Abstract
- I virtually purchased an iPhone 16 Professional, however then I noticed my iPhone 14 Professional nonetheless greater than meets the mark.
- Its battery life is nice nonetheless, and the 6.1-inch OLED show with ProMotion remains to be beautiful even after two years of use.
- The A16 Bionic chip within the iPhone 14 Professional remains to be snappy. Its additionally lacks Apple Intelligence help, which could be seen as a profit.
A number of of my buddies not too long ago upgraded to the
iPhone 16 Pro
, and it acquired me interested by selecting one up, too. I had the iPhone 16 Professional sitting in my cart on Apple’s web site and was very near testing till I finished myself. Why? I nonetheless have an
iPhone 14 Pro
that appears nice and runs like a allure. I used to be foolish even to contemplate the iPhone 16 Professional within the first place.
Positive, the iPhone 16 Professional has an
Camera Control button
, and
USB-C
, all of which the iPhone 14 Professional does not characteristic. However is all that basically value $1,000 for a brand new cellphone? Upon reflection, no, not likely in any respect. I have been utilizing my iPhone 14 Professional because it launched in 2022, and it is undoubtedly the very best cellphone I’ve ever had, and one I am not able to let go of. Listed below are 5 causes the iPhone 14 Professional nonetheless holds up effectively in 2025, and why upgrading is not obligatory.

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5
Battery life is not a difficulty
I can simply get via a day
I assess smartphone batteries utilizing an easy take a look at. If I can get up at 7am, use my cellphone intermittently all through the day, and nonetheless have battery life left at 10pm, then I am a contented camper. My iPhone 14 Professional is sort of two years outdated and simply passes this take a look at with flying colours. I might be irritated if the battery could not final all day, however that has by no means occurred with my iPhone 14 Professional.
Once I examine my battery well being, it reveals that my iPhone 14 Professional has a most battery capability of 87 %, indicating that it has declined by 13 % since I bought it. Whereas it is disappointing to see it lower that a lot, I am actually nonetheless impressed by how effectively it performs regardless of that. For reference, the iPhone 14 Professional contains a 3,200mAh battery, which is smaller than the iPhone 16 Professional’s reported 3,582mAh battery. A failing battery is among the high causes I see individuals improve their telephones, however fortunately, that is not the case with my iPhone 14 Professional.
Moreover, in contrast to previous iPhones I’ve owned, I’ve by no means encountered any points with the Lightning port on this cellphone. With my iPhone 12 Professional, I wanted to improve it primarily as a result of the charging port was not connecting to cables correctly, even after extensively cleansing it. My iPhone 14 Professional’s Lightning port nonetheless works completely, which has been a aid.
1:44

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4
The show appears nice
It has a surprising 6.1-inch OLED display, with ProMotion help
Even after utilizing the iPhone 14 Professional day by day for 2 years, I am persistently impressed by its show. I’ve the common iPhone 14 Professional, not the Professional Max, so it contains a 6.1-inch OLED Tremendous Retina XDR show with a decision of 2556 x 1179 pixels. For watching YouTube movies, motion pictures, or TV reveals, this show continues to impress, and the HDR appears beautiful.
In distinction, the iPhone 16 Professional has a barely bigger 6.3-inch OLED Tremendous Retina XDR show with a 2662 x 1206 pixel decision. Despite the fact that it is the most recent iPhone, not a lot has modified display-wise, aside from the elevated measurement. I desire smaller handsets, so the iPhone 14 Professional’s show wins over the 16 Professional in my books.
I would be remiss if I did not additionally point out that the iPhone 14 Professional options ProMotion help, which supplies a buttery clean 120Hz adaptive refresh charge. The 16 Professional has the identical refresh charge, so there are not any beneficial properties to be made there both. Additionally, the iPhone 14 Professional has Dynamic Island, not a notch, so appearance-wise, there’s hardly any distinction from the most recent iPhones.

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3
Efficiency hits the mark
The A16 Bionic chip remains to be snappy
My iPhone 14 Professional has by no means stuttered or lagged throughout use, which is a testomony to Apple’s exceptional software program with iOS 18 (and former variations) and its custom-built silicon. The iPhone 14 Professional options an A16 Bionic chipset. Whereas it is not as highly effective because the A17 Professional chip discovered within the iPhone 15 Professional or the A18 Professional within the iPhone 16 Professional, it handles primary duties like searching the net, checking my e-mail, and doomscrolling social media with ease and nonetheless feels extraordinarily snappy.
I am not a lot of a cell gamer, so I can not actually touch upon the A16 Bionic’s gaming efficiency. If I performed extra cell video games, I is perhaps tempted to improve solely for the quicker chipset, however since I do not, it isn’t one thing I’ve ever thought of. As a testomony to the A16 Bionic chip’s energy, Apple even integrated it into the most recent entry-level
11th-generation iPad
, so it stays in use to at the present time.
For reference, my iPhone 14 Professional scored a 2,674 single-core rating and 6,828 multi-core rating on Geekbench 6’s CPU Benchmark.

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2
A digicam that also impresses
Pictures look sharp and detailed
The digicam is among the most talked-about options of any iPhone. In 2025, the iPhone 14 Professional’s digicam continues to be a powerful contender. All through my in depth travels with this cellphone during the last two years, I stay regularly impressed by the improbable photographs it has captured throughout my adventures. The iPhone 14 Professional boasts a f/1.8 48-megapixel primary digicam, a f/2.2 12-megapixel ultra-wide digicam, and a f/2.8 12-megapixel telephoto lens providing 3x optical zoom, all of which nonetheless maintain up excellently.
Whether or not I am engaged in macrophotography, taking portraits, capturing beautiful landscapes whereas on trip, or photographing know-how, the iPhone 14 Professional’s digicam persistently exceeds my expectations. Whereas the iPhone 16 Professional has interesting enhancements, akin to a brand new f/2.2 48-megapixel ultra-wide digicam that captures extra element than the 14 Professional’s 12-megapixel ultra-wide, it isn’t sufficient to persuade me to modify over. Nevertheless, the iPhone 17 Professional’s rumored
8K video capabilities
would possibly change my thoughts.

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1
No Apple Intelligence
Not lacking out on a lot
One of many main promoting factors that Apple highlights for the iPhone 16 collection is Apple Intelligence, its array of AI options. The iPhone 14 Professional doesn’t help Apple Intelligence, however actually, in 2025, this isn’t a big concern.
Presently, Apple Intelligence is underwhelming and lacks lots of the options that Apple showcased at WWDC 2024, akin to on-screen consciousness and Siri’s cross-app performance. Apple itself has acknowledged that it requires further time to refine these options,
postponing their release
to “the approaching 12 months.” At this level, Apple Intelligence isn’t a considerable promoting characteristic for the iPhone except you are significantly focused on AI writing instruments, and even Apple has scaled again its advertising and marketing efforts as a result of these delays.
If, like me, you are not invested in AI, the absence of Apple Intelligence within the iPhone 14 Professional can truly be seen as a bonus reasonably than an obstacle. In a 12 months or two, as Apple Intelligence evolves right into a extra sensible device, it’d persuade people like me, who nonetheless use older iPhones, to improve. Nevertheless, that point hasn’t arrived but. I’ve by no means discovered myself pondering, “I want I had Apple Intelligence proper now.” Even when I owned an iPhone 16 Professional right this moment, I might disable Apple Intelligence.

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