iPhone 12 Pro vs. 14 Pro: New Features to Expect If You've Waited to Upgrade

Given that many customers upgrade their iPhones every two to three years nowadays, there are still plenty of iPhone 12 Pro owners who might be interested in upgrading to the iPhone 14 Pro later this year. While year-over-year iPhone updates are often incremental, the new features begin to stack up after two generations.

iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Feature
As a refresher, we've put together a list of new features and changes to expect if you upgrade from an iPhone 12 Pro to an iPhone 14 Pro. The list includes features that Apple added to the iPhone 13 Pro last year and features rumored for the iPhone 14 Pro, which Apple is expected to announce in September as usual.

  • A16 chip vs. A14 chip: The A15 chip in the iPhone 13 Pro is already up to 20% faster than the A14 chip in the 12 Pro, according to Geekbench 5, and performance should improve even more with the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro.
  • Brighter display: Compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, the 14 Pro's display should have up to 200 nits higher peak brightness.
  • No more notch: Rumors suggest Apple will replace the notch with a pill-shaped cutout and a hole for the Face ID sensors and front camera on the iPhone 14 Pro.
  • ProMotion: Introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro, ProMotion allows for a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother appearing content and scrolling.
  • Always-on display: Rumors suggest the iPhone 14 Pro will feature an always-on display mode that shows the time, date, and iOS 16's new Lock screen widgets.
  • Longer battery life: Already, the iPhone 13 Pro gets 22 hours of video playback vs. 17 hours for the 12 Pro, and rumors suggest that iPhone 14 Pro models could feature even larger battery capacities.
  • Many camera improvements: iPhone 12 Pro users upgrading to the 14 Pro will get many camera upgrades, including a rumored 48-megapixel Wide lens on the rear camera with support for 8K video recording, an upgraded front camera with autofocus, increased optical zoom, sensor-shift image stabilization, Macro mode, Cinematic mode, ProRes video recording, Photographic Styles, and more.
  • Wi-Fi 6E: iPhone 14 models are rumored to support Wi-Fi 6E, allowing the device to connect to Wi-Fi networks using the 6GHz band.
  • 5G improvements: iPhone 13 Pro models feature more 5G bands than 12 Pro models for greater 5G coverage, and the iPhone 14 Pro is expected to use Qualcomm's newer Snapdragon X65 modem for improved 5G performance.
  • 1TB storage option: Unlike the iPhone 12 Pro, the 14 Pro should be available with at least a 1TB storage option.

Have an iPhone 11 Pro instead? Check out our iPhone 11 Pro vs. 14 Pro comparison.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Here's When Tesla is Expected to Add Support for Apple CarPlay

Sunday November 16, 2025 6:49 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months." This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles. As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

ZacNicholson Avatar
44 months ago
I'll wait for USB-C next year
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
44 months ago
You left out a feature. Higher price. :p
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
compwiz1202 Avatar
44 months ago

Brighter display: Compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, the 14 Pro's display should have up to 200 nits higher peak brightness.
Still won't matter because it will instantly throttle in the hot sun. That's the only time I ever need the high brightness.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jicon Avatar
44 months ago
If your apps run fine, and you can run the latest OS for some feature you want... is there any other point to spend the money other than vanity? Replace the battery if that starts to go, otherwise, why not ride it out? I'm up to three reasons to move off my iPhone 7 now, but not very compelled to do so... Digital Drivers license if/when it becomes available, maybe the pinpoint accuracy of Apple Airtags? (Which by the way, NEED a family share feature still), and not saying I'm swayed from what I see so far, iOS 16.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
44 months ago
It almost sounds a perfect upgrade for me... Just wish the 14 would have USB C.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
44 months ago

I'll wait for USB-C next year
Same. All these features are a nice upgrade over my 12 PM, but seeing all these rumors about an USB-C iPhone 15, I definitely prefer to wait. I upgrade my iPhone each three years or so anyway
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)