This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
Apple's senior director of iPhone design claims the base iPhone 14 is more powerful than the iPhone 13 Pro, despite using the same A15 chip. This claim is made in a new interview in which he says the non-Pro iPhone 14 has other key advantages over its predecessor.
Apple has historically equipped all new iPhones with the same A-series chip, from the Mini (when the model still existed) to the Pro Max. The distinction between base and Pro models was made through things like camera features. But that changed last year, when the iPhone Pro models received the expected upgrade to the new A16 chip, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are equipped with the same A15 chip used in the iPhone 13 (Pro). Macworld has already pointed out that the difference between the two chips is smaller than usual this year, and that the A16 is actually more of an A15+. But Apple now claims that even the A15 offers more performance this year.
Despite the same chip: The iPhone 14 is more powerful than the iPhone 13
This claim was made by iPhone design chief Richard Dinh in a interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. The reason for this is that the new model is less susceptible to thermal throttling.
The standard 14 models have better sustained performance than last year's Pros, despite using the same chip, thanks to some internal changes. For the iPhone 14, the design has been drastically changed, adding a central aluminum structure as a backbone. This central structural layer helps distribute heat more evenly across the entire surface.
Further advantages
Dinh also mentioned other reasons why people might upgrade from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14.
Although iPhone 14 looks almost identical to iPhone 13 on the outside, it's been fundamentally redesigned with benefits you might not immediately see when comparing it to an older model. These include lighter weight, cheaper and easier repair options, and longer battery life. We were able to deliver a larger main camera than last year's Pros, with a larger sensor, better low-light performance, and a brand new ambient light sensor on the back. This design also introduces our first four-sided stacked mainboard, which puts all of iPhone 14's components into a smaller space and allows us to access the board from both sides for improved repairability.
With the iPhone 13, as with previous models up to the iPhone 8, the display had to be removed to access the internal components. With the iPhone 14, the rear glass can be removed instead, allowing for easier repairs with less risk of damage. The difficult access to older phones is the reason why the cost of repairing a display defect has almost halved. (Image: Apple)
