Is It Time to Upgrade Now?

With the arrival of the iPhone 16, iPhone 14 users might wonder whether it’s time to upgrade to the latest model or hold off for another year or two. Yes, there are a few reasons to upgrade to the latest iPhone 16, including Apple Intelligence, but there are also some good reasons to wait.

iPhone 16 Gets New Camera Setup, Buttons, and Colors

This year, Apple has decided to upgrade the iPhone’s exterior with a vertically aligned pill-shaped camera setup on the rear, which looks similar to the cameras on the iPhone X. On the front, there is an edge-to-edge screen with a Dynamic Island. While the back panel and side frame are made of color-infused glass and aluminum, they have a slight texture, which enhances the in-hand feel of the iPhone 16 (bringing it closer to the Pro models).

On the other hand, the iPhone 14 belongs to the short-lived era of iPhones with diagonally aligned camera sensors. A noticeable notch at the top characterizes its front, with a glossy back and shiny aluminum frame. Many are still using an iPhone with a similar design (it could be the iPhone 13, as well), which is why the iPhone 14 doesn’t feel all that dated yet.

Even the dimensions of the phones are similar, with the iPhone 16 being 0.9mm taller and two grams lighter. While both phones are available in white and black finishes, the iPhone 16 introduces three new colorways: Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink. At the same time, the iPhone 14 was available in four different colors: Yellow, Blue, Purple, and (Product) Red.

Instead of the mute switch on the iPhone 14, you get a programmable Action Button on the iPhone 16. Check out our article on 15 Action Button shortcuts to try to learn more about what the button can do. In addition, there’s the new Camera Control button, which combines touch and force sensors to let users capture pictures in an instant.

Last but not least, the Lightning port is no longer a part of the iPhone 16’s chassis, as it has a USB-C port instead. Both models have an IP68 dust and water-resistant rating.

The iPhone 16 Has a Significantly Brighter Display

While Apple has increased the screen sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro models, the regular iPhone 16 still retains a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, which uses an OLED panel with the same 460 ppi pixel density as the iPhone 14.

Both screens support HDR content, Apple’s True Tone technology, and have a similar contrast ratio, with the only difference being a higher peak brightness (2,000 nits) on the iPhone 16 as opposed to the iPhone 14 (1,200 nits).

And yes, you can dim the newer iPhone’s display to 1 nit, making it more suitable for middle-of-the-night operations. As mentioned, you get a Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16, which makes interacting with notifications or background tasks easier.

A18 vs. A15 Bionic

Given that the iPhone 16’s processor, the A18 chip, is three generations ahead of the iPhone 14’s A15 Bionic chip (also found on the iPhone 14 Pro), there’s a noticeable difference in performance.

Even though the iPhone 14 can easily handle day-to-day tasks like checking emails, switching between apps, scrolling on social, or multitasking, the iPhone 16 feels more snappy and responsive. For those wondering, the A18 scores about 40% better in single- and multi-core Geekbench 6 benchmark test (via NanoReview).

The difference in raw power and an additional 2GB of RAM on the iPhone 16 also unlock support for Apple Intelligence, Apple’s GenAI features that will be available later this year. Unfortunately, the iPhone 14 didn’t make the cut for Apple Intelligence, but it will surely get another two to three years of the latest operating system updates.

For now, both phones support iOS 18, which comes with several lock screen and home screen customization options, a new Control Center, a revamped Photos app, and the ability to lock apps without installing any third-party apps plus some hidden features that nobody is talking about.

iPhone 16 Offers Significantly Better Cameras

Thanks to its 48MP primary camera (the same sensor used on the iPhone 16 Pro), the iPhone 16 can capture 24MP and 48MP pictures. Since the sensor has a higher resolution, the Camera app can also crop into the central portion to capture 2x lossless pictures at 12MP resolution.

To improve the 12MP ultrawide camera, Apple has increased the aperture and added autofocus to enhance its low-light performance and unlock macro capabilities.

Other additions include QuickTake videos up to 4K in 60 fps, wind noise reduction, Audio Mix (which provides different audio profiles for a recorded video), and the ability to record Spatial videos.

You also get new Photographics Styles along with a square-shaped control pad for controlling an image’s tone, exposure, and color. The new ultrawide camera can also shoot macro videos. Digital zoom has also increased from 5x on the iPhone 14 to 6x on the iPhone 16.

Conversely, the iPhone 14 features two 12MP sensors that still manage to take pictures with exceptional dynamic range and accurate colors. Like the iPhone 16, the older iPhone also offers Cinematic Mode in up to 4K resolution at 30 fps, Action Mode in up to 2.8K at 60 fps, and HDR Dolby Vision recording in 4K at 60 fps. Both phones also share the 12MP TrueDepth front camera with autofocus.

I’ve been using the iPhone 16 for over a week now, and let me tell you, the cameras shoot some amazing pictures, both in well-lit and poorly-lit scenarios. However, if you aren’t looking for more details by zooming into the pictures or trying to take pictures of tiny objects up close, you won’t notice much difference in the picture quality. That’s more of a complement to the iPhone 14 than a criticism of the iPhone 16.

The New iPhone Offers Faster MagSafe Charging

The iPhone 16 offers up to 22 hours of video playback, two hours (or 10%) more than the iPhone 14. However, when it comes to wired charging, both phones can charge up to 50% in around 30 minutes with Apple’s 20W adapter.

When it comes to MagSafe charging, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 support 25W and 15W wireless charging rates, respectively. If you have a Qi2 wireless charger, you can enjoy 15W charging rates on your iPhone 14.

Since the iPhone 16 has a USB-C port, it has a USB-C to USB-C braided cable in the box. The iPhone 14 is stuck with a Lightning port and ships with a UBS-C to Lightning cable in the box.

iPhone 16 or iPhone 14? It’s a $200 Question

The iPhone 16, with 128GB of storage, is available on Apple’s official website for $799. At the same time, the iPhone 14 with similar storage is listed for $599. Hence, there’s a $200 difference between the two phones.

While other upgrades are incremental, the higher brightness, support for Apple Intelligence, and improved cameras on the iPhone 16 might entice you to upgrade from your iPhone 14. Ultimately, you’re to decide whether these upgrades are worth the cost of upgrading.

If you already have an iPhone 14, you might want to stick with it for another year or until the battery starts acting up, which is when an upgrade would make more sense.