Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Considering purchase an iPhone 7 ? Three geezerhood after launch it ’s Apple ’s chinchy iPhone , and if you want a small iPhone with a Home button you have only the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 to choose from . But is the iPhone 7 still a ripe steal ? It ’s still a great phone – but we ’d belike look to the iPhone 8 as a better option .
Apple announce the iPhone 7 on 7 September 2016 , alongside the largeriPhone 7 Plus . It ’s now mother on for three twelvemonth quondam but , for now , Apple is still selling it . The iPhone 7 handset might now be old , but it still features outstanding photographic camera , speedy CPU , two colour option and water resistivity . Should you buy one ?
If you ’re debating whether or not to bribe an iPhone 7 , our review is here to help . We test and order the iPhone 7 ’s design and ramp up quality , features , tech specs , speeding , camera capabilities and value for money . And we ’d care to give a extra mention toMobile Funfor lending us the iPhone 7 we used to write this recapitulation .
wonder how the iPhone 7 compares to Apple ’s newer handsets ? We reckon at theiPhone 7 versus the iPhone XS here . And theiPhone 7 vs iPhone XR here .
iPhone history
This iPhone has been replace with a novel model . Find data link below to our review of all iPhone models , including the latest generation.iPhone 16is expected to found in September 2024 ( seewhen is the in force metre to purchase a new iPhone ) , whileiPhone SE ( 4th generation)andiPhone 17are likely to appear in 2025 . Find out aboutApple ’s September issue detailsandhow to watch the Apple September result live stream ; or for other Apple products , learn more about all thenew Apple products coming this yearandwhen is the next Apple issue . You might also wish ouriPhone purchasing guide , in force iPhone dealsandcomparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today .
UK price
When Apple premise theiPhone XS , XS MaxandXRin September 2018 , the company discontinued the iPhone six and iPhone SE leave alone the iPhone 7 as the cheapest iPhone . ( We ’ve rounded up thebest iPhone 7 plenty here )
you may now get an iPhone 7 for just£449/$449if you ’re well-chosen with 32 GB or£549/$549if 128 GB is more suitable . you could buy it via theApple Storeandcarriers .
Just stick out in mind that the handset is now almost three year old so the iPhone 8 , now at £ 599/$599 might be a better selection if you ’re on a budget .
That said , the iPhone 7 ’s days may be numbered . It ’s very likely that in September 2019 when Apple updates the iPhone range the iPhone 7 will be discontinued . So this may be your last chance to corrupt one . Then again , it may be deserving waiting until Septmber 2019 to see if the iPhone 8 or iPhone XR see a monetary value drop cloth …
Design & build quality
While late Apple releases , and the usual ‘ tick - tock ’ figure of iPhone updates , led us to ask the iPhone 7 would be a completely redesign iPhone , in fact it feature essentially the same design of the iPhone 6 and 6s . That ’s a design introduce back in 2014 , so it ’s looking pretty date now . If you are looking for something New attend this probably wo n’t be it .
That said , the iPhone 7 looks gorgeous , there ’s no doubt about that , boast an aluminum unibody with curving edges and 2.5D chicken feed – which is a fancy terminal figure thatrefers to the curved sharpness of the glassthat helps make the phone sit in your deal much more comfortably , while also providing a nice experience when pinch from the side of the display .
It is n’t just stock Al , like the fabric used by its competitors , either – the iPhone 7 features 7000 Series aluminium , make the iPhone more lasting without adding much system of weights and hold the twist more of a premium smell .
The iPhone 7 is , physically , the same size and shape as its predecessors , the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 , measure out in at 128.3 mm x 67.1 mm x 7.1 mm , but with a few notable differences .
The rear - facing photographic camera and TrueTone flash are adult , and the bird of Jove - eyed among you will spot that the antenna lines are gone from the back of the iPhone . Well , not gone , but repositioned to the top and bottom of the smartphone to make them less noticeable and provide a sportsmanlike face .
Read next : iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s|iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus|iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7
While the iPhone 7 is standardised to the iPhone 6s in many ways , exercising weight is n’t one of them . It is n’t heavier , despite the large battery and extra tech ; in fact , it ’s really 5 g lighter than its herald , weighing in at 138 g. While 5 GB does n’t voice like a destiny , we were surprised at just how noticeable the weight remainder was in the deal when comparing the two smartphones , with the iPhone 7 feeling wakeful and more comfortable to hold than the iPhone 6s .
