The iPhone 14 is the latest generation of Apple’s smartphone range, packed with all the bells and whistles you’d expect. But if you’re using an iPhone 11 and are considering upgrading, rest assured that the iPhone 14 is a lot better. But how come real compare to Apple’s latest phone?
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: design
These two iPhones have distinctly different aesthetics. The iPhone 11 has the same curved lines as the iPhone X, Xs and Xr, while the iPhone 14 uses Apple’s newer flat-edge design introduced with the iPhone 12 and has a smaller notch than the 11. The phones are similar, but the iPhone 14 definitely looks more modern, with sharper lines harking back to the golden era of iPhone design that debuted with the iPhone 4.
Here’s how the two compare in terms of dimensions:
- iPhone 14: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.8mm; 172g
- iPhone 11: 150.9mm x 75.7mm x 8.3mm; 194g
As you can see, the iPhone 11 is longer, thicker and thicker than the newer model, plus it’s also over 20g heavier.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Both share many similarities, with a 6.1-inch screen, dual rear cameras, a Lightning port, and an aluminum chassis, and come in a variety of colors (white, black, green, yellow, purple, and red for the iPhone 11; Midnight (black), Starlight (silver), blue, purple and red for the iPhone 14). Basically, they both look like iPhones, but the iPhone 14 looks like a newer one.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Rendering
While both phones have a 6.1-inch screen, there are some significant upgrades on the iPhone 14. First, the screen on the newer model is OLED rather than the lower quality LCD on the 11. The iPhone 14 also has a higher resolution, HDR, a greater contrast ratio and is significantly brighter.
iPhone 14
- 2532×1170 resolution (460ppi)
- 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
- 800 nits maximum brightness (typical), 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
iPhone 11
- 1792×828 resolution (326ppi)
- 1400:1 contrast
- 625 nits maximum brightness
That’s not to say the iPhone 11’s screen is bad, but in the years between models, Apple has seen an increase in the quality of the iPhone 14’s superior panel. The new series also comes in a larger version, the iPhone 14 Plus. , with a 6.7-inch OLED panel for those who want even more space on their screen. The iPhone 14 also has a Ceramic Shield cover for the front panel, which is stronger than the iPhone 11l’s Gorilla Glass.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: cam
At first glance, it might seem that the cameras on the two devices are actually very close. Both have dual cameras on the back consisting of a 12 MP main camera and 12 MP Ultra Wide. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see that, as with everything else, the iPhone 14 has been tweaked to offer more capabilities.
For starters, the iPhone 14’s 12MP main camera has an aperture of f/1.5 instead of the f/1.8 on the iPhone 11. This may not sound like much, but it will improve low-light photography and provide a shallower depth of field. Stabilization is also different, with the older device coming with optical image stabilization (good) but the iPhone 14 with sensor-shift stabilization (better).
There’s the same Deep Fusion technology on both, as well as 0.5x and 1x optical zoom, True Tone Flash, Portrait, Portrait Lightning and Night modes. The iPhone 14 bumps Smart HDR up to version 4, while the 11 is back to version 2, plus there’s the new Photonic Engine in the 14 that uses software to further improve color and contrast balance in shots. Apple upgrades the camera with every iPhone generation, so after three years you’re sure to see a significant improvement in photo quality.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
On the video side, there are many shared features as both can record up to 4K at 24, 25, 30 or 60 frames per second. There’s also slo-mo video up to 1080p/240fps, time-lapse with stabilization, QuickTake videos, 2x optical zoom, audio zoom and stereo recording.
The TrueDepth front cameras are very similar as they both have 12MP sensors, but the f/1.9 aperture on the iPhone 14 is slightly larger than the f/2.2 lens on the iPhone 11. You also get the night mode on the iPhone 14 which will help in low light situations.
Where the newer processor in the iPhone 14 comes into play is Cinematic mode, which lets you pull focus and have a very shallow depth of field to achieve movie-like effects. There’s also the action mode that keeps everything steady even when you’re running around with the camera, plus HDR video at 4K/60fps. You get some great photos and videos on the iPhone 11, but if you’re a newbie Christopher Nolan, the extras on the iPhone 14 will be hard to resist.
iPhone 14 v iPhone 11: processor and specifications
The iPhone 14 has Apple’s A15 Bionic chip at its heart, which is quite a beast. From a structural standpoint, it has the same 6-core CPU as the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, but it’s significantly faster with an extra GPU core and twice as many cores in its Neural Engine. Battery life will also be significantly improved. In our testing, we got around 9 hours of battery life with the iPhone 14 versus 5.5 hours with the iPhone 11.
Storage is generous on the iPhone 14, as it comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants, while the iPhone 11 launched with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB allocations. Both phones have IP68 waterproofing, although the iPhone 14 can survive being submerged deeper than the iPhone 11 (6 meters instead of 2). You also get Wi-Fi 6, NFC and Bluetooth on both (although the latter is 5.3 on iPhone 14 but 5.0 on iPhone 11). And on the iPhone 14 you get 5G wireless speeds, while the older model has 4G LTE.
The iPhone 11 has a slower processor, but it’s still a very capable iPhone even in 2022.
Shutterstock / ALDECA studio
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: price
When it was released in 2020, the iPhone 11 was cheaper than the current iPhone 14. However, you get more storage, 5G support, and a newer design for $100 more and more.
iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 (128GB): $799 / £849
- iPhone 14 (256GB): $899 / £959
- iPhone 14 (512GB): $1,099 / £1,179
iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 (64GB): $699 / £699
- iPhone 11 (128GB): $749 / £749
- iPhone 11 (256GB): $849 / £849
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Should You Upgrade?
Even all these years later, the iPhone 11 is still a decent phone that has a lot going for it. The cameras are solid, performance should still be adequate, and iOS will continue to be supported for a few more years. However, the iPhone 14 is vastly superior in many ways, with a fantastic screen, a faster chip and improved camera capabilities, as well as a lighter and newer design. Both are good, but the iPhone 14 is simply better – and if you’re considering an upgrade, we’d recommend going for it.
