The iPhone 14 gives us an answer to the question that Apple has been figuring out for years: how do you make enough of a difference between the standard and Pro iPhones, to make someone spend more?
Beforehand, the answer has been a little more finite: focusing on elements like camera capabilities and multitasking performance, while keeping some core specs the same.
This time around, the choice seems to be slightly more nefarious, as Apple is widening the gap between this and the iPhone 14 Pro by hampering any real progress made to the iPhone 14. That’s not to say it’s a bad phone, but there are some things you should know about when you bring the iPhone 13 into the mix
| Spec | iPhone 14 | iPhone 13 |
| Screen size | 6.1 inches | 6.1 inches |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| CPU | A15 Bionic (found in iPhone 13 Pro) | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB |
| Cameras | Dual 12MP cameras (wide and ultra-wide) | Dual 12MP cameras (wide and ultra-wide) |
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Price
The price remains the same with the starting cost of $799 (RIP $699 iPhone mini), which falls in line with the expectations set by the rumor mill. Meanwhile, the larger iPhone 14 Plus comes in at $100 more with prices starting at $899.
Apple needed something to offset the upset caused by the $100 markup of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Design
Whereas the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max benefit from some design tweaks, the standard 14 gives you more of the same. That means an identical display notch to previous generations, very similar dimensions, and that same diagonal camera array layout on the bump.
Of course, one big difference (literally) is in the form of a larger iPhone 14 Plus model, which replaces the iPhone mini and provides a big screen mid-range alternative to the Pro Max.
So, it’s a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” for the aesthetics of the iPhone 14, but after two generations of the same look, we would have hoped for at least some updates — maybe the ” pill-and-hole” design of the Pro to freshen things up a little.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Display
Sticking rigidly to its guns, Apple is keeping the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display that you saw in the iPhone 13. And yes, that means the same 60Hz refresh rate.
I get that thanks to the touch sampling rate and smoothness of the iOS graphical interface, this is the smoothest feeling 60Hz out there, but with the industry hitting 120Hz in phones far cheaper than this, this is getting beyond excusable.
Of course, the new entity is the iPhone 14 Plus, which comes with a 6.7-inch display — the same as the Pro Max iPhone, but with that same slower refresh rate.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Processor
The chipset has been a controversial talking point for a while now, as rumors had circulated that Apple was going to stay the course with its pre-existing A15 Bionic chipset, while the Pro benefitted from the cutting edge A16 Bionic.
It turns out the rumors were pretty much true, making this the first year that new iPhone models are going to have different internals. Being honest, I’ve got mixed feelings about this.
As you’ve seen over the past year in the likes of our iPhone 13 reviewthe A15 Bionic is a monster of a smartphone chip — packing impressive power, graphical capabilities, and strong power management.
Plus, this is the version of the chip you’ll find in the iPhone 13 Proas we reported earlier this weekmeaning you get an extra GPU core and 25% better graphics performance.
But you can’t help feeling a little let down that you’re not getting the expected upgrade, especially in phones at this price.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Cameras
The camera setup remains identical across the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13: dual 12MP sensors with a standard wide and ultra-wide lens. Same sensor shift technology on the main, and the same 100% focus pixels to get nice, crisp shots.
There is one key difference though, as the main camera sensor sports an f/1.5 aperture — the same as the iPhone 13 Pro. That means better low light performance.
I would have liked to see some development in this area, like the higher megapixel count of the 14 Pro. As I said up top, however, Apple is keen to rely on that muted response to upgrade you to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
However, as is clear from our reviews, the camera system Apple has created is stellar, paired with some impressive photography software to produce great shots in most circumstances.
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13: Battery life
Nothing has been overtly confirmed by Apple and nothing ever will, as the company keeps tight lipped about specific battery capacity. But the increases in use time touted in the event correlate with a small-but-welcome rumored upgrade to the battery capacity — going up from 3,240mAh to 3,279mAh.
We’ll have to wait for teardown videos to indicate whether this is actually the case, or whether it’s another impressive piece of software optimization that is maximizing every drop of battery life.
Outlook
This year, more than ever, the latest iPhone is a tough sell when you compare the specs. Because sure, there are some small iterative updates, but the list of similarities has grown quite considerably with a similar CPU being in the mix.
The word “inflation” comes to mind when you start to ask why this is the case, but you can’t help but have a bad taste in your mouth for what is essentially a reskinned iPhone 13.
Yes, this will still be the iPhone to get for most people, but with no attempt to bring some areas in line with what Android users have enjoyed for years in cheaper phones (a 120Hz refresh rate, for example), this one may sting.