It's time for a good ol' iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14 face-off.
Apple finally unveiled its next-gen flagship smartphone on Sept. 9 at its "Glowtime" event: iPhone 16.
With all the bells and whistles it boasts, including its on-trend Apple Intelligence AI, you may be wondering, "Wow, that iPhone 14 is looking old now."
The iPhone 16 comes with several upgrades to pique people’s interest, including a new Camera Control button, the addition of last year's Pro models' action button, better cameras, and other worthwhile improvements.
What does the iPhone 14 have? Well, none of these features. Despite only being two years old, the iPhone 14 may already be losing its appeal, even if it’s now more affordable.
If that’s the case, it’s time to prove it by breaking down the differences between the two iPhones.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Price and specs
Thankfully, Apple has yet to increase the price of its base iPhone, meaning the iPhone 16 starts at the same price as the iPhone 14 when it was released in 2022.
As with all phones, the older they get, the cheaper they are, and that’s certainly the case with the iPhone 14.
The iPhone 16 is available from $799 at the Apple Store. Here are the specs:
A18 Bionic chip
6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel OLED display
128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage
Up to 22 hours (video playback) battery
USB-C connection
The iPhone 14 starts at $599 and comes with the following specs:
A15 Bionic chip
6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,532 x 1,170-pixel, OLED display
128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage
Up to 20 hours (video playback) battery
Lightning port
A lot has happened since the iPhone 14, including the favorable switch from Lightning to USB-C. Two years can bring a lot of development, but not enough to offer more than a 60Hz display to the iPhone 16.
Still, the iPhone 16 is already showcasing its improvements.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Screen size
If you’re used to the iPhone 14’s 6.1-inch display, you'll find the iPhone 16's display to be a familiar sight.
It sports the same size and 60Hz refresh rate, but a few updates help it shine over the iPhone 14’s screen — quite literally, too.
The iPhone 16 has 2,000 nits of peak brightness, while the iPhone 14 boasts 1,200 nits. The iPhone 16 also has a slightly better resolution: 2,556 x 1,179 compared to the iPhone 14's 2,532 x 1,170.
Despite brighter, slightly more detailed visuals, both displays are virtually the same.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Design
You could call the iPhone 16 a "Pro" model compared to the iPhone 14, as it's fitted with all the iPhone Pro features the 14 missed out on — and then some.
For one, it comes with Apple's Dynamic Island instead of the obsolete notch, which was reserved for the iPhone 14 Pro models at the time. You'll also find an Action button like on the iPhone 15 Pro models, which allows you to pick and choose a specific action as opposed to the usual Ring/Silent switch. Already, the iPhone 16 has a lot over the iPhone 14.
But it doesn’t stop there. The iPhone 16 now sports a new Camera Control button, which helps users access a range of neat camera features. It acts as a shutter button to quickly snap pictures, can zoom in and out of photos or videos using swiping gestures, and lets you control focusing on objects. It’s placed right below the power button on the left side—and it’s a handy feature to have.
The rear camera layout is a bit different this time. While the iPhone 14 has a diagonal design, the iPhone 16 harkens back to the iPhone 12’s vertical rear camera layout. It’s a subtle change but hardly a major difference.
The iPhone 14 has an aerospace aluminum finish and a glass back, but the iPhone 16 has a color-infused glass back, which makes it less prone to fingerprints and the colors less profound.
Speaking of, the iPhone 16 will come in the following color options: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black. The iPhone 14 isn’t too different, but they’re sharper to look at. It’s available in Midnight, Starlight, (Product) Red, Blue, Purple, and Yellow.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Performance
Processing power is like night and day between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16. That’s not to say the 14’s A15 Bionic chip isn’t capable of still offering excellent power, but there’s a clear gap compared to the iPhone 16’s A18 processor.
In fact, the A15 chip has been around since the iPhone 13, meaning it’s already showing its age. That said, Apple’s custom silicon chips can handle a lot, so there may not be a huge difference in your average day-to-day performance between the two rivals.
Still, the iPhone 16’s A18 chip offers even more, and it’s needed to handle the newly included Apple Intelligence and all of its AI features. This isn’t something the iPhone 14 can handle. No surprises here, but the iPhone 16 outranks the iPhone 14 in performance by being one of the fastest mobile chips on the market.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Battery life
The iPhone 16 finally upgrades battery life, but only by an extra couple of hours over the iPhone 14. The real difference comes with the increased charging speeds.
The iPhone 16 is rated at 22 hours of battery life, while the iPhone 14 is stuck at 20 hours. That’s around a full day before needing to be plugged in. While it’s not by much, it’s handy to have the extra juice.
What’s more, the iPhone 16 ditches the Lightning port for a universal USB-C connection, which makes it easier to find a cable that fits into the slot.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Cameras
Here's a quick look at the spec differences between both phones, starting with the iPhone 16:
48MP main (fusion with 12MP 2x Telephoto), 12MP ultra-wide
12MP TrueDepth front camera
And the iPhone 14:
12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide
12MP TrueDepth front camera
Cameras have come a long way since the iPhone 14, as the iPhone 16 comes with an "advanced dual-camera system." Forget the iPhone 14’s 12MP wide lens; the iPhone 16 boasts a 48MP wide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens (via a quad-pixel sensor) — two features the iPhone 14 can’t contend with.
This isn’t anything new, as the iPhone 15 also comes equipped with these lenses, but the iPhone 16 now offers a 12MP ultra-wide with ƒ/2.2 aperture and autofocus for improved low-light photography and macro photography. The iPhone 14’s 12MP ultra-wide with a ƒ/2.4 aperture is fine, but images generally come out slightly blurry and don’t do well when there isn’t enough light.
The iPhone 16’s main camera can take great shots, and the addition of a telephoto lens enhances zoom capabilities for more detailed images from afar.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Software and AI
It’s hard for the iPhone 14 to compete in this area. However, it’s important to note that it’s expected to deliver iOS updates until 2029, meaning it’s not even halfway through its life cycle. That’s great OS support, but the iPhone 16 is a fresh start, so it will (obviously) last at least two years longer.
iOS 18 brings Apple Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro models and later, but only the iPhone 16 models will offer exclusive AI features. This takes the iPhone 14 out of the race, even if it gets an iOS 18 update and later.
What fancy Apple Intelligence features is it missing out on? As WWDC 2024 showed off, there will be prioritized notifications that put the most important notifications at the top of your iPhone’s feed and even offer summaries of stacked notifications, AI image generation, and easy image search by typing a description, automatic audio transcriptions, and the ability to rewrite, summarize, and proof blocks of selected text. What's more, Private Cloud Compute protects your personal information whenever you access Apple Intelligence. Basically, your data is never stored.
There’s also Genmoji, which lets you create a custom emoji by simply typing it out via texting.
Apple Intelligence has many perks, but we won’t know how useful they are until we’ve had the chance to use them in the wild.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Is it worth upgrading?
Unlike other generations, there are significant differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 — even if there’s only a two-year divide. With a Dynamic Island, Action button, new Camera Control button, improved battery life, better cameras, and Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16 is a true successor of the iPhone 14 in virtually every way (except for that 60Hz display).
The iPhone 14 is still a more-than-capable smartphone and does more than enough to offer the complete iOS experience, but the iPhone 16 kicks off a new era of AI for the iPhone, and that may just be worth it for those looking to keep up with the times.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models weren't the only stars of Apple’s September event, as we also got a look at the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple AirPods 4.
Mashable's currently on the ground in Cupertino for the Sept. 9 "Glowtime" Apple event. Check out our live blog to keep track of all things iPhone 16 (and more) before, during, and after the event.