Colour options
There are four semblance finishes to choose from : Black , Silver , Gold or Rose Gold . This is the only iPhone French telephone that descend in Rose Gold .
We quite like the black interpretation . Thanks to the black show and contraband body , there ’s no visible border between display and body , providing an almost completely uniform look that definitely work in Apple ’s favour . We ’ve shown the black iPhone 7 to a phone number of people over the course of a week or so , all gloss that it expect unlike to any other iPhone – in a effective way . It ’s great if you are take in a film on your iPhone , for example , because the black edge does n’t take away from the ikon as can be the eccentric with the white edged iPhones .
Left to right : iPhone 7 & 7 Plus models in Rose Gold , gold , silver , disastrous , Jet Black
At launch there was a Jet Black version , which has a high - gloss close that Apple used in most of its promotional material . While the Jet contraband modelling looks smashing in pic , we were worried about smudges and scratch with that poser . In fact , even Apple even propose those worried about imperfections habituate a case with the Jet Black model . On its iPhone 7 page , Apple wrote : “ Its surface is every bit as voiceless as other anodized Apple products ; however , its high refulgence may show fine micro - scratch with usance . ”
As you’re able to see in the below tweet , it could go from gorgeous , high - remnant equipment to “ ew ” in a topic of minutes :
So you think a jet dim iPhone was a good idea.pic.twitter.com/L3j7iqlu5I — Vlad Savov ( @vladsavov)September 19 , 2016
It ’s believably no surprise that Apple no longer sells that colour option – but you might still find one 2nd - hand , so it ’s worth knowing about .
Camera
As mention , the size of it of the television camera on the butt of the iPhone 7 increase in compare to earler models , and although it still protrudes from the back of the speech sound , it bulges out less than on previous models because Apple removed the aluminum doughnut around the camera .
This is one more element bestow to the uninfected feel that Apple was chamfer with the iPhone 7 , and although it initially take some acquiring used to , we love the look of the unexampled camera . The benefit of the technical school inside speaks for itself , although we ’ll come to that in more detail below .
However , it ’s worth noting that while the improved camera was welcomed by many , the new shape of the tv camera meant that iPhone 6 and 6s cases do n’t fit the iPhone 7 , despite having otherwise identical dimension to its predecessors .
Water-resistance
The iPhone 7 was also Apple ’s first water immune phone . Apple waterproof single connective within the iPhone rather than adorning it with ugly prophylactic fire hydrant , and is formally splash- , dust- and water - resistant , at IP67 .
That means you could dim it in piddle up to one metre mystifying for up to 30 minutes , and the smartphone should survive . If for whatever reason it suffers water price , however , it ’s deserving nothing that this is n’t covered by Apple ’s warrant and you ’ll have to fork out for a replacement / repairs yourself . For more , seeHow to dry out a wet iPhone .
We ’ve used the iPhone 7 in a telephone number of wet situations , such as in the rain and respond a call in the shower , as well as outright submerging it , and it has performed quite well with no lasting problems or damage .
It is worth noting , however , that the predisposition of the showing is affected when submerged or covered in large water supply droplets , which make the phone hard to operate when wet .
Goodbye, headphone jack
One of the big talk pointedness of the iPhone 7 when it launched was the lack of a headphone labourer . You ’ve get several options , though : you could plug away your traditional ( 3.5 mm ) headphones into the Lightning doodly-squat using the Lightning - to-3.5 mm adapter in the box ; use the new Lightning EarPods that come with the iPhone 7 ; grease one’s palms yourself a pair ofLightning headphonesorwireless phone , such as Apple ’s own wirelessAirPods .
The headphone manual laborer adaptor is n’t the best - looking accouterment , but let ’s be honest , when do adapter ever await elegant ? The adaptor work well and it can really be left on the end of stock wired headphones , removing the need to carry it around separately . It wreak as well as any adapter should , andfor only £ 9 , we ’d be tempted to grease one’s palms one or two and leave them in places where they ’re need , at oeuvre , say , or in the elevator car ( if you apply an auxiliary input ) .
Of naturally , the remotion of the earphone diddly-squat initially make a piece of a ado , but we ’re confident that iPhone users will quickly come to footing with the fact that the 3.5 millimetre jack has been ditched , just as we all did when Apple replaced the 30 - pin connector with a Lightning connector .
In fact , we ’ve been using wireless phone for some sentence now , as they ’re actually a great deal cheaper to pluck up than most multitude realize . And even for those unwilling to arrest using their wired headphones , you could grease one’s palms an adaptor that’llmake any electrify headphones wireless . We loveApple ’s AirPods , which are very pop .
Besides , the missing jack pave the way for other enhancements , include a new , larger Taptic Engine for enjoyment with novel Home Button ( more on that below ) and a larger battery which Apple claim will volunteer an supererogatory hour of battery life compared to the sextuplet . The remotion of the earphone diddlyshit also paved the way for higher timbre audio playback , and while we ’re not uncollectible - son stripling sit on the back of the bus launch the latest Grime tracks full - blast , we ’ve noticed a cocksure change in audio character .
Playback is not only higher timber , but is also louder , and we can even feel bass emanating from what sound / feels like the filmdom itself . While it ’s hard to discover the jump in audio quality when mind to streamed euphony , we particularly noticed the robust tones when take in textbook messages using the same tone we ’d used on our old iPhone . It was much clearer , louder and crisper than ever before , stimulate even the annoying text message jingle audio rather good .
Home button
If you are n’t keen on the FaceID feature used by Apple ’s newer earpiece , or feel that you would be confuse by the various swipe you would need to learn so as to use an iPhone without a Home push , the fact that the iPhone 7 has a trusty base button may be its biggest appeal .
The Home clitoris is where Apple ’s improved Taptic Engine come into romp . It ’s been used to enable a completely flush Home button , that is actually not a clit at all , although it still has that conversant Touch ID ring around it . Here ’s the interesting part about the unexampled Home button – instead of physically impress up and down , pressing the new Home button triggers the clever Taptic Engine to play a joke on your digit into thinking the push button is press down .
If you are moving up from an older iPhone , the Home button on the iPhone 7 feel odd – not needfully bad per se , but unexpected . And in a rudimentary substance abuser interface puppet like this one , a control you ’ll be using frequently , that can be off - putting .
The satisfying - state trackpad on theMacBook AirandMacBook Pro , as many reader will love , is an astonishing effort of deception : many user would be uncoerced to assert that the trackpad is cluck downwards , so canny is the tactual effect . It does n’t experience like something clever is pass – it just experience like you ’re clicking it , when you ’re not .
The iPhone 7 ’s Home button is not like that . you may tell at once that something is up : there ’s forcible feedback , sure , and that ’s important to making a control satisfying to employ , but it feels different . The couturier have essentially given up on the pretending that you ’re clicking a push button physically . It feels like you ’re campaign on a piece of unmoving methamphetamine , and something elsewhere in the target is buzzing right away in response .
We ’re aware that the Taptic engine is situated closely to the habitation button – roughly where the inside bits of the headphone interface used to be , die by Apple ’s publicised diagrams – but , as irrational as this might sound , it does n’t feel like it . It find like the buzz is deep within the backbone of the phone , some distance from the push button .
To a certain extent you cancustomise the direction the Home clitoris reactsto your touch with alter grade of feedback , but none felt entirely realistic to us – at first , anyway . They all felt , well , odd , with setting one offering barely any feedback , setting three offering a much more acute vibration and arrange two oblation in our survey the best of both worlds .
However , as we continued to practice the iPhone 7 , we fairly rapidly develop accustomed to the feedback produced by the Taptic engine . After short more than a week of regular use , we had decide we did n’t want to go back to the stock Home release .
The effort required to utilise the dwelling button is less than with the traditional Home release , provide a much nicer overall experience , and the software - enable button is still sensitive enough to secern the difference between a wiretap and closet , meaning you should n’t get any accidental activations – we in spades have n’t thus far . We ’ve even come to like the feedback allow by the update Taptic engine , and find ourselves clicking it for no actual reason asunder from to feel the sensation .
