The iPhone 7 Plus was first introduced on September 7, 2016, and began shipping a few weeks later, on September 16. The iPhone 7 Plus launched alongside the iPhone 7, and these two phones became the 10th generation of the iPhone.
The 10th generation iPhone models included several notable improvements as compared to the 9th generation (iPhone 6S and the 6S Plus). One example was the official rating for water resistance, which was IP67. But the iPhone 7 Plus also added some features that weren’t available on the non-plus version of the iPhone 7, such as an improved rear-facing camera.
As of early-2021, Apple is still supporting the iPhone 7 Plus in the form of software updates, and the phone is running the latest version of iOS, which is iOS 14. But as phones age, support will eventually end, and as a result, anyone still using an iPhone 7 Plus may start looking for a newer model.
Continue reading to see how the iPhone 7 Plus compares to newer versions of the iPhone.
Table of contents:
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 Pro
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 mini
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 12
- iPhone 7 Plus vs SE 2020
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 11 Pro
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 11
- iPhone 7 Plus vs XS Max
- iPhone 7 Plus vs XS
- iPhone 7 Plus vs Xr
- iPhone 7 Plus vs X
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 8 Plus
- iPhone 7 Plus vs 8
iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 Pro Max
Upgrading from an iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone 12 Pro Max would mean a change in every aspect of your experience. Not only would you see a massive increase in performance, but you would also be getting a better camera and a nicer display as well as the squared-off design that arrived with the iPhone 12 lineup.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 6GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display (2778 x 1284) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Pro 12MP Ultra-wide, Wide, and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3,687 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $1,099 |
The Plus-sized versions of the iPhone typically meant you were buying a bigger phone, and that holds true with the Max-sized phones. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, which means the display size has increased by more than one inch. The display on the 12 Max also has a higher resolution, along with support for True Tone and HDR.
Other highlights of this upgrade include support for 5G, a battery life that goes from an estimated 14 hours to 20 hours for video playback, a bump from the A10 Fusion processor to the A14 Bionic processor, and a jump from a dual rear camera setup to a triple rear camera setup. Both of these phones have a wide and telephoto lens, but the 12 Pro Max adds an ultra-wide.
Of course, the camera improvements don’t stop with the simple addition of a lens. The iPhone 12 Pro Max captures Dolby Vision HDR video at up to 60 frames per second and has a LiDAR scanner that improves Night mode portraits and allows for faster autofocus in low light situations.
The current iPhone 12 Pro Max pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 12 Pro Max compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 Pro
An upgrade from the iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone 12 Pro would mean an experience similar to going from the 7 Plus to the 12 Pro Max, but with a more modest increase in display size. The iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display and the iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.1-inch display. Of course, along with the increase in size, you’ll also be getting an increase in resolution and quality. The iPhone 12 Pro Max display supports True Tone and HDR, and has a higher contrast ratio and higher max brightness, at 800 nits versus the 625 nits on the iPhone 7 Plus.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 12 Pro | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 6GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Pro 12MP Ultra-wide, Wide, and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,815 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $999 |
The iPhone 12 Pro also has better battery life, the option for more internal storage space, a higher rating for water resistance, support for 5G connectivity, and a newer and more powerful processor. The iPhone 7 Plus is powered by the Apple A10 Fusion chip, and the 12 Pro has the newest A14 Bionic. Apple introduced MagSafe wireless charging with the iPhone 12, which is a feature unavailable on the iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple also improved the front and rear-facing camera. The front camera went from a 7MP FaceTime HD to a 12MP TrueDepth and picked up new features such as Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Night mode. The rear camera went from a dual 12MP to a (triple) 12MP with an ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lens. Similar to the front camera, the rear camera on the 12 Pro also has new features such as Night mode, Deep Fusion, and Apple ProRAW, as well as a LiDAR scanner which improves Night mode portraits and offers faster autofocus in low light settings.
The current iPhone 12 Pro pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 12 Pro compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 12 mini
Going from a Plus-sized phone to a mini-sized phone typically means you would be getting a small-sized phone with a smaller display. However, due to the shrinking bezels on the iPhone 12 mini, the display size isn’t much smaller when compared to the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch display and the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 12 mini | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR display (2340 x 1080) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Ultra-wide and Wide |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,227 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $699 |
While the display on the 12 mini is only 0.1-inches smaller, the overall size of the phone is significantly smaller. The iPhone 12 mini measures in at 5.18 (H) by 2.53 (W) by 0.29 (D), whereas the iPhone 7 Plus measures in at 6.23 (H) by 3.07 (W) by 0.29 (D) inches. The 12 mini is also much lighter at 4.76 ounces versus the 6.63-ounce weight of the iPhone 7 Plus.
