iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14: novelty is not always good. The iPhone 14 is finally official and succeeds a very popular iPhone 13. But should we fall for this new model or rather opt for its predecessor? We compared the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 14, a duel of “classic”.
iPhone 14 Pro, the screen doubles brightness outdoors
A year after the announcement of the iPhone 13, Apple is back with the iPhone 14. With each announcement, it is tempting to see the changes made by the brand to the apple. Whether it’s out of simple curiosity, the desire to know if your iPhone 13 is still in the race or if you plan to buy the iPhone 14… there are many good reasons to compare the old and the new “classic”. A fratricidal duel that promises between two “affordable” models, if we rely on Apple’s price list.
The new “basic” iPhone 14 is the least expensive model of the latest vintage and it is a novelty. Until now, it was the “mini” model that occupied this role and Apple has decided to remove it from its catalog. There is now a “Plus” version, which is mainly distinguished by a screen and a larger battery. For this comparison, we rely on the information shared by Apple during the presentation of the iPhone 14. While waiting for its test, it is possible to consult that of its opponent of the day: the iPhone 13.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14: the duel of technical sheets
Without further ado, we invite you to discover the technical sheets of our two protagonists. This allows you to have an overview of what the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 offer, but above all to see that there is not much difference on paper. Indeed, Apple has decided to reserve the main changes for its iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
Design: you have to take out the magnifying glass
Difficult to see a big difference when looking at the iPhone 13 and 14. The two models are very similar and Apple has not seen fit to change the design of this “classic”. Unlike the Pro series, the notch that appeared with the iPhone X resists and the back of the iPhone 13 and 14 still highlights the camera.
There are very slight physical differences in thickness and weight. iPhone 14 has dimensions of 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm and weighs 172g, compared to 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm and 173g for iPhone 13. Yes , it’s imperceptible to the naked eye and in everyday life, but we promised to find differences.
There is also a much more visible difference since it concerns the colors. Apple is revamping the colors of its smartphone to offer an iPhone 14 in purple, in addition to midnight, starlight, red and blue versions. The iPhone 13 comes in different hues with (product) red, starlight, midnight, blue, pink, and green.
For the rest, we are entitled to similar models that offer the same level of finish. The build quality looks comparable and of high quality, as is often the case with Apple.
Screen and performance: you have to open the cover
We have grouped the screen part with the performance part, because there are still not many differences. Both devices offer a 6.1-inch screen and this format is “very popular”, if we are to believe the Apple brand. The brand is still betting on a Super Retina XDA OLED panel displaying a definition of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels at 60 Hz. While the competition under Android offers 90, 120 or 144 Hz screens, the iPhone 14 (or 13) still makes do with that standard refresh rate.
Fortunately, the arrival of a new model allows Apple to update the chip of its devices. While the iPhone 13 runs on an A15 Bionic chip, the iPhone 14 is equipped with … the A15 Bionic. Apple has decided to review its strategy and only offer its latest evolution (A16 Bionic) on the iPhone 14 Pro. However, there is still a difference between the two models.
The new iPhone 14 inherits the A15 variant of the iPhone 13 Pro, including a 5-core GPU for the graphics part. On the iPhone 13, it’s a version with a 4-core GPU.
A slight improvement that allows the iPhone 14 to perform a little better, at least on paper. In fact, you are not likely to see the difference between the two and you have a particularly powerful processor whatever happens. As usual, Apple tackles the competition by claiming that the A15 Bionic is “faster than competing GPUs in all price ranges”. For the rest, we stay on 4 GB of RAM and storage capacities of 128, 256 and 512 GB.
- A slightly more powerful and durable iPhone 14
Finally, autonomy is still not the element that the manufacturer puts the most forward. The battery capacity of the iPhone 14 is not known, which does not prevent Apple from mentioning small improvements. On its site, the American giant ensures that the iPhone 14 is a little more enduring by offering up to 20 hours of autonomy in video playback. The iPhone 13 stops at 7 p.m., a gain of about 5%. It’s always good to take on a device that promises to reach 50% charge in 30 minutes (with a 20W adapter sold separately). MagSage wireless charging up to 15 W or Qi up to 7.5 W is present on both versions.
Note that if the two models are compatible with 5G and wifi 6, the iPhone 14 offers Bluetooth 5.3 while its predecessor has Bluetooth 5.0. This shouldn’t drastically change the user experience.
Victory iPhone 14
Photo: welcome edits
Both models have a dual camera: a main sensor (wide-angle) of 12 megapixels and an ultra-wide angle of 12 megapixels as well. However, you have to look a little far to see that there are some differences between these two iPhones.
The wide-angle module (26 mm) of the iPhone 14 offers an f / 1.5 aperture, against f / 1.6 for its predecessor. This change allows more light to pass through, which will provide better low-light performance. That’s not all, the new main module has 1.9µm pixels to improve the quality of photos and videos. Again, it is at night that we can mainly see the differences.
On the front, the iPhone 14 sports a new TrueDepth camera with f/1.9 aperture to improve selfies. The 12 megapixel sensor, equipped “for the first time with autofocus”, will be more comfortable in low light than that of the iPhone 13 (12 Mpx, f / 2.2).
In terms of features, this new iPhone 14 has Photonic Engine and Cinematic mode.
iOS and features: iPhone 14 does more
Launched with iOS 15, the iPhone 13 will have no trouble upgrading to iOS 16 as soon as it is available. Apple is renowned for following through on its products, and this model is still good enough to keep up with the times to come.
Inevitably, the iPhone 14 does a little better since it will be released directly under iOS 16. If we are not likely to see major differences in use, the most recent model will (probably) be supported a little longer. It might make a small difference if you plan to buy one of the two models, although the difference is still slim. The new model is also evolving to include a satellite emergency call functionality.
It will alert the emergency services, even when the user is in a white zone. A useful function which will however only be available in the United States and Canada. It is currently difficult to see this feature as a real asset for Europeans. Conversely, it will be possible to benefit from accident detection in France and the tool works in the same way as on the Apple Watch 8. A relevant security novelty, but is it really a selling point?
