iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: The ULTIMATE Comparison!
The latest iPhone 15 is here! But how does it compare to last year’s iPhone 14, what’s now with it, and which one should you choose? Let’s find out in this ultimate comparison of iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 14!
TL;DR Key Takeaways ⤵️
- Design: iPhone 15 for better design; iPhone 14 looks dated already.
- Display: iPhone 15 for Dynamic Island and brightness.
- Performance: iPhone 15 for better performance.
- Camera: iPhone 15 for a better primary camera.
- Battery: Similar battery and charging capabilities for iPhone 15 and iPhone 14.
- Extras: Both phones offer a similar set of features.
iPhone 15 brings a new display with Dynamic Island, the better-performing Apple A16 Bionic chip, and a new primary camera. It is the better of the two, and it’s just $100/£100/€100 pricier than the iPhone 14.
- iPhone 15 Prices – Starts from $799/£799/€959
- iPhone 14 Prices – Starts from $699/£699/€859
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14
| SPECIFICATION | iPhone 15 | iPhone 14 | Actionable Advice |
| Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | |
| Weight | 171 g | 172 g | |
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Both phones feature similar build quality. |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM – InternationalDual eSIM with multiple numbers – US | Nano-SIM and eSIM – InternationalDual eSIM with multiple numbers – USA | |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 | |
| Display size | 6.1 inches | 6.1 inches | iPhone 15 brings Dynamic Island with extra features. |
| Display type | OLED | OLED | |
| Display resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels | 1170 x 2532 pixels | |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz | |
| Display certifications | Dolby Vision, HDR10 | Dolby Vision, HDR10 | |
| Display Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Ceramic Shield glass | |
| Processor | Apple A16 Bionic | Apple A15 Bionic | iPhone 15 for better performance |
| CPU | Hexa-core2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth | Hexa-core 2×3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4×1.82 GHz Blizzard | |
| GPU | Apple GPU 5-core | Apple GPU 5-core | |
| RAM | 6 GB | 6 GB | |
| Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | |
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1/1.7″, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | iPhone 15 for better photos. |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ | 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ | |
| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF | |
| Battery capacity | Yet to be revealed | 3279 mAh | |
| Charging speed | 20W 15W Wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W Wireless (Qi) | 20W 15W Wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W Wireless (Qi) | |
| Operating system | iOS 17 | iOS 16, updated to iOS 17 | |
| Price | Starts from $799/£799/€959 | Starts from $699/£699/€859 |
Design & Build Quality
Most things have stayed the same from iPhone 14 to iPhone 15. iPhone 15 still doesn’t have the dynamic island we hoped would come down from the Pro series, giving both phones an identical look from the front.
The same is true at the back of the phones, except for the new set of colors. Both iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 come with a similar camera array, one where the camera is arranged diagonally.
iPhone 15 comes in five colors – Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, and Black.
iPhone 14 comes in six colors – Blue, Purple, Yellow, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT) RED.
Both phones feature ceramic shield glass protection.
iPhone 15
- Dimensions: 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
- Weight: 171 g
- Materials: Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame
- IP Rating: IP68 dust/water resistant
Pros
- Premium Feel: Glass on the front and back gives it the premium feel you crave.
- Compact: iPhone 15 is compact and feels right in your pocket.
- IP68: Water and dust resistance for your peace of mind.
Cons
- Glass back: While Glass feels more premium, it’s still glass, and as JerryRigEverything says, “glass is glass, and glass breaks.”
iPhone 14
- Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm
- Weight: 172 g
- Materials: Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame
- IP Rating: IP68
Pros
- Premium Feel: The phone feels premium and worth the money with its glass back and aluminum sides.
- Compact: iPhone 14 and pocket-friendly.
- IP68: Robust water and dust resistance.
Cons
- Glass back: Glass back on iPhone 14 is easy to break, as it’s still glass.
Comparison
Apple hasn’t changed much in design and build from iPhone 14 to iPhone 15. Both phones still feel the same in hand, albeit with minor differences in dimensions and weight.
Actionable Advice
The only thing differentiating the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 is the display on the front; other than that, both phones feel the same – as both phones have equally good design and build quality. It is hard to choose one among these two, but the iPhone 15 feels fresh because of the new display with the dynamic island.
Display
The display is the big change in the iPhone 15 compared to iPhone 14. The Dynamic Island, reserved for Pro models, is now available in non-Pro iPhones. Let’s dive into the details.
iPhone 15
- Type: Super Retina XDR OLED
- Size: 6.1 inches
- Resolution: 1179 x 2556 pixels
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
- Certifications: Dolby Vision, HDR10
- Protection: Ceramic Shield glass
Pros
- Dynamic Island: It brings many new features, such as alerts and Live Activities, right on the top of the screen.
- Brightness: This display can go as high as 2000 nits peak brightness, making this one of the brightest displays ever on an iPhone.
