Difference between iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Key Difference: The main difference between iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is that the iPhone 7 Plus has a bigger screen, better resolution, a dual camera and a larger battery life.

Apple is known for its line of smartphone called the iPhones. The series has now reached its 7 reiteration with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The phones replaced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as the company’s latest flagship phones. The phones officially launched on September 23, 2016 in most countries and some days later in others.

There has been much chatter saying that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are not that different at all from the previously launched iPhone 6s. Instead, many have even called the phones basically the same phone with certain tweaks. While that is true to some extent, and the phones are quite similar to the previous generation, it does not mean that there are no new developments. In fact, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus offer some significant differences as compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The newer generation models of the phone, i.e. 7 and 7 Plus feature the company’s new quad-core A10 Fusion processor, which is reportedly up to 40% faster than the A9 chipset. The newer phone also gets a faster GPU, which is said to be 50% faster than the previous reiteration. They also do not come in the 16 GB variation anymore, instead are only available in 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB variants. They also come in two new colors that replace the Space Grey: Black and Jet Black.

The main improvement over the previous generations of iPhones is the fact that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are waterproof, which means that the device will survive water spilling over it, or the phone itself falling into a puddle. A fall like this would have been an issue previously, not only because of the water, but because of the impact of the fall, which would have mostly left the device with a cracked screen. However, this should be less of a danger now because the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus now come with the newly launched, extra tough Gorilla Glass 5. So users can now stop living in dread of a life with a cracked iPhone screen.

Another important thing to be noted is the fact that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus no longer includes a 3.5mm jack for headphones. Instead the phone ships with headphones that use the lightening port, as well as with a 3.5mm to lightening adapter that can be utilized to use traditional headphones. The company has also launch wireless earphones called AirPods that can also be used with the phone. Another speaker replaces the space where the jack used to me, making these phones the first iPhones to offer stereo sound.  

These previously mentioned things are common for both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. So what are the differences between the two? Firstly, the iPhone7 Plus is bigger and heavier than the iPhone 7. It has a 5.5 inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution which results in a density of 401 ppi (pixels per inch). In comparison, the iPhone 7 has a 4.7 inch display with a 1334 x 750 resolution at a 326 ppi density.

Another significant difference between the two is the camera. While both the phones have a 12MP camera with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, the iPhone 7 Plus has another camera on board. This means that the iPhone 7 Plus has a total of 3 cameras, as compared to the two on the 7. The 7 Plus features a dual camera set up: one with a wide-angle lens with a ƒ/1.8 aperture and the other a telephoto camera with a ƒ/2.8 aperture. The benefit of this is better images and an optical zoom at 2x and a digital zoom up to 10x; whereas the iPhone 7 only offers a digital zoom up to 5x. The front facing Facetime camera is the same on the two.

Also the iPhone 7 Plus has a larger battery, a 2900 mAh Li-Ion battery as compared to the 1960 mAh in the iPhone 7. This will definitely come in handy to power the larger screen and the more powerful camera.

Comparison between iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:

 

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Plus

Launch Date

September 2016

September 2016

Company

Apple Corporation

Apple Corporation

Size

138.3 mm (5.44 inches) x

67.1 mm (2.64 inches) x

7.1 mm (0.28 inches)

6.23 inches (158.2 mm) x

3.07 inches (77.9 mm) x

0.29 inch (7.3 mm)

Display

4.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen

Dual-domain pixels for wide viewing angles

5.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen

Dual-domain pixels for wide viewing angles

Screen

1334x750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi

1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi

Protection

Gorilla Glass 5, oleophobic coating

Gorilla Glass 5, oleophobic coating

Weight

138 grams (4.87 ounces)

188 grams (6.63 ounces)

2G Network

GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - A1660, A1778

CDMA 800 / 1900 / 2100 - A1660

GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - A1661, A1784

CDMA 800 / 1900 / 2100 - A1661

3G Network

HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - A1660, A1778

CDMA2000 1xEV-DO & TD-SCDMA - A1660

HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - A1661, A1784

CDMA2000 1xEV-DO & TD-SCDMA - A1661

4G Network

LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 27(800), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) - A1660, A1778

 

LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 27(800), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) - A1661, A1784

GUI

iUI

iUI

CPU speed

Quad-core

Quad-core 2.23 GHz

GPU

Six-core graphics

Six-core graphics

OS

iOS 10.0.1, upgradable to iOS 10.0.2

iOS 10.0.1, upgradable to iOS 10.0.2

Chipset

A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture

Embedded M10 motion coprocessor

A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture

Embedded M10 motion coprocessor

RAM

2 GB RAM

2 GB RAM

SIM Size

Nano-SIM

Nano-SIM

Internal Memory

32/128/256 GB

32/128/256 GB

Expandable Memory

No

No

Sensors

  • Touch ID fingerprint sensor
  • Barometer
  • Three-axis gyro
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Touch ID fingerprint sensor
  • Barometer
  • Three-axis gyro
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor

