Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is now official and we’ve got up to four new models this year. But as we highlighted the difference between each iPhone in our explanation of the iPhone 14 series, the regular iPhone 14 doesn’t bring much to the table compared to last year’s regular iPhone 13. Is the new model actually better than last year’s iPhone? Let’s find out in this iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 comparison.
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Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 13: Specifications
Here’s a quick look at each phone’s specifications to see what it brings to the table:
| Customize | iPhone 14 | iPhone 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Builds |
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| Dimensions and weight |
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| Show |
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| SoC |
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| storage | ||
| The battery is charging |
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| protection | Face ID | Face ID |
| Rear camera(s) |
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| Front camera(s) | 12 MP f/1.9, autofocus with Focus Pixels | 12 MP f / 2.2, autofocus with Focus Pixels |
| ports) | lightning conductor | lightning conductor |
| My voice | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers |
| Connection |
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| Programming | iOS 16 | iOS 16 |
| Other Features |
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Design and display
Apple iPhone 14 in Starlight colorway.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 have a lot in common and it all starts with the design. They both look the same, with the same flat aluminum bars and roughly the same dimensions. The new iPhone is much bulkier and heavier than last year’s model, but you won’t notice it right away even while carrying the two phones side by side. Both are so identical that you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two if it weren’t for three new colors. The iPhone 14 comes in new colors in blue and purple, which are slightly lighter than the red product. We reviewed both phones in Starlight color and they look exactly the same as you can tell by looking at the pictures.
Apple iPhone 13 in Starlight colorway.
While the iPhone 14 looks identical to the iPhone 13 on the outside, there is one basic design difference between the two. As the iFixit disassembly showed, Apple completely redesigned the internal structure of the iPhone 14, making it easier to remove the back glass for repairs. This makes the iPhone 14 the most salvageable iPhone to date. This won’t change the way you use the phone on a daily basis, but it does make it easier to keep your new iPhone for a long time. The internal differences in the design do not affect the durability, so they both use the same materials and carry the same IP68 rating.
Apple iPhone 14 screen.
The design isn’t the only thing similar in this comparison because, for all intents and purposes, the iPhone 14’s display is identical to the iPhone 13’s. That means it’s still a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The 60Hz refresh rate isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, especially if you’re coming from an old iPhone, but it’s definitely an area where iPhone update lags. So if you were expecting to get a higher refresh rate display with the new iPhone 14 model, this is unfortunately not part of the spec sheet. You still have to buy the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Apple iPhone 13 screen.
Indoor devices and cameras
Both phones in this comparison are powered by the Apple A15 Bionic chip, but they’re not exactly the same. The A15 Bionic used in the iPhone 14 is the A15 Bionic from the iPhone 13 Pro, which means it features an additional GPU core. The A15 Bionic inside the iPhone 14 might also benefit from a new internal design for better heat dissipation, so that’s also worth considering. However, it won’t make much difference in daily use. You’ll likely notice a slight difference in performance in benchmarking apps, but that’s largely it.
There are two hardware features in the iPhone 14 that are worth considering. The first is fault detection that uses a new “high dynamic range” gyro sensor and a high-gravity accelerometer to detect if you’ve been in an accident. This particular feature will trigger a prompt asking if you are OK and will call emergency services if you don’t respond in a certain amount of time. Since it takes advantage of the new sensors, it is unlikely that older iPhones will be able to support Apple’s troubleshooting feature.
Also new to the iPhone 14 series is the Emergency SOS feature. It is basically a service that will help you deliver a message to emergency responders through satellite communication. Apple says iPhones use some internal software meant to deliver the message in areas without cellular coverage. We don’t expect this feature to work on older iPhones. These are some great features but are they enough to guarantee a higher cost? This is something you have to decide for yourself.
Turning to battery life, Apple quotes a slight increase in iPhone 14 battery performance. According to the company, the new iPhone 14 will get up to 20 hours of video playback versus 19 hours on the iPhone 13. How does that translate to actual usage? Well, the iPhone 14 delivered all-day battery life when we tested it out for our review. But that also applies to the iPhone 13, which lasted a full day when we tested it for our review last year. Just like the battery life, the charging speed on both phones is also the same and they are painfully slow. It would take about two hours to go from 0 to 100 percent using a 20W charger, so it’s still nowhere near matching the fast charging speeds that many Android phones offer.
In terms of optics, the iPhone 14 brings some upgraded hardware compared to the regular iPhone 13 model. The new iPhone 14 borrows the iPhone 13 Pro’s main camera, with a larger sensor, larger pixels, and a faster f/1.5 aperture. The ultra-wide camera remains the same as the iPhone 13, but the selfie camera has a wider aperture as well. Pair these hardware changes with Apple’s new Photonic Engine software trick, and you’ll get better camera performance in low light. Will you see a huge improvement in camera performance with iPhone 14 compared to iPhone 13? Mostly not.
We don’t have the same set of shots taken on both phones to compare side by side, but we’ll leave samples of photos taken on both devices until you get a better understanding of what to expect.
Apple iPhone 14 camera sample:
Apple iPhone 13 camera sample:
iPhones are known to offer impressive video performance overall and that goes for the two iPhones in this comparison as well. All three cameras on both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 are capable of shooting 4K videos at 60 frames per second. However, the iPhone 14 does get some video features that we think are fun to play with. Cinema Mode that debuted on the iPhone 13 is now available in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps on the iPhone 14. Apple has also added a new Motion mode that lets you capture ultra-smooth handheld videos.
All things considered, we think the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 both make great photos and videos with their cameras. The addition of new features certainly makes the iPhone 14 more fun to shoot, but they’re both on an equal playing field when it comes to overall quality.
Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 13: Which Should You Buy?
Apple’s iPhone 14 is $800 in the US, and we think it’s a great phone for the price. But it brings only a few upgrades over the iPhone 13, which Apple is still selling for $100 cheaper. So which one should you buy? First, you should not upgrade to iPhone 14 if you already have an iPhone 13. There is no compelling reason to do so because you won’t miss out on anything major. You may also find some good deals for the iPhone 13, making it even cheaper than it already is.
This is also true for those who are coming from an old iPhone or switching from an Android device for the first time. If you don’t care about new features like Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and slightly better cameras, we think you should save $100 and get an iPhone 13 instead. It’s still an excellent phone with the same iOS 16 software and works just fine. You can also use physical SIM cards with the iPhone 13, which in itself is a compelling reason for many to choose the iPhone 13 over the new model in the US. Thus, for us, it makes more sense to choose the iPhone 13 instead of the iPhone 14 and save some money in the process. The latest is often not the greatest value, and the iPhone 13 and 14 are the best examples of this feeling.
This does not mean that the iPhone 14 is a bad phone. If you’re coming from an iPhone 11 or older and want the latest features, we think you should consider buying the iPhone 14. It’s an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 13, but it’s worth it, especially when you consider the new features and improvements in the Store. Both phones run on Apple iOS 16 software, but the iPhone 14 takes it out of the box and will likely have slightly longer software support as well. If you plan to keep your phone for three years or more, you can also take advantage of the redesigned internals just in case you have to replace components like the battery, back panel, or screen. The iPhone 14 costs over $100, but you can always stop by our best iPhone 14 deals page to see if you can save some money on your purchase and splurge on one of the best cases instead.
So what iPhone is he planning to buy in 2022? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below!
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