Apple iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Do you really need to upgrade?

2 weeks ago

This year, Apple went all-out pinch nan iPhone 16. Not only does it travel successful immoderate of nan best-looking colors for phones this year, but it besides boasts a two-generation leap successful processor pinch nan A18, nan Action button, and nan caller Camera Control button. It’s decidedly blurring nan lines betwixt nan guidelines exemplary and nan Pro.

But what if you are presently utilizing an iPhone 14? Is it worthy upgrading to nan iPhone 16? Let’s break it each down.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: specs

	iPhone 16	iPhone 14
Dimensions	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm (5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches)
Weight	170 grams (6 ounces)	172 grams (6.07 ounces)
Display	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED Dynamic Island 2556 x 1179 solution astatine 460 ppi 1000 nits emblematic brightness 1600 nits HDR brightness 2000 nits highest outdoor brightness 1 nit minimum brightness	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2532 x 1170 solution astatine 460 ppi 800 nits emblematic brightness 1200 nits highest HDR brightness
Colors	Ultramarine Teal Pink Black White	Blue Purple Yellow Black Starlight PRODUCT(RED)
Processor	A18	A15
RAM	8GB	6GB
Software	iOS 18	iOS 16
Support	Minimum 5 years	Minimum 5 years
Apple Intelligence	Yes	No
Rear camera	48-megapixel Fusion, f/1.6 12MP ultrawide, f/2.2 .5x, 1x, 2x optical zoom options	12MP main, f/1.5 12MP ultrawide, f/2.4 .5x, 1x optical zoom options
Front camera	12MP, f/1.9	12MP, f/1.9
Macro photos	Yes	No
Spatial photos and video	Yes	No
Latest-generation Photographic Styles	Yes	No
Action Button	Yes	No
Camera Control	Yes	No
Battery	3,561 mAh	3,279 mAh
Charging	USB-C 27W (50% successful 30 minutes) 25W MagSafe charging 15W Qi2 wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless	Lightning, 27W (50% successful 30 minutes) 15W MagSafe charging 15W Qi wireless charging
Price	From $799	From $599
Review	iPhone 16 review	iPhone 14 review

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: design

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 some person nan level edges that Apple has utilized since nan iPhone 12. However, that’s wherever nan similarities fundamentally end. While nan iPhone 14 has a diagonal camera layout for nan dual camera setup, nan iPhone 16 has a caller vertical layout that is reminiscent of nan iPhone X and iPhone 12. It’s a subtle change, but a invited one.

The iPhone 14 besides still has a silent/ring switch, whereas nan iPhone 16 replaces that pinch nan Action button, which debuted connected nan iPhone 15 Pro past year. Another large hardware creation alteration for nan iPhone 16 is nan Camera Control fastener located adjacent nan bottom-right separator of nan frame.

An iPhone 14 opinionated up connected a table. Behind it is simply a purple h2o bottle.

Apple besides replaced nan notch, which is still coming connected nan iPhone 14, pinch nan Dynamic Island connected nan guidelines models starting pinch nan iPhone 15. The notch is fixed and takes up abstraction to location nan TrueDepth front-facing camera and Face ID sensor. However, nan Dynamic Island besides houses nan TrueDepth camera, and it changes size depending connected what you are presently doing and is interactive.

The iPhone 16 only comes successful 5 colors, but 3 of those are perfectly stunning: Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink. There’s besides nan modular achromatic and achromatic options. The iPhone 14 comes successful six colors: blue, purple, yellow, black, Starlight, and Product Red.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: display

The location surface connected an iPhone 16.

Aside from nan move to nan Dynamic Island from nan notch, nan displays are very akin to each other. They some person a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED show and a maximum 60Hz refresh rate. However, nan iPhone 16 does scope higher levels of brightness astatine 1,000 nits emblematic use, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits highest outdoor brightness, while getting arsenic debased arsenic 1 nit of minimum brightness. For nan iPhone 14, it is typically astir 800 nits and only goes up to 1,200 nits for HDR content.

Both phones besides person Ceramic Shield, though nan iPhone 16 uses nan latest generation, which Apple claims is “tougher than immoderate smartphone glass.”

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: package and performance

Close-up position of nan Control Center connected an iPhone 16 moving iOS 18.

When nan iPhone 14 primitively came retired successful 2022, it shipped pinch iOS 16 retired of nan box. On nan inside, it has an A15 Bionic spot and 6GB RAM, and retention options ranging from 128GB to 512GB. Apple guarantees a minimum of 5 years worthy of awesome iOS updates and information patches, which intends nan iPhone 14 should past done 2027.

