iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 14 Pro Buyer's Guide

The iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro are among Apple's newest ‌iPhone‌ models and follow the previous year's ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, but how different are the two latest 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ models, and what exactly does a "Pro" device give you?

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro Feature
Last year, the biggest differences between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro were ProMotion, 2GB of memory, three hours of battery life, and rear cameras with different apertures. With ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, both devices share new features like Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, Action mode, 6GB of memory, Photonic Engine, and an upgraded 12-megapixel TrueDepth front camera with autofocus, but Apple's "Pro" and non-Pro ‌iPhone‌ models are more different than ever.

Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two ‌iPhone‌ models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see what additional features and upgrades the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro brings to the table.

Key Differences

‌iPhone‌ 14 ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro
Aerospace-grade aluminum design with glass back Surgical-grade stainless steel design with frosted glass back
ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
Always-on display
800 nits max brightness (typical) 1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) and 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
"Notch" TrueDepth camera array TrueDepth camera array with Dynamic Island
A15 Bionic chip A16 Bionic chip
"Advanced" dual-camera system "Pro" camera system
2x optical zoom range (2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x) 6x optical zoom range (3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 15x)
12-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.5 aperture 48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization
True Tone flash Adaptive True Tone flash
LiDAR scanner
Night mode portraits
Macro photography
Apple ProRAW
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB capacity)
Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
146.7mm height 147.5mm height
7.80mm thickness 7.85mm thickness
Weight of 172 grams Weight of 206 grams
20-hour battery life (during video playback) 23-hour battery life (during video playback)
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options
Available in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) Available in Deep Purple, Space Black, Silver, and Gold
Starts at $799 Starts at $999

Final Thoughts

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro offers a large number of upgrades over the standard ‌iPhone‌ 14. With just $200 difference to obtain a brighter display with ProMotion and always-on functionality, the ‌Dynamic Island‌, the A16 Bionic chip, and a radically different rear camera set up, not to mention longer battery life and a more premium design, many customers will be able to justify getting the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro over the ‌iPhone‌ 14. Due to the scale and breadth of the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro's improvements and features, customers should actively choose the high-end model in most cases.

It will only be worth getting the ‌iPhone‌ 14 over the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro if you want a lighter device, do not care for the "Pro" rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, or cannot afford the $200 to upgrade to the high-end model. In this instance, you will still benefit from shared features like Emergency SOS via satellite. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 is still a well-rounded device, especially for customers coming from a much older model.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
iPhone Chips

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Monday December 22, 2025 6:17 am PST by
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily. Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Samsung Developing 'Wide Fold' With iPhone Fold-Like Design Ahead of Apple's 2026 Launch

Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026. Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...

Top Rated Comments

Luna Murasaki Avatar
43 months ago

This is a reasonable, rational concern. But, to Apple's credit, they support their devices for many years. For example, iOS 16 is supported all the way back to iPhone 8, released in 2017. That's pretty darned solid.

It's likely the 14/Plus will be supported for 5+ years. That's a long time to keep a phone...
Well, we've been looking at our budget here at our household and we are trying to save money where we can. We were upgrading our phones every 4 years but want to move to a 6-year cycle instead. We can't be the only ones thinking of this. These things are expensive and if it still works well, can still get the latest iOS with the latest security patches, and can still run the latest apps, and you aren't a tech enthusiast or someone with shallow friends, it doesn't seem a huge sacrifice to keep the device longer, especially with how mature the iPhone's feature set is at this point. This also applies to people on a hand-me-down system with a relative which is part of what we are doing. So I think the concern is more relevant than it seems at first glance.

If you do the math by calculating the price of each device per year of support rather than the total price, having one less year of support for the non-Pro shrinks the already small price gap between the two phones considerably. And with how badly they differ this year in terms of specs, it's looking like the non-Pro is a rip-off to me. I agree it greatly depends on the person though, and this is of course assuming they actually WILL get 1 year less of support, which we don't and can't actually know.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MayaUser Avatar
43 months ago
you should point out just the difference to be easier for understanding
Car industry is doing it like this for years and its easy to understand what the pro has additional
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Luna Murasaki Avatar
43 months ago
To me, I'm very concerned with the use of last year's chip in the non-Pro iPhone 14. That makes me think it won't be supported as long in new iOS releases, making it necessary to replace it earlier and calling into question how much money you actually save by getting it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
You're So Right Carl Avatar
43 months ago

Still on my XR and was debating getting the 14 Pro since it looks like the Apple Store near me has plenty in stock for same day delivery, but this phone still just works. So I’ll hold out for at least a USB-C iPhone.
XS user here. I'm picking up what you're putting down.

Plus, my gal still uses an 8 Max. She's winning this war of attrition!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snipr125 Avatar
43 months ago
The regular 14 is a good device in its own right, but just too expensive and not worth it IMO if one already has an iPhone with an A15 chip (13, 13 Mini and SE3). If they had at least put in a 90 hz refresh rate display, then its value proposition would be a lot higher.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
43 months ago

I'm sorry, what are the other models among which these are the latest?
The 6.7" 14 Plus and Pro Max. They are explicitly only comparing the 6.1" models here.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)