Size and weight aren’t the only differences. The iPhone 12 mini has a newer and faster processor, more internal storage, better battery life, a higher rating for water resistance, and support for 5G networks.
The front and rear cameras also saw big improvements in terms of the hardware and software features. The front camera went from a 7MP FaceTime HD on the iPhone 7 Plus to a 12MP TrueDepth on the iPhone 12 mini. Both of the phones have a dual 12MP setup on the back, but the iPhone 7 Plus has a wide and telephoto, and the 12 mini has an ultra-wide and wide-angle. New software features include Night mode, Deep Fusion, and Portrait Lighting as well as HDR improvements.
The current iPhone 12 mini pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 12 mini compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 12
Upgrading from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone 12 is going to give you a welcomed boost in terms of performance, and new features. The iPhone 12 launched with a new squared-off design and features such as support for 5G networks, MagSafe wireless charging, and a Ceramic Shield front to better protect the display in case of an accidental drop.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 12 | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Ultra-wide and Wide |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,815 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Stating at $799 |
Along with the Ceramic Shield, the iPhone 12 display also features HDR support and True Tone, as well as a higher resolution and higher contrast ratio. The resolution goes from 1920 x 1080 on the 7 Plus with a 1300:1 contrast ratio, to 2532 x 1170 on the iPhone 12 with a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1.
The iPhone 12 has a better rating for water resistance, the newest Apple processor, which is the A14 Bionic, and options for 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of internal storage space. The iPhone 7 Plus storage maxed out at 128GB.
Of course, the camera has also seen some improvements in terms of hardware and software. The front-facing camera goes from a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the iPhone 7 Plus to a 12MP TrueDepth on the iPhone 12, and the rear-facing camera goes from a dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto to a dual 12MP ultra-wide and wide-angle. New camera features include Dolby Vision HDR video recording, Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR 3.
The current iPhone 12 pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 12 compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs SE 2020
If you were to upgrade from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone SE (2020) you would see a notable improvement in terms of performance. The added performance would come by way of the newer Apple A13 Bionic chip, as compared to the A10 Fusion that powers the iPhone 7 Plus.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone SE 2020 | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A13 Bionic with Third-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 4.7-inch Retina HD display (1334 x 750) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP FaceTime HD |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Single 12MP Wide camera |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 1,821 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $399 |
The iPhone SE 2020 has some similarities to the iPhone 7 Plus, such as how they both have a home button that is used for Touch ID, and they both have larger bezels around the display. The display on the iPhone SE 2020 picks up True Tone, which means it will automatically adjust based on ambient lighting, but the display on the SE 2020 is smaller.
Other highlights of the iPhone SE 2020 include the ability to get up to 256GB of internal storage, Qi wireless charging, and fast charging which gives up to a 50% charge in 30 minutes using a 20W power adapter.
The current iPhone SE 2020 pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone SE 2020 compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 11 Pro Max
Upgrading from the iPhone 7 Plus to any of the iPhone 12 models would be a solid upgrade path with you getting the latest version of the iPhone. However, sticking with an earlier generation is a great way to not only get a solid upgrade but to get it at a good price. If you were a fan of the larger size of the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone 11 Pro Max should be a phone under consideration.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A13 Bionic with Third-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display (2688 x 1242) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Triple 12MP Ultra-wide, Wide, and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3,969 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $1,099 |
The iPhone 7 Plus was released in 2016, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max was released in 2019, and that three-year window means you would be getting a much newer process, which means much better overall performance. The 7 Plus has the A10 Fusion chip and the 11 Pro Max has the A13 Bionic. You would also be going from a phone with a home button and Touch ID to a phone with Face ID that makes use of the gesture-based setup first introduced with the iPhone X.
The display on the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 6.5-inches, which means it is a full inch larger than the iPhone 7 Plus. But while the display is an inch bigger, the phones are nearly the same size. The 11 Pro Max measures in at 6.22 (H) by 3.06 (W) by 0.32 (D) and the 7 Plus measures in at 6.23 (H) by 3.07 (W) by 0.29 (D) inches.
Other notable improvements include an updated front and rear camera with numerous new camera-related features such as Night mode and Deep Fusion, an option for more internal storage, better battery life, support for Qi wireless charging, and fast charging using an 18W power adapter.
