iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: should you upgrade?

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iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is simply a awesome all-round handset pinch high-end performance, a Dynamic Island, and useful additions for illustration nan Camera Control fastener and nan Action button. It will besides activity pinch Apple Intelligence.

For

  • Camera Control functionality
  • Incredible performance
  • Dynamic Island

Against

  • Screen is still only 60Hz
  • More expensive

iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 tin almost lucifer nan iPhone 16's screen, and it's still capably powerful and has decent cameras, but successful almost each ways it's astatine slightest somewhat worse than nan iPhone 16, speech from costing less.

For

  • Lower price
  • Still reasonably powerful
  • Decent screen

Against

  • No AI
  • Stuck pinch a notch

With galore telephone contracts being 2 years long, there’s a bully chance you’re owed an upgrade if you presently person an iPhone 14, and nan evident upgrade prime would beryllium nan iPhone 16.

But has capable been improved successful these 2 years to make specified a move worthwhile? Or are you amended disconnected waiting longer, aliases choosing a different exemplary for illustration nan iPhone 16 Pro aliases nan iPhone 16 Pro Max?

To thief you reply that, you’ll find a elaborate comparison of nan iPhone 14 and nan iPhone 16 below. And for moreover much insights, caput to our afloat iPhone 14 review and afloat iPhone 16 review.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: specs comparison

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

We’ll look successful extent astatine each facet of these 2 phones below, but first, here’s really their specs comparison astatine a glance:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Header Cell - Column 0 iPhone 16iPhone 14
Display:6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:1179 x 25561170 x 2532
Refresh rate:60Hz60Hz
Chipset:A18A15 Bionic
Rear cameras:48MP f/1.6 main "Fusion" camera, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera12MP f/1.5 main camera, 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera
Front camera:12MP f/1.912MP f/1.9
RAM:8GB6GB
Storage:128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery:3,561mAh (unofficial)3,279mAh (unofficial)

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: value and availability

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

The iPhone 16 launched successful September 2024, and nan iPhone 14 landed successful September 2022. So, location are almost precisely 2 years betwixt them. Both phones are besides wide available, arsenic Apple hasn’t discontinued nan iPhone 14 astatine nan clip of writing.

As for what they cost, nan iPhone 16 price starts astatine $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, for 128GB of storage, rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for 256GB and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for 512GB.

At launch, you’d person paid akin money for nan iPhone 14, but prices for that person of people now dropped. At nan clip of writing, Apple sells nan iPhone 14 for $599 / £599 / AU$1,049 for a 128GB model, $699 / £699 / AU$1,249 for a 256GB model, and $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for a 512GB one.

So, nan iPhone 16 costs $200 / £200 / AU$350 much astatine each capacities.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: creation and display

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 some person a solid backmost and an aluminum frame, pinch likewise curved corners. However, location are notable differences successful their designs.

The iPhone 16 has a Dynamic Island connected nan beforehand for one, while nan iPhone 14 alternatively has a notch, and nan iPhone 16’s rear cameras are stacked vertically, while nan iPhone 14’s are positioned diagonally. The second telephone besides has a larger camera block.

Their colors disagree too, pinch nan iPhone 16 colors including Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine (blue), whereas nan iPhone 14 colors are Midnight (black), Purple, Starlight (white), Blue, Red, and Yellow.

They besides person differing weights and dimensions, pinch nan iPhone 16 being 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm and 170g, and nan iPhone 14 being 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm and 172g. So, nan iPhone 16 is simply a mini spot larger but 2g lighter.

Finally, their ports and buttons differ, pinch nan iPhone 16 having an Action fastener alternatively than a shut up switch, and gaining a Camera Control button, arsenic good arsenic having a USB-C larboard alternatively than a Lightning one.

For their screens, nan iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch 1179 x 2556 OLED show pinch a 60Hz refresh rate, 460 pixels per inch, and a highest brightness of 2,000 nits. The iPhone 14’s surface is similar, being a 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED show pinch a 60Hz refresh rate, 460 pixels per inch, and a highest brightness of 1,200 nits. So, nan main quality is simply that nan iPhone 16’s surface tin get a batch brighter.

In our iPhone 14 review, we said nan telephone had “a high-quality OLED display”, while of nan iPhone 16, we said it “offers a vibrant surface that is awesome for myriad tasks indoors aliases outdoors” – pinch that outdoor capacity aided by nan accrued maximum brightness.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: cameras

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

Both nan iPhone 16 and nan iPhone 14 person a dual-lens camera, but location are differences successful nan lenses. The iPhone 16 has a 48MP f/1.6 main sensor and a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, offering a 120-degree section of view, arsenic good arsenic a 12MP f/1.9 front-facing camera. For video, it tin sprout successful up to 4K value astatine 60fps.

The iPhone 14 has a 12MP f/1.5 main sensor, a 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide (with a 120-degree section of view), and a 12MP f/1.9 selfie camera, on pinch nan expertise to grounds video successful up to 4K value astatine 60fps.

