Bear in mind that this comparison has been written before we have fully tested and reviewed the new handsets. If our tests turn up any other differences between the phones, we’ll update this article. We’ll also add photo and video comparisons as soon as we can.
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: In brief
If you’re in a hurry, here are the main differences: While there are plenty of new features, most are shared across both models – we’ll come to these in a minute. 13 hours video playback 14 hours video playback
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: Price
Specifications are one thing, but another thing differentiating the two phones is of course price. Here’s how they stack up: Note that Jet Black is not available in 32GB capacities on either model. You can buy the new iPhones on Apple’s website.
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: New features
Both phones have several key new features compared to the iPhone 6S / iPhone 6S Plus:
Waterproof (1m for 30min)No headphone jack (Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor in box)Improved, brighter screen with wide colour gamutNew touch-sensitive home buttonLonger battery lifeNew cameras (see below)A10 Fusion processorBlack / Jet Black colour optionsNew 256GB storage capacity4G LTE up to 450Mb/sUpdated Taptic engine
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: Size and weight
Given that you’re probably familiar with the 4.7in and 5.5in iPhones – the same form factors which have been around since 2014 – there’s little point in going over well-trodden ground in terms of comparing their screens, resolutions, size and weight. Suffice to say that the new models are identical to their predecessors for size, and a few grams lighter each. Which is best for you? This writer prefers the larger screen of the 5.5in model, while others feel this is too big and won’t fit in their pocket. The smaller screen feels too small for me – a middle ground of around 5in would have been nice, but Apple’s range currently spans 4in ( iPhone SE) up to the iPhone 7 Plus. The 7 Plus is actually a little larger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which packs in a 5.7in Quad-HD display.
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: Cameras
One of the most interesting updates is the iPhone 7 Plus’s new dual-camera setup. It’s by no means the first phone to pack two 12Mp rear cameras – the LG G5 has a similar setup, and Huawei’s P9 has one colour and one monochrome sensor – but it does things a bit differently. Like the G5, one camera is wide-angle and the other telephoto. On the iPhone these work together in a couple of different ways. One is that they allow a 2x optical zoom, i.e. you use the wide-angle for normal photos, and the telephoto to ‘zoom in’ on the scene. The second way is the new Portrait mode, which is coming in an iOS update later this year. Here, the telephoto lens captures the subject in focus, while the other camera is used to produce an out-of-focus background: the bokeh you get with a DSLR. This is also a trick available on the Huawei P9, but as software is needed in both cases to figure out what is the subject and what is the background, it will be interesting to see how the iPhone’s system copes with tricky conditions. The lens of the wide-angle camera has a wider aperture than before: it’s now f/1.8, which is brighter than the f/2.2 lens on the iPhone 6S Plus. The telephoto camera has an f/2.8 aperture. On the iPhone 7, which also gets the updated 12Mp sensor and f/1.8 lens, Apple has added optical image stabilisation – something that has always been exclusive to the Plus models. This is used for video and gives a much smoother motion when panning or when walking along. Around the front, the new phones have upgraded 7Mp cameras with an aperture of f/2.2 (the same as on the iPhone 6S models. Both front and rear cameras now support “wide colour capture” for photos and live photos, but sadly not for video, so you won’t be enjoying the extra colours on your Ultra HD Premium TV. The screens on the new phones have a wider colour gamut, and Apple has said that the new sensors are calibrated to the screens, so colours should be more accurate than ever. We’ll have to wait until we can properly test the new phones before we know just how much better they are than their predecessors, and how they compare to the best smartphone cameras currently available.
iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus: Which should I buy?
With rumours of ‘radical’ changes in the iPhone 8 – the phone expected to launch next year, and the 10th anniversary iPhone – there’s some temptation to wait and see what 2017 brings, especially if you already have an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus and are in the middle of a two-year contract. Those upgrading from other phones, including the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, will likely be tempted by the new iPhones’ cameras, water resistance and even the new colour options. Performance gains should be significant, too, but the removal of the headphone jack could well put some off. Apple bundles an adaptor in the box so you can connect your favourite headphones, but it does mean you can’t use them and charge your phone at the same time unless you buy an extra accessory with both Lightning and 3.5mm ports – or use Bluetooth headphones. To answer the main question here – which of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is best – then as ever, it comes down to three main factors: price, size and cameras. If you don’t mind a large-screened, pocket-unfriendly phone that’s more expensive but which is also more capable in the camera department, then go for the iPhone 7 Plus. For those who can get along with the much smaller 4.7in screen, the iPhone 7 is considerably cheaper (when bought outright) yet has most of the benefits of its bigger brother. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
