Released alongside the standard model in September 2016, the iPhone 7 Plus is the first iPhone to feature a dual-camera system, a technical leap that has redefined mobile photography. At 188g, it is a substantial, premium device that carries the same IP67 water resistance and ‘Solid State’ Home button as its smaller sibling. In the UK, it has become the definitive choice for the ‘pro’ user, offering a level of photographic flexibility and battery endurance that sets a new benchmark for the industry.
The technical headline is the dual 12-megapixel camera setup: one wide-angle lens with OIS and one ‘telephoto’ lens. This allows for a 2x optical zoom and the debut of ‘Portrait Mode,’ which uses depth-mapping to create a professional ‘bokeh’ effect, blurring the background while keeping the subject sharp. Powering this complex imaging processing is the A10 Fusion chip and 3GB of RAM, 1GB more than the standard iPhone 7, ensuring that the camera app and multitasking remain blisteringly fast. The 5.5-inch Retina HD display also benefits from the new P3 wide colour gamut and increased brightness.
Connectivity is comprehensive with 450Mbps LTE and Wi-Fi ac. Because of its larger footprint, Apple was able to pack in a 2,900 mAh battery, which combined with the efficiency cores of the A10 Fusion chip, provides some of the best battery life ever seen in a flagship. It also features the same stereo speaker setup and lacks the 3.5mm headphone jack. The iPhone 7 Plus is a masterclass in ‘Plus’ engineering; it didn’t just offer a bigger screen, it offered a significantly more advanced technical experience that proved the era of the dual-camera smartphone had truly arrived.
