So you’re considering an upgrade to Apple’s newest iPhone generation but can’t decide between the iPhone 14 and the 14 Plus. Read on for an extensive feature-by-feature comparison to help choose the best model for your needs!
First, what are the main similarities and differences between these two flagships? At a glance:
Similarities
- Stunning nearly bezel-less OLED displays
- Identical 12MP camera arrays and video capture modes
- Equivalent A15 Bionic chip for blazing speed
- Available with 128GB up to 512GB built-in storage
- iOS 16 software with all latest Apple innovations
- 5G cellular connectivity and eSIM functionality
- Same wide spectrum of fashionable color options
Differences
- 6.7” screen on Plus vs. 6.1” on base iPhone 14
- Significantly better battery life on the Plus
- iPhone 14 Plus larger/heavier due to bigger display and battery
- Slightly better benchmark performance on non-Plus
For most buyers, that larger screen real estate and longer endurance on the Plus will justify paying a $100 premium over an equivalent iPhone 14. But let’s explore those key dimensions – and seven other major spec categories – in more detail below.
How Screen Size and Physical Footprint Compare
The first hands-on impressions when moving from an iPhone 14 to 14 Plus will undoubtedly relate to its larger curvature and additional heft. But precisely how much growth are we talking?
iPhone 14
- Height: 5.78 inches
- Width: 2.82 inches
- Depth: 0.31 inches
- Weight: 6.07 ounces
iPhone 14 Plus
- Height: 6.33 inches (+9.5% over standard model)
- Width: 3.07 inches (+8.8%)
- Depth: 0.31 inches (unchanged)
- Weight: 7.16 ounces (+18%)
So you’re looking at nearly an extra inch of height on the iPhone 14 Plus and around one-fifth more weight. Think one and a half iPhone minis stacked vertically!
That Plus is definitely staying anchored on tables rather than dangling precariously from your fingertips. And car mount users should ensure their systems can accommodate the chunkier chassis.
But with phones trending ever larger nowadays, the 14 Plus remains very comparable dimensionally to alternatives like the 6.7” Samsung Galaxy S22+. So Apple is simply evolving alongside prevailing industry growth patterns.
Comparing Actual Viewable Display Areas
Of course that greater iPhone 14 Plus exterior footprint results in an accordingly more spacious screen real estate. Specifically:
iPhone 14
- 6.06” diagonal full display area
(Accounting for rounded corners)
iPhone 14 Plus
- 6.68” diagonal full display area
(12% more surface than the iPhone 14)
So when held side-by-side with the standard iPhone 14, the Plus model appears meaningfully more expansive, especially in height. There’s simply more visual data you can take in without scrolling thanks to nearly 0.65 extra inches diagonally.
And pixel densities remain equally remarkable across both generations, implying world-class sharpness for all imagery, text and UI elements:
- iPhone 14: 460 pixels per inch density
- iPhone 14 Plus: 458 ppi
For watching videos, playing games, interacting with apps, pretty much any usage, users will love the Plus display’s added real estate. The standard iPhone 14 certainly won’t feel inadequate by any means, but videophiles and the visually-inclined may find that Plus upgrade irresistible!
Camera Upgrades: New Shooting Modes But Same Hardware
Apple made worthwhile strides forward with their photographic chops on the iPhone 14 family. But said improvements came through enhanced shooting modes and computational photography rather than upgraded camera hardware itself.
Identical Camera Components
Specifically, both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus utilize:
Rear Cameras
- Primary: 12MP wide, ƒ/1.5 aperture
- Ultra-wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture
Front Camera
- 12MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9 aperture
So megapixels counts, lens clarity as represented by aperture measurements, and overall potency remain wholly equivalent regardless of which iPhone 14 generation you pick.
Shared Shooting Modes
For actually capturing moments with those capable camera modules, Apple again aligned the iOS 16 software experiences flawlessly throughout the latest iPhone generation:
Photos
- Portrait mode with portrait lighting
- Night mode support
- Deep Fusion computational processing
Video
- 4K 24/30/60fps
- Cinematic mode 4K HDR up to 30 fps
- Action mode 2.8K video up to 60 fps
- Dolby Vision HDR recording
You also get nice Quality of Life upgrades like image stabilization support on the front TrueDepth camera for better selfies and 720p slo-mo capabilities at 30 fps for artfully-rendered action scenes.
