a snug pocket with ease, and type without a pillow to prop it up — it’s great.
However, it was not an ideal experience. Battery life is noticeably worse than it is on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and I’m regularly looking for a charger by late afternoon. It’s a huge sticking point, and why I still think the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best iPhone for people who can afford the price and size.
But if you’re like me and allergic to the latter, I’d suggest opting for the regular iPhone 14 Pro if you’re torn between the two. I know I’m glad I finally did, and it’s the iPhone I’ll keep rocking for the foreseeable future — until the time comes for the iPhone 15, that is.
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