At a time when people are trying to avoiding spending more than they need, there’s an interesting dilemma for those thinking about upgrading an old iPhone. Instead of buying the iPhone 14 you can save $100/£100 and buy an iPhone that, while a year older, shares the same look, a very similar processor, and many of the features of the newer handset. However, there are still important differences that justifies the price difference. We’ll help you decide which one to buy.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Cameras
We don’t usually jump straight to the cameras in these comparisons, but that’s by far the biggest difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 has two cameras on the back, just like the iPhone 13, but the newer model includes a faster aperture (ƒ/1.5 rather than ƒ/1.6) and a larger sensor on the main camera to bring better overall performance and improvements in low-light shooting.
The iPhone 14 features a new Photonic Engine computational engine that allows you to capture more detail in dark conditions. It also aids features such the Portrait Mode’s new Foreground Blur. The improvements in low light photography don’t just mean that the resulting photos are better, it means that when you are taking a photo in low light you don’t have to hold the iPhone steady for as long.
Low-light photos taken with the iPhone 14 capture greater detail and preserve shadows more effectively than the iPhone 13..
Foundry
There’s also an Action Mode for video shooting that is designed to improve stabilization when you are recording video while moving. This works really well and is a feature that will make a difference to almost anyone, where past video features, such as the Cinematic Mode that arrived with the iPhone 13, have rather fallen flat (we’ve never quite worked out where we would benefit from Cinematic Mode).
It’s not just the cameras on the back of the iPhone 14 that are better than the those on the iPhone 13. The selfie camera—aka the TrueDepth camera used for FaceTime and Face ID—has also been upgraded on the front of the iPhone 14. This camera has autofocus and a larger aperture which will improve low-light performance.
These are excellent reasons to choose iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 Design
Although the iPhone 14 is slightly smaller than the iPhone 13, there are some differences. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 have slightly different rear cameras. This means that the iPhone 14 will lay slightly flatter than the iPhone 13 if they are placed on a table. A case for the iPhone 13 has been slightly shifted, so an iPhone 14 case won’t be suitable.
iPhone 145.78 inches (146.7mm) by 2.82 inches (71.5mm) and 0.31inch (7.80mm) respectively. 172 grams = 6.07 ounces
iPhone 135.78 inches (146.7mm) by 2.82 inches (71.5mm) by 0.30 inch (7.65mm) x 6.10oz (173g)
There are two different colors available for the iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 colors tends to be darker than the iPhone 13 colors. The iPhone 13’s colors are darker than those of the iPhone 13. For example, the iPhone 14 offers a pale option to choose from, compared to the iPhone 13’s deep blue. And even the Product Red finish 2022 is brighter than usual. Plus, pink has been replaced by purple.
Apple
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13 – Safety features
There are two other things that the iPhone 14 offers that the iPhone 13 doesn’t, although one of them will only make a difference to you if you are based in the U.S. or Canada, and the other will only matter if you are in a car crash. The first is the a new ability to make an emergency call via satellite – so if you are in trouble and don’t have cellular coverage you will still be able to call the emergency services as long as you have good enough visibility of the sky. It’s something you probably won’t need to use, but could make a big difference if you were own such a situation.
Similarly, Crash Detection (also available online) All 2022 Apple WatchesAlthough you won’t use it, the possibility of saving your life is real. The iPhone 14 can detect if there is a collision and contact emergency services.
It’s a tricky one this. On the one hand we have an iPhone that could save you $100/£100, on the other we have an iPhone that could save your life. We think most people will conclude that they’ll probably be ok.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13; A15 processor
The A15 chip is the same in both iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. This is why we started this article. However, it’s not exactly the same chip. Because of its additional GPU core, A15 in iPhone 14 is closer to the A15 from iPhone 13 Pro. In fact, our benchmarks show that the A15 of the iPhone 14 is actually more powerful than the A15 from the iPhone 13 Pro. It seems likely that the iPhone 14’s A15 chip benefits from internal changes Apple claims to have made to the phone that aid heat dispersion. Even though the iPhone 14 is identical to the iPhone 13, internal modifications could have produced better benchmarks.
These benchmarks show that the iPhone 14 offers decent speed increases compared to the iPhone 13
The extra GPU core may be important if you are a gamer or use other graphics-intensive apps, but it may not matter for most users.
