Why You'll Love The iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island Cutout

The iPhone 14 Pro is Apple's most significant update to the iPhone lineup since the iPhone X. Although Apple introduced the notch to optimize the utility of empty bezels on the top and the bottom of the display, it became outdated over the years — especially in front of the fast-evolving world of Android smartphones. The newly launched iPhone 14 Pro features a dynamic pill-shaped cutout that promises far better interaction with notifications, alerts, media content, and more.

The iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island cutout houses a new and smaller Face ID sensor, while the ambient light sensor has been shifted to below the display. Apple says the new True Depth camera uses 30% less area than the iPhone 13 Pro.

The iPhone 14 Pro's new XDR OLED is now as bright as Apple's ProDisplay XDR, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. With improved LPTO technology, the iPhone 14 Pro's OLED display can function at variable refresh rates, ranging between 1Hz and 120Hz, depending on the content on the display.

The new cutout was extensively leaked months before today's iPhone 14 Pro announcement. However, Apple still manages to impress us with the functionality of its Dynamic Island cutout. First, the cutout size changes with any new alert or notification. For instance, if you receive a call, the cutout will expand to capture a larger area on the display. Because the iPhone 14 Pro uses an OLED, the blacks on the display easily blend with the cutout, making it inconspicuous.

Apple calls its Dynamic Island an "exciting new way to experience the iPhone." That is because besides dynamically shape-shifting with new alerts, notifications, and playing media, the Island is also where quick access toggles for media, connected accessories, and mobile hotspots reside. It will easily allow users to switch to these apps or interact with features easily by tapping tiny icons on the Dynamic Island without actually having to open the app in fullscreen. Therefore, the Dynamic Island could be considered somewhat analogous to the MacBook Pro's abandoned Touch Bar. 

The new cutout should improve user functionality and could be one of the most exciting iPhone features we have seen in the past few years.