Cons
- No High Refresh Rate: It still needs to catch up on higher refresh rate displays of Pro models. That means scrolling and animations won’t be as smoother.
iPhone 14
- Type: Super Retina XDR OLED
- Size: 6.1 inches
- Resolution: 1170 x 2532 pixels
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
- Certifications: Dolby Vision, HDR10
- Protection: Ceramic Shield glass
Pros
- Dolby Vision & HDR10 Support: Offers cinematic experience with boosted brightness for supported content.
Cons
- No High Refresh Rate: The display is 60 Hz, so the animations and scrolling won’t be as smooth as the Pro models.
- No Dynamic Island: iPhone 14 misses out on Dynamic Island and the associated features.
- Less Bright: The iPhone 14 can go as high as 1200 nits in peak brightness but not as bright as the iPhone 15.
Comparison
The biggest upgrade the iPhone 15 brings over the iPhone 14 is the display. The display on the iPhone 15 is much brighter than the iPhone 14, which can go up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. The Dynamic Island feature brings the much-loved feature of the iPhone 14 Pro variants, making it much more superior to the iPhone 15.
Actionable Advice
If you want a brighter display and the Dynamic Island, the iPhone 15 is the one to get. However, the display on iPhone 14 is still good for the reduced price it is offered. Both phones lack a higher refresh rate display, however.
Performance
Performance is the number 1 factor you must consider when choosing a new phone. The more the performance, the more the years the phone will hold on – i.e., longevity. Let’s look at the performance prowess of iPhone 15 and iPhone 14.
iPhone 15
- Chipset: Apple A16 Bionic
- CPU: Hexa Core – 2×3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth
- GPU: Apple 5 Core
- RAM: 6 GB
Pros
- Better Performance: The tried and tested Apple A16 Bionic promises superb performance.
- Optimized OS: iOS is highly optimized for the Apple hardware, oozing out every bit of performance from the A16 Bionic processor.
Cons
- RAM: The lower 6 GB RAM might limit multitasking capabilities in the future.
iPhone 14
- Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic
- CPU: Hexa Core – 2×3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4×1.82 GHz Blizzard
- GPU: Apple 5 Core
- RAM: 6 GB
Pros
- Good Performance: Although not as powerful as the A16 Bionic, the Apple A15 Bionic offers good flagship-level performance.
- Optimized OS: iOS is optimized for Apple hardware, making the most of the older hardware.
Cons
- RAM: Lower 6 GB RAM might not be enough in the future.
Comparison
Apple iPhone 15 comes with the Apple A16 Bionic chipset, used in last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While not as powerful as the Apple A17 Bionic of the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, it is still a great chip and one of the phone’s most powerful chipsets.
iPhone 14, meanwhile, uses the older Apple A15 Bionic chip, the predecessor of the chipset on iPhone 15. It is still a great chipset, but it will start to show its age when handling heavy tasks on your iPhone, as it isn’t as powerful as the chipset in iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro.
Actionable Advice
Choose the iPhone 15 for its performance. It can last for years, with the power of the same chipset from the iPhone 14 Pro.
But the Apple A15 Bionic chipset of iPhone 14 is still a great chip and provides the firepower needed for everyday tasks, gaming, and more.
Camera
“The best camera is the one that’s with you,” says a famous quote.
And the camera that’s always going to be with you is the camera on your phone. Let’s check out what iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 offers!
iPhone 15
- Primary Camera: 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS
- Secondary Ultrawide Camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚
- Selfie Camera: 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF
- Video: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps
Pros
- Consistency: iPhones are known for consistent and natural colors across all lenses, which holds true for iPhone 15.
- 2X Telephoto Emulation: Apple boasts the new 2X Telephoto mode without having a telephoto lens on the iPhone 15, using the higher resolution 48 MP sensor.
- Auto Focus on Selfie: iPhone 15 has a TrueDepth camera that takes sharp selfies and sharp Facetime calls.
- Great Video Quality: iPhone 15 can take 4K HDR videos and has various video modes, such as 4K Cinematic mode and Action mode for taking enhanced videos.
Cons
- No Telephoto: The lack of a dedicated telephoto lens.
- No 8K Recording: Video recording is limited to 4K.
iPhone 14
- Primary Camera: 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1/1.7″, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS
- Secondary Ultrawide Camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚
- Selfie Camera: 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF
- Video: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps
Pros
- Consistency: iPhones are known for consistent and natural colors across all lenses, and iPhone 14 holds that promise.
- Auto Focus on Selfie: iPhone 14 also has an autofocus on the selfie camera for sharper selfies and video calls.
- Great Video Quality: iPhone 14 also has 4K HDR recording capabilities.
Cons
- No Telephoto: Lacks a dedicated telephoto lens.
- No 8K Recording: Video recording is limited to 4K.
