iPhone 6s Plus vs iPhone 7 Plus: Should You Upgrade?

Travel Gadgets: iPhone 6s Plus vs iPhone 7 Plus

Apple users are still having fun with their iPhone 6s Plus when the tech giant announced the release of iPhone 7 Plus. Although it’s undeniable that the iPhone 7 Plus carries some of the most amazing features, it’s still questionable whether you should instantly upgrade to this latest version of the Apple smartphone.

First, let’s find out the marked difference between the two and see whether changing your 6s Plus to 7 Plus is well worth it:

What’s inside the box?

When you purchase a brand new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, the box includes EarPods with Lightning Connector, iPhone, Lightning to USB Cable, 5W USB Power Adapter and a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter.

Design

Design-wise, the iPhone 7 Plus didn’t really make much of a difference against the iPhone 6s Plus. The changes made are subtle and unless you pay very close attention to the exterior of the phone, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice it.

• To start off, there’s the placement of the antenna which has now been moved to the rear portion of the phone. Undoubtedly, the intent here is to create a cleaner look for the unit.
• You should also note that the 3.5 mm headphone jack has been removed but lightning-connected EarPods are made available in the box. If you still prefer the old-school approach, however, there’s an adapter that lets you plug in your old 3.5 mm headphones. It’s not exactly an appealing alternative in the long run.
• The home button is also slightly changed as opposed to the previous model.

Look and Feel

New colors are showcased with the iPhone 7 Plus units, specifically Jet Black and Matte Black. The old colors of Silver, Gold and Rose Gold are still available but the Space Grey design is out for this unit. Does it really make a difference? As mentioned, the color changes are subtle but for some, the “Black” exterior is exactly what they’ve been waiting for in a long time. Needless to say, the Black and Jet Black manage to add a touch of class to the new iPhone 7 Plus.

As for the weight, however, the iPhone 7 Plus is lighter as opposed to iPhone 6s Plus which is quite remarkable considering how size-wise, they’re practically the same. Don’t be surprised though if you can’t instantly notice the difference in weight since the iPhone 6s Plus is around 192g while the iPhone 7 Plus is 188g.

iPhone 7 Plus Available Colors

Apple iPhone 7 Plus are now available in Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Matte Black (Dark Slate Grey), and Jet Black.

Software

The new Apple software is iOS 10 and debuted together with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Those who just want the software without the accompanying unit can easily perform the upgrade. Keep in mind, though, that the iOS 10 is specially built to work with the superior performance of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. As you should know, though, the iPhone 6s Plus today operate under iOS 10, so when it comes to user-experience, there’s really not much difference.

Camera

Apple clearly made an effort for the iPhone 7 Plus camera. This brand new unit comes with a 12 MP snapper and a six-element lens. The front camera is now 7 MP as opposed to the iPhone 6s Plus’ 5 MP front camera. When it comes to the rear camera, however, both the iPhone 6s Plus and 7 have 12 MP. The front-facing 1080p recording together with the 4K rear are also present with the iPhone 6s Plus, so it’s not surprising to find them with the 7 Plus.

Display

As to the quality of the display, there’s really not much of a difference between the two. The biggest change is the 25 percent increase in brightness which doesn’t really matter much in the long run. The screen functions under the same 3D Touch functionality with the same IPS LCD Retina screen.

What really gets the rumor mill going is the expected OLED change which would really be significant quality-wise. Unfortunately, that wasn’t implemented in the iPhone 7 but promised for a 2017 release.

Hardware

When it comes to exterior design, iPhone 7 definitely has nothing new and substantial to offer. Performance-wise, however, Apple might redeem itself yet. The iPhone 7 Plus comes with a brand new processor dubbed as the A10 Fusion. It’s said to be 40 percent faster than the old processer you can find with the iPhone 6s Plus and, therefore, more adept in handling several programs at once. It also means faster performance and improved response time. As for the RAM, both of these models are set at 2 GB.

Battery

The iPhone 7 is said to have a battery life two hours longer than the predecessor. This is a significant improvement considering how they’ve managed to create a lighter unit as opposed to the last one. For the conventional user, the 2-hour battery extension may not make much of a difference in the long run. To make it clear, though, the unit has a capacity of 14 hours conventional use.

Storage

The iPhone 7 Plus isn’t just expensive because it’s the latest Apple has to offer. It’s mainly expensive because Apple decided to let go of the 16 GB model in favour of 12 GB and 256 GB. On the other hand, the iPhone 6s Plus maintains the following storage capacities: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB.

What’s Unique with the iPhone 7 Plus?

Here are some of the new stuff that Apple rolled out and uniquely found with the iPhone 7:

• Waterproofing – this is the first Apple unit that’s built to be waterproof, undoubtedly to make the phone more outdoor-friendly. Although it’s definitely a plus on the part of Apple, there are Android phones that already boast this feature in the past.
• Ear Pods – the iPhone 7 Plus ships with Lightning EarPods and a 3.5 adapter. There is NO headphone jack in this new model but offers you the option of using the Lightning-EarPods or an old-school headphone with the 3.5 mm adapter attachment. Basically, whatever headphone you use for the iPhone 7 Plus should have Bluetooth capabilities or a lightning connector. Fortunately, there are wireless AirPods available today to help those who want to ease their way into this new technology from Apple.
• Optical Image Stabilisation – when it comes to camera use, the predecessors don’t have optical image stabilisation. Also, the previous model has a dual-LED while the iPhone 7 Plus now has a Quad-LED.

Pros and Cons: Overview

So what exactly makes the iPhone 7 Plus better than its ancestors? Basically, here are some of the aspects that Apple added or improved on:

• Lighter weight
• Better battery life
• Improved screen brightness
• Faster processor
• Better performance
• Enhanced camera function
• Bigger storage
• Water resistance

On the downside though:

• No more 3.5mm port
• Same design as iPhone 6s
• New adjustments with the new home button
• Expensive

How much is iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the Philippines?

Smart Communications – the Philippines largest Mobile company and Philipine Authorized Apple Resellers might release the new iPhones on the first week of November 2016.

If you badly need on now, a lot of online sellers on eBay and even shops in Greenhills are now selling these brand new iPhones but be warned that some of them doesn’t offer warranty and it is extremely expensive.

Should You Switch?

All in all, it’s probably not a good idea to switch from iPhone 6s Plus to iPhone 7 Plus so quickly. The overall change between the two phones when it comes to use doesn’t really make much of a difference. Try to hold onto your iPhone 6s Plus for as long as necessary and who knows, by the time you’re ready to let it go, the iPhone 8 is already out.

If you currently have an older version of the iPhone, however, feel free to make the change to iPhone 7  or iPhone 7 Plus as it carries all the dramatic improvements of iPhone 6s Plus but “just” slightly better.