The current iPhone 11 Pro Max pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 11 Pro Max compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 11 Pro
Following a similar upgrade experience as going from the iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the iPhone 11 Pro would be a solid upgrade, just one that comes in a slightly smaller size. The display on the iPhone 11 Pro is a little bigger, 5.8-inches, as compared to the 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 7 Plus. But while only a little bigger in size, the 11 Pro display is much higher quality with support for True Tone, HDR, an 800 nits max brightness, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a resolution of 2436 x 1125.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 11 Pro | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A13 Bionic with Third-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR display (2436 x 1125) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Triple 12MP Ultra-wide, Wide, and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3.046 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $999 |
Thanks to the smaller bezels on the iPhone 11 Pro, you’ll actually be getting a smaller phone. The 11 Pro measures in at 5.67 (H) by 2.81 (W) by 0.32 (D) and the 7 Plus measures in at 6.23 (H) by 3.07 (W) by 0.29 (D) inches. Those smaller bezels also account for the change in device security, which goes from a home button with Touch ID on the 7 Plus to gesture-based navigation with Face ID on the iPhone 11 Pro.
Some other notable improvements include better battery life, fast charging using a Lightning cable and 18W power adapter, Qi wireless charging, an improved IP68 rating for water resistance, options for up to 512GB of internal storage, and a bump in performance due to going from the A10 Fusion in the iPhone 7 Plus to the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 Pro.
Of course, as we often expect with newer models of the iPhone, the 11 Pro has an improved camera. The front-facing camera goes from a 7MP FaceTime HD camera to a 12MP TrueDepth camera with new features such as Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and next-generation Smart HDR. The rear-camera setup goes from a dual 12MP wide and telephoto to a triple 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto. New features for the rear camera include Night mode, a brighter True Tone flash, Portrait Lighting, dual optical image stabilization, and Deep Fusion.
The current iPhone 11 Pro pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 11 Pro compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 11
Upgrading from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone 11 means you would be going from a plus-sized model to a regular model. But due to the slimmer bezels, the iPhone 11 display is actually a fair bit larger than the iPhone 7 Plus. You would be going from a 5.5-inch display to a 6.1-inch display. The iPhone 11 display is also True Tone, which allows the brightness to automatically adjust the light color and brightness based on ambient light.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 11 | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A13 Bionic with Third-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display (1792 x 828) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Ultra-wide and Wide |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3,110 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $699 |
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The slimmer bezels also bring another notable change. The iPhone 7 Plus used Touch ID for device security, and the iPhone 11 uses Face ID. You’ll also get improved battery life, fast charging using a Lightning cable and 20W power adapter, support for Qi wireless charging, and the ability to get up to 256GB of internal storage space. The iPhone 7 Plus storage maxed out at 128GB.
Newer models of the iPhone also bring newer processors and better cameras. Upgrading from the iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone 11 would mean going from the Apple A10 Fusion processor to the Apple A13 Bionic chip. The front-facing camera goes from a 7MP FaceTime HD camera to a 12MP TrueDepth camera, and the rear-facing camera goes from a dual 12MP wide and telephoto to a dual 12MP ultra-wide and wide-angle. The changes in the rear camera also bring new features such as a brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync, Portrait Lighting, next-generation Smart HDR, Night mode, and Deep Fusion.
The current iPhone 11 pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 11 compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs XS Max
Going from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone XS Max would be a great upgrade path. You would be going from a 10th generation model released in 2016 to a 12th generation model released in 2018. Essentially, this means a two-year upgrade cycle, which will result in a notable increase in performance. The added performance comes by way of going from the A10 Fusion chip to the A12 Bionic chip.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone XS Max | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A12 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.5-inch Super Retina HD display (2688 x 1242) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3,174 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $1,099 |
Of course, the processor is just the start of the differences between these two models. The display size would increase by an inch, going from 5.5-inches on the iPhone 7 Plus to 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max, and despite a much larger display, the overall sizes of the phone remain close. The XS Max measures in at 6.20 (H) by 3.05 (W) by 0.30 (D) and the 7 Plus measures in at 6.23 (H) by 3.07 (W) by 0.29 (D) inches.
The display on the XS Max is also of higher quality with a resolution of 2688 x 1242, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR, and True Tone.
Some other notable improvements include options for up to 512GB of internal storage, an improved rating for water resistance, Qi wireless charging, fast charging using a Lighting cable and 20W power adapter, and better battery life.
You would also be getting an improved camera setup, in terms of hardware and software features. The front camera goes from a 7MP FaceTime HD to a 7MP TrueDepth with new features such as Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Smart HDR, and Animoji and Memoji. The rear camera sticks with a dual 12MP wide and telephoto setup, but the aperture on the telephoto lens is dramatically better at f/2.4 (compared to the f/2.8 aperture on the iPhone 7 Plus).