There’s one other benchmark that the iPhone 14 beats the iPhone 13 in: battery life. Apple claims that the iPhone 14’s video playback can last up to 20 hours, compared with the iPhone 13’s 19-hour limit. Geekbench 4, which is more rigorous, gave us similar results. We got an iPhone 14 battery test time of 8:57, compared to the iPhone 13’s 8:11.
One extra hour of battery life doesn’t sound all that exciting, although if your journey home from work is an hour then it may well be the difference between your iPhone running out of battery and it hanging on until you get home. Not that 20 hours is a realistic guide to battery length – that all depends on what you are using your iPhone for. The most important thing is probably how long you will need to plug your iPhone in for to get enough power to last a day at work – and that’s the same for both iPhones: Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone13: Storage
There’s one other comparison between the two iPhones that might not be immediately obvious, but should certainly be considered. Although both phones offer 128GB storage, price is still an issue. On one side, we have the iPhone 14 for $799/£849 with 128GB storage, on the other we could consider an iPhone 13 with 256GB storage, for $799/£859. For many, extra storage is more important than the iPhone 14’s additional features.
How much storage do you actually need? We will be discussing in Separate articleiCloud and Apple Music may help you realize that you don’t need as much storage. Transferring data between iPhones is a challenge if you have less storage than your iPhone.
If you are willing to sacrifice storage in order to enjoy the features of the iPhone 14, read Our story about how to free up space on your iPhoneFor tips on reducing the space you use before you move, click here
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: What’s the same
While that’s a fair amount of difference between the two iPhones, there is much more that’s the same. These two iPhones are actually so similar, it’s a challenge to distinguish them.
Both iPhones have a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical), 800 nits max brightness (typical), and 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR). Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 have identical notch. This is a smaller notch than that of the iPhone 12, but it’s still a notch. If you want less notch you need to look to the iPhone 14 Pro with it’s new Dynamic Island area.
As we’ve already explained, there are new camera features on the iPhone 14, but there are also a lot of camera features that both iPhones share, so choosing the iPhone 13 won’t mean sacrificing photography features such as the Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting effects, Photographic Styles, Cinematic Mode, and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision in 4K at 60 fps.
Both phones are durable if you are not careful. Both phones are water-resistant to 6 meters and can last up to 30 minutes. Both have a Ceramic Shield front which means that the glass on it is less likely to break if dropped. They both have a glass back which is essential for MagSafe charging. However, if your iPhone is dropped without a case it will break the glass on its back. Our recommendation is to put your new iPhone in a protective case (see below). Best iPhone cases).
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iPhone 14 or iPhone 13: Which iPhone is better?
Two generations of iPhone have never been so close. Apple used to introduce an S version of the iPhone every two years, but there was still a difference between the processors. However, the iPhone 14 Apple has increased the gap between the iPhone Pro model and the standard iPhone. Next year could see another generational leap in processor between iPhone 14 and its successor. This will most likely get the A16.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a processor bump for the new phone, as you can see from the benchmarks this chip means the iPhone 14 is more like the iPhone 13 Pro, so it is better than the iPhone 13. It’s just not a whole generation better.
But is the processor the most important thing? It could be that the capabilities of the processor are less important than how long Apple will continue to support the processor when you consider buying a new iPhone. It is possible to assume that both the iPhone 13 and 14 will lose iOS compatibility simultaneously. won’t be a concernFor many years.
The main difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 is the iPhone 14’s improved camera capabilities, which include faster low-light photography and Action Mode. The Action Mode, which is much more popular than the Cinematic Mode included with the iPhone 13, is clearly the main feature. For our money, Active Mode is the only reason to upgrade to the iPhone 14, but it’s a good one. If you don’t take many videos or care about Action Mode, you can safely stick with the iPhone 13 and save a few bucks.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure to compare prices below so that you can get the best price.
iPhone 14: The Best Prices
iPhone 14, from $799/£849
$799
$799.99
iPhone 13: Best price
iPhone 13, from $599/£649 (was $799/£799)
$699.99
$829.00
$1,129.00
You can find more information on the Best iPhoneFor more information, please see our Complete guide to all iPhones Apple sells. These reviews are also available:
