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iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus | How Do The Phablets Compare?
Apple is a phablet phone company now. Last September Apple introduced three new iPhones, all with screens 5.8in or larger. The biggest of which, the iPhone XS Max goes to 6.5in. And then there is the new iPhone XS, which has a 5.8in display.
- Interested in the best iPhone you can buy right now? Check out our ULTIMATE guide to Apple’s best value iPhones…
But Apple has kept some of its previous phablets on sale too. Apple’s entry-level phablet is now the two-year-old iPhone 7 Plus. So just how does this low-cost phablet stack up against Apple’s newest, phablet, the iPhone XS? Let’s take a look.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus Quick Comparison
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Design
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS has a 5.8in display and features Apple’s biometric authentication system called Face ID. Its steel frame and all-glass back make it an absolutely gorgeous phone.
- iPhone 7 Plus – The iPhone 7 Plus, from a design perspective, looks outdated. It’s got a big forehead and chin and sports the old school Touch ID, biometric fingerprint reader. Design-wise, it’s a phone that had its heyday back in 2016, which is where it should have stayed.
Winner? iPhone XS – It’s a work of art compared to the 7 Plus.
Displays
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi. Without a doubt, the iPhone XS’s display wins the day here.
- iPhone 7 Plus –The iPhone 7 Plus features a 5.5in LCD display with bezels that has a 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi.
Winner? iPhone XS – Its Display Is Bigger And More Beautiful.
CPU/Processor
- iPhone XS – the XS features the A12 Bionic chipset. This A12 is a 7nm chip with 6 cores, which is absolutely INSANE. The CPU is almost twice as fast as the A10.
- iPhone 7 Plus – the iPhone 7 Plus features Apple’s A10 Fusion chipset. The A10, while a beast back in the day, is 50% slower than the A12 in most things. Look, it’s going to be good enough for your media playback and productivity apps, but if you’re a gamer or really into augmented reality, the A10 isn’t the chipset you want.
Winner? iPhone XS – It’s 50% More Powerful Than iPhone 7 Plus.
Camera
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS features a 7MP front-facing camera (as does the iPhone 7). But the killer benefit is in the rear camera. The iPhone XS features a dual-lens 12MP rear camera complete with a wide-angle and telephoto lens and dual optical zoom. It also supports advanced photo features like portrait photography.
- iPhone 7 Plus – The front camera is a 7MP setup, just like the iPhone XR has. But where things get really interesting with the phone’s camera technology is on the rear of the iPhone 7 Plus – it features a dual-lens 12MP system with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical image stabilisation, 2x optical zoom, and 4K video recording.
Winner? Draw – The camera hardware is the same, but the XS does have a few software-specific camera features the 7 Plus doesn’t.
Storage Options
- iPhone XS – 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB
- iPhone 7 Plus – 32GB & 128GB
Battery Life
- iPhone XS – The iPhone XS’s battery will get you about 14 hours of battery life with mixed usage. It also features wireless charging, which the 7 Plus lacks.
- iPhone 7 Plus – The iPhone 7 Plus uses a slightly smaller battery than the iPhone XS and, thanks to that, it will get you one hour less of battery life on average than the XS. In this respect, the iPhone XS is definitely superior. However, it still lacks performance compared to larger Android phones.
Winner? iPhone XS – It Has Better Battery Life Than iPhone 7 Plus and it has wireless charging.
Price
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Verdict?
Apple introduced the new iPhone XS not too long ago. The phone is Apple’s latest flagship device. And as with all new iPhones, once it comes out, it pushes previous iPhones down the rung. Now among Apple’s cheapest iPhone offerings is the iPhone 7 Plus–which first debuted two years ago. While the iPhone 7 Plus is a great phone for the price, it really can’t compete with the iPhone XS.
The iPhone XS is the pinnacle of Apple’s innovation. It has the best camera, the best performance, and the best operating system. It also features the company’s FACE ID and it looks totally stunning. If you want the best of the best, Apple’s iPhone XS is what you go for.
The iPhone 7 Plus, while good in its hay day, is now pretty old. It’ll still work OK, but if you’re after a cheaper iPhone you are 100% better off going the reconditioned route via Gazelle – you can get iPhone 8 and iPhone X handsets for 40% less than from Apple.
