By
Angelo Ilumba Senior Writer
Updated

iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro
5 out of 5 overall

  • Dynamic Island
  • 48MP main camera
iPhone 14
iPhone 14
4.5 out of 5 overall

  • Starting at $699
  • New larger lenses

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, despite not being the newest Apple handset, are top-of-the-line smartphones. You can save money and buy the standard iPhone 14, or you can splurge a little and opt for the iPhone 14 Pro. 

Both models include 5G connectivity, a 6.1" Super Retina display, and 4K HDR video recording. They're water resistant, feature Emergency SOS via satellite, and utilize eSIM technology. With all of these similarities, it's hard to imagine how different they could be.

In this guide, we’ll compare both phone models across key areas, including price, cameras, and battery life, to help you learn more about each. Keep reading to find out which new iPhone 14 device is right for you.


iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro Summary

The iPhone Pro models will always feature better specs than the base iPhone models, but the gap between the tiers is wider than usual. Aside from price and size, the iPhone 14 Pro is vastly superior to the iPhone 14 in almost every way.


iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Pro
Price Trophy
Size Trophy Trophy
Cameras Trophy
Battery life Trophy
Display Trophy
Performance Trophy
Build Trophy

iPhone 14 Plans iPhone 14 Pro Plans

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Specs


As you might expect, the iPhone 14 Pro has better specs than the base 14 model. The Pro models get the new A16 Bionic processor chip, while the iPhone 14 has the previous year's A15 Bionic. Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro has a new 48MP main camera on its triple-lens array, while the base 14 models sport the classic 12MP main camera in its dual-lens array. 

We'll go over the main differences between the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, but for quick reference, here is a table of key specs:

iPhone 14 Specs vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max Specs

iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Pro
Starting price From $699 From $999
Display 6.1”
Super Retina
60Hz 
6.1”
Super Retina
ProMotion adaptive refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz)
Processor A15 Bionic
A16 Bionic 
Main camera Dual-lens
12MP main @ ƒ/1.5
12MP ultra-wide @ ƒ/2.4
2x optical/5x digital zoom
Triple-lens
48MP main @ ƒ/1.78
12MP ultra-wide @ ƒ/2.2
12MP telephoto @ ƒ/2.8
3x optical/15x digital zoom
TrueDepth front camera 12MP @ ƒ/1.9
Cinematic mode up to 4K @ 30fps

12MP @ ƒ/1.9
Cinematic mode up to 4K @ 30fps
ProsRes 4K up to 30fps (on 256GB or greater models)
Video recording 4K HDR
Cinematic mode (up to 4K)
Action mode
4K HDR
Cinematic mode (up to 4K)
ProsRes 4K up to 30fps (on 256GB or greater models)
Internal memory 128GB
256GB
512GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
1TB
Battery life Up to 20 hours video Up to 23 hours video
Connectivity 4G LTE
5G (sub-6 GHz, mmWave)
Bluetooth 5.3
Emergency SOS via satellite
4G LTE
5G (sub-6 GHz, mmWave)
Bluetooth 5.3
Emergency SOS via satellite
Water resistance IP68 IP68
Colors Blue
Purple
Midnight
Starlight
(PRODUCT) RED
Deep Purple
Gold
Silver
Space Black

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Price


You might want to sit down for this because the extremely shocking news is that the iPhone 14 Pro is more expensive than the iPhone 14. (Okay, so we're being a little facetious here.) The Pro starts at $999, while the base iPhone 14 starts at $699. That's a cool $300 difference.

If saving money is a priority, the iPhone 14 is the way to go. If you're very concerned about the price, you may also want to consider the budget-friendly iPhone SE

Winner: iPhone 14

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Size


Here's another category that takes little brain power from your friendly neighborhood WhistleOut writer. The iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro are the same size, sporting  6.1-inch displays. Want a little more screen? The 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus is a bigger iPhone 14. Similarly, the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max is a bigger version of the iPhone 14 Pro.