So, looking astatine nan halfway specs, nan main quality is conscionable that nan iPhone 16’s superior camera has a batch much megapixels. However, you besides get a 2x optical value zoom from nan iPhone 16’s main snapper, which isn’t offered connected nan iPhone 14, and nan iPhone 16 besides has a macro mode, which nan iPhone 14 lacks.

Plus, of course, you get nan Camera Control fastener connected nan iPhone 16, which provides a much tactile measurement to power nan camera.

In our iPhone 16 review, we described nan telephone arsenic having “an fantabulous main camera and a bully ultra-wide”, while of nan iPhone 14 we said, “these are bully cameras pinch amended sensors and wide low-light capacity compared to their predecessors.”

So, some phones are coagulated for photography, but nan iPhone 16 is simply a clear upgrade.

iPhone 16 camera samples

Apple iPhone 16 Review, Camera Samples
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

iPhone 14 camera samples

Apple iPhone 14 main camera nighttime mode portrait
Apple iPhone 14 main camera nighttime mode portrait(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: performance

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

The iPhone 16 is simply a substantially much powerful telephone than nan iPhone 14, pinch Apple stating that its A18 chipset has an up to 50% faster CPU and GPU than nan A15 Bionic successful nan iPhone 14.

You besides get much RAM successful nan caller phone, pinch 8GB alternatively than 6GB. That’s capable for nan iPhone 16 to grip AI tasks done Apple Intelligence, which is thing nan iPhone 14 doesn’t support.

Still, while our iPhone 16 reappraisal notes that nan newer telephone has “plenty of power, apt for years to come”, our iPhone 14 reappraisal was besides complimentary, saying that nan older telephone has “a powerful chip.”

For galore users, then, nan iPhone 14’s powerfulness will beryllium plenty, but if you want to usage AI aliases play high-end games astatine their best, nan iPhone 16 is nan telephone to buy.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: battery

Apple iPhone 16 Review
The iPhone 16(Image credit: Future)

Apple ne'er reveals nan artillery capacity of its phones, but from teardowns, we cognize that nan iPhone 16 has a 3,561mAh one, while nan iPhone 14 has a 3,279mAh one. So, nan iPhone 16’s artillery is somewhat larger, and it’s besides longer-lasting, pinch Apple claiming you tin get up to 2 hours much video playback from nan iPhone 16.

Specifically, Apple says you tin get up to 22 hours of video playback aliases up to 80 hours of audio playback from nan iPhone 16, while pinch nan iPhone 14, you tin expect up to 20 hours of video playback aliases up to 80 hours of audio playback.

Officially, some phones support nan aforesaid wired charging speeds arsenic each other, pinch Apple saying you tin get up to a 50% complaint successful 30 minutes pinch a 20W adapter aliases higher, though tests propose nan iPhone 16 really charges marginally faster.

And it surely charges faster than nan iPhone 14 erstwhile you ditch nan wires, offering up to 25W MagSafe charging, while nan iPhone 14 tin only negociate 15W.

What's more, erstwhile you are using wires, you’ll plug nan iPhone 16 successful via a USB-C port, while for nan iPhone 14, you’ll request a Lightning cable.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: verdict

An iPhone 16 and an iPhone 14

(Image credit: Apple / TechRadar)

The iPhone 16 is simply a acold much powerful telephone than nan iPhone 14. It besides has much megapixels successful its main camera, further macro and 2x zoom modes, a Dynamic Island alternatively than a notch, a brighter screen, much RAM, AI support, and amended artillery life. It besides charges via USB-C alternatively than Lightning. Oh, and location are other buttons successful nan shape of nan Action fastener and nan Camera Control button.

So, nan iPhone 16 represents an upgrade complete nan iPhone 14 successful galore areas, though arguably nary of these upgrades are must-haves, and nan newer telephone besides costs a adjacent spot much than nan older model.

If you already person an iPhone 14, past it’s apt worthy upgrading to nan iPhone 16, particularly if you attraction astir AI. But if you want your caller telephone to consciousness for illustration a monolithic leap forward, past we’d urge either waiting different twelvemonth aliases opting for a Pro exemplary instead.

If you don’t ain either, there’s still an statement to beryllium made for buying an iPhone 14 if you want much of a mid-range handset. It’s still powerful, and Apple typically supports its phones for a agelong time. That said, there's nary denying that nan iPhone 14's screen, chipset, and cameras each way down nan iPhone 16’s balanced features.

You mightiness besides for illustration

  • iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: conflict of nan titans
  • iPhone 16 vs Google Pixel 9: conflict of nan modular flagships
  • iPhone 16 Plus review: nan champion big-screen affordable iPhone yet

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James is simply a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor astatine TechRadar. He has a emotion for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and tin often beryllium recovered arguing pinch AI assistants aliases drowning successful nan latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, pinch activity connected nan web, successful people and connected TV.

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