This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice about Apple’s hottest product.
The iPhone 14 Pro has several improvements to its camera system that have garnered stellar reviews, including a 48-megapixel sensor and Apple’s new image processing technique called the Photonic Engine. That immediately puts it ahead of last year’s iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, at least on paper. But what difference do these new hardware and software features make in the real world?
I compared the two phones’ cameras in a series of tough situations in San Francisco to find out. All of these photos were taken in the default camera app on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro, both running the latest version of iOS 16.
You can learn more about specific improvements to the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera system in this deep dive from my colleague Stephen Shankland. CNET’s Patrick Holland also has a great analysis of iPhone 14 Pro photos and how the Photonic Engine helps boost photo quality in difficult lighting conditions.
The iPhone 14 Pro’s 48-megapixel sensor captures more detail
Hardware-wise, the biggest change between the two phones is the 14 Pro’s new 48-megapixel sensor on the main wide camera that’s also physically bigger than the older iPhone, making the same difference in photo quality as the megapixel increase. The 13 Pro uses a 12-megapixel sensor.
Using a technique called pixel binning, the iPhone 14 Pro joins four pixels together in groups to capture 12-megapixel photos with greater detail. You can also take a full 48-megapixel image if you shoot in Apple’s ProRaw format, and this gives photographers more flexibility in editing and recovering shadow and highlight detail among many other benefits.
In good lighting, the 12-megapixel photos from both the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro look similar at reduced magnification, and it might not be that easy to spot the difference. It’s when you push a bit that the benefits of the 14 Pro’s new sensor and image processing become apparent.
In the images below that I captured in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the tree trunks are more defined and sharper in the iPhone 14 Pro photo than in the 13 Pro. Areas with fine detail, such as grass, also retain much more resolution. You can click on the full resolution image of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro for easier comparison.
The iPhone 14 Pro’s lens on the main rear camera also has a wider field of view than the 13 Pro: 24mm versus 26mm. This means you can get a little more out of your shot, which can be especially useful for landscape photography.
iPhone 14 Pro can take photos with 2x zoom
The iPhone 14 Pro also has another trick up its sleeve: the 48-megapixel sensor can also take 12-megapixel photos with an effective 2x optical zoom. You will see a new 2x option in the camera interface. This crops out the center of the higher-resolution image to immediately give you more flexibility with focal length, without the need for a fourth lens. The iPhone 13 Pro can also take photos with 2x zoom, but it uses digital zoom and doesn’t have the same quality or level of detail as this new technique.
I find the new 2x option on the iPhone 14 Pro helps with portrait mode. Instead of only offering 1x and 3x options like the old phone, it can also take photos in portrait mode at 2x. This makes my eyes look more natural. I find it more flattering for facial features than the wide look from 1x or the wide perspective at 3x.
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iPhone 14 Pro vs. 13 Pro: Night and low light mode
iPhone 14 Pro has a new image processing channel to help improve photos in low and medium light. Combined with the larger sensor, I can see the difference compared to the iPhone 13 Pro in every shot I took at sunset. In the photos below, see the detail captured in the tree branches across the horizon.
The newer phone also has better noise reduction in low light, without night mode enabled. Dynamic range is also improved in low light, capturing more shadow and highlight detail than the old phone.
Specifically, for night mode shots, both phones use similar exposure times ranging from 1 to 3 seconds depending on lighting conditions. The iPhone 14 Pro image below has a more accurate white balance overall and slightly better detail when you zoom in.
Action mode is the star of iPhone 14 Pro video recording
Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro shoot in 4K at up to 60 fps. The video image looks similar when filmed on the main rear camera. But the iPhone 14 Pro unlocks additional video tools like Action Mode. This is like having a gimbal attached to your phone to give smooth results when it moves, except you don’t need any additional hardware – it’s all done on the phone.
Action mode slightly crops your image and drops the resolution from 4K to 2.8K. But I think the results are incredibly impressive, especially when compared to the same video shot on the iPhone 13 Pro.
I chased my puppy, ran along the beach, and quickly tracked in front of a waterfall in the park in Action mode, and the results were remarkable. The iPhone 14 Pro’s video image looks like it’s filming with a stabilizer, smoothing out even jerky, jerky movements. The iPhone 13 Pro video looks a lot more awkward.
You can see some samples in the video below, but my comparison video showing these exact clips will be available soon. I will update this article next week so you can see for yourself.
The iPhone 14 Pro has big camera improvements, but the iPhone 13 Pro is still impressive
Apple’s latest iPhone has some significant advantages over last year’s iPhone 13 Pro when it comes to both photo and video capture. Importantly, you don’t need to consider yourself a serious or professional photographer to take advantage of this 48-megapixel sensor. But the iPhone 13 Pro is still at the top of its game in most other areas and still offers one of the best phone cameras you can get.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce radical changes like Dynamic Island, a new 48-megapixel camera system and Apple’s new A16 Bionic processor. All of these updates come together to make an experience that feels fresh and snappy compared to previous generations.
Read our Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
The iPhone 13 Pro is the best phone Apple makes and received a stellar rating in our review. The new smartphone adds a third rear camera with 3x optical zoom (up from 2x on the iPhone 12), a stainless steel body, and a ProMotion display with refresh rates of up to 120 Hz for scrolling softer
Read our iPhone 13 Pro review.
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