Apple’s smartphones are finally entering a new era — a phase where the software is driving as much innovation as the hardware. In fact, if one looks at the magnitude of changes that iOS 18 brings to the table with Apple Intelligence at the helm, the hardware enhancements pale in comparison. The Apple iPhone 16 Pro is at the forefront of that movement, thanks largely to the inclusion of Apple’s new AI. But is there any merit in holding on to an older iPhone?
The iPhone 14 Pro is the focus for most buyers’ “keep or jump” dilemma. A remnant of the Lightning port era, the
If you’ve been holding on tight to your iPhone 14 and aren’t sure if there are enough meaningful advancements with the iPhone 16 Pro to warrant a spending spree, here’s a detailed breakdown to guide your upgrade decision. And if you’re interested in what we think about the rest of Apple’s line, we have reviews of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max, too.
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: specs
Specs | iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro |
---|---|---|
Size | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm (5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches) | 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.85 mm (5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches) |
Weight | 199 g (7.03 oz) | 206 g (7.27 oz) |
Screen | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
1206 x 2622 pixels ProMotion with 120Hz dynamic refresh rate |
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
1179 x 2556 pixels ProMotion with 120Hz dynamic refresh rate |
Operating system | iOS 18 | iOS 18 |
Build | Titanium with textured matte glass back | Stainless steel with textured matte glass back |
Buttons | Action Button Camera Control |
Ring/Silent switch |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Processor | Apple A18 Pro
Six-core CPU Six-core GPU 16-core NPU |
Apple A16 Bionic
Six-core CPU Five-core GPU 16-core NPU |
Camera | Rear:
48-megapixel primary, f/1.8, OIS 48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 120° FOV 12MP telephoto, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom Front: 12MP, f/1.9 aperture |
Rear:
48MP primary, f/1.78, OIS 48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 120° FOV 12MP telephoto, f/1.78, 3x optical zoom Front: 12MP, f/1.9 aperture |
Video | Rear:
4K, up to 120 fps Front: |
Rear:
Front: |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 6, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Ports | USB-C Gen 3.2
DisplayPort |
Lightning USB 2.0 |
Water resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6m up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6m up to 30 minutes) |
Battery & charging | Up to 23 hours video playback
45W fast charging 25W wireless charging via MagSafe 15W Qi2 wireless charging |
Up to 27 hours video playback
25W fast charging 15W wireless charging via MagSafe 7.5W Qi wireless charging |
Colors | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
Price | Starts at $999 | Starts at $999 |
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro : design and display
There isn’t much to discuss here about any design overhaul, as the fundamental aesthetic language is identical. However, there are a few refinements that can only be felt when the two devices are held in hand. The iPhone 16 Pro is slightly taller and thicker than the
Another crucial difference concerns the edges. The
Apple has also slimmed down the bezels to accommodate a larger display on the phone. With the iPhone 16 Pro, you also get USB-C (Gen 3 port with Display Port support) with 10Gbps output as it ditches the Lightning Port (USB Gen 2) on the
The ingress protection is identical across both phones at an IP68 level, but the color options vary. The iPhone 16 Pro serves up a new Desert Titanium look that’s somewhat inspired by the gold trim on the iPhone 16 Pro, but the latter’s signature Deep Purple is gone. The rest of Apple’s latest options include silver, white, and black.
Another core difference, as mentioned above, is the display. The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch panel, up from the 6.1-inch OLED screen on the
Another crucial change is the introduction of two extra buttons on the iPhone 16 Pro that replace the mute switch on the
We also get the Camera Control, a physical button with a capacitive side to it. It’s a camera shutter in spirit, but can do a lot more. Using slide gestures, it can also handle adjustments like ISO or zoom level, among other camera controls.
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: camera
For users deep into video capture and engaged in professional workflows, the latest from Apple offers plenty. Both phones rely on a mostly identical 48-megapixel main camera and a 12MP zoom camera, but the iPhone 16 Pro takes things up a notch by upgrading the 12MP ultrawide lens to a 48MP sensor.
