Technologies

iPhone 14 Pro vs. 13 Pro: The Cameras Differ in 4 Significant Ways

Here’s how the newer hardware and software affect real-world use.

This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.

Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro has several camera systems and performance improvements that have led to stellar reviews, including a 48-megapixel sensor and the company’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 do these new hardware and software features actually make a real-world difference?

To find out, I compared the cameras on both phones in a range of challenging situations around San Francisco. 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 in a deep dive about the specific improvements to the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera system, by my colleague Stephen Shankland. CNET’s Patrick Holland also has a great analysis of the iPhone 14 Pro’s photos and how the Photonic Engine helps boost photo quality in challenging lighting conditions.

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 difference to photo quality as the increase in megapixels. The 13 Pro uses a 12-megapixel sensor.

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.

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 difference. 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.

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.

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 effective 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.

I find the new 2x option on the iPhone 14 Pro helps with portrait mode. Instead of just offering 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.

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 difference 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.

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.

Action mode is the star of the iPhone 14 Pro’s video recording

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro shoot in 4K 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 4K to 2.8K. 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 below, or at the top of this page.

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 offers one of the best all-around phone cameras you can get.

Technologies

Tubi App Goes Live in ChatGPT to Give You TV and Movie Recommendations

Like the ultra-customized feel of a Tubi rec? The streamer aims to make it even more personalized.

Tubi, the free streaming platform known for its vast library of cult classics and indie movies, has added an app to ChatGPT. You can now use the chatbot to find content recommendations for TV shows and movies on Tubi, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

You may already have your own search strategy when using Tubi, but the addition of the native app within ChatGPT allows you to strike up a conversation and ask for uber-specific, personalized title suggestions. If you see a film or show that captures your interest, you have the option to click «Watch on Tubi» to stream it on a mobile device or the web. In the mood for scary movies about yetis? Use @Tubi for your prompt in the chatbot and request something like, «horror movies with aggressive yetis» and expect to see a selection of titles that fit your wish list.

«Streaming should feel effortless, and as chatbots and AI agents are becoming a common way people navigate the internet, Tubi is expanding its discovery experience to meet viewers in the moment they’re expressing intent in their own words,» Mike Bidgoli, Tubi’s chief of product and technology, said in a statement.

ChatGPT opened its app store this past December. It currently includes apps for Apple Music, Zillow, Spotify and Canva, offering the ability to connect your accounts to search, design or ask for recommendations. Back in 2023, Tubi created its own AI-powered tool called Rabbit AI for mobile users to help audiences find content to watch. The company later shuttered the feature, which used Open AI’s Chat GPT-4. With today’s launch, it’s the first video streaming service to add an app within ChatGPT.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Tomb Raider and More All April Long

Subscribers can also explore a Soulslike game that just got a big update.

PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month, the plans give subscribers access to games and rewards, and each month, all subscribers can play a handful of new games at no additional charge. And some people on Reddit are pretty excited for a few of the games Sony is offering subscribers throughout April.

One user wrote how they are «buzzing» for the remastered Tom Raider games, while another user is willing to replay the Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen. «April fools’ joke? Because they’re actually good,» a third user wrote.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can play these games now until May 4.

Lords of the Fallen

If you played Elden Ring and thought, «I wish this game had even more grimdark elements to it, like Bloodborne,» Lords of the Fallen might be for you. Choose one of nine classes to play as while you traverse the lands of the living and the dead in order to overthrow the demon god Adyr. You’ll fight all manner of monstrosities along the way, like a colossal humanoid with an arm protruding from its mouth or a giant carrion crow that wears a human skull.

HexWorks, the gaming studio behind Lords of the Fallen, also released a patch for the game on April 3. The patch is intended to make co-op sessions feel more rewarding for hosts and guests, so you and your friends should have even more fun in this game.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

Experience these classic Tomb Raider games from the 90s all over again — or for the first time — with the remastered trilogy. You’ll explore jungles, solve puzzles in the desert and tackle mercenaries and monsters along the way. While you can enjoy the boosted graphics of the remastered edition, you can also enable low-poly mode to experience these games as you would have almost 30 years ago.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream

A system called Galaxia has been added to Alfheim Online, allowing players to relive the past. But the system has spun out of control, displacing players throughout time. To set things right, you’ll have to work with friends and foes alike in this co-op raid battle game. But if you want to go solo, you can play story mode as characters from across space and time confront the anomaly in the VR world.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service. You can also check out other games on PlayStation Plus and games on Xbox Game Pass.

Technologies

Get Organized for Just $28 With This 6-in-1 Baseus Charging Station Deal

Ditch the cluttered cables and upgrade to this sleek USB power strip while it’s on sale for a record-low price.

For just $28, this six-in-one Baseus charging station can help you keep your desk organized. That’s 20% off and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this 120-watt USB power strip. We don’t expect this limited-time deal to last for long, however, so you’ll want to get your order in sooner rather than later.

You can use this charging station for just about all of your devices, including phones, tablets, headphones and laptops. It’s equipped with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, so you can charge up to six devices at once. It also boasts a 65-watt single-port output, enough to fully recharge a MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. And at just 323 grams, it’s light enough to take on the go, making it a great buy for frequent travelers.

Why this deal matters

This sleek Baseus charging station can connect to up to six devices at once, and is still small enough that you can take it on the go. Plus, this is the all-time lowest price we’ve seen, making it a pretty great value.