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Tech  >  Mobile

iPhone 14 Pro Cameras

vs. 13 Pro: Yes, There Is
A Difference
Here's how the newer hardware and software
a2ect real-world use.

Lexy S'vvides
5 min read
Oct. 4, 2022 2:36 p.m. PT

CLICK TO UNMUTE

01:21 / 09:53
sensor. The 13 pros a 12 megapixel sensor.

This story is part of Foc$l Point iPhone

2022, CNET's collection of news, tips and
advice around Apple's most popular
product.

The iPhone 14 Pro has several camera system

improvements that have led to stellar reviews,
including a 48-megapixel sensor and Apple's new
image-processing technique called the Photonic
Engine. This immediately puts the iPhone 14 Pro
at an advantage over last year's iPhone 13 Pro
and 13 Pro Max, at least on paper. 

But how big of a di2erence do these new

hardware and software features actually make in
the real world? 

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I compared the cameras on both phones in a

range of challenging situations around San
Francisco to find out. All 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 find out more about the specific

improvements to the iPhone 14 Pro's camera
system in this deep dive by my colleague
Stephen Shankland. CNET's Patrick Holland also
has a great analysis into the iPhone 14 Pro's
photos and how the Photonic Engine helps boost
photo quality in challenging lighting conditions.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

The iPhone 14 Pro 48-megapixel

sensor captures more detail
On the hardware front, 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 larger than the older iPhone,
which makes just as much of a di2erence to
photo quality as the increase in megapixels. The
13 Pro uses a 12-megapixel sensor.

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Using a technique called pixel binning, the iPhone

14 Pro joins four pixels together into groups to
capture 12-megapixel photos with more detail.
You can also take a full 48-megapixel image if
you shoot in Apple's ProRaw format, and that
gives photographers more flexibility when it
comes to editing and recovering shadow and
highlight detail among many other advantages.

iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 14 Pro

JuxtaposeJS

In good lighting, the 12-megapixel shots from

both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro look
similar at reduced magnification, and it might not
be that easy to spot the di2erence. It's when you
push in a bit that the advantages of the 14 Pro's
new sensor and image processing become clear.

In the images below that I captured in San

Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the tree trunks are
more defined and sharper on the iPhone 14 Pro's
photo than those on the 13 Pro. Areas of fine
detail, like grass, also retain much more
resolution. You can click through to the full
resolution image from the iPhone 14 Pro and the
iPhone 13 Pro to compare more easily.

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iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 14 Pro

JuxtaposeJS

The iPhone 14 Pro's lens on the main rear camera

also has a wider field of view than the 13 Pro's:
24mm versus 26mm. This means you can get a
little more in your shot, which might be especially
helpful for landscape photography.

iPhone 13 Pro 26mm iPhone 14 Pro 24mm

JuxtaposeJS

The iPhone 14 Pro can take

photos at 2x zoom
The iPhone 14 Pro also has another trick up its
sleeve: The 48-megapixel sensor can also take
12-megapixel shots at an e2ective 2x optical
zoom. You'll see a new 2x option in the camera
interface. That crops the center of the higher-
resolution image to immediately give you more
flexibility with focal length, without needing a
fourth lens. The iPhone 13 Pro can also take
photos at 2x zoom, but it uses digital zoom and
doesn't have the same quality or level of detail as
this new technique.

iPhone 13 Pro 3x zoomiPhone 14 Pro 2x zoom

JuxtaposeJS

I find the new 2x option on the iPhone 14 Pro

helps with portrait mode. Instead of just o2ering
1x and 3x options like on the older phone, it can
also snap portrait mode photos at 2x. This results
in more natural-looking shots to my eye. I find it's
more flattering on facial features than the wide
look from 1x, or the zoomed-in perspective at 3x.

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iPhone 14 Pro vs. 13 Pro: Low-

light and night mode
The iPhone 14 Pro has a new image processing
pipeline to help improve medium to low-light
shots. Combined with the larger sensor, I can see
the di2erence compared to the iPhone 13 Pro in
all the photos I shot at dusk. In the photos below,
take a look at the detail captured on the tree
branches by the skyline. 

iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 14 Pro

JuxtaposeJS

The newer phone also has better noise reduction

in low light, without night mode engaged.
Dynamic range is improved in low light too,
capturing more shadow and highlight detail than
the older phone.

For night mode shots specifically, both the

phones use similar exposure times ranging from 1
to 3 seconds depending on the lighting
conditions. The iPhone 14 Pro's picture below has
more accurate white balance overall and slightly
better detail when you zoom in.

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iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 14 Pro

JuxtaposeJS

Action mode is the star of the

iPhone 14 Pro's video recording
Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro shoot
in `K at up to 60fps. The video image looks
similar when filming 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 moving, except you don't need any
additional hardware -- it's all done in-phone. 

Action mode crops in slightly to your image and

drops the resolution from `K to 2.cK. But I think
the results are incredibly impressive, especially
when compared to the same video shot on the
iPhone 13 Pro.

I chased after my puppy, jogged along the beach

and took a fast-moving tracking shot in front of a
waterfall in the park with Action mode, and the
results were remarkable. The iPhone 14 Pro's
video image looks like I was filming with a
stabilizer, smoothing out even sudden jerky
movements. The iPhone 13 Pro's video looks
much more shaky. You can see those action
mode examples in the video at the top of this
page, or in my colleague Patrick Holland's video
below.

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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 that 48-megapixel sensor. But the
iPhone 13 Pro is still at the top of its game in
most other areas, and still o2ers one of the best
all-around phone cameras you can get.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce
sweeping changes like the Dynamic Island, a
new 48-megapixel camera system and
Apple's new Aef Bionic processor. All of
these upgrades come together to make for
an experience that feels fresh and fast
compared to older generations. Read our
Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.
 

$999 )t Apple

Stephen Shankland/CNET

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 Pro is the best phone Apple
produces and it received a stellar score 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 screen with refresh
rates up to eijHz for smoother scrolling.
Read our iPhone 13 Pro review.
 

$999 )t Apple

$999 )t Am)zon

First published on Oct. 3, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. PT.

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