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The iPhone 14 is officially on the way. Following Apple’s announcement on September 7th, 2022, iPhone loyalists can expect to get their hands on the latest model in all its glory starting September 16th. The new smartphone will debut alongside the Apple Watch 8, the AirPods Pro 2, and a new iOS. Of course, we won’t truly know what the iPhone 14 is like until we get our hands on it. Let’s take an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 14.
The actual feel of the iPhone 14, the truth about its reported specs, and the honest performance of the latest Apple smartphone won’t be known until we can play around with it in person. Until then, all we have to go off of is what Apple reported at the event on September 7th. That information should do just fine, though — Apple seemingly spared no detail as they went over their latest and greatest offerings. With this, let’s compare the iPhone 13 vs 14 based on what we know.
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Side-by-Side Comparison of iPhone 13 vs 14
| iPhone 13 | iPhone 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Other Models | iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Release Date | September 24th, 2021 | September 16th, 2022 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Processor | A15 Bionic with 4-core GPU | A15 Bionic with 5-core GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Cameras | Dual 12MP cameras (rear), 12MP TrueDepth camera (front) | Dual 12MP cameras (rear), 12MP TrueDepth camera (front) |
| Battery | 19 hours of video playback | 20 hours of video playback |
| Size | 5.78 in. x 2.82 in. x 0.31 in. | 5.78 in. x 2.82 in. x 0.31 in. |
| Weight | 6.1 oz. | 6.07 oz. |
| Screen | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Colors | Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Green and (Product) Red | Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and (Product) Red |
| Price at Launch | $799 | $799 |
5 Key Points and Must-Know Facts About the iPhone 13 vs 14
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- All versions of this latest Apple smartphone model have satellite connectivity, meaning they can make emergency calls without cellular or internet connection.
- The announcement of the 14 models represents perhaps the least major upgrade between iPhone generations to date. Still, they aren’t without their serious advantages — especially with the 14 Pro and the 14 Pro Max.
- Apple was expected to do away with the Lightning cable in favor of USB-C with the 14, but this prediction didn’t come true. However, they did say that the 14 would be the last iPhone model with this Lightning cable.
- The iPhone 14 officially does away with the “Mini” model, a staple of the iPhone 12 and 13’s product suites. It returns to the “Plus” model, the first to do so since the iPhone 8 lineup.
- There are no improvements to the iPhone 14’s wireless charging speeds or durability, but the 14 does have a stronger MagSafe and a faster top charging speed compared to the 13.
iPhone 13 vs 14: Key Differences
It might be hard for the naked eye to tell the difference between the iPhone 13 vs 14. However, there’s a world of difference from battery life to screen size, specs to their internal makeup and even exterior designs.
Battery Life
The iPhone 14 offers an additional hour of battery life over the iPhone 13. While this doesn’t sound much, an hour can make all the difference. Specifically, the 14 boasts 20 hours compared to the 13’s 19 hours. From commutes back and forth from work to long days spent out in nature to those days you forget to charge your phone at night, an additional hour of battery life is nothing to scoff at. (This battery life is improved even further with the iPhone 14 Plus, Pro, and Pro Max models.)
Screen
The iPhone 13 vs 14 screens are probably the closest similarities between these models. They have the same measurements, resolution, and brightness. iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 might as well be clones of one another. It’s not until you delve into the iPhone 14 Plus, Pro, and Pro Max models that you begin to see some serious upgrades to the look and feel of the smartphone screen. (More on that later, though.)
Internal Makeup
When looking beyond the smartphone’s screen, you’ll notice that the internal makeup of the iPhone 13 vs 14 varies slightly but significantly. For one, the iPhone 14 has a larger, 5-core GPU over the iPhone 13 despite boasting the same A15 Bionic chip. Moreover, the iPhone 14 has 6 GB of RAM over the iPhone 13’s 4 GB. This will make all the difference with multitasking and other high-energy tasks on the 14 over the 13. There’s also the better battery, which we discussed above. The higher-end versions of the 14 make even greater improvements internally, which we will touch on later.