Winner: Tie

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Cameras


Now let’s delve into the more technical aspects of comparing the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 14 Pro. The camera system is where we really start seeing Pro-level features in the high-end models.

One big difference you can spot with your eye is that the iPhone Pro has a rear-facing three-camera array, whereas the iPhone 14 has only two cameras on the back.

  • iPhone 14 cameras:
    • 12MP main
    • 12MP ultra-wide
  • iPhone 14 Pro cameras
    • 48MP main
    • 12MP ultra-wide
    • 12MP telephoto

That was not a typo. After years of sticking with 12MP cameras, Apple upgraded the iPhone 14 Pro's main camera to 48MP. What does that mean for you? The main camera will default to snapping 12MP pictures, but with 48MP available, you can switch to 2x zoom without losing quality. With the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras, you also get 3x optical zooming in and 2x optical zooming out, for a full range of 6x optical zoom. Plus, the Pro models can zoom up to 15x digitally.

Taken with Apple iPhone 14 Pro

For mobile photography enthusiasts, the new camera system shoots in Apple ProRAW, which utilizes the full 48 megapixels. On top of all that, the main sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro is larger, meaning it can produce clearer Night mode pictures. 

Frankly, there isn't much to say about the iPhone 14 camera system. Apple put the iPhone 13 Pro’s main and ultra-wide cameras on the iPhone 14, so they’re better at capturing low-light images than cameras on the base iPhone 13. They are very good cameras, and most everyday users will be very happy with them.

As for video recording, iPhone 14 Pro users get to shoot in ProRes (up to 4K at 30fps) to make commercial-grade films. Recording in ProRes 4K eats up storage fast and is therefore only available in 256GB models or higher. The iPhone 14, as you may have guessed, does not have ProRes capabilities. 

Overall, you are getting one of the best camera phone systems available today on the iPhone 14 Pro. While the iPhone 14 camera system is more than adequate for most people, it just can't live up to its sibling phone.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Battery Life


The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have improved battery life compared to previous year's models. With a more efficient processor, the 14 Pro has a longer battery life than the base14. The iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max have an even longer battery life, given they have bigger batteries. Here are Apple's estimated video playback hours for each model:

  • iPhone 14: 20 hours
  • iPhone 14 Pro: 23 hours
  • iPhone 14 Plus: 26 hours
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max: 29 hours

It's easy to see that the iPhone 14 Pro has better battery life than the iPhone 14. 

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Display


The display differences between the iPhone 14 models are some of the biggest yet.

Refresh rates and ProMotion

You can expect a fixed 60Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 14 display. This rate is perfectly adequate but doesn't give you the smoothest viewing experience possible. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro has an ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate, but the story doesn't end there. A 120Hz refresh rate can be a battery drain, but with ProMotion, the refresh rate on the iPhone 14 Pro is adaptive. It reduces according to what you are viewing or doing on your phone. If you are scrolling through apps or social media, you'll see a very high refresh rate to give you a smooth experience. However, if you power the phone down to the always-on display, the screen will only refresh at a 1Hz rate.

The difference between 120Hz and 60Hz isn't the biggest deal in the world, but it is noticeable even to those who aren't very picky about display tech.

New Dynamic Island feature

After years of speculation, Apple designed a phone without a notch, replacing it with much less intrusive pill and circle cutouts at the top of the screen. While this new design is not as in your face as a notch, the cutouts are still in the way. To address this issue, Apple came up with Dynamic Island. This new feature gives iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max users a whole new way to control their devices.

The Dynamic Island sits at the top of the screen, hiding the pill and circle cutouts. If you are playing a song on a music app, Dynamic Island will show you what song is playing while you use other apps. When you want to return to the music app, just tap on the island. If you have multiple background apps, the island can split to display each one. Dynamic Island also displays alerts for incoming calls and texts. 

Unfortunately, Apple decided that iPhone 14 was not ready for Dynamic Island. The 14 and 14 Plus still have the notch at the top.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Performance


Each new iPhone series typically comes with the latest Apple mobile processor, but not this year. Instead, Apple only used the new A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro models. For the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, Apple included the A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 Pro variants, making the iPhone 14 a lot like the 13 Pro.

