iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro Camera Comparison
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are Apple’s newest smartphones packed with the most capable cameras. But how much have they improved in two years? Here’s a detailed look at iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro cameras.
iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro Cameras
Rear Cameras
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices have the same 48MP main rear camera as the 14 Pro/Max. However, new features include a 48MP ultra wide lens, a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, an all-new Camera Control button/sensor, the ability to take spatial photos, and the latest-generation Photographic Styles.
Specs Comparison for Rear Cameras:
| Feature | iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Control | ✅ | ❌ |
| Main Lens | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture |
| Main Lens Sensor | 2.44 µm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel |
| Main Lens Focal Length | 24 mm | 24 mm |
| Ultra Wide Lens | 48MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture |
| Telephoto Lens | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 5x zoom) | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 3x zoom) |
| Stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
| Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x |
| Digital Zoom | Up to 25x | Up to 15x |
| Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash |
| Photonic Engine | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR | Smart HDR 5 | Smart HDR 4 |
| Next-gen Portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ✅ | ❌ |
| Spatial Photos | ✅ | ❌ |
| Macro Photography | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple ProRAW | ✅ | ✅ |
Video Recording
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max improve video recording with 4K Dolby Vision/HDR video recording at up to 120 fps. Additionally, 1080p and ProRes recordings are supported up to 120 fps.
Key features include wind noise reduction, Audio Mix, and 4 studio-quality microphones, making the iPhone 16 Pro Max a more capable pocket-sized studio. Compared to the 14 Pro/Max, the 16 Pro/Max also offer spatial video recording and log recording.
Video Recording Specs:
| Feature | iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 4K Dolby Vision/HDR Recording | ✅ at up to 120 fps | ✅ at up to 60 fps |
| 1080p Recording | ✅ at up to 120 fps | ✅ at up to 60 fps |
| Cinematic Mode | ✅ up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
| Action Mode | ✅ up to 2.8K at 60 fps | ✅ up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
| ProRes Recording | ✅ up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording | ✅ up to 4K at 30 fps |
| Log Video Recording | ✅ | ❌ |
| Spatial Video Recording | ✅ at 1080p at 30 fps | ❌ |
| 4 Studio-quality Microphones | ✅ | ❌ |
| Wind Noise Reduction | ✅ | ❌ |
Selfie Camera
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max retain Apple’s TrueDepth front camera with some upgrades such as the latest-generation Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5 for photos, log video recording, and the ability to record spatial audio and stereo when using the TrueDepth camera.
Front Camera Specs:
| Feature | iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| TrueDepth Front Camera | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture |
| Smart HDR 5 for Photos | ✅ | ❌ |
| Next-gen Portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ✅ | ❌ |
| Log Video Recording | ✅ | ❌ |
| Spatial Audio and Stereo Recording | ✅ | ❌ |
iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro I/O
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max introduce USB-C ports with up to 10 Gbps transfer speeds and new capabilities like shooting video and photos directly to external storage. Other upgrades include WiFi 7 support and enhanced MagSafe charging.
I/O Specs:
| Feature | iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| USB-C | ✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps | ❌ |
| Lightning | ❌ | ✅ |
| WiFi | WiFi 7 | WiFi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| UWB | Gen 2 | Gen 1 |
| MagSafe | ✅ with 25W charging | ✅ with 15W charging |
Buyer’s Guide
If you’re considering whether to upgrade, here is a summary of reasons to choose the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max:
- Most powerful and capable cameras for both photos and videos.
- Camera Control button.
- Longer battery life.
- Titanium build with slim bezels.
- USB-C with 10Gbps speeds and WiFi 7 support.
- The fastest chip and the most powerful GPU for video and mobile gaming.
For those satisfied with previous models or considering alternatives, the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 offer many of the new features without all the latest advancements of the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max.