Power Pick: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Welcome to Power Pick, a monthly series on the things that help us navigate our lives, step into our personal power, or simply get us through our day-to-day. Our hope is that by sharing what makes us feel great, we can help you feel great, too.

What I’m about to tell you is embarrassing. Here goes: I owned an Android phone in 2013. There, I said it. It was approximately six years after the first generation iPhone launched, and the rest of the world was fully living in iPhone land. At the time, iPhones were as popular as pumpkin spice lattes on a fall day—if you didn't have one, you were on the outs—but I didn’t care. I loved my Android and wasn’t switching. 

My first experience with an iPhone was horrible: I had the second generation and my calls frequently dropped, my texts messages never delivered, and my screen did a strange blinking thing. Many of the problems turned out to be a result of my cell service carrier rather than the equipment, but nevertheless I was naïve, stubborn, and completely turned off. 

Fast forward to 2022 and I can’t imagine my life without an iPhone. My world is busier than ever—I work full time and am a mom to rambunctious three- and six-year-olds, in several committees at their schools, plan weekly activities for my family, and am a member of Jack and Jill of America, where I frequently plan events and fundraisers with other women in my area. I am spent! 

Thankfully, there's hope. The iPhone 14 Pro is the newest addition to Apple's line of premium smartphones, and it makes my life much easier. Here's how. 

The Camera

As someone who is constantly taking pictures of her kids, I need a camera that quickly captures my littles in the best way. I don't want to fumble with camera modes or adjust the lighting. I need a plug and play experience. 

I don’t pretend to be a photographer, but I  know an awesome camera when I see one. The iPhone 14 Pro offers four camera modes: ultrawide, 1x, 2x, and 3x, which are all great for zooming in and out. There’s also a new 12MP ultra wide camera with 1.4 pixels, which delivers sharper images with more detail, and an action mode that helps me achieve smoother-looking video. It adjusts to significant shakes (you know, like when your toddler is grabbing your arm), motion, and vibrations, even when video is being captured. 

Durability

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped my phone while in the middle of carrying items or trying to manage a project. For this reason, I typically go with a durable phone case, but sometimes my iPhone still cracks. Argh!

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max offer a ceramic shield front cover that’s tougher than any other smartphone glass and protects from common spills and accidents, along with water and dust resistance. This isn't a new feature, but it eases my anxiety when I suddenly drop my phone, and I'm so thankful for it. 

Dynamic Island

By far, my favorite feature of the iPhone 14 Pro is Dynamic Island, which enables me to maintain an active state (like chatting on the phone, listening to music, etc.) while having access to controls with a simple tap-and-hold. Essentially, the pill-shaped cutout at the top acts as a central hub, allowing me to be privy to alerts and notifications without having to open an app or unlocking the device. It’s great when I'm responding to an email but need to skip a song on Apple music. I just tap the Dynamic Island to switch straight into the associated app. Genius! 

Crash Detection and Emergency SOS

There are also features I hope I never use, but am grateful to know they exist. Crash detection can recognize a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone. What’s more, when combined with an Apple watch, crash detection seamlessly uses both devices. In such an event, the emergency services call interface appears on Apple Watch and the call is placed through iPhone, if it is in range.

Speaking of emergencies, iPhone14 models also offer Emergency SOS, a safety feature that allows you to text first responders through satellite when you're in an area with no cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

Again, I hope I never use these features, but when you’re a mom of two, you can never be too prepared, right?

Always-On Display Mode

Can I make another confession? I love updating my phone wallpaper with recent pictures of my family. I know, I know—I'm a ball of emotions. This also means I’m often frustrated when the phone is dark because (1) I can’t see the time and (2) My picture-of-the-moment isn't on display. 

Fortunately, the iPhone 14 Pro features always-on display mode, which means the device is dimly lit when asleep or locked and still shows the time, date, wallpaper photo and notifications. It’s a bit too soon to discover if this mode will drain my battery, but the OLED displays with reduced brightness are enough to keep me happy. It’s a small perk, but constantly knowing the date and time without having to tap my phone is major. 

I can’t say what type of phone I’ll love in the years to come, but I do know that as long as my life remains this hectic, iPhone will always be a frontrunner.

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