Submitted by Fred Straker on
In just a few days, Apple's latest and greatest iPhones will hit shelves across the world. In classic fashion, Apple has given consumers a choice by keeping last year's model available. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus now sell for a discounted price alongside the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. For those who may be upgrading from an older phone but don't necessarily need the most expensive option, how does the iPhone 7 compare to the iPhone 6s? The size, weight and form factors are virtually the same. Here are some of the major differences between the two model lines for consideration.
Battery Life
The iPhone 7 has approximately two (2) hours improved battery life over the iPhone 6s. When it comes to the iPhone 7 Plus, the newer device has approximately one (1) hour additional battery life compared to the iPhone 6s Plus.
Waterproofing
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both meet the IP67 standard for water resistance and dust proofing. This means they can be submerged in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter) of water for up to 30 minutes. Don't try this with the iPhone 6s.Audio Playback
Newest iPhone FAQs
If you want a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, get the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus. Both iPhone 7 models ditch this jack and come with wired EarPod headphones that connect to the Lightning port instead. There is also an adapter included with the 7 and 7 Plus, to plug in a 3.5mm set of headphones.
Besides the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple has added stereo sound to both iPhone 7 models. This dual-speaker setup is said to double maximum volume compared to the 6s during audio playback.
Available Colors
The iPhone 7 offers two new colors, Jet Black and Black. Space Gray will only be available with the iPhone 6s. Here is a summary of available colors.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Jet Black, Black, Silver, Gold, or Rose Gold
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus: Space Gray, Silver, Gold, or Rose Gold
Storage Capacity
Apple has officially discontinued the 16 GB and 64 GB storage capacities (the iPhone SE is an exception). Here are the sizes available with each model.
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus: 32 GB or 128 GB
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: 32 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB
Jet Black color models: 128 GB or 256 GB only (no 32 GB option)
Cameras
If photography is your thing, the iPhone 7 brings updated technology to the camera systems. Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) is now standard on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. To get this feature on the iPhone 6s, you'll need to buy the Plus model. A brighter Quad-LED True Tone flash also comes with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, as well as a seven (7) megapixel FaceTime camera. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have a five (5) megapixel FaceTime camera.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have a larger ƒ/1.8 aperture, compared to the previous models' ƒ/2.2 aperture. This lets in more light for better low-light image capture. The newer cameras are also comprised of a six-element lens, featuring one more element than found in the iPhone 6s five-element lenses.
Last but not least, the iPhone 7 Plus highlights a completely new dual-lens camera. This provides a 2x optical telephoto lens not found on the 6s Plus. Using the optical zoom is seamless, and provides access to up to 10x digital zoom. This is twice as much digital zoom as is possible with any other iPhone Apple currently sells.
The latest iPhones also include a new Image Signal Processor (ISP) and wide color capture for more vibrant color.
Display
iPhone 7 line has a new Taptic Engine and the screen is 25 percent brighter than the iPhone 6s. The display is also a wide color gamut display (P3) which means it can display a wider subset of colors. This results in more vibrant and realistic color reproduction.
Pricing
Finally, the kicker is cost. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will save some coin.
iPhone 6s: $549 (32 GB) or $649 (128 GB)
iPhone 6s Plus: $649 (32 GB) or $749 (128 GB)
Add $100 to get the latest models in equivalent storage capacities.
iPhone 7: $649 (32 GB), $749 (128 GB), or $849 (256 GB)
iPhone 7 Plus: $769 (32 GB), $869 (128 GB), or $969 (256 GB)