Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Is it upgrade time?

It’s an exciting year for Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, and that’s not merely because of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features. After two years of enduring relatively uninspired updates, fans of Apple’s standard iPhone and iPhone Plus models finally have a pair of iPhones that feel like more than “also-rans” compared to Apple’s flagship iPhone Pro lineup.

While the standard iPhone 16 models may not have gotten all the upgrades we hoped for, Apple is no longer arbitrarily reserving its best chips and user interface features for its flagship Pro series. In addition to the Dynamic Island and Action button, the iPhone 16 Plus gets the same Camera Control that Apple introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, a powerful new A-series chip, and some unique design changes that are entirely its own.

That gives the iPhone 16 Plus a substantial leap over last year’s model, which already delivered significant camera improvements over the 2022 iPhone 14 Plus. The Apple silicon inside is three generations ahead of that of the the iPhone 14 Plus, and the rest of the hardware rolls in two years of Pro-exclusive features. In an unusual twist, Apple is still selling the iPhone 14 Plus, but is that older model still worth buying, or even hanging onto if you already have one? Let’s take a look.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: specs

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: design

The iPhone 16 Plus echoes the two previous iPhone generations in being an upscaled version of the standard model. Besides a larger screen and extended battery life, the iPhone 16 Plus has the same specs as the iPhone 16, as was the case with the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 14.

That means it gets all the same upgrades and design changes as the 6.1-inch iPhone, although there are some subtle improvements on the Plus models that don’t necessarily apply to its smaller sibling. The most important of these comes down to weight and balance. At 6.7 inches, the iPhone Plus form factor is naturally more awkward in the hand, but the iPhone 14 Plus was particularly so. As we mentioned in our review of last year’s iPhone 15 Plus, something felt off about the ergonomics of Apple’s original 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus, which became even more obvious when handling its successor.

The iPhone 16 Plus maintains the same “comfortable and velvety” feel that we liked about the iPhone 15 Plus, thanks to better weight distribution and the curved edges. If you shied away from the iPhone 14 Plus primarily because it was cumbersome to hold, we’d encourage you to find an iPhone 16 Plus to try out, as it feels significantly better in hand.

The iPhone 16 Plus builds on last year’s iPhone 15 Plus by adopting the same color-infused matte glass, but Apple has also improved the infusion process to produce more vibrant colors than the washed-out pastels of 2023. The ultramarine, teal, and pink iPhone 16 Plus models are richer and more saturated than most iPhone 14 Plus finishes, except for the vibrant Product Red, which is sadly still unavailable on this year’s models. It’s the second year we’ve missed the special-edition red iPhone, a color that’s been a staple in the lineup since it was introduced in a mid-cycle iPhone 7 update in 2017. Apple hasn’t commented on its omission, but it leaves us wondering if it’s faced challenges producing the right shade of red through its new color-infusion process.

Beyond colors and ergonomics, the iPhone 16 Plus gets a new camera layout that returns to the tandem arrangement of the iPhone 12 era and the pill-shaped bump of the iPhone XS. This gives it an elegant and classier look, which sets it apart from Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. Putting the same square camera bump on all four iPhone models each year made the standard ones feel like they were missing a camera. That’s no longer the case with this new design — the cameras on the iPhone 16 Plus have a more intentional design that makes them look complete in their own right.

The iPhone 16 Plus replaces the venerable ring/silent switch with the Action button introduced on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models, and it also gains a new Camera Control button. We’ll talk more about Camera Control later, but from a design perspective, it’s the most significant change to the entire iPhone 16 lineup this year, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that Apple didn’t reserve it solely for the iPhone 16 Pro models.

In terms of durability, the iPhone 16 Plus has the same IP68 certification that’s been the norm for several years now. It’s rated for immersion in 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. And the newer Ceramic Shield glass promises improved protection against drops and impacts. However, we think the better weight balance is an even more significant improvement here, as it means you’re less likely to fumble your iPhone and drop it in the first place.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: display

Despite annual rumors and hopes that Apple will finally improve the displays in its standard iPhone models, the company seems stubbornly determined to stick with a 60Hz refresh rate, even as its Android rivals offer faster screens on much more affordable phones.

The iPhone 16 Plus has a great display with vibrant colors, HDR support, and a crisp 460 pixel-per-inch (ppi) density. However, that’s table stakes for a smartphone in this price range, and nothing here stands out against similarly priced competitors — or even last year’s iPhone 15 Plus. If you’re coming from an iPhone 14 Plus, you’ll see some improvement in brightness, as it can now reach 1,000 nits of typical brightness and 1,600 nits of HDR, an increase of 200 and 400 nits, respectively. It also offers 2,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness and can dim as low as 1 nit for use in a darker room.

