iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide

The iPhone 16 succeeds 2023's iPhone 15, introducing over 30 new features and improvements. With many users adopting two-year upgrade cycles, plenty of iPhone 14 owners will be looking to upgrade to the ‌iPhone 16‌, so this guide outlines some of the major differences you should be aware of between the two generations.

iPhone 14 vs 16 Feature

In 2022, Apple unveiled the ‌iPhone‌ 14 as the successor to the popular ‌iPhone‌ 13, introducing an improved main camera with the Photonic Engine, Action Mode, longer battery life, satellite connectivity and Crash Detection, and more. Two years later, the ‌iPhone 16‌ offers a noticeable upgrade, with the accumulative improvements of two generations stacking up. To get a sense of the entirety of the upgrades, see our other two buyer's guides that set out every difference offered when making the jump from the ‌iPhone‌ 14 to the ‌iPhone 15‌, and the ‌iPhone 15‌ to the ‌iPhone 16‌:

Overall, the ‌‌iPhone 16‌ is a fairly significant upgrade over the ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port, Action button, and Camera Control that change the methods of interaction with the device. The new design with the Dynamic Island and slimmer bezels, frosted back glass, and contoured edges result in a noticeably different aesthetic and feel in the hand.

The ‌‌iPhone 16‌‌ also brings advancements to photography and videography, adding macro photography and revamped Photographic Styles – practical features that most users can take advantage of. There are substantial hardware improvements with the addition of a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a 2x optical zoom option, which significantly enhances image quality.

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 does not support Apple Intelligence, Apple's upcoming suite of AI tools. With the A18 chip, the ‌iPhone 16‌ has full support for ‌Apple Intelligence‌, including Apple's new Visual Lookup feature, which is exclusive to the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup. It is also worth noting that the ‌iPhone 16‌ offers considerably longer battery life, Roadside Assistance via satellite, Thread networking support, faster charging, new color options, Wi-Fi 7 support, the second-generation ultra wideband chip, and more.

Due to the scale and breadth of these improvements, some ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌ users can justify upgrading to the ‌‌iPhone 16‌‌, especially if they value the new design, USB-C port, Action button, and camera improvements. However, many users will still be able to stick with their device for another year, holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16 (Caution)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
Future M5 Chip Devices

M5 Chip Rumored to Debut in These Five Apple Products Later This Year

Friday July 4, 2025 9:14 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation M5 chip is expected to debut in five new products later this year, including the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. M5 chips will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's latest third-generation 3nm process, which should result in slight performance and power efficiency improvements over M4 chips fabricated with its second-generation 3nm process. ...