This year Apple introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 really does not have much to offer in terms of experience for users to upgrade from the iPhone 6S. The 7 Plus, however, packs a punch.
With the 256GB storage version of the iPhone 7 Plus priced at Rs 92,000, we put it to test and tell you whether it really gives you the bang for your buck or not.
Also Read | Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone7: Should You Buy This Android Phone For Rs 57K?What’s Cool?
Let’s address the elephant in the room first. The missing 3.5mm audio jack. Yes, it’s no longer there. But Apple is not ignorant of the fact that users still use them. They bundle the lightning to 3.5mm connector inside the box. All Apple wants from you is not to lose it. Moreover, it’s an evolutionary change, just like how Android phones will be getting you CDLA headphones in future. And the audio quality is way better on the lightning connector than a 3.5mm audio jack.
The iPhone 7 Plus comes in two new colours - the Real Black and the Jet black. If you wish to buy the new iPhone these are the only colours to go for. The bigger iPhone 7 Plus is lighter too at 188 grams, compared to the iPhone 6S Plus, which weighed 192 grams. Apple has tinkered around with the design of the iPhone 7 Plus too. It’s smooth and it no longer has a home button.
The new taptic engine used on the iPhone 7 Plus makes the home button feel unique. Many who are accustomed to the earlier home button would find the experience refreshing. Apple Macbook users will just love it. The new taptic engine will give you a PlayStation controller type gaming experience with vibrations and feedback that are quite intuitive.
Also Read | Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s: Who Should Buy What?
The new iPhones are water and dust-resistant as well and that’s just something that we in India definitely needs.
The iPhone 7 Plus is thin at just 6.9mm and packs in a large 5.5-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display with 1080 X 1920 resolution and 401ppi pixel density. It’s a similar display that you get on the 6S Plus. You get a wide colour gamut on the display and, of course, last year’s revolutionary 3D-Touch. The touchscreen is more responsive than what you got on the iPhone 6S Plus and it’s mainly because of many hardware and the iOS 10 factors in play.
The Touch ID for your fingerprints is also more responsive and fast thanks to iOS 10. The iPhone 7 Plus also comes with stereo speaker that offer loudness and clarity while watching videos on the device.
2016 can be regarded as the year of dual-camera smartphones and Apple also gave into it. Apple iPhone 7 Plus packs in a dual-camera system. There are two 12-megapixel cameras with f/1.8 and f/2.8 apertures. The camera also packs optical image stabilisation, phase detection autofocus, two times optical zoom and quad-LED flash.
The camera on the iPhone 7 Plus is able to capture more light, details and colours that result in amazing images even in low light. The colour on the images are natural and realistic, unlike many Android smartphones that give you saturated colours.
Upfront the iPhone 7 Plus has a 7-megapixel, f/2.2 camera, that has face detection and HDR mode. Apple has integrated body detection, wide colour capture and auto-image stabilization on the front camera now. The results are twice as good as what you got on the iPhone 6S Plus’ front camera.
The front-facing camera records in 1080p, while the rear can handle 4K videos.
Despite the redesign and being thinner than the iPhone 6S Plus, Apple iPhone 7 packs in a 2900mAh battery. The battery life is significantly improved and you will not find yourself looking for a charging cable by evening. The battery management on the iPhone 7 Plus is impressive and after a full charge, it does last for more than a day and a half. We used it extensively and by 8PM every day it still had more than 50% juice left in it.What’s Not So Cool?
It’s not all well with the iPhone 7 Plus, though. It is one of the most potent premium 5.5-inch smartphone in the market right now but, if you buy it in the jet black colour, make sure you put it in a cover. The back is shiny which makes it slippery and prone to fingerprint smudges. It’s also not scratch-proof.
Our advice to you would be to skip the Jet black colour on the iPhone 7 Plus and buy the matte finish Real Black one instead.
Also Read | Apple iPhone 7 Review: The Newest Flagship Is Just Fine, Even If It Doesn't WowCompetitors
Apple is not a company that believes in an ‘i’ for an ‘i’ approach. Many do compare iPhones to Android phones. The comparison here is not just on hardware but also on the user experience. Similar things and tasks can be done on both an iPhone and an Android device. What one spends for, is the seamless user experience and secured data.
The closest competitor to the iPhone 7 Plus could have been the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, but it was busy exploding in the year 2016. So, for people looking to buy a premium 5.5-inch smartphone, the iPhone 7 Plus is the only option for now.
And, we will be getting you a comparison between the iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL very soon.
Many years ago, Apple had an advertising campaign that said, ‘If you don’t have an iPhone, you DON’T have an iPhone’. This, in 2016, holds true for the iPhone 7 Plus. They have offered some features that are new and have also improved things that worked seamlessly in the first place. The iPhone 7 Plus is a worthy upgrade to the iPhone 6S Plus and probably the only phone that will give you a hassle-free user experience.
Starting at the price tag of Rs 72,000 for the 32GB storage version, the iPhone 7 Plus is not an affordable phone at all and many will say that you get an Android phone for less. But as the saying goes, good things never come cheap, and if you haven’t witnessed the experience on an iPhone 7 Plus, you haven’t really witnessed what a real smartphone is.iPhone 7 Plus Specifications:
Display: 5.5-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD
3D Touch Display
Home Button With New Taptic Engine
Processor: Apple A10 Fusion
CPU: 2.33 GHz Quad-core
GPU: Six-core Graphics
Operating System: Apple iOS 10
Storage: 32GB, 128GB and 256GB
Camera: Dual 12 MP
Camera Lens: 28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8
Camera Features: 2X Optical Zoom, Slow-motion, 2160p@30fps Video, quad-LED Flash
Front Camera: 7 MP, f/2.2
Audio: Stereo Speakers
Lacks a 3.5mm Audio Jack
Lightning to 3.5mm Connector Included
New Colours: Real Black and Jet Black
iPhone 7Plus Price: Rs 72,000 (32GB); Rs 82,000 (128GB); Rs 92,000 (256GB)
