iPhone 16 vs iPhone 14: Is it worth the upgrade?

The iPhone upgrade cycle is getting longer, but if that iPhone 14 is burning a hole in your pocket then you may be hoping for something interesting in the iPhone 16. Some things are still a mystery, but we reckon we've got enough info to help you decide if you should step up from the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 16.

The closer the phones releases are from each other, the smaller the change. When it comes to the iPhone 14 compared to the iPhone 16, you'll feel the biggest changes between the baseline models, but the Pros look to be pretty neck and neck.

Some aspects will be different across the board: all the iPhone 16 family will get access to Apple Intelligence when its ready, they all have USB-C charging and the Dynamic Island, and there are of course some camera upgrades. 

Looking at the specs side by side, the camera in the Pro models is the biggest jump. Rather than the 48MP + 12MP + 12MP set up on the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro comes with a 48MP + 48MP + 12MP setup, plus a better sensor on the primary lens. The baseline models are also getting a spec bump to a 48MP primary lens, which should show better detail than the iPhone 14.

The largest physical change is the switch to USB-C from Lightning. The whole iPhone 16 range will have the universal port which enables easier file transfer and reverse charging.

We'll also see a new chipset called the A18, which comes in two varieties. The standard A18 Bionic can be found on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are armed with the A18 Pro.

Check out the table below for a side-by-side look at the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. iPhone 16 plans are also a bit further down.

If you want to grab the iPhone 16 on a plan, your options are the big three telcos: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

All three offer the iPhone on 12-, 24-, or 36-month plans. Currently, Vodafone's $49 Small Plan is your cheapest option if you're looking to pay off your iPhone 16 over 12 or 24 months. But, Vodafone is running a promo at the moment that will knock $1,200 off the price of an iPhone 16 (yes, $1,200) if you stay connected to their $79 plan for 36 months. For context, that means the device repayments on a base model iPhone 16 would only be $100, bringing your total monthly bill to $81.78.

For comparison, here's a look at the full range of iPhone 16 plans.

Realistically there won't be too many differences between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16 at launch. Yes, there will be some, and the potential for more as time goes on, but you don't have to rush for an immediate upgrade.

The main difference will be some physical changes like the switch to USB-C, the Action Button, and more MP on the primary lense. These are great to have, but none are a reason to upgrade persay. On the software side you'll be looking at a faster processor, some generative AI coming later on down the track, and of course the Dynamic Island.

Starting off with the physical changes, the USB-C port will likely be the most life changing. Not only does this help you cut back on cables (I know you're hoarding them in a drawer somewhere), but it also enables some extras. When the iPhone 15 was released with USB-C, features like reverse charging, and better file sharing came with it. These will definitely flow over to the iPhone 16 too.

The Action Button and a new Capture Button are both coming to every iPhone 16. As seen in the iPhone 15, the Action Button replaces the mute button and can be programmed to do pretty much anything in your phone with the help of Shortcuts. The Capture Button will be like an old-school camera clicker. Retro! But also might stop you locking your phone when you go to snap a pic.

On photography, the iPhone 16 will get an upgraded 48MP primary lens across the board. If you're already rocking a 14 Pro model this won't make much of a difference, apart from the new sensor that is also allegedly going in. When Apple added the new sensor to the 15 we didn't see much of a difference apart from slightly brighter photos, so we wouldn't be surprised if that upgrade was pretty small this time around too.

Moving to the software, probably the biggest difference between the 14 and the 16 will be in the processor. The iPhone 14 has the A15 Bionic processor while the iPhone 16 has the A18. That is a pretty solid jump in performance, which the phones will likely need in order to support Apple Intelligence when it comes.

One more thing you will notice is the iPhone 14's notch will be replaced by the Dynamic Island pill on the iPhone 16. The persistent UI feature was introduced to the iPhone 14 Pro family, trickles down to the standard iPhone 15, and now will be ubiquitous across all iPhones moving forward.

As tends to be the way, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will get more significant upgrades than the baseline models. We're talking about bigger displays, 5x optical zoom on both models, and another bump in camera specs for the ultra-wide lens. In addition to the upgrades to the flagship 16 that is.

Apart from what we've already covered, the iPhone 16 Pro models will mostly benefit from a bit of extra screen real estate and even more megapixels. Once again, when compared to the 14, these changes aren't too significant to your day-to-day, but if you're a big photo buff you may be more enticed by these.

First up the displays will likely be a touch bigger, up from 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch to 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch, respectively. Reportedly Apple has also managed to keep the weight down by making the bezels around the screen even smaller. 

Along with the new Capture Button, the 16 Pro models will get a 48MP ultrawide lens and a bigger sensor for the primary lens. If Apple's track record is anything to go by then these upgrades should result in brighter, more detailed photos across the board. Last year the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the only device to get the 5x zoom lens, but both the 16 Pro and Pro Max will benefit from it this year.

The upgrades aren't that drastic between the 14 Pro and the 16 Pro. On paper they look like more than they actually sum up to in practice - or at least that is what we have learnt from reviewing these phones year in and year out. For now you'll likely be happier with the money in your pocket than a new iPhone 16, but if it sparks joy I'm not going to tell you not to buy yourself a treat. I would however wait a bit longer. See how Apple Intelligence pans out, and when it actually makes it to the new iPhone. Maybe it will be more of an iPhone 17 thing.

As is custom for the Pro models, these will be a step above the rest, and definitely a step above the iPhone 13. For avid photographers in particular the sensor and lens upgrades will be worth splashing a bit extra for.

If you're buying an iPhone 16 outright, these are the most popular SIM Only plans you can buy today.