Design
Looking at the exterior design of the iPhone 13 vs 14, nothing seems unusual. However, there are a few minor things worth pointing out. For one, the iPhone 14’s cameras are markedly better than the 13’s. Improvements include a new sensor for low light, auto-focus for the front-facing camera, and a faster aperture for the 14’s wide and front-facing cameras. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max go even bigger, adding even more alluring camera upgrades like the 48MP wide-angle compared to the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max‘s 12 MP lens.
- 5.4" Super Retina XDR display. 5G Superfast downloads, high?quality streaming
- Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30 fps. Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps. 2X Optical zoom rang
- A15 Bionic chip. New 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. New 4-core GPU. New 16-core Neural Engine
- Up to 17 hours video playback. Face ID. Ceramic Shield front. Aerospace-grade aluminum
- Water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. Compatible with MagSafe accessories and wireless chargers
History of iPhone 14
Apple usually announces a new iPhone release every September. Like clockwork, Apple delivered on this expectation on September 7th, 2022. Typical for the tech giant, it was full of new products defined by minor upgrades from their respective previous generations. This event notably included new Apple Watch models, new AirPods, and the new iPhones. Specifically, these included the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Apple Watch 8, the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Ultra, and the AirPods Pro 2.
Dubbed the “Far Out” event, the truth is that this Apple iPhone 14-centric announcement wasn’t all that out there. (Even though there were a few surprises thrown in there.) For the most part, the iPhone 14 met people’s expectations and satisfied most of the predictions surrounding the latest Apple smartphone. Most expected a new Watch, new AirPods, and several minor upgrades and improvements over the iPhone 13’s lineup. This is more or less what we got.
Interestingly, iPhone 14 does away with the “Mini” models that have been included in Apple’s product suite for the past few iPhones, substituting it with a “Plus” model — the first to do so since 2017’s iPhone 8 Plus. The pink color option is also being phased out, effectively replaced by purple. Beyond these little discrepancies, many notable changes are coming to the Plus, Pro, and Pro Max.
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Features on the 14 Plus, Pro, and Pro Max
While people expected a new Apple Watch and new AirPods Pros, the biggest surprises came from the various other iPhone 14 models. That’s the Plus, the Pro, and the Pro Max. The Plus delivers a similar internal makeup and exterior design but adds several decimals of an inch to the screen size and several hours to the battery life. It comes at $100 more than the iPhone 14 base model.
On the other hand, the Pro and Pro Max are practically different beasts. They boast various unique features over the 14 and 14 Plus, most notably Dynamic Island. One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone 13 and its various versions was the tab sticking out at the top of the screen. It’s been a concern with the iPhone for a few models now, and Apple finally seems to have found an innovative way around the essential part of the phone. With the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, they turned it into a dynamic feature, not unlike the Macbook‘s Touch Bar.
Dynamic Island can change shape, color, size, and more depending on the app used. Instead of trying to hide or ignore the infamous tab like previous models, the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max lean into it by giving it special features you can’t help but notice and observe. What’s more, the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max also boast a remarkable A16 chip, a much-needed always-on display, and some major camera improvements — none of which can be found with the 14 or the 14 Plus.
iPhone 13 vs 14: Which is Better?
When all is said and done, the iPhone 13 vs 14 represents the least remarkable upgrades between iPhone models in quite some time. However, this is not to say that the iPhone 14 is not worth the upgrade, even if you purchased an iPhone 13 last year. From battery life to RAM, from new colors to better cameras, the iPhone 14 proves its worth by doubling down on what worked with the 13 and tweaking the things that could’ve been better for the 14.
Not to mention, the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max — with their A16 chip, their even more significant camera improvements, their notably better battery life, their larger screen sizes, and the inclusion of the nifty new Dynamic Island — are even more worth it over the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models. When it comes down to it, the iPhone 13 vs 14 differ the most where it matters the most: battery, performance, camera, and graphics.
Up Next…
Let’s take a look at more articles about iPhones!
- Apple iPhone 14 Release Date: What We Know So Far. All the latest on the iPhone 14!
- Step-by-Step: How to Make Wi-Fi Calls on an iPhone. We break down the steps to make a Wi-Fi call.
- The Best First 10 Apps to Download on Your iPhone. If you don’t have these apps, you are missing out!