But the bottom line remains: pick your preferred iPhone 14 size based on display or ergonomics because their imaging prowess shines equally. The upgrades come from innovative software processing, not more megapixels or lenses which remain unchanged in count between generations.
Processing Performance And Battery Efficiency
While representing only incremental gains over previous series iPhones, Apple’s latest A15 Bionic system-on-a-chip (SoC) silicon again sets the pace for mobile processing prowess thanks to both total speed and efficiencies.
Breaking Down The 6-Core CPU
Delving into the A15’s technical composition, we find a 3.23 GHz dual-core Avalanche CPU cluster supplemented by four 1.82 GHz Blizzard cores.
Avalanche Cores
Focus on intensive tasks like gaming or multimedia manipulation. Their extreme clock speeds and instant ramp-up deliver wildly responsive experiences.
Blizzard Cores
Target less demanding jobs like background notifications or data syncs. Slower speeds balanced by greater parallelism for plentiful general computing with thrifty power usage.
This hybrid architecture allows few compromises – blistering speeds when you demand it, modest sipping battery when you don’t. And Apple has been perfecting the formula for years now.
Benchmarking CPU/GPU Performance
But we can move beyond architectural knowledge through direct device performance benchmarking from sources like Geekbench and 3DMark:
table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}
td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}
tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}
| Benchmarks | iPhone 14 | iPhone 14 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 5 Single-Core | 1,733 | 1,677 |
| Geekbench 5 Multi-Core | 4,648 | 4,415 |
| 3DMark Extreme Engine | 3,018 | 2,817 |
| 3DMark Extreme Tests | 2,115 | 2,244 |
Here we see the iPhone 14 does maintain a slight universal edge in responsiveness. Yet both deliver processing overhead to spare for iOS multitasking, professional workflows, and demanding games. These minute performance deltas pale next to the sizable battery life differences detailed later.
In practice most buyers will never notice the speed gaps without expensive benchmarking utilities. Rest assured everyone can exploit iOS fluidity thanks to world-class hardware foundations and software optimization on both iPhone 14 models.
Cellular And Wired Connectivity
While unfortunately lacking support for WiFi 6E or WiFi 7 standards which can facilitate faster connections on supported router hardware for large file transfers, the iPhone 14 family otherwise includes all core connectivity protocols.
Latest 5G Cellular Specs
All iPhone 14 devices – including iPhone 14 Plus – support the fastest 5G cellular networks including tricky mmWave deployments. So regardless of carrier, model or geography, you can exploit ultimate download speeds when available up to 3 Gbps theoretical thanks to:
- 5G (sub‐6 GHz and mmWave**)
- Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA**
**(Specific frequency band support varies by country and region)
That broader compatibility ensures you can always connect reliably across urban, suburban and rural regions while traveling globally. 5G coverage does continue improving yearly as well.
WiFi 6 And Bluetooth 5.3
For short-range wireless, Apple included WiFi 6 along with Bluetooth 5.3. So while not yet cutting-edge, speeds remain quick for household or office networking daily:
- 802.11ax Wi‐Fi 6 (2.4GHz/5GHz)
- Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity
Finally unlike most of Apple’s tablets and laptops, iPhones sadly miss the super-convenient USB-C standard for wired transfers and charging. Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus carry on proprietary Lightning ports. So owners must continue buying Apple-compatible cables/adapters which does remain an annoyance.
Storage Configurations: 128GB to 512GB
While internal capacity poses much less challenge these days thanks to unlimited cloud backups, locally storing apps, games, videos and photos remains essential for reliable offline access. Here too the iPhone 14 generations stay exactly aligned.