For a full breakdown on how they compare, read on for our full comparison of the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone XS…
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus Full Comparison (More Details)
Here are the specs for the iPhone XS:
- Display: 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi
- Dimensions: 143.6mm x 70.9mm x 7.7mm
- Weight: 177 grams
- Storage: 64, 256, or 512GB
- Processors: A12 Bionic
- Front camera: 7 MP photos and 1080p HD video
- Rear camera: Dual-lens 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Dual optical image stabilisation, Optical zoom, 4K video
- Battery: Up to 12.5 hours battery life mixed usage
- Other: Face ID, NFC, Wireless charging, 3D Touch, IP68 waterproof
And here are the specs for the iPhone 7 Plus:
- Display: 5.5in Retina HD LCD display with 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi
- Dimensions: 158.2mm x 77.9 mm x 7.3 mm
- Weight: 188 grams
- Storage: 32 or 128GB
- Processors: A10 Fusion chip
- Front camera: 7 MP
- Rear camera: 12 MP Dual Lens telephoto and wide-angle, optical image stabilisation
- Battery: Up to 12.5 hours of battery life mixed usage.
- Other: Touch ID, NFC, 3D Touch, IP67 waterproof
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus: Display & Design
The iPhone XS features an edge-to-edge display that is 5.8in and has a 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi. The iPhone 7 Plus features a 5.5in display with bezels that has a 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi. Without a doubt, the iPhone XS’s display wins the day here-well, almost.
By many aspects, the XS beats the 7 Plus: it has a larger display with a higher resolution, a higher pixel density, and is edge-to-edge. The other obvious difference is that the iPhone XS lacks a Home button. It jettisons it in favor of a gesture-based Home control. The iPhone 7 Plus still has the Home button we all know and love. This means the iPhone 7 Plus also still has Touch ID. The iPhone XR lacks Touch ID and replaces it with Apple’s new Face ID facial recognition system.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus: CPU, Battery, and Storage
The iPhone XS has just a slightly larger battery than the iPhone 7 Plus. Will you see any difference because of it? Not much. Matter of fact, as you can see from the battery life specs below, each device is very similar. Here’s how the battery life compares between the two in Talk Time, Standby Time, Internet Use, Video Playback, and Audio Playback:
- Talk time: iPhone XS – 20 hours. iPhone 7 Plus – 21 hours.
- Internet use: iPhone XS – Up to 12 hours. iPhone 7 Plus – Up to 13 hours.
- Video playback: iPhone XS – Up to 14 hours. iPhone 7 Plus – Up to 14 hours.
- Audio playback: iPhone XS – Up to 60 hours. iPhone 7 Plus – Up to 60 hours.
But the XS does stand out in one respect: it features wireless charging, where the 7 Plus does not.
As far s the CPU is concerned, the XS destroys the 7 Plus. It features the A12 Bionic chipset versus the iPhone 7 Plus’ A10 Fusion. The A12 is a 7nm chip with 6 cores. The CPU is almost twice as fast as the A10. You also have more storage options with the XR: 64, 256, or 512GB. That’s versus the iPhone 7 Plus’ 32 or 128GB storage options.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus: Camera
When you get to the camera department, the two phones differ wildly. On the front camera, both phones feature the same 7MP sensor, but the front camera on the iPhone XS is a TrueDepth system that supports Face ID. It also supports advanced photo features like portrait photography.
They also both feature a dual-lens 12MP rear camera with wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical image stabilisation, 2x optical zoom, and 4K video recording.
iPhone XS vs iPhone 7 Plus: Cost & Verdict
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Unlocked the 5.5in iPhone 7 Plus will cost £569 (32GB) and £669 (128GB). The iPhone XS costs £999 (64GB), £1149 (256GB), or £1349 (512GB). That premium for the iPhone XS does get you a bigger display and a sexy new design. Which you get will ultimately depend on if the camera is more important to you, or the bigger display is.
If you want a newer iPhone model, but still want to pay 40% less, go the refurbished route and check out Gazelle’s latest deals – you can grab an iPhone X for the price of a mid-range Android phone.