After much anticipation, the day finally arrived for the unveiling of the new iPhone 7. While the design of the new iPhone looks very similar to its predecessor, Apple has included some new features, including an upgraded processor, longer battery life and improved camera, which is likely to excite Apple fans.
We look at how the new iPhone 7 Plus stacks up against the Android phablet competition, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and the newly launched LG V20.
iPhone 7 Plus, vs. Samsung S7 edge, vs. LG V20: Tech specs
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7 edge
LG V20
Operating System
iOS10
Android 6.0 Marshmallow, TouchWiz UI
Android 7.0 Nougat
Display
5.5-inch, Retina HD display
5.5-inch, Quad HD Super AMOLED
Edge Screen
5.7 inch, Quad HD IPS LCD (main display)
Resolution
1,920 x 1,080 (401ppi)
2,560 x 1,440 (534ppi)
Main: 2,560 x 1,440 (513 ppi)
Secondary: 160 x 1,040 (513 ppi)
Processor(s)
Apple A10 chip (64-bit)
Up to 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 820 Qualcomm Kryo CPU, 64-bit, X12 LTE, Adreno 530 GPU
OR
Exynos 8890 Octa-Core, Mali-T880 MP12 GPU (outside U.S.)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
RAM
TBC
4GB
4GB
Storage
32, 128, 256GB
32, 64GB (UFS 2.0)
64GB
microsSD
No
Yes, up to 200GB
Yes, up to 2TB
Cameras
Rear: Dual-camera 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.8 and f/2.8
Front: 7MP, f/2.2
Rear: 12MP, Smart OIS
Front: 5MP dual video call, Auto HDR
Rear: Dual cameras, 16MP f/1.8 and 8MP f/2.4
Front: 5MP, f/1.9
Dimensions & weight
158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm, 188g
150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g
159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm, weight unknown
Battery
Size not available, but up to 21 hours talk time, 16 hours standby, 13 hours LTE
3,600mAh, non-removable, Fast Charging both on wired and wireless
3,200mAh, removable
Connectivity
Wi-Fi: Dual band, 802.11ac
Bluetooth: v4.2
Wi-Fi: Dual band, 802.11ac
Bluetooth: v4.2
Wi-Fi: Dual band, 802.11ac
Bluetooth: v4.2
NFC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fingerprint sensor
Yes, built into the new Home button
Yes
Yes
Water resistance
Yes
Yes
No
Availability & Price
Pre-orders start September 9, from $769
From $780
TBD
Design
Apple has included two black color options into its color lineup for the iPhone 7. The shiny Jet Black option is beautiful, but according to Apple, it will be more prone to scratches so customers should use a protective case.
The rumor that was spoken about the most in the lead up to the iPhone 7 was the removal of the headphone jack and it is one of the rumors that proved correct. Both iPhone models lose the headphone jack. The included EarPods will now use the Lightning adaptor while Apple also includes a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter so you can continue to use your old headphones.
Alternatively, if you prefer you can fork out $159 for the company’s new wireless earbuds called AirPods. The AirPods include noise cancellation and a wireless chip that knows when you are using them and connects automatically.
Under the hood
Both the LG V20 and the Galaxy S7 edge offers the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM, a standard for most phablets these days.
The iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, offers Apple’s updated A10 processor, which according to Apple is the most powerful chip in a smartphone, but we will have to wait and see how it performs in the real world. Details weren’t released regarding the iPhone 7 Plus’ RAM, but Forbes is reporting that it is sticking with the same 2GB found in the iPhone 6s Plus, despite the rumors that it would see an upgrade to 3GB.
Camera
The one thing that Apple did change on the iPhone 7 Plus, compared to the iPhone 6s Plus is the camera. The iPhone 7 Plus has a 12MP dual camera on the rear of the device with a wide angle and telephoto lens. The wide-angle camera offers an aperture of f/1.8 while the telephoto camera offers an aperture of f/2.8. The iPhone 7 Plus camera offers 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom.
The LG V20 also offers a dual camera, but unlike the iPhone 7 Plus which has the same 12MP for both cameras, the LG V20 offers a 16MP normal camera and an 8MP wide-angle camera with a 135-degree lens.
Battery
The iPhone 7 Plus has received a boost in battery life and now offers an extra hour in battery life compared to its predecessor, according to Apple. Based on the numbers released by the company you will get up to 21 hours talk time, 16 hours standby, or 13 hours LTE. The battery size was not released.
Price and availability
The iPhone 7 Plus is available for preorder tomorrow, Friday, September 9 and will be available in store a week later on September 16.
When it comes to the cost of the iPhone 7 Plus, you will pay $769 for the 32GB model, $869 for the 128GB model and $969 for the 256GB version. The starting price is just slightly cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge while the price for the LG V20 is yet to be announced.
Images via Apple