Apple iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro: Which should you choose?

Apple announced its iPhone 14 series at an event in Cupertino in early September, which means we can try out the different models available for 2022.

The series consists of four devices, namely the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Yes that’s right, no iPhone 14 mini this year.

We’ve compared the four iPhone 14s based on published specs – as well as our experience – to help you decide which one is best for your needs.

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Price of iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro

Naturally, prices differ between iPhone 14 models, you don’t need us to tell you.

If you’re in the US, thankfully there haven’t been any price hikes over the last year, but other regions may have a different story (in particular, we were hit hard in the UK -United).

This time the prices are as follows:

Design iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro

• iPhone 14/14 Plus: Aluminum frame, dual cameras, notch, five colors
• iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max: Stainless steel housing, triple camera, Dynamic Island, four colors

Apple’s standard iPhone 14 model follows an identical design to the iPhone 13 model, retaining the notch at the top of the screen. The iPhone 14 Plus is identical to the iPhone 14 but on a larger scale, as you might expect.

As in previous years, this means that for both sizes you’re back to getting dual lenses, flat edges, and an aluminum frame. They also offer IP68 rated water and dust resistance.

However, the iPhone 14 Pro model is different from the standard iPhone 14 model, and actually different from all previous iPhones.

As rumored, the notch has been replaced with what Apple calls Dynamic Islands, pill-shaped cutouts that house the front camera and sensors, and house widget-like animations and information. . Various warnings will appear on the dynamic island and will adjust depending on what you are doing.

For example, if you’re using Apple Pay, the dynamic island will turn square, whereas if you’re on a call, it’ll expand and show the duration of the call and sound waves if you open another app during the call. Overall, it’s a major shift in design language Apple has used for years, and it feels very different using the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max compared to their regular counterparts – in the right direction.

The iPhone 14 Pro models also feature triple cameras on the back and are heavier than the standard model, offering a shiny stainless steel frame rather than aluminum.

The models are also not offered in the same colors. Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus buyers can choose from the following colors: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and (Product) Red. The iPhone 14 Pro range, meanwhile, comes in Space Black, Gold, Deep Purple, and Silver.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro screens

• iPhone 14: 6.1-inch, Super Retina XDR OLED, 2532×1170, 460 ppi, 1200 nits
• iPhone 14 Plus: 6.7 inches, Super Retina XDR OLED, 2778×1284, 458 ppi, 1200 nits
• iPhone 14 Pro: 6.1 inches, Super Retina XDR OLED, 2556×1179, 460 ppi, 1-120Hz refresh rate, Always-On Display, 2000 nits
• iPhone 14 Pro Max: 6.7 inches, Super Retina XDR OLED, 2796×1290, 460 ppi, 1-120Hz refresh rate, always-on display, 2000 nits.

The Apple iPhone 14 maintains the same screen size as the iPhone 13, which is a 6.1-inch screen. The iPhone 14 Plus, on the other hand, has a 6.7-inch display.

The iPhone 14 Pro also offers a 6.1-inch screen, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. All four offer OLED panels, as well as support for True Tone, Haptic Touch, and HDR, though the Pro model offers plenty of extra features, including a power efficiency mode that can dim the display in smarter ways.

The iPhone 14 Pro models again offer the ProMotion adaptive refresh rate, but this time the minimum refresh rate is lower than the iPhone 13 Pro models, which is 1Hz, which conserves battery life.

The Pro model gets another big boost in brightness, which jumps up to a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, which makes a difference when you’re using the phone in bright light or direct sunlight.

The iPhone 14 Pro models also come with Always On Display, a feature offered by most Android phones that lets you view information without turning on and unlocking the screen. It smartly mirrors what you have on the lock screen in iOS 16.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro specifications

• iPhone 14/14 Plus: A15 chip, 128GB/256GB/512GB storage, up to 20h/26h video playback
• iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max: A16 chip, 256GB/512GB/1TB storage, up to 20h/29h video playback

The Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus run on the same chipset as the iPhone 13 Pro, namely the A15 with a five-core GPU. For reference, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini also work with the A15, but they have quad-core GPUs.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, run on the A16 chip, which offers increased performance over the A15 and is therefore the standard model of the iPhone 14. It’s the first time Apple has used a different chip in its iPhone models. same series.

The storage options for the standard model are the same as for the iPhone 13 models. This means you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. iPhone 14 Pro models start at 128 GB and there are also 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB models.

Battery capacities differ between the standard iPhone 14 models and iPhone 14 Pro models, and between the standard models and the Pro itself, with the Plus and Max variants offering larger batteries.

Apple usually measures it in hours rather than mAh, and based on its comparison page, if you use video playback as your preferred comparison, you can expect 20 hours for the standard iPhone 14 and 26 hours for the iPhone 14. iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 Pro will offer at least 23 hours, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is around 29 hours.

We tested the battery performance of all iPhone 14 models and the iPhone 14 Plus came out on top, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Plus excels in this area. If you’re looking for a big screen and big battery, this is a great choice.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro camera

• iPhone 14/14 Plus: Dual rear cameras, 2x optical zoom, up to 5x digital zoom
• iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max: Three rear cameras, 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 6x optical zoom, digital zoom up to 15x.

Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus both have dual rear cameras. You have a 12MP wide main camera and an ultra wide secondary camera. This is the same resolution as the iPhone 13, although the main camera has been upgraded to the iPhone 13 Pro, which means that the f/1.5 aperture is slightly larger than f/1.6.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, meanwhile, have received major upgrades. They feature a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with a larger aperture, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor.

The iPhone 14 Pro model is capable of offering 3x optical zoom through the telephoto lens and 15x digital zoom. The standard iPhone 14 model has 5x digital zoom but no optical zoom. The Pro model also offers a ProRES function, which allows you to capture 48 megapixel raw photos.

Similar features are found across all four models, with features such as Portrait Mode with Depth Control, Night Mode, Photographic Style, and Cinematic Mode. You’ll also find Action mode on all four iPhone 14 models, along with Photonic Engine, which should improve low-light images. All four models deliver excellent results, and while the Pro model has the upper hand, the standard model still delivers excellent point-and-shoot images.

As for the front camera, all four models feature an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with a wider f/1.9 aperture and autofocus for the first time, which is especially useful for selfies and video calls.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro software

All four Apple iPhone 14 models run iOS 16, so the user experience is pretty much the same across all four models, although as we mentioned, the iPhone 14 Pro models get a few extra features in the camera area, as well as Always On Display and Dynamic Island functionality.

You can read all about iOS 16 and the features it offers in our separate OS article.

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Conclusion

There are several differences between the standard iPhone 14 model and the iPhone 14 Pro model, including design, materials, chipset, storage options, battery capacity, display functions, and camera offerings.

There are also some notable similarities, such as flat edges, Face ID, iOS 16 software experience, front camera improvements, and screen size. Overall, the iPhone 14 Pro models are more different from previous years thanks to that dynamic island more than anything else.

For those who want the latest tricks that Apple has come up with, the iPhone 14 Pro models are the devices you’ll want to take a look at. For anyone looking for a great phone at a lower cost, the standard iPhone 14 options are still impressive – especially in the case of the iPhone 14 Plus – but with minimal differences from the iPhone 13 models. , you might consider the iPhone 13 Pro to get some extra features at a lower price. same.