iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: Which iPhone is right for you?

The iPhone 16 is finally here and its arrival means there’s one question plaguing everyone’s mind – how does it fare against the older iPhone 15? Some are even wondering if it’s worth saving more and opting for the more affordable iPhone 14.

At first glance, it’s safe to say that the iPhone 16 is a notable upgrade from its predecessors. Be it the revised exteriors, the bold new colours or the power it’s packing under the hood, the iPhone 16 looks and feels new despite carrying on with the familiar Dynamic Island from its predecessor. The new Capture Control button is a boon for creators on the go while the enhanced battery life is a feature that nobody will complain about. What’s even more astonishing is its pricing – at HKD 6899, it doesn’t see a price hike over its predecessor despite the mega upgrades it comes with.

But last year’s iPhone 15 was already a great all-rounder package for most users, something that holds true even after the iPhone 16’s arrival. After all, the iPhone 15 offers the modern Dynamic Island display, the much-awaited USB-C charging connector and the popular diagonally-aligned rear cameras. It is also available in a beautiful range of colours.

And then there’s the iPhone 14. It still ships with the older Lightning port and comes with the dated notch but the rest of the package offers fantastic value for money, especially for someone who wants to step into the iOS ecosystem or is looking for an upgrade from the iPhone SE.

To sum up, in the coming days, iPhone buyers will have a tough time choosing the right model. This is where our iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14 comparison should come in handy to solve your dilemma and help you get the most value for your money.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: Do specifications tell the whole story?

To figure that out, our triple comparison touches upon all of the key aspects that matter to iPhone users in general, starting with…

Design

For the first time in three years, we are pleased to say that the new iPhone looks… well … new!

The visual differences aren’t just limited to its new colourways. Next to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15’s diagonal rear camera layout, the vertical dual camera layout on the iPhone 16 is reminiscent of the iPhone X’s design. Coupled with the Dynamic Island, Action Button and the new Capture Control button, the iPhone 16 just looks and feels different.

The iPhone 15, despite being a year older, holds its own with its smoothened edges, the Dynamic Island and a classy choice of muted colours. Next to the iPhone 16, it still looks appealing.

The iPhone 14, in comparison, features the most dated design trends, though some would say the availability of lively colours somewhat makes up for it.

Although beauty tends to be in the eye of the beholder, we are taking the liberty of choosing the new iPhone 16 as the winner of this round owing to its stronger Ceramic Shield glass and its trendy new colours.

Winner: iPhone 16

Display

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 share the same Super Retina XDR OLED display panel with support for HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. With 1000 nits in high brightness mode and 2000 nits in peak brightness mode, users are guaranteed a better viewing experience on these models.

The iPhone 14, on the other hand, offers a dimmer OLED panel with the Face ID notch eating up into the display. Fortunately, its Super Retina XDR OLED display panel supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision formats like the newer versions of the iPhone, which still makes it a great choice for watching shows and movies and browsing social media platforms. However, the OLED panel can only reach up to 800 nits in high brightness mode and up to 1200 nits in peak brightness mode.

While all three iPhones offer a great display panel, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15, with their equally bright OLED displays, fare a lot better.

Winner: iPhone 16 and iPhone 15

Performance

Back in 2022, the iPhone 14 faced some criticism in the tech community for one main reason – it offered negligible upgrades in performance. It used the same A15 Bionic chip from the previous generation iPhone 13 albeit with a higher-spec 5-core GPU. Despite the extra core, the benchmarks showed no observable difference in performance. Nonetheless, the iPhone 14 was one of the better-performing flagships of the year and two years down the line, it continues to offer swift performance. The upcoming iOS 18 update will bring new customisation features, upgraded Photos and Mail apps, a new Passwords app, Game Mode and more. However, it will miss out on the Apple Intelligence features.

With the iPhone 15, Apple took a step in the right direction. The A15 Bionic was replaced with a better 4nm A16 Bionic chip derived from the iPhone 14 Pro. While the bump in performance was marginal, the iPhone 15 proved itself to be more efficient at balancing power hunger and performance. Sadly, the limited RAM capacity of 6GB prevents the iPhone 15 from getting Apple Intelligence features though the generic performance remains swift.

The iPhone 16, however, takes a notable leap in this regard. The 3nm A18 chip is a whole generation ahead of the A16 Bionic chip, offering incredible performance that’s balanced with great power efficiency. With 8GB of RAM onboard, it comes with iOS 18’s Apple Intelligence features as standard, thereby making it much more capable than its predecessors. The beefier NPU now powers several camera features like Photographic Styles and Camera Capture. It can also run AAA games like the Pro variants from yesteryears.

