iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: What you need to know before an upgrade

With the arrival of the iPhone 16, every iPhone user will be thinking about whether to upgrade or wait for the next iteration. While using your phone for at least three years is recommended, the iPhone 16 series makes even iPhone 14 users consider an upgrade. From Apple Intelligence and new display cutout to the action button and camera control, here’s everything you need to know before an upgrade.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Comparison of iPhone models

Apple calls the iPhone 16 series as the first device built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence. While the AI features are yet to arrive, other changes might appeal to iPhone 14 users. Let’s look at these differences and see how the iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 stack up in terms of hardware and software features:

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Design and display

I remain disappointed that Apple no longer offers a red iPhone but the new vibrant colours introduced with iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are stunning. The iPhone 16 comes in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black colours. The aluminium unibody with colour-infused glass back for ultramarine, teal, pink, and black colours makes an immediate statement. It is difficult to look past those colours and not feel attracted to them but the blue, purple, yellow, midnight, starlight, and red colours are not outdated either. The new colour options also complement the vertical camera layout better.

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In terms of display, they both use the same 6.1-inch 60Hz Super Retina XDR display, but the iPhone 16’s display has a peak brightness of 1,600 nits while the iPhone 14 topped at 1,200 nits. The display also supports 1-nit minimum brightness. For iPhone 14 users, another thing missing would be the Dynamic Island – a notch-style cutout hiding the front camera and Face ID sensors – that changes the way you interact with your iPhone.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Hardware

The biggest hardware change with the release of iPhone 16 is the introduction of two new buttons. Apple, which pioneered the in-your-face interface, is going back to offering more buttons than previously available on iPhones. However, the highlight has to be the new Apple A18 chip built on a second-generation 3nm process. When compared to the A15 Bionic found on the iPhone 14 series, this chip brings improvement in terms of performance and efficiency.

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Apple is still offering iPhone 16 with either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage but the device is two grams lighter than iPhone 14. They are both rated IP68 for water and dust resistance and compared to iPhone 14, Apple claims you can watch two more hours of video on the iPhone 16. The iPhone 14 users will also be forced to ditch their precious lightning cable for the USB-C port on the iPhone 16.

The real highlight, however, has to be those buttons. The Action button is a dedicated button to quickly launch apps or can be programmed to perform a specific function. It is arguably the fastest way to launch your most popular app or execute a specific action. Both phones offer Face ID for authentication and support dual SIMs.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Camera and camera control

If there is a reason to switch from iPhone 14 to iPhone 16 then it has to be the camera. The iPhone 16 has dual cameras like its predecessor but the main camera is a 48MP sensor as opposed to the 12MP shooter seen on iPhone 14. The 48MP Fusion camera has f/1.6 aperture while the 12MP ultra-wide camera has f/2.2 aperture. Thanks to this new high-resolution camera, you can shoot at 2x optical zoom, not possible on iPhone 14.

It is not just the optics that have changed but also how you capture phones in general. There is now a dedicated button (called Camera Control) to launch your iPhone camera. It is designed to easily capture your memories but the button seems finicky. The high-resolution sensor allows for improved portrait, macro shots, spatial photos and videos.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Software

The iPhone 16 runs iOS 18 out-of-the-box while the iPhone 14 can be upgraded to iOS 18. With iOS 18, Apple is offering more tools that help you customise your home screen and lock screen while the control centre is also redesigned. This update also brings RCS to Messages and the option to lock and hide certain apps. From new camera settings and a password manager app to redesigned Photos app, there are a number of new features with iOS 18 but Apple Intelligence is still not here.

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As the phone is designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16 is missing its major selling point. Apple is also not expected to bring all Apple Intelligence features at once and the region/language limitations will restrict its application.

Should you upgrade to iPhone 16 from iPhone 14?

The only reason to upgrade from iPhone 14 to iPhone 16 would be its new camera, new buttons, and USB-C charging system. If you look past those features, the iPhone 16 isn’t that big of an upgrade compared to iPhone 14. While the prices remain the same, the hardware isn’t a leap that many were hoping for and even the design has been consistent for many years now.

If you are an iPhone 14 user, the best option would be to use your iPhone for another year and maybe go for iPhone 17, when Apple Intelligence would have reached a few devices and Apple would have enough data to iterate and improve its hardware.