The improvements in both the iPhone 14 Pro's new A16 and the iPhone 14's A15 aren't easy to notice for most people. Phone processors are very good and very fast these days; it takes plugging devices into diagnostic tools to really see the differences. Overall, the iPhone 14 Pro performs better than the iPhone 14, but both are fast phones that can handle just about any workload you throw at them.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Build


Apple built the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro phones well, and while you don't want to go throwing them against a wall, they are sturdy. Still, they have slightly different builds. The iPhone 14 Pro has a stainless steel frame, while the iPhone 14 has an aluminum frame. Additionally, the 14 Pro has a much more solid feel, but the material makes it heavier than the base model 14. For some, that extra weight might not be worth it. This category might seem insignificant at first glance, but small differences can affect your user experience.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro

New Shared Features


Apple attached some cool new features to all iPhone 14 series devices, mostly centered around safety and emergencies.

Crash detection and satellite calling

Your new iPhone 14 or 14 Pro can detect when you have been in a crash and get you the help you need. If you don’t want to call for help, you can cancel the request on the phone’s screen. 

The other exciting new feature is emergency satellite calling. If you are in an area where there is no cell signal, and you need emergency assistance, you can contact help via satellite. The phone will even tell you where to point it to get the best satellite signal. 

Hopefully, these two new features are ones you'll never need to use, but they are still pretty neat and can provide peace of mind.

Goodbye SIM tray

One not-so-cool feature on all iPhone 14 trims (U.S. only) is the lack of a physical SIM tray. The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro utilize eSIM only. Apple is trying to sell this as a good feature, but it creates concerns for those who travel and rely on physical international SIM cards. This feature seems like a premature (and unnecessary) change that could have waited for eSIM to become more common worldwide.

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro Recap


The iPhone 14 Pro is better than the iPhone 14 from a spec standpoint, but are the differences worth the higher price? We usually recommend that the everyday user stick to the base model of any iPhone series and leave the Pro models to tech enthusiasts willing the shell out the extra cash. However, Apple didn't do much to improve the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13. Instead, Apple upgraded the iPhone 14 to be within a quarter step of an iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone 14 Pro received all the significant upgrades.

If you really want a new iPhone, we recommend going with the iPhone 14 Pro. If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, we just aren't sure the iPhone 14 is worth the upgrade, and it may be best to stick with your current phone if it’s still in good condition. 

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Frequently Asked Questions


Does the iPhone 14 have a notch?

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models have notches. The iPhone Pro and iPhone 14 Pro do not have notches, swapping it for a Dynamic Island floating across the top of the screen. 

Does the iPhone 14 have USB-C?

The iPhone 14 does not have USB-C. All iPhone 14 series devices use lightning cables. 

Is there an iPhone 14 mini?

There is no iPhone 14 mini. Apple replaced the mini this year with a much bigger iPhone 14 Plus.

What’s the difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro?

The difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro include a newer and faster A16 Bionic chip and significantly upgraded triple-lens camera system with a 48MP main camera in the iPhone 14 Pro models. The iPhone 14 has the previous year's A15 Bionic and a dual-lens camera system with 12MP for both.

What’s the price difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro?

There is a $300 price difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The base iPhone 14 starts at $699, while the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999.

Methodology

To compare and rate the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, our team analyzed each phone’s price, specs, and features using our expert-level knowledge of modern smartphones. We considered how people would use each device, keeping in mind everyday users and smartphone enthusiasts who seek the latest and greatest features from their phones. Additionally, we factored in upgrades from previous models.

Angelo Ilumba

Senior Writer

Angelo Ilumba
Angelo is a highly experienced writer for WhistleOut, specializing in unraveling the complexities of the mobile and tech world so that readers can easily understand what is relevant to them. Angelo has been featured on several publications such as MoneyTalksNews, Yahoo Finance, NPR and more.

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