Skip to main content
Apple Editor's Choice 2016

iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 — Solid-State Home Button & Water-Resistant Flagship Review

Display 750 x 1334 pixels 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)
Camera 1080p at 30fps
Performance Apple A10 Fusion (16 nm)
Battery Standard 5W wired charging
Expert Score
4.4
91% Confidence
Community Score
3.7
0% Confidence
AI Score
4.4
90% Confidence
Final Score
4.2
91% Confidence
Storage
RAM
Color
Regional
In Stock
$649 – $849

Lowest $70 Best: Amazon Refurbished

Read Reviews

Category Scores

Overall hardware score: 88/100 — compact one-handed unibody design, IP67 water resistance, responsive A10 Fusion processing, and front stereo speakers.

85
86
Performance Great

Apple A10 Fusion quad-core processor delivers sn...

87
Display Great

Bright 4.7-inch Retina HD IPS LCD display with w...

86
Camera Great

Reliable 12MP main sensor with OIS and quad-LED...

75
Battery Great

1960 mAh battery offers modest one-day endurance...

87
Gaming Great

Six-core PowerVR graphics handle mobile gaming t...

80
AI Great

Standard iOS core machine learning routines.

92
Security Excellent

Fast and responsive Touch ID capacitive fingerpr...

88
Value for Money Great

Exceptional long-term legacy value and prolonged...

90
Design Excellent

Durable aluminum unibody build with IP67 water r...

70
Repairability Good

Straightforward screen and battery replacement r...

90
Software Support Excellent

Extended iOS software support lifecycle up to iO...

88
Connectivity Great

4G LTE Advanced, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and NF...

86
Audio Great

First iPhone generation with stereo speakers (om...

90
Durability Excellent

IP67 dust and water resistance rating.

76
Charging Great

Standard 5W wired charging support (no wireless...

Specifications

Display 4
Size 4.7 inches
Type Retina IPS LCD, wide color gamut, 625 nits
Resolution 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)
Protection Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating
Processor 3
Chipset Key Apple A10 Fusion (16 nm)
CPU Quad-core (2x Hurricane + 2x Zephyr)
GPU Key PowerVR Series7XT Plus (six-core graphics)
Memory 2
RAM Key 2GB
Type LPDDR4
Storage 3
Internal 32GB / 128GB / 256GB
Expandable No
Standard NVMe
Battery 2
Capacity 1960 mAh non-removable
Wired charging Standard 5W wired charging
Camera 1
Main 12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm, 1/3", PDAF, OIS
Front Camera 2
Sensor 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm
Video 1080p at 30fps
Video 1
Max resolution 4K at 30fps, 1080p at up to 120fps, stereo sound recording
Connectivity 4
Network 4G LTE, HSPA, GSM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE
USB Lightning, USB 2.0
Sensors 2
Fingerprint Front-mounted Touch ID capacitive fingerprint sensor
Home Button Solid-state Taptic Engine haptic feedback button
Dimensions 3
Height 138.3 mm
Width 67.1 mm
Depth 7.1 mm
Weight 1
Weight 138 g
Materials 3
Frame Key Aluminum unibody frame
Back Aluminum unibody back
Water resistance IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins)
Colors 1
Options Matte Black, Jet Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Product Red
Operating System 1
OS iOS 10.0.1, upgradable to iOS 15

Expert Review

By Mutwassim

Design

The iPhone 7 features a durable aluminum unibody build with cleaner antenna band routing, a solid-state Taptic Engine Home button, and IP67 water and dust resistance.

Display

It packs a 4.7-inch Retina HD IPS LCD display featuring wide color gamut support and 625 nits peak brightness.

Performance

Powered by the Apple A10 Fusion quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, delivering snappy day-to-day iOS app execution.

Gaming

PowerVR Series7XT Plus graphics handle mobile games fluidly.

Camera

Equipped with a single 12MP rear camera featuring optical image stabilization (OIS), an f/1.8 aperture lens, and quad-LED True Tone flash.

Battery

The 1960 mAh battery offers modest one-day endurance under standard daily usage.

Software

Shipped with iOS 10 and received major operating system updates all the way up to iOS 15.

Ai

Core iOS machine learning models power photo categorization and facial recognition.

Pros

  • IP67 dust and water resistance rating
  • First iPhone generation with stereo speakers
  • Solid-state Taptic Engine Touch ID home button
  • Snappy A10 Fusion processor performance
  • Lightweight and ultra-compact pocketable unibody design

Cons

  • Omitted the 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Battery capacity (1960 mAh) is modest
  • Standard 5W wired charger included in the box
The Apple iPhone 7 established key modern hardware standards for the iPhone lineup by introducing IP67 water and dust resistance, stereo audio output, and a stationary haptic solid-state Home button powered by the Taptic Engine. Powered by the 16nm A10 Fusion chip, it streamlined the aluminum unibody design while famously omitting the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Verdict

The Apple iPhone 7 stands out as an iconic compact milestone, bringing water resistance and stereo audio to the classic 4.7-inch form factor.

Final: 4.2/10 Best for: Value seekers Segment: Premium

Product Intelligence

4.7-inch Retina HD IPS LCD Display with Wide Color Gamut Apple A10 Fusion Quad-Core Processor Solid-State Taptic Engine Home Button with Touch ID IP67 Dust and Water Resistance Rating Front Stereo Speakers with Enhanced Acoustic Output

Who Should Buy

Users looking for an ultra-compact one-handed iOS device with a physical Home button, Touch ID, and stereo speakers.

Who Should Avoid

Buyers requiring multi-day battery endurance, bezel-less screens, wireless charging, or a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Key Takeaways

  • First iPhone generation to introduce IP67 water resistance
  • Replaced the mechanical clicky home button with haptic solid-state feedback
  • Extended software update path supported up to iOS 15

Buying Recommendation

A reliable, ultra-compact vintage iOS backup device for fans of one-handed pocketability.

Competitor Comparison

DeviceScorePriceNotes
Samsung Galaxy S7

Upgrade Path

Upgrade From iPhone 6
Benefits
  • Massive jump to A10 Fusion performance
  • IP67 water resistance
  • stereo speakers
  • and solid-state home button

Downgrade Path

Downgrade To iPhone 6S
Benefits
  • Retains the 3.5mm headphone jack and physical clicky home button

Pricing & Price Intelligence

In Stock
Current $649 – $849
Lowest $70
Highest $849
Historical Low $649
Launch $649
Average $130
Confidence 40%
Trend Stable

Price Analytics

Best Deal Amazon Refurbished $95
Best Value Amazon Refurbished
Stability High
Buy Timing Fair market price

Pricing is stable. Shop Amazon Refurbished for the lowest listed price and set a price alert for drops.

Regional Pricing

US $649 UK £599

Store Comparison

Store Price Shipping Availability Rating
Amazon Refurbished $95 In Stock Buy

Variant Pricing

Colors

  • Matte Black $649 – $849
  • Jet Black $649 – $849
  • Silver $649 – $849
  • Gold $649 – $849
  • Rose Gold $649 – $849
  • Product Red $649 – $849

Storage

  • 32GB $649
  • 128GB $749
  • 256GB $849

Ram

  • 2GB $649 – $849
Low: 649 High: 649 Avg: 649 Volatility: 0%

Historical data will populate as prices are tracked.

Track Price

Alternatives

iPhone 7 Plus

Larger 5.5-inch screen option featuring a dual-camera system and 3GB RAM

Community Reviews

0.0 Average
0 reviews
0 verified
10★
0
9★
0
8★
0
7★
0
6★
0

Latest Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first!