The iPhone 14 had a major design overhaul, we just couldn’t see it

If you’re weighing up buying a standard iPhone 14 versus a previous generation iPhone 13 Pro model, Apple is here to tell you that the Pro suffix isn’t enough to supplant the power of its new device.

In an interview, Apple said that the iPhone 14 offers better overall performance than the iPhone 13 Pro, despite both models featuring the same A15 Bionic processor.

Apple says the iPhone 14 supports performance better than previous generation Pro models thanks to a new internal design. Essentially, due to the new “central aluminum” bus structure, this A15 chip is no longer hampered by the need for throttling.

“Standard 14s have better sustained performance than last year’s Pros, despite using the same chip, thanks to some internal shuffling,” iPhone design chief Richard Dean said in an interview with the publication. Sydney Morning Herald (by using 9to5Mac).

For the iPhone 14, the design has changed drastically and now includes a central aluminum structure that acts as a base. This central structural plane helps dissipate more heat more evenly across the entire surface.”

Given that many have lamented the lack of more prominent design elements on the outside of the device, it’s rather ironic that the internal tweaking has resulted in a significant improvement in performance.

Dean continued, “While the iPhone 14 may look almost identical to the iPhone 13 on the outside, it has actually gone through a significant design change, with benefits that you may not immediately realize when comparing it to the old model. These include weight savings, cheaper and easier maintainability, and longer battery life.

“We were able to ship a larger main camera than last year’s Pros with a larger sensor, better low-light performance, and a brand new rear ambient light sensor.

“This design also represents our first four-sided main logic board. [which] really compresses all of the iPhone 14 components into a smaller space and allows us to access the board from either side, which improves maintainability.”