Another crucial upgrade is the inherent zoom architecture. The
On the imaging side, the iPhone 16 Pro enables full 48MP macro capture and can also take Spatial Pictures suited for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro headset. There are also new photographic styles on the table, alongside a new pad adjustment system to achieve the exact strength of a specific style. While that sounds appealing, it’s really the video capture side of things where the iPhone 16 Pro races into an altogether different league.
To start, the rear camera can now shoot
Apple has also armed the iPhone 16 Pro with four studio-quality mics, and they play a supremely important role. Apple claims they deliver more true-to-life sounds. The trick in question is audio mixing. Essentially, when you shoot a video, you can pick between directional audio presets like in-frame, studio, and cinematic. These presets let users focus on a certain audio sources in their video to highlight and emphasize specific inputs.
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: performance and software
The biggest shift between the
Now, depending on how excited you are about AI, you may or may not make an upgrade choice, but here’s the lowdown. The A16 Bionic in the
The lift in processing firepower stands at 30%, while the GPU performance is improved by 40% this time around. Even compared to the mighty A17 Pro in the
Now, both iPhones have already received the iOS 18 update, but the experience is going to be quite different. The biggest upgrade is Siri interactions, which are not only a lot more natural, but also dig deeper into apps for seamless integration to get work done. It can even handle multimedia content editing using voice commands.
That means not only can Siri more efficiently perform tasks across different apps (both in-house and third-party), but it can also look into the details stored by these apps and accordingly respond to user queries. Additionally, when it can’t handle certain queries, they will be offloaded to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
There’s a lot to unpack. The
App notifications are also intelligently brought together, summarized, and passed through focus filters. It works really well, though the system takes a few days to assess the app interaction habit before it can fine-tune the notification behavior. Another cool perk is automatic transcription and voice notes that can also be summarized with a single click.
On the more fun side of things, users will be able to convert rough sketches into beautiful drawings with a simple highlight and selection gesture. The Image Playground feature brings text-to-image facility across different places, including Messages.
Also, for users who often run into the need to look up Apple’s product guides online, Siri will save them a browser trip. The virtual assistant has ingested those guides and will offer step-by-step instructions right in the dialog box. Another cool upgrade is Screen Awareness, which lets the AI assistant take a peek at the onscreen content and answer contextual queries.
Apple Intelligence really is a big difference here — but it’s worth remembering that Apple Intelligence isn’t available yet, even on iOS 18. Instead, it will launch with iOS 18.1.
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: battery and charging
Among the most notable quality-of-life upgrades offered by the iPhone 16 Pro are improved mileage and faster charging. The
As far as charging goes, the iPhone 16 Pro can hit 50% life in just half an hour. Apple has also boosted the MagSafe output for its latest flagship. The iPhone 16 Pro can reach a MagSafe power delivery peak of 25 watts when paired with a 30W brick, while the
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro: availability and price
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro is now available. The base model of the phone will set you back $999, with more storage carrying higher costs and rising all the way to a 1TB option. The Apple
However, given the latter’s older age, it’s likely you’ll find the
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: should you upgrade?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro, as mentioned above, is pushing the envelope with both software- and hardware-side innovations. But that also begs the question — is the
Well, the answer depends on how much utility you are going to get out of the exclusive iPhone 16 Pro perks.
The biggest differentiator, of course, is Apple Intelligence. The AI-driven overhaul of iOS 18 puts Siri and next-gen machine learning capabilities into every corner of the iPhone’s software. And over time, those AI conversations — especially Siri integrations — will appear inside third-party apps, as well. Ultimately, it will boil down to how much one has grown weary of the boring iOS experience and seeks to experience what a next-generation AI-driven experience feels like.
Then we have the camera chops. Now, the iPhone is still one of the nicest smartphone camera systems out there, and that applies to the
However, if you intend to push your phone in terms of ultrawide capture and, more importantly, videos that try to challenge a DSLR, the enhanced zoom and high-fps
Apple has kept the asking price the same, which is great news and makes the upgrade even more compelling. For those who can score a good trade-in deal and absorb the deficit hit on their wallet, the iPhone 16 Pro is absolutely worth the jump. For the rest, the