The wait is over — the iPhone 14 series is finally here. Apple unveiled its latest and greatest iPhones at its “Far Out” September 7 hardware event. Turns out, most of the leaks were true — the phones offer some major upgrades, along with some smaller tweaks that should offer a better experience overall.
Buying the iPhone 13 would save you cash, or if you can find a discounted iPhone 13 Pro, you'd sacrifice the front camera upgrade and a couple of features, but you'd gain a telephoto lens and some other great camera features.
Running on the same hardware as the iPhone 13 mini, the iPhone 13 has the A15 Bionic chip under its hood, a dual rear camera that offers the same camera features as the iPhone 13 mini, and Apple claims battery life has improved by 2.5 hours compared to the iPhone 12.
The iPhone 13 is the one to buy if you want a powerful device in a larger package than the iPhone 13 mini - and without paying the extra for the more premium build and additional camera features offered by the iPhone 14 Pro.
The Apple iPhone 14 is the entry-level model to the latest iPhones. It offers an identical design to the iPhone 13 models, with a notch at the top of its OLED display, an aluminum frame with flat edges and a dual camera on the rear.
Purchasing decisions will always vary depending on budget, how well your phone works right now and your personal needs, so there's no simple answer that works for everyone. But here are the biggest differences between the iPhone 14 lineup and iPhone 13 to help you make a decision.
iPhone 14 vs 13 design
iPhone 14: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm, 172g
iPhone 14 Plus: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8mm, 203g
iPhone 13 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm, 141g
iPhone 13: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm, 174g
iPhone 14 vs 13 hardware
iPhone 14/iPhone 14 Plus: A15 chip (5-core GPU), 128/256/512GB, Dual SIM, Car Crash detection, Emergency SOS with satellites
iPhone 13 mini/iPhone 13: A15 chip (4-core GPU), 128/256/512GB, Dual SIM
iPhone 14 vs 13 display
iPhone 13 mini 5.4-inch, OLED, 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
iPhone 14/13 6.1-inch, OLED, 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
iPhone 14 Plus: 6.7-inch, OLED, 2778 x 1284 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
iPhone 14 vs 13 cameras
iPhone 14 models: Dual rear camera (12MP wide, f/1.5 + 12MP ultra wide, f/2.2)
iPhone 13 models: Dual rear camera (12MP wide, f/1.6 + ultra wide, f/2.2)
The bottom line: If you have an iPhone 13 or 13 Pro, don't upgrade. But if you are determined to get a new phone, go for the iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, especially if you must have the Dynamic Island right now
Conclusion
The Apple iPhone 14 models have a couple of upgrades over the iPhone 13 models, including a GPU bump, some camera upgrades and a couple of features like Car Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellites. The differences compared to the iPhone 12 increase slightly, with the processor jump, refined design thanks to the reduced notch and more camera adjustments being the stand out differences.
Upgrading from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 offers a boost in speed, camera improvements and a slight design change. For those considering upgrading from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 though, the differences are more subtle.
If you're considering upgrading from an older iPhone or the iPhone XR and wondering which of these devices is the best one to pick, the iPhone 13 is a fantastic device, as is the iPhone 12 - and both are cheaper now - so chances are you'll be pleased with either if the iPhone 14 is out of your budget.
That said, if you want a larger device then the iPhone 14 Plus is a great option, offering a bump in battery over all the models being compared here, and a larger display, plus the extra features offered by the iPhone 14 models. Meanwhile, if you want smaller, the iPhone 13 mini is a pocket powerhouse and well worth considering even if it isn't new anymore.