
The best used iPhones to buy in 2023
Updated Jan 24, 2023 - Which used iPhone is the best value for your money? Here’s how to choose the best iPhone for your needs and lifestyle.
Updated Sep 9, 2022 - Apple announced the newest smartphone in their lineup: the iPhone 14. Read our breakdown of all the camera specs and newly introduced features on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models.
iPhone 14 is finally out, and the iPhone is definitely not for you if you plan to take low-quality pictures or videos. The 2022 Apple Keynote special event, nicknamed "Far Out," revealed that the iPhone 14 has unique new upgrades to improve the user experience. The camera is obviously the first feature you want to know about, right? Well, get ready for an intergalactic trip because here is a closer look at the iPhone 14 camera.
If you’re already an iPhone user, you know that iPhone cameras capture high quality pictures and videos. According to Apple, an astounding 3 trillion photographs were taken using iPhone mobile devices in just the last year.
So, how many cameras does the iPhone 14 have? In the iPhone 14 launch event, Apple unveiled that the new mobile models will have a similar camera design to the iPhone 13: two cameras for the iPhone 14 & iPhone 14 Plus (main wide-angle and ultra-wide angle) and three cameras on the iPhone 14 Pro & Pro Max (additional 3x telephoto camera). Although the design has remained basically the same, there are a few new features that stand out.
Bigger is always better, but not in this case. For the iPhone 14, the front-facing camera sits on a smaller space, making room for a new feature called the dynamic island on the Pro models. This feature displays system notifications and any additional personalized information you choose.
The iPhone 14 front-facing camera has the following features:
How many megapixels does the iPhone 14 camera have? The standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have a dual 12MP camera system, which is the same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.
However, iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max now boast a 48MP main camera, and:
The most notable change for video on the iPhone 14 is the addition of Action Mode, which allows for greater stability while filming in… well, action. This might actually be more useful for most people than the Cinematic Mode, especially for capturing content for YouTube or TikTok.
Here's a video that shows how footage looks with the new Action Mode vs without it:
Here’s the full list of video specs for iPhone 14:
The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts an impressive screen size of 6.7 inches.
Here are the camera specs for these models:
The iPhone 14 has the largest iPhone sensor, the quad-pixel sensor (65% larger than iPhone 13's). The quad-pixel sensor groups four pixels into a singular, large quad-pixel providing more light capture to pictures while quadrupling the effectiveness of every other pixel-related feature.
While the new iPhone 14 offers some slight improvements in the camera specs, there are a few other new features and upgrades worth noting. First, the iPhone 14's new quad-pixel sensor enables the ProRaw feature. It gives photographers more control over brightness, saturation, and white balance. On the 14 Pro models, you can shoot with ProRaw at a 48MP resolution and zoom without losing quality.
Apple also introduced the new Action Mode mentioned above for videos, which reduces sporadic movement and allows you to take smoother action videos with impressive stability. Cinematic Mode is also carried over to the iPhone 14 from earlier releases to take your videography skills to a new level. iPhone 14 Pro models use 4K resolution for videos at 30 fps and 24 fps.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 have seen significant camera improvements in their hardware and software. A fundamental similarity between the cameras is that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have the same pro camera system as their immediate predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro, and Pro Max. This year, the iPhone mini was scrapped and replaced with the iPhone plus model.
As we have outlined above, the main changes to the latest iPhone's camera are more noticeable in the iPhone 14 Pro models. The main camera now uses a 48MP resolution, greatly improving from iPhone 13's 12MP main camera.
But we all know by now that you cannot and should not measure an iPhone's camera capabilities using the megapixels alone. iPhone 13 still has one of the top cameras on the smartphone market and we don’t see any major upgrades to the iPhone 14 camera that will make a difference to the average user.
Camera Features | iPhone 14 | iPhone 13 |
Front Camera |
|
|
---|---|---|
Rear Camera | 12MP main, 12MP ultra wide | 12MP main, 12 MP ultra wide |
Number of cameras | three-lens camera system | three-lens camera system |
Zooming | 2x optical zoom out, 5x digital zoom and 2x Telephoto mode | 3x optical zoom in, up from 2.5x |
So, is it really worth it to purchase the new iPhone 14 just because of its camera? Although the iPhone 14 comes with some fun new features like Action Mode, most of the camera specs have remained the same from the iPhone 13 models.
Most users probably won’t experience any significant changes in how they use their camera on a daily basis between the iPhone 14 and older models. Upgrading for the camera alone is really only worth it if you’re super serious about photography or want to use your iPhone for content creation.
When it’s time to upgrade your phone, consider shopping for a used and refurbished device. You’ll save a ton of money compared to buying new and help cut down on the growing e-waste problem our planet is facing. A win-win, if you ask us ;)
At Back Market, lower-priced refurbished iPhones (and all of our other devices for that matter) have been renewed to an unmatched high standard of quality. We proudly back every purchase with a 12-month warranty and 30 days to change your mind and get your money back if you aren’t happy with your device.
We’ll also help take old tech off your hands—and pay you for it! Get cash for your old phone when you sell or trade in a device with BuyBack so that upgrade won’t sting quite as much.
Our mission is to make renewed tech mainstream. Turning old into "new new", so to speak.
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