Understanding all the differences between iPhones 7/7 Plus and iPhones 6s / 6s Plus

At yesterday's special event we met the long-awaited iPhones 7 and 7 Plus. The basic question that many people ask after such a release: okay, but what has really changed?

In this article, we will summarize for you the differences that exist between them and their predecessors, the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus.

Design

Right away, the iPhones 7/7 Plus can be distinguished by their new colors (matte matte black and glossy black).

Water resistance - iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

In addition, the new devices are resistant to water, splashes and dust (IP67 rating), something that the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus are not (although they also offer some resistance).

Capacity

The storage capabilities of the iPhones have changed. And they're not just talking about the new ones, are they? Fortunately, Apple has also upgraded its iPhones 6s / 6s Plus, making things better for anyone looking to purchase one of these models now that prices have dropped with the arrival of iPhones 7/7 Plus.

It was like this: iPhones 7/7 Plus have options of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB; while the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus have options of 32GB and 128GB (the 256GB capacity is only available in new models).

Here, it's worth an addendum: if you loved the new glossy black color, know that you have to pay a little more to purchase an iPhone like this. Apple sells the device only with capacities of 128GB and 256GB.

Screen

The new iPhones are the same in many ways. There are, as always, basic differences due to the large size of the iPhone 7 Plus. One of them is the screen, which in the 4.7 inch model has 1334 × 750 pixels (326ppp) and the 5.5 ″ model has 1920 × 1080 pixels (401ppp). So far, nothing new since in the 6s and 6s Plus there was the same differentiation.

Screen comparison - iPhones 7 and 7 Plus

On iPhones 6s / 6s Plus, however, Apple uses the full sRGB standard while on new ones, we are talking about a screen with a wide color tone (P3). The maximum brightness of the iPhones 7/7 Plus reached higher levels (625cd / m2 against 500cd / m2 of the models launched in 2016 25% brighter), which certainly helps to see the screen when we are exposed to the sun. The rest remains exactly the same.

Weight and dimensions

Rumors pointed to a possible decrease in the thickness of the new models, but that is not what we saw. The 7/7 Plus iPhones continue with the same measurements as the 6s / 6s Plus.

Weight comparison - iPhones 7 and 7 Plus

The difference is even in weight. From iPhone 6s to 7 we had a reduction of 5 grams; j from 6s Plus to 7 Plus the drop was 4 grams. In short: something imperceptible. 😝

Processor

The new processor for the iPhones 7/7 Plus is the A10 Fusion (with the built-in M10 coprocessor), which has a new design with four cores and 3.3 billion transistors. There are two high-performance and two high-efficiency; these work with only 20% of the energy used by high-performance devices, which offer 40% more speed than iPhones 6s / 6s Plus (A9 chip) and 2 times more than iPhones 6/6 Plus (A8 chip). All this performance (which cores should work and when) is automatically controlled by the device; the user need not worry about anything.

A10 Fusion

The improvements to the GPU (which now has 6 cores) were also notable, with 50% more graphics speed compared to iPhones 6s / 6s Plus or 3 times faster compared to iPhones 6/6 Plus this with 2 / 3 of the energy demanded by the A9 and 1/2 of the A8.

Comparison of CPUs and GPUs - iPhones 7 and 7 Plus

In short: according to Apple, the iPhones 7/7 Plus chip is the most advanced that any smartphone on the iPhone alone has ever had.

RAM

Apple does not comment on this type of technical detail, but everything indicates that the iPhone 7 has the same 2GB of RAM as the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus. The 7 Plus model, however, must have 3GB due to the addition of the telephoto camera (and the possibility of taking pictures with blurred backgrounds). This alone alone justifies the addition of 1GB.

In the general context, however, the usage experience must remain well matched between the devices.

Rear camera

PHOTOS

Here, the differences are good. Just comparing the iPhone 7 with the 6s and 6s Plus, we already have great improvements.

It is a new 12-megapixel camera with a 6-element lens and a /1.8 aperture, which allows 50% more light input (which translates into much better photos in low light locations), and with optical stabilization. of image. Comparatively, the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus cameras have 12 megapixels, with a 5-element lens and a /2.2 aperture. Only the iPhone 6s Plus has optical image stabilization, so today we can say that the rear camera of the iPhone 7 is better than that of the iPhone 6s Plus (which in turn is better than the 6s).

iPhone 7 Plus black on the back and iPhone 7 jet black on the back

In addition, the iPhone 7 camera has a wide color tone for photos and Live Photos (something in the present in the predecessors) and flash True Tone 4 LEDs (on iPhones 6s / 6s Plus are “only” 2 LEDs). With twice the lighting, we can capture better photos using the iPhone 7 flash.

But what about the iPhone 7 Plus? Apple took a fancy on his camera. In addition to having the same 12MP sensor with a wide-angle lens as the iPhone 7, there is another 12MP camera with telephoto lens. What does she do? Bring the image even closer for a better quality zoom, even from a distance. We are talking about an optical zoom (real) of up to 2x.

IPhone 7 Plus Cameras

Apple, however, went further and allows users of the iPhone 7 Plus to take pictures with a zoom up to 10x (from 2x, however, the zoom becomes digital and does not have the same quality). Still, the company says that photos zoomed up to 5x on the iPhone 7 Plus are up to four times better than those taken with other iPhones (which makes sense, since the image is part of a real zoom up to 2x, captured by new telephoto camera).