The young software package - enabled Home button is n’t thoroughgoing , however , mainly due to the fact that it requires cutis - to - glass contact to spark off . On the Earth’s surface , that sound peachy – when would a situation ever arise where you would n’t intercept the nursing home button with your finger ? But we can offer a couple of scenario that we ’ve encounter over the preceding calendar week or so .
The Home release ca n’t be used when wearing gloves , and also ca n’t be used by fingernail to turn on the exhibit and check meter / notifications without unlocking the equipment . That ’s in part due to the Touch ID scanner being so responsive that it only need a split - second to unlock your iPhone when touched : a straight first - world trouble .
If you need an iPhone with a nursing home button then you have to chose between the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 as Apple ’s newer phone use confront ID and new gestures to do action on the phone .
Display
The solvent of the iPhone 7 is 1334×750 - pixels at 326 ppi , this is n’t bad by today ’s iPhone standards : the XS offers 1792×828 - pixel firmness of purpose at 326 ppi . There are phones with a better pixel concentration but the show is bright and crisper than elder iPhones .
In fact , Apple improved the display of the iPhone 7 by making it a thumping 25 percent brighter than the iPhone 6s , making it much easier to use in unmediated sunlight with a maximum luminousness of around 700nits . This is mix with the raw DCI - P3 wide color gamut which is primarily used with in high spirits - end 4 K TVs , and is one of only three smartphone manufacturers to mix the technical school into its phones . The close resolution ? A display that is snappy and gorgeous with great colour reproductive memory , ideal for everything from scrolling throughFacebookto watching film on Netflix and even editing movies in iMovie .
course , the display of the iPhone 7 sport the 3D Touch pressure sensation - tender engineering science introduced along with theiPhone 6s , and which allows the display to measure the pressure of the stimulus ( your finger’s breadth ) , enable it to tell the difference between a hydrant and a button . This opened up a whole new existence for Apple when it was first introduced , and it has gone from forcefulness to strength since then .
iOS 10introduced a number of new ways to use 3D touching on the iPhone , allowing you to 3D tactual sensation icons on the dwelling house silver screen to convey up brand - new contrivance , and 3D Touch Messages notifications to open a mini Messages app above whatever app you were already in .
Of course , these are only a smattering of examples of the way you could use 3D Touch on the iPhone ; you could find thebest 3D Touch tips and shortcuts right here . It does take a little bit of getting used to at first , but trust us when we say that if you train your brain to apply it when you first get the smartphone , you ’ll savor the overall iPhone 7 experience so much more .
Specs, performance and benchmark results
The central processor inside the iPhone 7 is shout out the A10 Fusion , and was the first quad - core central processor to be used in an iPhone . The M10 Fusion is coupled with 2 GB of RAM , which is the same as the iPhone 6s but should allow for more processing world power , resulting in a responsive , speedy smartphone . Apple take , at the time of launch , that this combination made the iPhone 7 “ the truehearted smartphone in the world ” . Although it perform far easily than the iPhone six in our benchmark tests at the time of launch , it ( rather astonishingly ) did n’t steal the top spot – but we ’ll come to that below .
In actual world use , the iPhone 7 is , of course , doltishly flying and antiphonal , with everything from apps to the television camera opening almost instantly . We ’ve played a bit of game on the iPhone 7 , from fairly canonic side - scrollers to 3D , power - thirsty apps and not find any sort of meantime , screen tearing or outright freeze at any fourth dimension . It can handle anything we throw at it and even when we purposely attempt to get it to slow up down a morsel by running power - hungry apps , we could n’t . If you ’re reckon for a stupendously potent smartphone , the iPhone 7 is a solid option .
The A10 Fusion did pave the way for someseriously knock-down gamesto be make for the iPhone , and the central processor was designed with efficiency in mind . Apple say that , on average , users will retrieve that their iPhone 7 bombardment lasts two hours longer than the iPhone 6s did , thanks to the A10 Fusion .
What does that understand to in terms of real - life usage ? We found the iPhone 7 battery life to be astonishingly undecomposed , allowing us to become less tethered to the wall on a daily basis . Will it last all day ? look on its usage , sure . We ’ve used the iPhone 7 perpetually and never really found ourselves completely out of battery , and with the occasional battery top up throughout the twenty-four hours , we ’ve got no real complaints when it comes to battery lifespan .
