iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: main differences to expect

Intro

If you don’t feel like carrying a giant Max-sized phone in your pocket, the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro is the latest Apple flagship that will suit you just right, but how is it different from the previous-gen iPhone 13 Pro? And is it worth upgrading to the 14 Pro if you already own the 13 Pro?

The iPhone 14 Pro brings a very slight change to the familiar design of the last generation, with a taller screen and thinner borders around the display, which should make the phone a bit narrower and easier to grasp with one hand.

Anyway, in this article, we sum up all you need to know about the iPhone 14 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro, and let’s start it off with the…

Design and Display

Similar design, but thinner bezels and improved display

The iPhone 14 Pro rolls with the familiar styling from the previous two generations: matte glass back, stainless steel body, flat sides. However, leaked cases have shown that the edges are more rounded and with thinner borders around the screen and a taller new 20:9 screen aspect ratio, the phone is physically narrower. This will make the device a bit easier to grasp with one hand. 

In terms of practicality, you get the same IP68 water and dust protection on both the 14 Pro and 13 Pro, and both use the Lightning connector (that USB-C iPhone might be happening in 2023 though).

The most noticeable change is on the front where instead of the notch you now get a more discreet “i” shaped Face ID system. It still takes up quite some space, but less than the notch, plus it makes the iPhone 14 Pro super easy to recognize in a crowd.

Don’t expect any changes to the contents of the box: a Lightning cable to USB-C cable will be included, but there will be no charger inside.

So… what about the display? Both phones come with a 6.1-inch OLED screen, practically identical resolution.

The most exciting rumor claims that the 14 Pro will get better ProMotion. While the 13 Pro features an LTPO screen that dynamically refreshes between 10Hz to 120Hz, the 14 Pro is expected to go with a more advanced version that will go from 1Hz to 120Hz. Getting all the way down to 1Hz will theoretically allow for an always-on screen on the iPhone, much like we have on the Apple Watch, and that would be an awesome feature. Still, that remains merely a speculation at the moment, so take it with a grain of salt.

And when it comes to security, both phones will use Face ID. Despite that new i-shape on the 14 Pro, the sensors inside are the same, and Face ID will work just like it did on the 13 Pro.

Performance and Software

What’s new with the Apple A16 chip?

The iPhone 14 Pro comes with the next generation of Apple silicon, the A16 Bionic chip. This new processor is an upgrade over the Apple A15, and the newer chip is expected to be built on 4nm technology, more efficient than the 5nm tech used for the A15.

We have not yet seen leaked benchmarks that would indicate just what kind of an improvement the new processor brings, but we’re keeping an open eye and will update you once we know more.

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro will run on the newest iOS 16 software. The 14 Pro will launch with it, while the 13 Pro will get it as an update, but at the end of the day you will have the same software on the two.

For software updates, Apple traditionally keeps its phones up to date for 5 or even 6 years, so both of these devices are nicely future-proof.

Camera

New 48MP main camera sensor ups the ante

The big new iPhone 14 Pro camera feature has got to be the rumored larger 48MP sensor for the main camera. It comes to replace the current 12MP one, and because of its larger size, that camera bump on the back is expected to become even bigger.

In exchange, though, you will get not only high-res photos (great for landscape shots with incredible detail), but also the possibility to record 8K video, which might just be the signature camera feature of the 14 Pro.

We also expect to see improvements to Cinematic Mode which launched last year. The feature that blurs the background in video much like Portrait Mode for photos, but only works in 1080p and often has visible artifacts, which we hope to see fixed.

iPhone 14 Pro vs 13 Pro camera expected differences:

Audio Quality and Haptics

The iPhone 13 family altogether made a huge leap in audio quality with louder and richer sound on all four models. That was not even discussed by Apple, yet we found it to be one of the most impressive new features, so we have our fingers crossed the company can deliver another jump in audio quality with the 14 Pro.

Don’t forget that neither the 14 Pro, nor the 13 Pro have a headphone jack, so your good old classic headphones will only work via an adapter that you have to buy separately.

As for haptic feedback, we have had no issues with the 13 Pro and its Taptic Engine, and we expect similar excellency in the 14 Pro, with no changes in this area.

Battery Life and Charging

Will we get another boost in battery life?

The iPhone 13 Pro brought a noticeable improvement in battery life thanks mostly to a larger physical capacity of the battery.

So far, we have not heard any specific rumors about a further increase in battery size on the 14 Pro, so we have to be realistic and say we don’t expect any major changes in battery life on the newer iPhone.

Similarly, we don’t expect to see major changes with charging speeds. The 13 Pro maxes out at 20W charging, which means a full top-up with a compatible charger takes around 2 hours. We expect about the same speeds and charging times on the 14 Pro.

And both the iPhone 14 and 13 series support MagSafe, the futuristic magnetic wireless charging tech that provides speeds of up to 15W.

Specs Comparison

*Information in the table above is based on leaks and rumors, and is not final or official.

Summary and Final Verdict

Summing it all up, we can say that the iPhone 14 Pro is shaping up to be a gradual improvement over the 13 Pro, and based on current leaks, it probably doesn’t make sense to upgrade from a mostly similar 13 Pro.

Or Apple could just be really good at keeping the best features of the 13 Pro a secret! After all, we had similar feelings about the iPhone 13 series last year before their launch, and Apple did manage to surprise us.

And if you ask me, I find the new narrower body of the 14 Pro a slight but important change to help the phone feel a bit better for those of us who want a smaller phone now that the mini is gone.

Anyway, do let us know: are you looking forward to the new iPhone 14 Pro? Is there a particular feature you want to see Apple introduce or improve?