Home » iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Should you upgrade?

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 13: Should you upgrade?

Written By Louie Diangson
Published • September 10th, 2022
ComparisonMobile
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Now that the new iPhones are here, one of the things that people are asking is, should they upgrade? Newer models often come with new features, performance boost, and often, a new design. However, those also come with a hefty price tag, so you really need to consider the benefits and if it’s worth it. So let’s say you have an iPhone 13 (or older) and thinking of getting the iPhone 14, let’s take a look at their specs.

Apple iPhone 14	Apple iPhone 13
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR (2532 x 1170) OLED display, 460ppi	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR (2532 x 1170) OLED display, 460ppi
Ceramic Shield	Ceramic Shield
Apple A15 Bionic (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core NE)	Apple A15 Bionic (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core NE)
128GB, 256GB, 512GB storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB storage
Dual-rear cameras: • 12MP F1.5 main, sensor-shift OIS • 12MP F2.4 ultra-wide	Dual-rear cameras: • 12MP F1.6 main, sensor-shift OIS • 12MP F2.4 ultra-wide
Photonic Engine, Action Mode
12MP F1.9 TrueDepth AF camera	12MP F2.2 TrueDepth camera
Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) Dual eSIM support	Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) Dual eSIM support
5G, 4G LTE	5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 6	WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.0
Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness	Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness
NFC	NFC
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BDS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BDS
FaceID	FaceID
Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Lightning port	Lightning port
IP68 dust and water resistance	IP68 dust and water resistance
iOS 16	iOS 16
Crash Detection, Emergency SOS	Emergency SOS
Up to 20 hours video playback	Up to 19 hours video playback
15W wireless charging, MagSafe support	15W wireless charging, MagSafe support
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm
172 g	174 g

Table of Contents

Display

If you’re coming from the iPhone 13, you wouldn’t miss out on anything when it comes to the display. It’s still the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR with OLED panel, 2532 x 1170 resolution with 460ppi, and Ceramic Shield. The design is still the same, meaning you’ll get the same style of the notch. If you’re looking for Dynamic Island, you’ll have to look into the Pro models.

Chipset

Most of the time, new models are equipped with newer chipsets. In the case of the iPhone 14, it is still running the 5nm Apple A15 Bionic that is found on the iPhone 13. That could’ve helped Apple keep the cost down for its base models.

However, Apple applied some improvements to the A15 Bionic on the new iPhone 14 (and 14 Plus) as it now has a 5-core GPU, versus the 4-core on the iPhone 13. That should help bump the performance in applications that require an extra bump in graphics performance, like gaming.

Storage

There’s nothing much to talk about storage as we’re still getting three memory configurations: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, which are enough for most users. The Pro models got the 1TB option.

Cameras

The iPhone 14 still has a dual-camera system with a 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide. However, the iPhone 14 now has the Photonic Engine for improved low-light performance as well as Action Mode for smoother and steadier videos.

For the front camera, it also has the same 12MP sensor but with a wider F1.9 aperture and now has AutoFocus, as well as Photonic Engine and Action Mode.

Connectivity and Features

The iPhone 14 sports the same Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) or Dual eSIM support, 5G, WiFi 6, Ultra Wideband chip, NFC, GPS, and Lightning port. It has Bluetooth 5.3, though, which is an upgrade from Bluetooth 5.0 on the iPhone 13 for lower power consumption, better connection, and higher bandwidth.

As for other features, both have FaceID, stereo speakers, IP68 rating, and Emergency OS. The iPhone 14, however, has Crash Detection which the user contact emergency services when they get involved in a vehicular accident.

The iPhone 14 will ship with iOS 16, while the iPhone 13 will receive the upgrade once the new software is released.

Battery

We’re yet to get details of the battery capacity of the iPhone 14, but according to Apple, the 14 can provide up to 20 hours of video playback, which is a 1 hour improvement over the iPhone 13’s 19 hours. Both support 15W wireless charging and MagSafe support.

Price

	iPhone 14	iPhone 13	Difference
128GB	PHP 56,990	PHP 49,990	PHP 7,000
256GB	PHP 63,990	PHP 56,990	PHP 7,000
512GB	PHP 75,990	PHP 68,990	PHP 7,000

Looking at the table, as expected, the iPhone 14 is definitely more expensive than the iPhone 13 by PHP 7K, and that’s after Apple adjusted the SRP of the latter.

Which one to get?

The iPhone 14 is a good option if you have the budget and want the latest without going for the Pro models. Compared to the iPhone 13, you’ll get a GPU bump, improved camera performance, updated Bluetooth, Crash Detection, and improved battery life (not by a lot, though).

However, if those things are not that important for you, we recommend getting or sticking with your iPhone 13 and save yourself PHP 7K. If you’re using the iPhone 12 or older, the jump could be more worth it.