In 2022, Apple smartphones had more than 55% of market share in Australia and it’s only growing every year. It’s no secret that Apple get a lot of things right when it comes to iPhone features and the iOS operating system, so we’re here to tell you about some of the latest and greatest you should be using.
Open up your Notes App and jot these babies down and you’ll be making the most of all the great things your iPhone has to offer.
1. Make the most of the awesome camera
Every iPhone comes with new camera upgrades, so the newer your iPhone the better your camera. Pretty simple, right? If you’ve gotten your hands on an iPhone 14, the camera is one of the highlights that has people talking. It’s not only that it’s better quality, but there are plenty of secret features that are getting users excited.
The cameras on every version of the iPhone 14 (to be specific there are four, with different size screens, features, and prices) work better in low light and at capturing bright colours than the predecessors thanks to their 48 megapixels. The front camera also now has an autofocus feature — so you can wave goodbye to blurry selfies!
If you love making videos the new Action Mode will minimise shaking, even if you’re on the go (or maybe just had a few too many coffees that day). If you’ve opted for the premium iPhone 14 Pro, you can even record in 4K quality.
2. Customise the new ‘Always-on’ display
One of the best features of the new iOS 16 update is the ability to customise your iPhone lock screen. You can now choose from eight different fonts and lots of colours for the date and time display, plus also add a few of your favourite widgets.
When coupled with the ‘Always-on’ display of the Phone 14 Pro and Pro Max, you’re in for a treat, as you can always see these handy tools, even when you aren’t actively using your phone. The best bit? It doesn’t drain your battery at the same rate as if the phone was actually unlocked.
3. New safety features
There are a couple of iOS 16 features worth calling out when it comes to safety. The iPhone 14 has a force sensor, which is activated in the event you’re in a car crash. It can detect sudden stops, loud crashing noises and changes to air pressure due to an airbag being inflated. When any of these sensors are triggered, your iPhone will offer to call 000 for you and if you don’t respond, it’ll automatically do it anyway.
There’s also a new subscription service called Emergency SOS via Satellite, which allows you to get in touch with emergency services even when you’re outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. If you’re a city slicker at heart this might not seem that relevant, but you never know when it might come in handy in an extreme situation and could be hugely helpful for organisations like the SES. It’s worth keeping in mind only 27% of Australia’s vast land is covered by mobile coverage.
The subscription will let you send a message to Apple specialists via a satellite network who will contact Emergency Services on your behalf. It’s free for two years when you buy an iPhone 14 and can also be used for non-emergencies to share your location with contacts in your ‘Find My’ network. As long as your iOS 16 is up to date, you can head to the Settings App and try a demo of the feature by tapping ‘Emergency SOS’.
4. The need for speed
Even if speed hasn’t been an iPhone feature that has crossed your mind before, you’ll be impressed that the iPhone 14 is even speedier, thanks to new hardware in the form of internal chips.
Apple claims that the Graphics Processing Unit (that makes stuff on the screen look better) is 18% more powerful than the iPhone 13, the Central Processing Unit (in charge of all the main functions) is more powerful, and the neural processors (the bit that learns algorithms and controls predictions like predictive text) is better too.
5. Become acquainted with the ‘Dynamic Island’
You know that black, sausage shaped cut-out at the top of your iPhone screen? That is what Apple calls ‘the notch’ and it holds your top speaker, camera, and Face ID technology. People have long found it annoying because it cuts into the top of your display, so you can imagine their excitement when they heard about the new, cool feature of the notch-less iPhone 14 Pro: the Dynamic Island.
Admittedly it’s really just a smaller version of the notch, but it’s dynamic, meaning it is less obtrusive when you’re not using the tools it contains, only expanding when in use. Aside from the obvious benefit of not cutting into your display as much as the notch did, it also displays your Live Activities and allows you to see info more easily when your phone is locked.
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