Last year’s standard iPhone 15 models adopted the Dynamic Island that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro, and that continues with the iPhone 16 Plus. That doesn’t make any difference in quality, but it does make better use of the area at the top of the screen and offers some fun user interface tricks you won’t get with the notch.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: performance and battery

While Apple’s new design gives this year’s standard iPhone models an aesthetic that makes them once again feel like a full part of the family, the most significant area where Apple has brought the iPhone 16 Plus up to par is in performance.

No longer will a standard iPhone model need to limp along with last year’s silicon while the iPhone Pro models move on to bigger and better things. The iPhone 16 Plus marks a return to the iPhone 13 era when all four iPhone models got more or less the same A-series chips. This year, that’s the latest A18 chip.

While the iPhone 16 Pro models get a slightly better A18 Pro, the differences between the two are subtle enough to be irrelevant during everyday use. The A18 Pro has one additional GPU core, which was also the case with the A15 chips used in the iPhone 13 Pro models three years ago.

That gives the iPhone 16 Plus a massive leap in performance over even last year’s iPhone 15 Plus, which means it’s an order of magnitude faster than the iPhone 14 Plus. Apple didn’t provide any direct comparisons with that model, but it did say that the iPhone 16 models are 30% faster than the iPhone 15 and 60% faster than the iPhone 12, while the five-core GPU offers a 40% improvement over last year’s model and twice the performance of the iPhone 12. Those are healthy improvements, no matter how you slice it.

Still, the iPhone 14 Plus was no slouch for everyday use, so we’re dealing with the law of diminishing returns here. Where the iPhone 16 Plus’ A18 chip will make a real difference is in gaming and artificial intelligence features. Apple is naturally touting the new chip as ready for its Apple Intelligence suite that will start to appear in iOS 18.1 later this month, but it’s also prepared to handle AAA console games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil Village, thanks to the same hardware-accelerated ray tracing that Apple brought to the iPhone 15 Pro models last year.

However, even if you’re not a gamer or AI fan, the A18 chip has the advantage of being more power-efficient, which should translate to longer battery life. One reason to opt for the larger Plus model is a bigger battery, and the iPhone 16 Plus delivers on that front. Combined with a slightly larger battery, the new A18 chip promises to deliver up to four hours of additional video streaming compared to the iPhone 14 Plus.

This also means you won’t need to charge quite as often, which is good. Apple hasn’t increased its wired charging speeds over prior models — you’re still looking at 35 minutes to reach 50% and around two hours for a full top-up. However, the good news is that wireless charging speeds have increased to match the wired speeds, provided you opt for Appel’s new 25-watt MagSafe charger. Standard Qi and Qi2 chargers will still only deliver 7.5W and 15W, respectively, as will Apple’s original MagSafe chargers that the company has sold for the past four years.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: cameras

Apple seems to be settling into a two-year cycle of big camera updates, at least for its standard iPhone models. The iPhone 16 Plus doesn’t gain much over last year’s iPhone 15 lineup, but if you’re coming from an iPhone 14 Plus, the cumulative improvements are worth the jump.

The primary sensor is now 48-megapixels versus 12MP on the iPhone 14 Plus. That not only provides higher-quality shots, but also introduces a 2x virtual zoom where the center pixels are used to create a 12MP optical-quality shot. This first came to the iPhone 14 Pro two years ago, but the standard iPhone 14 models were left out of that party. This means you effectively get a telephoto lens thrown into the mix. While 2x images are 12MP, standard 1x images can be saved in either 24MP or 48MP formats.

That’s why Apple is now using the name “Fusion Camera” to describe it on the iPhone 16 lineup, although that’s just a new marketing name for the technology introduced in last year’s iPhone 15 models. The ultrawide camera on the iPhone 16 Plus has the same 12MP resolution as that of the iPhone 14 Plus, but it gets a larger f/2.2 aperture for 2.6x better lowlight performance, plus autofocus capabilities.

Thanks to the addition of autofocus, it’s also possible to capture macro photos on the iPhone 16 Plus. That’s been a Pro-exclusive feature since it was introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro three years ago, so it’s nice to see it come to the standard models. The new tandem camera arrangement also allows for spatial photo and video recording.

As usual, Apple has some computational photography features that go beyond the raw camera hardware specs, with the A18 chip powering a new generation of Photographic Styles that go well beyond the basics. A total of 15 unique styles now use machine learning to factor in skin tone, color, highlights, and shadows in real time for more natural results. And the best part is that you don’t need to commit to a Photographic Style when you take the picture — you can change them up later when editing your photos. They’re a fun new feature that opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: software and updates

The iPhone 16 Plus ships with iOS 18 out of the box. However, the iPhone 14 Plus can also be updated to iOS 18, and it’s a model that’s recent enough to support all of the latest iOS 18 features.