Hence, when it comes to outright performance, the iPhone 16 remains unbeatable in this comparison. It takes a huge leap over the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16

Cameras

The iPhone 14 has been a commendable smartphone photography device for the past two years. With a 12-megapixel 1/1.7″ sensor featuring an f/1.5 aperture and 26mm lens with sensor-shift stabilisation for the primary camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide shooter with a 13mm lens and f/2.4 aperture, the iPhone 14’s camera system offers ample power for flagship-grade photography and videography. For those who seek a good camera system for casual photography and vlogging needs, the iPhone 14 makes for a great choice.

However, the iPhone 15 took things a step further with a new 48-megapixel 1/1.56″ sensor featuring f/1.6 aperture, a 26mm lens with dual pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS for the main camera. This upgrade not only resulted in higher-quality photos with more details but also allowed for 2x digital lossless zoom – a first for the vanilla iPhone. Apple’s image-tuning algorithms also allowed for better colour science in imaging and videography. The ultrawide camera, however, remained unchanged from the iPhone 14.

The iPhone 16 retains the same 48-megapixel main camera as the iPhone 15 but gets an upgraded ultrawide camera. Apple is using a new 12-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture, a 13mm lens and dual-pixel PDAF function. Not only does this allow for improved low-light photography but the presence of an autofocus function brings macro photography to the vanilla iPhone. Not to mention, the Camera Capture button makes accessing and clicking images and altering key parameters a lot easier. The presence of Apple Intelligence also helps with better image processing and superior editing tools while the new camera layout helps capture Spatial images and videos. As a result, the iPhone 16 offers the versatility of four lenses in a dual-sensor setup, making it more appealing to creators.

After closely analysing the three models, the iPhone 16 emerges as the clear winner with its superior camera system.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16

Battery

With every successive generation, the iPhone has overseen a notable improvement in battery life. Apple says that the new iPhone 16 can deliver up to two more hours of video playback than the iPhone 14 and one more hour than the iPhone 15. Hence, for those seeking greater battery stamina, the iPhone 16 emerges as the better choice.

The iPhone 16 also extends its advantage in terms of charging speeds. With Apple’s standard 20W wired charging system, all three iPhones will take 30 minutes to fill up 50 per cent of the battery. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 support 15W MagSafe wireless and 15W Qi2 wireless charging standards whereas the iPhone 16 supports up to 25W MagSafe wireless charging when paired with the 30W Apple charging adapter.

Not only does the iPhone 15 last the longest but it also charges the fastest with Apple’s 25W MagSafe charging puck, making it the winner in this round.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16

Price and value

This is the only department where the latest model doesn’t have the advantage. You often get the best value for money from the older models selling at a much lower sticker price.

The iPhone 14 starts at HKD 5099 for the base variant with 128GB storage and goes up to HKD 5899 for the 256GB variant. This is the only modern iPhone that you can get for less than HKD 5500 and considering everything it offers, it makes for a steal deal.

The iPhone 15, however, isn’t too far off on Apple’s price ladder. The base 128GB variant of the iPhone 15 can be had for HKD 5999 and if you fancy 256GB storage, you need to shell out HKD 6799.

The iPhone 16 will set you back by HKD 6899 for the base variant with 128GB onboard storage and goes up to HKD 7699 for the 256GB storage variant. The premium you pay for the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 15 gets you a much faster and more efficient A18 chip, the helping hand of Apple Intelligence and an overhauled camera system. Not to forget, the newer chip also guarantees longer software support.

Although the iPhone 16’s feature set is the most tempting of the lot, we believe that most buyers will be happy with the iPhone 15’s ‘middle-ground’ approach. You miss out on the Apple Intelligence features from the iPhone 16 but the upgraded 48-megapixel main camera, the bright OLED display and the USB-C charging port mean it offers more value for money than the iPhone 14.

Winner: iPhone 15

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: Our verdict

Winner: Apple iPhone 16

It isn’t surprising to see the newest iPhone emerge as the winner in our mega three-way iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14 comparison. Courtesy of its superior specifications and qualitative upgrades, the iPhone 16 is by far the best iteration of the iPhone we have seen over the years. Unlike the iPhone 15, Apple isn’t holding back on Apple Intelligence features for the vanilla iPhone. The camera system is more versatile than ever before and the revamped design makes it the fresh choice in a sea of older iPhones that all look the same. The A18 chip is a tremendous step in the evolution of smartphones and is capable of running console-quality video games, and that too while sipping lesser power from the battery. We are also a fan of those bold new colourways.

That said, the older iPhone 15 is now the best option for value-centric people shopping for a new iPhone this holiday season. It’s got 70 per cent of the perks of the iPhone 16 while costing a lot less – we don’t think anyone would hesitate making that kind of compromise. The muted shades of colours make it look great and you even get the benefit of plugging in USB-C chargers. Get the iPhone 15 if you are willing to be logical about your annual phone purchase plan.

As for the iPhone 14, it only makes sense if your budget is severely restricted to HKD 6000 and the iPhone SE seems far too much of a compromise for you. While it still has all the essentials of a quality iPhone experience, the older Lightning charging port and the dated cameras make it the weakest of the three choices here.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Apple)