Apple iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7 Plus: A Comprehensive Smartphone Specs Comparison

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iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7

In September 2016, Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, marking the tenth generation of the iPhone. These devices brought several notable improvements over their predecessors, including enhanced cameras, water resistance, and the controversial removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. This review will delve into the specifications of both models, comparing their features and performance to help potential buyers make an informed decision.

Design and Build: Both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus feature a similar design language, continuing the aluminum unibody construction of their predecessors. However, they introduce some notable changes:

  1. Dimensions:
    • iPhone 7: 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm
    • iPhone 7 Plus: 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm
  2. Weight:
    • iPhone 7: 138 grams
    • iPhone 7 Plus: 188 grams
  3. Water and Dust Resistance: Both models feature IP67 certification, providing protection against water and dust ingress. This allows the devices to survive submersion in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.
  4. Colors: Available in five color options: Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Matte Black, and the new Jet Black finish.
  5. Home Button: The physical home button is replaced with a pressure-sensitive, solid-state button that uses Apple’s Taptic Engine to provide haptic feedback.

Display:

  1. Size and Resolution:
    • iPhone 7: 4.7-inch Retina HD display, 1334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi)
    • iPhone 7 Plus: 5.5-inch Retina HD display, 1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi)
  2. Technology: Both use IPS LCD technology with wide color gamut (P3) and 3D Touch.
  3. Brightness: Maximum brightness of 625 nits for both models.

Performance:

  1. Processor: Both models feature the Apple A10 Fusion chip, a 64-bit quad-core processor. This chip contains two high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores.
  2. RAM:
    • iPhone 7: 2GB RAM
    • iPhone 7 Plus: 3GB RAM
  3. Storage Options: Both available in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB configurations.

Camera: This is where the two models differ significantly:

  1. iPhone 7:
    • 12MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture
    • Optical image stabilization
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash
    • 7MP FaceTime HD camera with f/2.2 aperture
  2. iPhone 7 Plus:
    • Dual 12MP rear cameras:
      • Wide-angle: f/1.8 aperture
      • Telephoto: f/2.8 aperture
    • Optical image stabilization (wide-angle only)
    • Optical zoom at 2x, digital zoom up to 10x
    • Portrait mode with depth effect
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash
    • 7MP FaceTime HD camera with f/2.2 aperture

Battery:

  1. Capacity:
    • iPhone 7: 1960 mAh
    • iPhone 7 Plus: 2900 mAh
  2. Battery Life (as claimed by Apple):
    • iPhone 7: Up to 14 hours of talk time on 3G, 12 hours of internet use on 3G
    • iPhone 7 Plus: Up to 21 hours of talk time on 3G, 13 hours of internet use on 3G

Audio:

  1. Speakers: Both models feature stereo speakers, with one at the bottom and one in the earpiece.
  2. Headphone Jack: The 3.5mm headphone jack is removed. Audio output is through the Lightning port or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
  3. EarPods: Both come with Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.

Connectivity:

  1. Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
  2. Bluetooth: 4.2
  3. NFC: Present (for Apple Pay only)
  4. LTE Advanced: Up to 450 Mbps

Software: Both devices launched with iOS 10 and are upgradable to newer versions of iOS.

Price at Launch:

  1. iPhone 7:
    • 32GB: $649
    • 128GB: $749
    • 256GB: $849
  2. iPhone 7 Plus:
    • 32GB: $769
    • 128GB: $869
    • 256GB: $969

Key Differences:

  1. Size and Weight: The iPhone 7 Plus is significantly larger and heavier.
  2. Display: The Plus model offers a larger, higher-resolution display.
  3. Camera: The dual-camera system on the 7 Plus enables optical zoom and portrait mode.
  4. Battery: The 7 Plus has a larger battery capacity and longer battery life.
  5. RAM: The 7 Plus has 3GB of RAM compared to 2GB in the standard model.
  6. Price: The Plus model commands a $120 premium over the standard model.

Conclusion: The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus represent significant upgrades over their predecessors, offering improved performance, water resistance, and enhanced cameras. The choice between the two largely comes down to size preference and camera requirements. The iPhone 7 is more compact and easier to use one-handed, while the 7 Plus offers a larger display, better battery life, and a more versatile camera system.

The iPhone 7 Plus is particularly appealing to photography enthusiasts due to its dual-camera setup, which enables optical zoom and portrait mode. However, this comes at the cost of a larger form factor and higher price.

Both models faced criticism for the removal of the headphone jack, but this decision aligned with Apple’s vision for a wireless future and allowed for the implementation of water resistance.

Ultimately, both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were solid entries in Apple’s smartphone lineup, offering high-end performance and features that satisfied most users’ needs at the time of their release.