In addition, soon through a software update, Apple will also release a feature called depth of field. With it, we can show sharp faces in the foreground and, at the same time, blur the background. To capture these images, the iPhone 7 Plus camera system uses both sensors and advanced machine learning to sharpen the subject and create the background blur. This effect known as bokeh and before it basically could only be achieved with DSLR cameras.

Bokeh Effect - iPhone 7 Plus

To do this, simply select the option “Portrait” ("Portrait") when taking the photo. Again: the feature will not be present in the launch of iOS 10 and will come in a future update to be released this year.

Just as Apple spoke of the A10 Fusion, it spoke of this camera: for them, the best ever placed on a smartphone.

VDEO

The same camera that takes pictures, films. So, of course, the video possibilities on iPhones 7/7 Plus have also improved. Thanks to optical image stabilization (previously only present on the iPhone 6s Plus) and aperture /1.8, the videos recorded in low light are clearly better. The new flash True Tone with 4 LEDs it also helps if you need to shoot with them.

On the iPhone 7 Plus, the telephoto camera makes optical zoom up to 2x and digital zoom up to 6x possible; on other devices, the digital zoom goes up to 3x.

Otherwise, everything remains the same including the high resolution of up to 4K at 30 frames per second, something that rumors indicated that we will reach 60 frames per second.

Front camera

No rumor had spoken about the FaceTime camera. On the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus she got a good upgrade and, knowing the company's history, many people thought that the camera would remain the same on the iPhones 7/7 Plus.

Front camera of iPhones 7 and 7 Plus

But Apple surprised and tried to put a 7 megapixel camera (instead of 5 megapixels), the same wide-color capture feature for photos and Live Photos, the ability to record videos in Full HD 1080p (before, the limit was HD 720p) and automatic image stabilization.

All very welcome, of course.

Cellular and wireless

Here, everything remains practically the same. You do not have to worry because your iPhone connects to virtually all 4G networks in the world, to all types of Wi-Fi, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calls (to make calls using a broadband internet connection), Among other things.

The difference even in iPhones 7/7 Plus are: support for 4G LTE Advanced at 450Mbps (in the 6s / 6s Plus models, the speed of up to 300Mbps) and Wi-Fi with MIMO (basically, multiple antennas for transmission and reception) for improvement of performance.

Touch ID

The iPhones 7/7 Plus have a new Home button (Home) that is solid. He works with the new Taptic Engine, giving precise tactile answers when you touch answers that can be personalized. In short, the button no longer moves when you press it. Thanks to the feedback produced by Taptic Engineyou have the printed that he "sank".

Home Button - iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

This, of course, helped Apple achieve a more water resistant construction. As for the Touch ID itself (sensor that unlocks the device and authorizes purchases with your fingerprint), nothing has changed. It remains the same as we have on iPhones 6s / 6s Plus.

Power and battery

Drums are a subject for polymers. I, in particular, have never been able to make my iPhones perform as advertised by Apple.

What the company says is that, with the A10 Fusion chip, iPhone 7 owners get up to 2 hours more use while iPhone 7 Plus users get up to 1 hour compared to their predecessors. As no one has played with the iPhones 7/7 Plus long enough to talk properly about it, the best thing is to stick with this comparative table:

Comparison of iPhones batteries

Draw your own conclusions.

Headphones included

The #mamilos moment of iPhones 7/7 Plus was undoubtedly the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. Now, to listen to music on the new devices, we will have to use a pair of Bluetooth headphones, the EarPods with Lightning connector that will accompany the new devices or, then, use the adapter that Apple will also put inside the box of the new iPhones.

EarPods with Lightning connector

So, in the box of the new iPhones you will find EarPods with Lightning connector and an adapter, to use your current wired headset in the new device. If you want to use EarPods with a Lightning connector on your Mac / PC (or some other non-Apple smartphone), you are unlucky. 😒

integrated audio

After nine generations, we finally have an iPhone with a stereo speaker system. According to Apple, they offer twice the sound power of the iPhones 6s / 6s Plus and a greater dynamic range. This means that with iPhones 7/7 Plus, you can listen to music, watch videos and make hands-free calls in a much better way than before.

But anyone who thinks that the new row of speakers that took the place of the 3.5mm outlet is responsible for the novelty is wrong. There, in fact, there is nothing (just a microphone).

Buttons and connectors - iPhones 7 and 7 Plus

What Apple did was to use the upper speaker (the one we use to answer calls) to be able to implement a stereo system even though the distances between the speakers is small enough that many don't realize the “stereo” and continue with the same feeling as before. One thing, however, must be perceptive: twice the power.

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After all, is it worth the upgrade? That is a very, very personal answer. Particularly, despite having a 4.7 inch iPhone and I really like its size, the dual camera on the iPhone 7 Plus is captivating me a lot. I made a choice not to have any more stout cameras and always missed the zoom option on the smartphone. This has now been resolved quite satisfactorily in my view. Of course, we are talking about an optical zoom up to 2x, something low even if we take into account the possibilities of DSLR cameras. But a start, a great start.

For me, that would be worth the upgrade. But, as I said, this is something personal and I have described my scenario here. Yours can (and should) be completely different. So, to know the answer, just stop and think about what your current iPhone disappoint you and see if this has been resolved in the current models. 😉