The only significant differences at this point are the obvious things that require hardware features that the iPhone 14 Plus doesn’t have, such as the Action button, Camera Control, and Dynamic Island. However, the iPhone 16 Plus will have another leg up when iOS 18.1 ships later this month since it will gain Apple Intelligence features that older models will be left out of.

Apple Intelligence is a suite of AI features limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later models. In the first stage, these are mostly writing tools, summaries of notifications, and a new Clean Up feature in Photos similar to Google’s Magic Eraser. Later iOS 18 point releases will add AI image generation, integration with ChatGPT, and a boost to Siri’s intelligence. Siri already has a different user interface on the iPhone 16 Plus compared to older models, although that’s mainly cosmetic for now. It will also be a few months before Apple Intelligence is available in dialects other than U.S. English; non-English languages aren’t expected to be supported until next year.

Unlike some of its Android rivals, Apple doesn’t provide specific timelines for iOS updates, but since the iPhone 14 Plus shipped with iOS 16 in 2022, it’s likely to drop off the update list sooner than the brand-new iPhone 16 Plus. It should get at least three more years, although the 2021-era A15 chip may eventually exclude it from newer features in future iOS releases.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: special features

While Apple Intelligence will eventually set the iPhone 16 Plus apart from its predecessors, the iPhone 16 Plus offers one fun new concrete feature you can enjoy right out of the box: the Camera Control button.

This is what Apple calls the new button on the lower right-hand side of its latest iPhone 16 models. As the name suggests, it activates the camera, but it does much more than that.

Pressing it once will open a camera app, after which you can use it as a traditional shutter button to take pictures. However, it’s also capacitive and touch-sensitive, so it can be used to adjust many other settings on the fly, such as exposure, zoom, depth, and more. It even lets you quickly swipe through the new Photographic Styles.

You may also notice we said that it opens “a” camera app, not necessarily “the” camera app. That’s because Apple is letting third-party developers take advantage of the Camera Control, so you can use it to trigger your camera app of choice, as long as the developer has updated their app to support it. Developers can also choose what the Camera Control does once inside their apps. This button already works well and is a lot of fun in Apple’s first-party Camera app, and we can’t wait to see what other apps do with it.

In addition to the other upcoming Apple Intelligence features, Apple will later this year release an iPhone 16-exclusive Visual Intelligence feature that will scan real-world objects Google Lens-style when you hold down the Camera Control.

While they’re not entirely new, the Dynamic Island and Action button also set the iPhone 16 Plus apart from the iPhone 14 Plus. The Dynamic Island is more than merely a replacement for the notch; it also supports new user interface (UI) elements like Live Activities and a new control for the built-in flashlight. The Action button replaces the ring/silent switch, and while it performs the same function out of the box, it can be customized to trigger nearly anything else you can think of, thanks to its support for Apple’s Shortcuts app.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: price and availability

The iPhone 16 Plus can be purchased directly from Apple and most other major retailers and carriers. The base 128GB model costs $899, the same price previous Plus models launched at. The usual 256GB or 512GB capacities are available for $999 and $1,199, respectively.

This year, Apple surprised us by leaving both the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus on the market; in the past, it’s kept selling only the standard 6.1-inch versions of its two-year-old models. That means you can pick up an iPhone 14 Plus directly from Apple starting at $699 for the 128GB model, $799 for 256GB, or $999 for the largest 512GB capacity.

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Should you upgrade?

If you’re a fan of larger phones and don’t want to spend a bundle on Apple’s flagship Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Plus is a worthwhile purchase this year. It’s the first year since 2021 that Apple’s standard models don’t feel like second-class citizens next to the Pro models, which makes them a better buy than ever.

Unlike the iPhone 14 Plus, which already felt old when it debuted two years ago, the iPhone 16 Plus can hold its own against Apple’s most expensive flagships. It has a near-identical processor, the same Camera Control and Action buttons, and will support the latest Apple Intelligence features. This makes the move from an iPhone 14 Plus to an iPhone 16 Plus feel like at least a three-year leap.

If recent rumors are accurate, this could also be Apple’s last Plus model. Several reports have suggested that it’s about to go the way of the iPhone mini, as the standard 6.7-inch iPhones haven’t been big sellers. While the iPhone 16 Plus will likely be around for at least two more years, odds are against an iPhone 17 Plus appearing next year. If the iPhone Plus is your preferred model, that may be an incentive to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Plus now instead of waiting to see what next year brings.