iPhone 14 vs iPhone 12: A Comprehensive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 14 offers a slight edge with its marginally better battery life and the A15 Bionic chip, providing a small performance boost. However, the iPhone 12 remains a compelling option, especially considering its often lower price point. For most users, the iPhone 12 provides excellent value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 14 | Apple iPhone 12 |
| 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 - A2882, A2884 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2172 |
| 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 - A2882, A2884 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2172 |
| 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 - A2883 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, September 07 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 16 | Available. Released 2020, October 23 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 in) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 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· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 172 g (6.07 oz) | 164 g (5.78 oz) |
| 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 | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| 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) | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| 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) | - |
| 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, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), 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/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm 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 | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, 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) | - | |
| 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 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 3279 mAh (12.68 Wh) | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red, Yellow | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
| Models | A2882, A2649, A2881, A2884, A2883, iphone14,7 | A2403, A2172, A2402, A2404, iPhone13,2 |
| Price | € 344.00 / $ 277.58 / £ 300.00 / ₹ 64,900 | $ 190.00 / C$ 307.99 / £ 190.00 / € 219.00 / ₹ 54,900 |
| SAR | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.16 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 90h | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 817125 (v9) GeekBench: 4761 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 568674 (v8) GeekBench: 4067 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 14
- Slightly better battery life
- A15 Bionic chip (minor performance boost)
- Improved low-light camera performance
- Latest iOS features
- Higher price
- Incremental upgrades over iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12
- Excellent value for money
- Great camera system
- Solid performance with A14 Bionic
- Premium iPhone experience
- Slightly shorter battery life
- Older chip compared to iPhone 14
Display Comparison
Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 12 feature excellent OLED displays with a nominal infinite contrast ratio. The iPhone 14 boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 804 nits (measured) compared to the iPhone 12, offering better visibility in direct sunlight. However, the difference is subtle and unlikely to be a deciding factor for most users. Both offer vibrant colors and sharp details.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent camera systems capable of capturing stunning photos and videos. The iPhone 14 has a slightly larger sensor and improved image processing, resulting in marginally better low-light performance. Cinematic mode is available on both, but the iPhone 14 has improved stabilization. Video recording is excellent on both, with both supporting 4K at 60fps.
Performance
The iPhone 14 utilizes the A15 Bionic chip, a slightly enhanced version of the chip found in the iPhone 13. While the iPhone 12's A14 Bionic is still incredibly capable, the A15 offers a small performance boost, particularly in graphics-intensive tasks. Day-to-day usage will feel very similar on both devices.
Battery Life
The iPhone 14 has a slight advantage in battery life, with an endurance rating of 90 hours compared to the iPhone 12's 84 hours. While not a massive difference, it could be noticeable for heavy users. Both phones support 15W wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2) and offer PD2.0 wired charging for a 50% charge in 30 minutes.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the iPhone 14? Users seeking slightly improved battery life and a bit more processing power, and those who want the latest iOS features. Who should buy the iPhone 12? Budget-conscious buyers who still want a premium iPhone experience with a great camera and solid performance.