Comparison
iPhone 15 upgraded the main camera to a 48 MP sensor, essentially the same sensor used in the iPhone 14 Pro. This brings the much-needed image quality improvements to the iPhone 15. This high-megapixel sensor also allows the phone to take emulated 2X Telephoto images using in-sensor zoom, so the zoomed-in 2X images look almost as sharp as the ones taken using a dedicated lens. The 12 MP ultrawide camera and the 12 MP selfie shooter have been left untouched by the iPhone 14.
iPhone 14 comes with 12 MP cameras – a main camera and an ultrawide camera. On the front, we again get a 12 MP sensor for selfies.
Actionable Advice
iPhone 15 is the one to get for better cameras. The 2X Telephoto using in-sensor zoom is a nice addition to have. iPhone 14 still offers a good set of cameras, but iPhone 15 has it better.
Battery Life
Apple usually talks a lot about the battery life improvements to its phones in the launch events. But it didn’t say much – we can take it as no improvements in battery life with the iPhone 15 series. Let’s compare the batteries of the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14.
iPhone 15
- Type: Li-ion
- Charging: 20 W Wired, 15 W Wireless via MagSafe, 7.5 W Wireless via Qi
Pros
- All-Day Battery Life: Apple promises all-day battery life for iPhone 15.
- MagSafe: MagSafe is an excellent addition to have in iPhones.
Cons
- Slow To Charge: 20 W charging is slower than most Android phones.
iPhone 14
- Size: 3279 mAh
- Type: Li-ion
- Charging: 20 W Wired, 15 W Wireless via MagSafe, 7.5 W Wireless via Qi
Pros
- All-Day Battery Life: Apple introduced the iPhone 14 with “a huge leap in battery life.”
- MagSafe: MagSafe is an excellent addition to have in iPhones.
Cons
- Slow To Charge: 20 W charging is slower than most Android phones.
Comparison
There seem to be no improvements in battery life and charging when comparing the iPhone 15 to the iPhone 14. Apple usually doesn’t reveal the battery size; it has to be revealed by third parties after tearing it apart. We will wait for the battery size reveal to comment on it.
Actionable Advice
For all-day use, you can get either iPhone 15 or iPhone 14; nothing much has changed across generations. Both iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 bring the convenience of MagSafe wireless charging and the support of MagSafe accessories.
Additional Features
Both iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 offer a set of additional features that need to be talked about. Let’s take a look at them to make a better decision.
Sound Quality
- iPhone 15: Comes with stereo speakers, and the sound quality from the speakers is great.
- iPhone 14: Also comes with stereo speakers and good sound from the speakers.
Storage Options
- iPhone 15: Available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB variants
- iPhone 14: Available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB variants
Software
- iPhone 15: Comes with iOS 17 out of the box. Apple offers guaranteed updates for years to come.
- iPhone 14: It came out of the box with iOS 16 but has been updated to iOS 17.
Unique Features
- Apple Pay: Both phones support Apple Pay, which is known for its security features and acceptance.
- Face ID: Both phones offer Face ID for secure unlocking and payments.
Comparison
Both phones offer similar features, making them much more similar to compare.
Actionable Advice
If you’re familiar with Apple Ecosystem or already have an iPhone, you know what you’re getting from an iPhone 15 or iPhone 14. Choose the iPhone 15 for a better experience, as it’s the newer one.
Wrapping Up..
So which one should you choose? iPhone 15 or iPhone 14? Which is the one to get when comparing them side by side?
Key Takeaways
Design and Build Quality
- iPhone 15: Premium finish and fresh new colors.
- iPhone 14: Premium all-glass finish.
Advice: Almost similar build and design; iPhone 15 for fresh new colors.
Display
- iPhone 15: Dynamic Island support, higher brightness display.
- iPhone 14: Older notch-style display, less bright.
Advice: iPhone 15 for the new Dynamic Island. iPhone 14 will do just fine if you’re not into Dynamic Island.
Performance
- iPhone 15: Apple A16 Bionic offers better performance.
- iPhone 14: Apple A15 Bionic is still good.
Advice: Get the iPhone 15 for better performance.
Camera
- iPhone 15: Better and higher resolution main camera, consistent colors, and quality.
- iPhone 14: Consistent colors and quality.
Advice: Get an iPhone 15 for better cameras and newer camera features. iPhone 14 is still decent.
Battery Life
- iPhone 15: All-day battery life with MagSafe convenience
- iPhone 14: All-day battery life with MagSafe convenience
Advice: Both phones offer the same battery life and charging conveniences.
Additional Features
- iPhone 15: Stereo speakers, Apple Pay, Face ID
- iPhone 14: Stereo speakers, Apple Pay, Face ID
Advice: Both phones offer the same set of additional features.
Concluding the comparison, the latest iPhone 15 is obviously the better out of the two. But the iPhone 14 is now cheaper, $100/£100/€100 dearer than the new iPhone 15. Considering the new display with Dynamic Island, Apple A16 Bionic chip, and the new primary camera, the iPhone 15 would be my choice, even if it’s priced slightly higher. But the iPhone 14 is still a good choice if you find it at a lower price than the quoted price!
- iPhone 15 Prices – Starts from $799/£799/€959
- iPhone 14 Prices – Starts from $699/£699/€859