Connectivity

GPRS, EDGE, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth v4.2, USB v2.0

GPRS, EDGE, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth v4.2, USB v2.0

Data

GPRS, EDGE, WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, USB, NFC (Apple Pay only)

GPRS, EDGE, WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, USB, NFC (Apple Pay only)

Speed

HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat9 450/50 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps

HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat9 450/50 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps

WLAN

802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO

802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO

Bluetooth

v4.2, A2DP, LE

v4.2, A2DP, LE

USB

USB v2.0, reversible connector

USB v2.0, reversible connector

Primary Camera

12-megapixel camera, ƒ/1.8 aperture, Digital zoom up to 5x, Six‑element lens

Quad-LED True, Tone flash, Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)

12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture, Telephoto: ƒ/2.8 aperture, Optical zoom at 2x; digital zoom up to 10x

Quad-LED True, Tone flash, Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)

Secondary Camera

7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face and body detection, HDR, Backside illumination sensor, Exposure control, Burst mode, Timer mode, Retina Flash, Auto image stabilisation

7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face and body detection, HDR, Backside illumination sensor, Exposure control, Burst mode, Timer mode, Retina Flash, Auto image stabilisation

Video

  • 4K video recording at 30 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps
  • 4K video recording at 30 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps

Camera Features

  • Optical image stabilisation
  • Six element lens
  • Quad-LED True Tone flash
  • Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Backside illumination sensor
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • Autofocus with Focus Pixels
  • Tap to focus with Focus Pixels
  • Live Photos with stabilisation
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
  • Improved local tone mapping
  • Body and face detection
  • Exposure control
  • Noise reduction
  • Auto HDR for photos
  • Auto image stabilisation
  • Burst mode
  • Timer mode
  • Photo geotagging
  • Optical image stabilisation
  • Six element lens
  • Quad-LED True Tone flash
  • Panorama (up to 63 megapixels)
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Backside illumination sensor
  • Hybrid IR filter
  • Autofocus with Focus Pixels
  • Tap to focus with Focus Pixels
  • Live Photos with stabilisation
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
  • Improved local tone mapping
  • Body and face detection
  • Exposure control
  • Noise reduction
  • Auto HDR for photos
  • Auto image stabilisation
  • Burst mode
  • Timer mode
  • Photo geotagging

Sound Enhancement

Noise reduction

User-configurable maximum volume limit

No 3.5mm jack

Noise reduction

User-configurable maximum volume limit

No 3.5mm jack

Audio supported formats

AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV

AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

Video supported formats

H.264 video up to 4K, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.2 with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG‑4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640x480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M‑JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280x720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

H.264 video up to 4K, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.2 with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG‑4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M‑JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Battery Capacity

Non-removable Li-Ion 1960 mAh battery (7.45 Wh)

Non-removable Li-Ion 2900 mAh battery (11.1 Wh)

Stand-by

Up to 10 days

Up to 16 days

Talk time

Up to 14 hours on 3G

Up to 21 hours on 3G

Internet use

Up to 12 hours on 3G

Up to 12 hours on LTE

Up to 14 hours on Wi-Fi

Up to 13 hours on 3G

Up to 13 hours on LTE

Up to 15 hours on Wi-Fi

Video playback

Wireless: Up to 13 hours

Wireless: Up to 14 hours

Audio playback

Wireless: Up to 40 hours

Wireless: Up to 60 hours

Available Colors

Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, Jet Black

Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, Jet Black

Messaging

iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email

iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email

Browser

HTML5 (Safari)

HTML5 (Safari)

Radio

No

No

GPS

Assisted GPS and GLONASS

Assisted GPS and GLONASS

Java

No

No

Additional Features

  • Splash, Water and Dust Resistant Rated IP67 under IEC standard 60529
  • Siri natural language commands and dictation
  • iCloud cloud service
  • MP3/WAV/AAX+/AIFF/Apple Lossless player
  • MP4/H.264 player
  • Audio/video/photo editor
  • Document editor
  • Splash, Water and Dust Resistant Rated IP67 under IEC standard 60529
  • Siri natural language commands and dictation
  • iCloud cloud service
  • MP3/WAV/AAX+/AIFF/Apple Lossless player
  • MP4/H.264 player
  • Audio/video/photo editor
  • Document editor
Reference: GSMArena, Apple, Digital Trends, Pocket-Lint, Forbes
Image Courtesy: Apple.com

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