iPhone 14 Plus vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: The Ultimate Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the clear winner for power users and photography enthusiasts, boasting a brighter display, superior camera system, and longer battery life. However, the iPhone 14 Plus offers excellent value with a large screen and solid performance for those seeking a more affordable option.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 14 Plus | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2886, A2888 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2886, A2888 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2887 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 07 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, October 07 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 203 g (7.16 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| NVMe | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red, Yellow | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | A2886, A2632, A2885, A2888, A2887, iphone14,8 | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | € 391.58 / $ 329.97 / £ 335.00 | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | 1.14 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 102h | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.7 LUFS (Very good) | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 797976 (v9) GeekBench: 4582 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 14 Plus
- Large, vibrant display
- Excellent battery life (102h)
- Powerful A15 Bionic chip
- More affordable than Pro Max
- Good camera system
- Lower peak brightness than Pro Max
- No telephoto lens
- No Dynamic Island
- A15 Bionic chip (older generation)
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Brighter display (1760 nits)
- Superior camera system (48MP, telephoto)
- Dynamic Island
- Longer battery life (121h)
- A16 Bionic chip (more efficient)
- Higher price
- Larger and heavier than Plus
- Can be difficult to handle with one hand for some
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max's display is a significant upgrade. Its peak brightness of 1760 nits (HDR) blows the iPhone 14 Plus's 797 nits out of the water, making it far more visible in direct sunlight. Both have excellent color accuracy and contrast (infinite nominal), but the Pro Max's brightness provides a noticeably better viewing experience. The Pro Max also features the Dynamic Island, a unique and interactive display element.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max's camera system is a major differentiator. It features a 48MP Main camera, enabling significantly more detail and improved low-light performance. It also boasts a telephoto lens for optical zoom, absent on the iPhone 14 Plus. Both phones record excellent video, but the Pro Max offers ProRes video recording for professional workflows. The Pro Max also has a superior ultrawide camera.
Performance
While both phones utilize the A15 Bionic chip, the Pro Max features a slightly enhanced version (A16 Bionic) with a more efficient 4nm process. This translates to marginally better performance and efficiency. In real-world usage, both phones are incredibly fast and responsive, handling demanding games and apps with ease. The Pro Max's improved thermal management also allows it to sustain peak performance for longer periods.
Battery Life
The iPhone 14 Pro Max takes the lead in battery life, boasting an endurance rating of 121 hours compared to the iPhone 14 Plus's 102 hours. This translates to noticeably longer usage between charges, especially for power users.
Buying Guide
The iPhone 14 Plus is ideal for users who prioritize a large screen and long battery life without breaking the bank. It's a great choice for media consumption and everyday tasks. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is best suited for demanding users who need the best possible camera, performance, and battery life, and are willing to pay a premium.