You may find that over time the shelling degrades though – something to consider if you are buying a second - hand earphone . Read abouthow to contain iPhone barrage fire healthas well as our crown onHow to improve iPhone electric battery life .
Along with the A10 Fusion central processing unit , user can wait to find an M10 motion co - CPU that allow the iPhone to track motion without a significant drain on barrage fire , feed you better bombardment life when using GPS , physical fitness trailing apps and more . It also mean that the iPhone can automatically track your steps , flight of stairs of steps go up and more without touch on on battery animation , all of which is viewable via Apple ’s Health app .
At launch there were a number of storage capability pick , from 32 GB to 256 GB . Now you’re able to only bribe the 32 GB and 128 GB versions . You might not need as much space as you reckon , scan : How to make infinite on an iPhone
Speed benchmark results
So , how did the “ dissolute phone in the universe ” restrain up in benchmarking tests back when it establish ? As briefly mentioned above , while the result of the iPhone 7 were a huge improvement when compared to the iPhone 6s , they were n’t quite secure enough to slip the top office in the family at the clip . Why ? Well , let ’s explicate .
( And before we go any further , please mention that across all of the following pep pill benchmark trial , higher heaps are better . )
Let ’s start up with Geekbench 3 ( the version of Geekbench at the time of launch ) , which tests the overall processing power of the smartphone – while the iPhone sextuplet score a rather reverential 2524 in single core mode and 4400 in two-fold - core mode , the iPhone 7 blew that out of the piddle with scores of 3503 and 6088 respectively .
While this is a immense improvement on Apple ’s behalf , it did n’t stupefy some of its ’ eminent - ending Android rivals , namely Samsung ’s Galaxy S7 . In dual - inwardness modality , the Galaxy S7 scored 6466 according to our bench mark results , 378 points clear of the average grievance of the iPhone 7 .
However , while Apple ’s iPhone 7 was n’t quite the best in terms of general processing power , it comes into its own when measuring graphical power . To appraise this , we take two GFXBench tests – T - Rex and Manhattan – with varying storey of character / textures , and recorded the average human body rate of each computer graphic . The iPhone 7 managed to score an impressive 60fps in both T - Rex and Manhattan , beating not only the iPhone 6s ( 60fps and 52fps severally ) but also Samsung ’s Galaxy S7 , which make 53fps and 27fps .
However , while the GFXBench results are impressive , we must take them with a slight tinge of table salt . Why ? It ’s down to silver screen solving . While the iPhone 7 features a show with a resolution of 750 x 1334 ( 326ppi ) , the Galaxy S7 for lesson feature a much gamey resolution at 1440 x 2560 ( 577ppi ) . This means that despite being likewise size , the Galaxy S7 has to power more than double the figure of picture element on the display . When running the same secret plan , the S7 will require more power than the iPhone , a factor that will affect its benchmark solvent .
In reality , both the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 were powerhouses when it came to nomadic gambling , so you should n’t experience any material lag when using either smartphone in twenty-four hour period - to - day spirit .
Anyway , back to the results . Lastly , we execute the JetStream benchmark which try out the speed of a smartphone ’s mobile browser app – Safari , in the showcase of the iPhone 7 , while Android smartphones often utilise Google ’s Chrome web browser app . The iPhone 7 destroyed the competition in this respect with a grudge of 160.2 , blowing the Samsung Galaxy S7 ( 61 ) , HTC 10 ( 44.1 ) and LG G5 ( 53.6 ) out of the water . In fact , Apple ’s iPhone 6s was the previous success with a score of 113.8 , proving that Safari was one of thebest mobile browsersat the time ( we think it still is ) .
Take a look at the interactional graphic below to see how the iPhone 7 measures up to the competition :
Camera and photography
The iPhone 7 missed out on the iPhone 7 Plus ’s dual - lens camera , but it was still immensely ameliorate when compared to the iPhone 6s . It ’s 12Mp , but hit ocular image stabilization across both photo and video recording modes along with an f/1.8 aperture and a six - element electron lens .
What does this mean to those buy an iPhone 7 ? Apple says that exploiter will be capable to capture better low light photos and videos with up to 50 percent more light than the iPhone half a dozen – but does it ?
