The dynamic island isn’t something that gets used a lot by me. That said, apart from Reddit I don’t have any social media apps nor do I use any sports apps which seem to be the main usage for the DI. But - I don’t find it intrusive or in the way or annoying or anything like that, even when I’m watching videos. It’s main use is the Pixel Pal when browsing Reddit on Apollo.

It does cut a bit more into videos on full screen, but since most widescreen media seems to still be designed to be cropped to 4:3 viewing - I’m never really focused on that section of the screen. I’ve had the 14PM since launch and never experienced any of the glitches I’ve seen posted to this subreddit.

I went 13PM to the 14PM and the true benefits to me are the AOD and the peak brightness outdoors. If you spend any significant time outside, the 14s ability to pump up the brightness is incredible. You will be able to see the DI cutout clearly in direct sunlight as well - so if that would bother you I would consider maybe the 13PM if you really need an upgrade, or just hold out another 9 months till the 15.

But personally I wouldn’t purchase it solely based on the dynamic island. It’s kind of like the equivalent of an LED notification on a device. A nice gimmick - but not a reason to purchase the device.