iPhone 15 or iPhone 14? Apple’s Best-selling Phones Compared

There are a few obvious changes to the design: The new lineup features the dynamic island, replacing the notch that is a heritage from the X series. Another notable change is the USB-C port, replacing the Lightning port—a shift less evident in design than it will be in user experience.

Beyond these, both series sport an aluminum frame. The dimensions and weight have changed only slightly. They come with colored glass on the back and a Ceramic Shield on the front.

For colors, the iPhone 14 comes in Blue, Midnight, Aurora Borealis, Rosé, Yellow, and (PRODUCT)RED. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are offered in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black.

The iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch “Super Retina XDR” display, while the 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch one. Same size for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. However, the displays are brighter in the new generation, with Apple mentioning a brightness of up to 1,600 nits and even 2,000 nits in sunlight—double the brightness of the iPhone 14.

As mentioned at the beginning, since last year, the non-Pro variants no longer feature Apple’s state-of-the-art SoC. While the iPhone 14 is equipped with the A15 Bionic, the iPhone 15 is powered by the A16 Bionic. Both processors are reminiscent of the Pro variants from previous years.

Both series come with 6 GB of RAM, and the rest is typical: No microSD slot, with available storage options of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB.

On paper, the iPhone 14 is faster and boasts superior graphics performance. However, in terms of features, both generations are loaded with capabilities like fall detection and car accident detection. Additionally, in situations where Wi-Fi and mobile internet are unavailable, you can use “Emergency SOS” on both lineups to call for help via satellite.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the generations is the improved camera sensor on the iPhone 15—at least on paper. The new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feature a primary camera with a 48 MP sensor and an f/1.6 aperture. The ultra-wide-angle camera retains the standard 12 MP resolution with an f/2.4 aperture.

By comparison, the iPhone 14 features a 12 MP main camera with a ƒ/1.5 aperture, as opposed to the ƒ/1.6 aperture. The extra resolution in the iPhone 15 is definitely a valuable upgrade, as it gives you more pixels for the digital zoom. Portrait photos in particular benefit from a “2x” or “3x” zoom level, and here you get more quality with the new iPhone.

Finally, the front camera is basically the same with a small tweak between generations. Both have 12 megapixels, but on the iPhone 15, we have an aperture of f/2.2 instead of f/2.4. Both sensors have autofocus.

As already mentioned at the beginning: Your decision depends primarily on which device you currently own. The new iPhone 15 generation has improved the camera and offers significantly faster performance. The 15th-generation devices also have a more modern connection for charging and data transfer.

And with all four models currently on sale at the Apple Store, the brand reduced the 2022 model prices by $100 compared to their original MSRPs, now charged by the equivalent iPhone 15 model.

If you already have an iPhone 14, then it is not worth upgrading to the 15. However, if you are coming from an older model or switching from an Android smartphone, then we recommend the iPhone 15. The newer processor generation and the added convenience of USB-C and Dynamic Island are definitely worth the extra cost.

Now I’m curious to hear your opinion: would you swap your iPhone 14 for the iPhone 15? And if you are coming from a different smartphone: Which model would you choose?