Skip to main content

iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7 Plus camera: Is it worth the pricey upgrade?

iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7 Plus camera
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Love it or hate it, Apple has been the face of new technology for decades. Case in point: The iPhone. The idea of a smartphone wasn’t anything new in 2007, but Apple made it mainstream by offering a phone that was powerful, revolutionary — and most importantly — friendly to use.

The iPhone has changed how we communicate with one another and later models turned any average Joe into a decent photographer, thanks to the phone’s impressive megapixel count, fast shutter speed, and clever software. Apple continues the trend of putting powerful cameras into phones and we have no doubt the forthcoming models, especially the iPhone 8, will impress, but the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are both still packing great cameras that won’t disappoint.

Recommended Videos

The question is — when you pin the iPhone 7 vs. iPhone 7 Plus camera against each other — do you choose the cheaper option, or pay extra for one awesome feature?

More similarities than you think

On the numbers sheet, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are tied. They both have a 12-megapixel rear camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens and f/1.8 aperture, as well as a 7-megapixel front-facing camera.

Both cameras have an easy time identifying and focusing on bodies and faces, and the rear camera is equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS) while the front camera has automatic image stabilization. According to Apple, the photos you take will also look better on your 7 and 7 Plus than they would on a Samsung or LG phone thanks to Apple’s pretty cool Wide Color technology.

Along with the panorama feature and True Tone flash, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus both have fantastic cameras, but where the iPhone 7’s impressive features tap out is where the 7 Plus just gets started.

Two lenses are better than one

The biggest pro for getting an iPhone 7 Plus over an iPhone 7 is the dual 12-megapixel rear cameras. Whereas the 7 just has the one 28mm wide-angle lens, the 7 Plus has that and a 56mm telephoto lens with a f/2.8 aperture. What that means for you is that you are finally able to zoom in without having to sacrifice clarity. The zoom, unfortunately, is only really good up to the 2x mark, but still, if this leads us to a future of not having to deal with pixelated, low-quality, zoomed in photos, then it is a solid starting place.

The 7 Plus camera also takes a cue from DSLRs by offering a cool bokeh feature that utilizes the dual lenses to let you focus on the subject of the photo and blur out the background.

Winner: iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7’s camera is pretty sweet and for some people, it is more than enough to snap vacation pics and keep your Instagram feed full. But for the aspiring or professional photographer who notices little details and doesn’t want to sacrifice quality when they feel inspired to spontaneously take shots, the 7 Plus does enough to justify that extra price tag.

CJ Garcia
Former Digital Trends Contributor
CJ loves reporting on the newest tech innovations and products, even though he still refuses to replace his iPhone 5. When…
Nothing’s next phone may borrow this top iPhone features
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus's camera and Glyph Interface lights.

In its normal fashion, Nothing has been everything except clear with its teasers about the upcoming Nothing Phone 3a, and now a new rumor suggests it might borrow one of the iPhone's best features. So far, Nothing has confirmed only that the Phone 3a is on the way and that more will be revealed at its March 4 conference, and the latest teaser post only adds to the mystery.

The shared image depicts a button on the side of the phone beneath the power button. For reference, Nothing has always kept its power button and volume rockers on opposite sides of the handset. Unless the Nothing Phone 3a is undergoing a massive design change, the picture indicates a new button is coming with this latest release, and many fans suspect it is a dedicated camera shutter button.

Read more
Apple closes in on crucial foldable iPhone decision
A mockup with a foldable clamshell iPhone.

We’re a short time away from when Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone SE 4. Later in the year the iPhone 17 will debut, which should include an “iPhone Air” for the first time. News about perhaps a more significant new iPhone has now been leaked.

The company is close to selecting a key supplier for its next-generation foldable display technology, according to a source tied to Apple’s supply chain. This new display technology is expected to be incorporated into the company’s first foldable iPhone, which will be released in the coming years. This information comes from the Naver blog account “yeux1122” (via MacRumors).

Read more
iPhone SE 4: everything we know so far
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) and Apple iPhone SE (2020) together.

While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.

The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 in 2025.

Read more