The current iPhone XS Max pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone XS Max compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs XS
Going from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone XS would follow a similar pattern as the 7 Plus to XS Max, just in a slightly smaller version. The iPhone XS display measures in at 5.8-inches, whereas the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display. But despite the display only being 0.3-inches larger, the iPhone XS display is much higher quality.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone XS | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A12 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 5.8-inch Super Retina HD display (2436 x 1125) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,658 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $999 |
The iPhone XS has a Super Retina HD display with a resolution of 2436 x 1125. In comparison, the display resolution on the iPhone 7 Plus is 1920 x 1080. The XS display also has support for HDR and True Tone, two features that weren’t available on the 7 Plus. And, there is also good news if you were getting tired of the bigger Plus-sized phone. The XS measures in at 5.65 (H) by 2.79 (W) by 0.30 (D), as compared to the 7 Plus, which measures in at 6.23 (H) by 3.07 (W) by 0.29 (D) inches.
So far, we noted you’d be getting a bigger and better display that sits in a phone that is smaller in overall size. But given you are going from an iPhone released in 2016 to an iPhone released in 2018, you will also get several other improvements, with one notable improvement being overall performance. The iPhone XS is powered by the Apple A12 Bionic. Additional highlights include an IP68 rating for water resistance, up to 512GB of internal storage, Qi wireless charging, and fast wired charging using a Lighting cable and 20W power adapter.
The front-facing camera went from a 7MP FaceTime HD to a 7MP TrueDepth, with new features such as Smart HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, and Memoji. The rear-facing camera remains with a dual 12MP wide and telephoto setup, however, the telephoto lens was improved and went from an f/2.8 aperture on the 7 Plus to an f/2.4 aperture on the XS. The rear-facing camera also picked up Smart HDR, Portrait Lighting, and dual optical image stabilization, as opposed to the regular optical image stabilization on the iPhone 7 Plus.
The current iPhone XS pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone XS compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs Xr
The iPhone Xr was the most popular model released in 2018, mainly due to the more affordable price tag. But launch price aside, the iPhone Xr also had the features most people need and want. And now, buying a newish model iPhone Xr a few years after the initial release just means you can get an even better deal. Highlights of the iPhone Xr include a 6.1-inch display and overall measurements of 5.94 (H) by 2.98 (W) by 0.33 (D) inches.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone Xr | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A12 Bionic with Second-generation Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display (1792 x 828) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Single 12MP Wide camera |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,942 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $749 |
Essentially, this means if you upgrade to an iPhone Xr you would be getting a bigger display and a phone that is smaller in overall size, as compared to the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone Xr display is also True Tone, which means it automatically adjusts the light color and brightness based on the ambient lighting.
The iPhone Xr kept the same IP67 rating for water resistance, and both models also maxed out the internal storage at 128GB. Of course, with the iPhone Xr having been released two years after the iPhone 7 Plus — you can count on getting a newer process, which means better performance. The iPhone 7 Plus is powered by the A10 Fusion processor, and the iPhone Xr is powered by the A12 Bionic processor. The iPhone Xr also supports Qi wireless charging and fast wired charging, neither of which were available on the iPhone 7 Plus.
At first glance, the rear camera setup on the iPhone Xr seems like a step-down, but the Xr picked up several new camera-related features. The iPhone 7 Plus has a dual 12MP wide and telephoto setup on the back, and the iPhone Xr has a single 12MP wide camera on the back. The new features include Portrait Lighting and Smart HDR, as well as an improved Portrait mode, which now has advanced bokeh and Depth Control.
The current iPhone Xr pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone Xr compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs X
An upgrade from the iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone X will not be quite as dramatic as compared to the other models we’ve covered in this post. However, despite this being a year-over-year upgrade, the iPhone X will bring a decent performance boost, and also a change in design and overall styling. The iPhone X was the first iPhone to ditch the home button and Touch ID in favor of a gesture-based user interface with Face ID. Essentially, this means you’ll be trading the home button and bigger bezels for a notch across the top and slimmer bezels.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone X | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A11 Bionic with Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 5.8-inch Super Retina HD display (2436 x 1125) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,716 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $999 |
The display on the iPhone X is a little bigger, at 5.8-inches compared to the 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 7 Plus. The display is also of higher quality with a resolution of 2436 x 1125. The iPhone 7 Plus display is 1920 x 1080. Other highlights of the iPhone X display include support for True Tone and HDR, as well as a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and a PPI of 458. In comparison, the iPhone 7 Plus has a contrast ratio of 1300:1 and a PPI of 401.