Identical Storage Tiers
Specifically consumers can choose either model with their preferred configuration of built-in capacity, no differences:
- 128GB
- 256GB
- 512GB
With typical mobile games approaching 2GB+ now and movies requiring at least 1 to 3GB apiece depending on length, resolution and compression, that base 128GB easily fills for entertainment buffs.
The mid-tier 256GB offers plenty of elbow room even for capture-happy content creators. And only the hardest-core mobile gamers or videographers really need those top 512GB configs…but gosh is that full-iPhone backup peace of mind nice!
Battery Life: Over 25 Hours Video Playback
Battery life absolutely makes or breaks the mobile experience. And by equipping the larger Plus model with bigger cell capacity to drive significantly longer endurance, buyers receive that flexibility to record life’s moments without worrying about battery limitations while on the go.
Comparing mAh Power And Playback Times
Specifically, battery improvements in the iPhone 14 Plus over the smaller iPhone 14 shake out as:
table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}
td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}
tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}
| Battery Life Factors | iPhone 14 | iPhone 14 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity (mAh) | 3,279 | 4,325 *32% larger* |
| Video Playback Time | Up to 20 hours | Up to 26 hours *30% longer* |
| Streamed Video Time | Up to 16 hours | Up to 20 hours *25% longer* |
| Audio Playback Time | Up to 80 hours | Up to 100 hours *25% longer* |
So no matter the usage – enjoying downloaded movies, binging streaming series or listening to music – that bigger Plus battery allows owners to keep going an extra 25-30% longer between plugging in.
The peace of mind from added juice simply can’t be overstated on trips off the grid. And even for daily commutes, the iPhone 14 Plus removes all range anxiety if you’re logging serious app or entertainment hours.
Charging Comparison: Both Fast Charge
Replenishing empty batteries quickly becomes just as crucial of course! Here again Apple aligns charging conveniences nicely throughout their next generation:
Fast Charge Capabilities
- 0 to 50% charge in approx. 30 minutes
- Requires 20W+ power adapter
Wireless Charging Support
- 7.5W Qi wireless charging
- 15W MagSafe wireless charging
So juice up safely and quickly at home or on the go. While max speeds require purchasing Apple’s special USB-C wall adapters separately, convenience stores often stock compatible 20W+ equipment as well.
And MagSafe allows clamping on charging pucks magnetically – no cords needed! So Apple definitely helps return you to full strength rapidly regardless of which iPhone 14 size you select.
Pricing Out iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Plus
With all features compared from displays to batteries to cameras and beyond, just how much extra investment falls to that iPhone 14 Plus over its smaller sibling?
iPhone 14 Pricing
- 128GB: $799
- 256GB: $899
- 512GB: $1,099
iPhone 14 Plus Pricing
- 128GB: $899
- 256GB: $1,099
- 512GB: $1,199
So we see Apple imposes a uniform $100 premium for doubling down to the Plus. Given its much longer battery lifespan per charge,ucher expanded viewable display area, and broadly equivalent otherwise flagship capabilities, that seems very fair!
Few consumers “need” objectively the largest phone possible. But for under 10% greater upfront cost over the essential iPhone 14, I’d certainly treat myself to this iPhone 14 Plus upgrade!
The Bottom Line: Go Bigger with iPhone 14 Plus!
While both deliver outstanding capabilities on nearly every vector from cameras to charging times and beyond, if your budget allows, the iPhone 14 Plus differentiated itself as an easy recommendation for shoppers thanks to battery longevity and a simply more expansive screen.
Factor in equivalent processing speeds, identical megapixels and shooting modes across all cameras, matching capacity tiers and broadly the same connectivity, getting those extra few hours of operational freedom per charge makes the Plus a wise investment.
Not to mention immersing yourself across the whole 6.7 inches of gorgeous OLED viewing area for Netflix binges, TikTok scrolling or creative pursuits. Unless compact one-handed use remains mandatory, sized-up users should consider paying $100 extra a no brainer during an iPhone 14 series upgrade!
I hope this comprehensive yet readable guide better illuminated the precise tradeoffs – and generous similarities – between Apple’s latest and greatest phone offerings. Let me know if any other questions come up during your purchasing journey!