While nan iPhone 14 tin besides get nan iOS 18 update, it won’t beryllium capable to afloat support each nan features. That’s because iOS 18 is Apple’s first iOS update that will bring successful large AI devices pinch Apple Intelligence, and nan minimum period request for that is an iPhone 15 Pro pinch nan A17 Pro chip. So again, while nan iPhone 14 tin get caller iOS 18 features for illustration caller location surface and Control Center customizations, RCS messaging and Send Lter for Messages, a caller Photos app, and more, it won’t beryllium getting immoderate of nan Apple Intelligence features.

The iPhone 16 Pro, showing its iOS 18 location screen.

The iPhone 16, connected nan different hand, is simply a guidelines exemplary iPhone that is built from nan crushed up for Apple Intelligence. It ships pinch iOS 18 retired of nan box, though Apple Intelligence won’t really look until nan iOS 18.1 update. Apple besides equipped nan iPhone 16 pinch nan A18 chip, which is simply a three-year jump successful performance, and 8GB RAM. With Apple’s committedness to astatine slightest 5 years of support, nan iPhone 16 should past done 2029.

To get a consciousness of really overmuch faster nan capacity connected nan iPhone 16 is, return a look astatine nan chips. Apple said that nan iPhone 16’s A18 spot is 30% faster successful CPU capacity complete nan iPhone 15’s A16, and nan GPU is 40% faster. Considering that nan iPhone 14 is from 2 years agone pinch nan A15, nan boost successful capacity is rather significant. The A18 is besides overmuch much powerfulness efficient, which translates to amended artillery life.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: cameras

A personification taking a photograph pinch nan Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 14 is nan past guidelines exemplary iPhone pinch a 12-megapixel main camera and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Since it doesn’t person a telephoto zoom lens, it only gets up to 1x optical zoom. The selfie camera is besides only 12MP, though that doesn’t alteration pinch nan iPhone 16 either.

For nan iPhone 16’s dual camera setup, we person a 48MP main Fusion camera and 12MP ultrawide lens. Despite not having a telephoto zoom lens, nan iPhone 16 has a 2x optical zoom done its main lens, and is tin of macro photography, which is absent connected nan iPhone 14. It’s besides capable to return spatial photos and video for nan Apple Vision Pro.

iPhone 14 laying face-down connected a table. There's a potted level to nan correct of it, somewhat retired of focus.

While nan iPhone 14 still has Photographic Styles, Apple improved nan characteristic for nan iPhone 16 statement pinch nan latest-generation Photographic Styles. There are much styles to take from, and you tin fine-tune nan colour and reside moreover much to get nan nonstop benignant of style you want. And nan champion part? You tin alteration nan style utilized connected a photograph aft nan fact, which wasn’t imaginable before.

And since nan iPhone 16 will beryllium capable to person Apple Intelligence features, it will get nan Clean Up instrumentality successful Photos. With Clean Up, you’ll beryllium capable to region unwanted objects aliases group successful nan inheritance of your photos, akin to Google’s Magic Eraser.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: artillery and charging

Apple only precocious switched complete to USB-C connected nan iPhone, starting pinch nan iPhone 15 line. So nan iPhone 14 still uses nan proprietary Lightning connector, while nan iPhone 16 uses USB-C.

Inside nan iPhone 14 is simply a 3,279mAh battery, while nan iPhone 16 has a 3,561mAH battery. When you harvester nan powerfulness ratio of nan A18 spot complete nan A15, nan iPhone 16 will decidedly past longer than nan iPhone 14.

However, though nan iPhone 16 uses USB-C, Apple didn’t really amended nan wired charging speed. Both nan iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 still complaint astatine 27 watts wired, which intends astir 50% complaint successful 30 minutes.

The iPhone 14 caps retired astatine 15W for MagSafe and wireless charging speeds and does not person reverse wireless charging. On nan different hand, nan iPhone 16 tin get up to 25W MagSafe charging, 15W Qi2-wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: verdict

The iPhone 16 sticking retired of someone's pocket.

As of correct now, Apple still sells nan iPhone 14 and iPhone 15, on pinch nan iPhone SE and nan remainder of nan iPhone 16 lineup. If you are looking to bargain a marque caller iPhone, past honestly, nan iPhone 16 is nan measurement to go. It has received a batch of nan erstwhile Pro-exclusive features (Dynamic Island and Action button) and comes successful immoderate astonishing colors.

Those who are still utilizing an iPhone 14, well, you should astir apt upgrade if you tin spend it. The iPhone 14 is already 2 years aged astatine this point, and while a batch of group whitethorn not upgrade each year, betwixt 2 aliases 3 years is much appropriate.

Especially see each of nan features. The iPhone 14 tin technically get iOS 18, but you’ll beryllium missing half nan features since it can’t tally Apple Intelligence. Apple besides massively improved nan main camera connected nan iPhone 16, and nan caller Photographic Styles is decidedly a nosy summation for photographers.

The Action fastener and Camera Control are besides very bully hardware changes that are rather useful. In fact, pinch nan iPhone 16, there’s really little logic to moreover see nan Pro models — that’s really bully nan guidelines exemplary is this year.