We tested the iPhone 7 camera in a number of experimental condition including low - light , and we were quite surprised by the images provided by the smartphone . Of course , no earpiece camera will ever match the quality of low - Light Within images taken by a DSLR , but the iPhone 7 did pretty well . Take a look at this photo take on the streets of London at night ( click to expound ) – the overall photo looks good with no blatant noise or unfitness , and with fairly even exposure and good detail .
Even when zoomed in at 100 % with a 1:1 - pixel ratio , you could still make out the details of elements such as the brickwork of the building on the lefthand side of the photo , as well as the window frames of the row of sign in darkness . Text , such as the writing on the passenger vehicle stop to the far leftfield of the photo , is somewhat too easy to make out . This is a common payoff with depleted - light photography and something that most smartphones shinny with .
In terms of macro picture taking , the iPhone 7 performed well . It ’s fairly easy to take macro photo on the Camera app , and aggregate with the presentation , it ’s easy to spot whether it ’s in focus or not ( the Camera did well with focus most of the time ) . Even when zoomed in at 100 % , you may see detail of the leafage – although in this respect , we ’re not sure much has commute from the iPhone sixer as that was also impressive at macro instruction photography .
stock photograph are generally equally unwrap with enceinte colour reproduction and fine contingent , although environmental factors may affect the timbre of the image taken . Take a expression at the above photo of St. Pancras Hotel , taken on an overcast twenty-four hour period in London – the colour are even and you’re able to cull out private bricks on the hotel and surrounding buildings , although it starts to get ‘ soft ’ towards the back of the photo , an issue prevalent in most cameras . you’re able to clearly make out the committal to writing on buses and van , and even the Euston Road street sign .
The iPhone 7 featuresLive Photossupport , and this lineament has also been improve with the television camera of the iPhone 7 . Live pic capture a second and a one-half of movement before and after the original photo was taken , along with audio , and volunteer this to you in a GIF - esque fashion activated by pressing down on the still picture . Here ’s how to take really good Live photo with the iPhone .
The genus Lens is n’t the only component of the rearward - camera frame-up to be improved , as the True Tone flash has been enhanced , too – it now features four smart LEDs for a more natural light that is 50 percent lustrous than that of its predecessor . It do well , offer a range of slightly wide-ranging unaccented tints for the perfect selfie in dark stipulation , although we ordinarily keep off using flash when taking photo unless necessary , as abrasive brightness level is never flattering – top tip there .
As for the front - front ( selfie ) television camera , you ’ll now get 7Mp to play with , up from 5Mp on the iPhone 6s . And to be quite dependable there ’s not much more to say about it . The camera produce more detailed photos than before , but we ’ve not remark a huge jump in quality as we have with the tail - facing photographic camera . It should be great for FaceTime and Skype , but as you ’ll be using it to film yourself , you wo n’t see the benefit – only the recipient will .
Read next : iPhone picture tip
Video
But what about videos ? How do they fare on the iPhone 7 ? The proficient news is that unlike in the past tense , the Optical Image Stabilisation will work out across all photograph and television modal value , allow user with much smoother videos whether they ’re take in 1080p @ 60fps , 4 kB @ 30fps or 720p @ 240fps for slo - mo . The stabilization is impressive , there ’s no doubt that , and can provide users with stable video even when walking along the road , hold the telephone set with one hand .
The only substantial beef that we have with regards to video on the iPhone 7 is that Apple refuses to put some variety of toggle switch in the Camera app that leave you to deepen recording modes on - the - fly .
Verdict
Is the iPhone 7 worth it ? The iPhone 7 is a silklike , gorgeous and generally fantastic phone with enhance cameras , an improve design compare to the senior models ( with beautiful colour option ) , better battery biography and a supercharged quad - core A10 Fusion chipping .
While it was , and still might be an appealing upgrade for iPhone 6 ( and sooner ) users . We do n’t think we could vindicate the upgrade from an iPhone sextet to an iPhone 7 as the changes are n’t as groundbreaking as some we ’ve meet in the past tense . If you are looking for a small iPhone then the iPhone 8 is probably a good choice , primarily because it is new , otherwise , we ’d suggest waiting to see ifrumours of an iPhone SE2have any foundation .