The iPhone X is powered by the Apple A11 Bionic processor and has an IP67 rating for water resistance. The iPhone X also had options for 64GB or 256GB of storage, whereas the iPhone 7 Plus had storage options for 32GB or 128GB. Other notable features of the iPhone X include fast wired charging using a Lightning cable and 20W power adapter and Qi wireless charging.
Both the iPhone X and iPhone 7 Plus have a 7MP front-facing camera, but the camera went from a FaceTime HD camera to the newer TrueDepth camera, which brought new features such as Auto HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, and Memoji. The camera on the back remained the same with a dual 12MP wide and telephoto setup, but the iPhone X hardware was improved with the aperture on the telephoto going from f/2.8 on the 7 Plus to f/2.4 on the iPhone X. The rear-facing camera also went from HDR on the 7 Plus to Auto HDR on the X.
The current iPhone X pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone X compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 8 Plus
Upgrading from the iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone 8 Plus would be a true year-over-year upgrade. This upgrade path may not be as popular given these models were released in 2016 and 2017, but if you are looking to replace an iPhone 7 Plus and want a phone that is a similar size — this may be a path you choose. Given you can find a great deal on a newish iPhone 8 Plus, it would make a solid upgrade in that respect.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 8 Plus | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A11 Bionic with Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 2,691 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $799 |
These two phones have a similar design. They both have a 5.5-inch Retina HD display, and both use a home button with Touch ID for device security. Both have the same IP67 rating for water resistance, and both have similar battery life expectations. Though the iPhone 8 Plus has a glass back covering on the phone, and that allowed for the addition of Qi wireless charging. The iPhone 8 Plus also supports fast wired charging using a 20W power adapter and Lighting cable. The other bump in specs is the processor, which goes from an A10 Fusion to an A11 Bionic with Neural Engine.
The camera setups are similar for both models. They each have a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front, though the HDR support goes from standard HDR on the 7 Plus to Auto HDR on the 8 Plus. Similarly, both models have a dual 12MP wide and telephoto camera setup on the back. The iPhone 8 Plus adds support for Portrait Lighting and gets improved HDR processing with Auto HDR for photos.
The current iPhone 8 Plus pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 8 Plus compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
iPhone 7 Plus vs 8
If you are looking to replace an iPhone 7 Plus, and like your current phone, but just want something smaller in size, the iPhone 8 may be a good model to consider. You’ll get a modest bump in performance, but you will be able to get a really good deal on a newish iPhone 8.
iPhone 7 Plus | iPhone 8 | |
Processor | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A11 Bionic with Neural Engine |
RAM | 3GB | 2GB |
Storage | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Display | 5.5-inch Retina HD display (1920 x 1080) | 4.7-inch Retina HD display (1334 x 750) |
Front Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 7MP TrueDepth |
Rear Camera | Dual 12MP Wide and Telephoto | Single 12MP Wide camera |
Water Resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 1,821 mAh |
Original Retail Price | Starting at $769 | Starting at $699 |
That said, while the processor improves from the A10 Fusion to the A11 Bionic with Neural Engine, you will be downgraded in some aspects. For example, the display goes from 5.5-inches to 4.7-inches, and the resolution drops from 1920 x 1080 on the iPhone 7 Plus to 1334 x 750 on the iPhone 8. But on the positive side, the iPhone 8 display supports True Tone.
Similar to the iPhone 7 Plus to iPhone 8 Plus upgrade path, the iPhone 8 front-facing camera is a 7MP FaceTime HD camera with Auto HDR. This means the camera lens is the same, but the HDR processing is improved. The rear-camera will have you going from a dual 12MP wide and telephoto setup to a single 12MP wide camera. The HDR processing goes from the standard on the iPhone 7 Plus to Auto HDR on the iPhone 8, but the iPhone 8 is missing Portrait mode, which is a feature found on the iPhone 7 Plus.
The current iPhone 8 pricing can be seen below, and you can learn more about how the iPhone 8 compares to the iPhone 7 Plus in our comparison guide.
One thing is certain if you are upgrading from an iPhone 7 Plus — there are plenty of options available. But regardless of which model you decide to purchase, you can rest assured in knowing the Swappa marketplace is safe and secure, and also easy-to-use.
- Swappa has a customer support team that is available 24//7/365 if you have a question or you need help.
- The Swappa support team reviews listings to make sure all devices meet our strict listing requirements.
- Swappa also uses PayPal to process all payments due to the extensive protections offered for buyers and sellers.
While any marketplace can claim to have happy users — Swappa can back that claim with a Trustpilot rating of Excellent, which comes by way of more than 10,500 independent user reviews.
Snag the best deals on used iPhones wherever you go. Download the Swappa App today!