With the iPhone 14, Apple split the chipset between Pro and non-Pro models. The latter uses last year’s A15 Bionic, while the phone maker’s new flagship uses the latest A16 Bionic. Granted, the iPhone 14 has the highest A15 found in the iPhone 13 Pro, but it’s still an older chip.
But it did lead me to wonder, given what I know about the capabilities of the iPhone 13 Pro: Is the A16 Bionic worth the upgrade if you’re really a gaming buff? The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max were at the top of our list of best gaming phones due to how powerful the A15 Bionic and its 5-core GPU were. And since the iPhone 14 uses this chip, is it good enough as a gaming phone?
Based on our test data, the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro is definitely more powerful in our gaming benchmarks, as you’d expect. But the iPhone 14 continues to run smoothly, and it still outperforms the best Android phones. However, deciding on a gaming phone is more than its pure strength alone. There is a wide gap in the feature set between iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro, so let’s get into it.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro: Benchmarks
For gaming testing, we ran the phone through the 3DMark Wildlife Test. We record average frames per second (FPS). Below, I note the results for Unlimited, Extreme, and Extreme Unlimited.
Here’s how the A16 Bionic stacks up against the A15 Bionic.
| iPhone 14 | iPhone 14 Pro | |
| Wild Life Unlimited (FPS) | 69 | 74 |
| Extreme Wildlife (FPS) | 18 | 20 |
| Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (FPS) | 15th | 19 |
iPhone 14 games vs iPhone 14 Pro games: Analysis
The Wild Life Unlimited benchmark is a more typical gaming setup (both phones beat our regular Wild Life test), while the Extreme variants aren’t indicative of modern mobile gaming, and instead serve to illustrate what a phone’s GPU can do. I’ve included it here so you can see how powerful the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are.
However, I would like to draw attention to the first result. The iPhone 14 exceeds what many consider the gold standard for gaming frame rates: 60 frames per second. The iPhone 14, at 69 frames per second, proves to be a capable gaming phone. Of course, with a 60Hz screen, you’ll only see a maximum of 60fps, although the phone is capable of more. Another reason why it’s unfortunate that Apple didn’t use at least a 90Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 14. But I could.
For the latest dual SIM, you might expect the iPhone 14 Pro to turn out much better in Wild Life Unlimited. While 74fps is quite impressive – something you might already see with a ProMotion 120Hz display – it’s only 5fps higher than the iPhone 14.
Now, benchmarks don’t tell the whole story, but without an iPhone 14 on hand to collect my test data, all I have to do is. From a purely GPU standpoint, I’d argue the A16 Bionic isn’t worth the $200 upgrade to jump from the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 14 Pro.
However, there is more to the iPhone 14 Pro to take into account than just the power of its GPU. For example, there is the screen. Not only is it brighter — 1,354 nits HDR/993 nits on SDR versus 756 nits HDR/757 nits on the iPhone 14 — but it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes a difference. Notable in games that support it.
The iPhone 14 Pro, on the other hand, had superior battery life in our tests. In our lab, the iPhone 14 turned out to be 9 hours 28 minutes. iPhone 14 Pro managed 10 hours and 13 minutes. So, while it’s not drastically better (unlike last year), the Pro is still able to last longer, which means longer gaming sessions. Now if the phone is not too hot.
But there’s one more thing to consider: the iPhone 13 Pro.
What about the iPhone 13 Pro?
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 Pro share the same CPU, the A15 Bionic with a 5-core GPU. (The iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic had a quad-core GPU.) However, the latter offers many of the same Pro features you’ll get this year, particularly the ProMotion display. It also boasts better battery life than both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, clocking in at 12 hours and 18 minutes in our test.
Its screen is also very bright at 1,024 nits. All in all, it’s better than the iPhone 14 in every respect other than the fact that it’s a year older – and Apple doesn’t sell it anymore. However, if you want the best value for gaming, the iPhone 13 Pro is the best buy, assuming you can find a good deal on a new or used device.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro games overview
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are both excellent gaming phones, beating the best of what Android has to offer in terms of raw performance. However, in reality, most people may find it difficult to distinguish the differences – performance addicts may discover some of them. But on paper, is the 14 Pro much better than its non-professional sibling?
Just looking at the raw data, not really. But there’s nothing left in the void, and the iPhone 14 Pro has some distinct advantages outside of its marginal edge over the GPU. The 120Hz screen makes a big difference in the games it supports, giving you a smoother gaming experience beyond 60fps. Battery life is also slightly better, and a brighter screen means you’ll have an easier time playing outdoors.
Of course, we should not dismiss the iPhone 13 Pro, especially in comparison with the iPhone 14, as a gaming device. But this only matters if you already have an iPhone 13 Pro or just found one to buy.
I’m hoping to get my hands on the iPhone 14 (or iPhone 14 Plus when it comes out) to draw my own conclusions in the real world, but for now, I think it’s safe to assume the A16 Bionic isn’t worth the Pro upgrade based on gaming performance alone. Instead, you should consider the other features of the iPhone 14 Pro to help make your purchase decision.
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