Apple iPhone 7 review: The last-gen iPhone still holds its own

The iPhone 7 isn’t a bad place to land if you’re bargain shopping and want the basics, as it starts at only $549 for 32GB. It has a nearly identical physical design to the iPhone 8, water resistance for spills or pool drops, a solid haptic feedback home button…and no headphone jack. The iPhone 7 doesn’t have wireless charging like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, but does that matter? Lightning works fine.

This could also be the best time to consider older hardware, as Apple’s upcoming iOS 12 software update promises big performance boosts on years-old phones and iPads. The iPhone 7 already has a really good A10 processor, and it could run even better by the fall (when have we ever said that?).

That’s hypothetical for the moment, since we haven’t tested iOS 12 on an iPhone 7 yet. But it means that, if you’re looking for a solid camera and phone, this could be your best budget pick…even ahead of the starting-to-age iPhone SE. The iPhone SE is still cheaper though, starting at $349 for 32GB.

Just be forewarned that this fall, Apple rumors point to the release of up to three iPhones with iPhone X-like notches, Face ID cameras instead of Touch ID home buttons, and maybe a lower-priced model that could slide into where the iPhone 7 currently stands. It all depends on whether you can wait, and if you prefer a home button and fingerprint sensor to a face-unlocking life.

The 7 Plus has the added advantages of a larger screen, a bit better battery, and dual cameras, which add extra zoom and that snazzy depth-of-field Portrait Mode. Those are nice extras, but if you’re already bargain shopping for an iPhone, or want something small, the regular iPhone 7 is just fine.

The full review of the iPhone 7, originally posted November 22, 2016 and last updated March 21, 2017, follows.

Curved wraparound screen? Nope. Wireless charging? Not yet. Are you bothered that the 2016 iPhone looks the same as its predecessor? If you are, I understand the feeling. The iPhone 7 ($576 at Amazon.com) doesn’t feel like the “whole new thing.” Does that bother you? Maybe. But is it better? Yeah, it is. Except for one small 3.5-millimeter thing.

The iPhone 7 was released in September, so you’ve certainly heard by now that it has no headphone jack and it looks almost identical to the 2014 iPhone 6 and 2015 iPhone 6S. It’s faster, it’s better but its successor is likely to be announced in September 2017.

There are plenty of good or even great Android phones to choose from now, from the 2017 Samsung Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5 to the 2016 Google Pixel. The iPhone 7 beats these on speed, but not on battery life. Its size, performance and camera are unique features — along with being a way to use iOS, of course but the iPhone’s unique qualities are, this time, improved in many subtle ways.

But there are still compelling reasons to consider an iPhone 7, even if you own one of those recent iPhone models… provided you have an affordable way to upgrade.

• The iPhone 7 is now fully water-resistant (it can take a shallow dunking).
• The camera takes notably better photos, especially in low light, and adds the optical image stabilization feature previously restricted to the 5.5-inch Plus model.
• The battery lasts a little bit longer — sometimes it’s notable, other times it feels just slightly better than the iPhone 6S.
• The processor is definitely faster, although keep in mind that last year’s iPhone 6S has more than enough speed for most people’s needs.

It’s also got a “wide color gamut” screen with enhanced color accuracy, and enhanced stereo speakers, though I didn’t find those improvements as critical as the ones above. And the home button isn’t “clickable” anymore — it uses the same pressure sensitivity and vibration feedback found on the 3D Touch screen. It works perfectly well, but takes some getting used to because there’s no mechanical click when you press the home button.

As with 2015’s iPhone choices, you can also opt for the step-up iPhone 7 Plus, which offers a larger screen (5.5 inches vs. 4.7 inches). But that model’s big attraction is the dual rear cameras, which enable 2x optical zoom and a cool in-camera “bokeh” effect portrait mode, which blurs the background while keeping the foreground in focus. (That’s the model I’d pick this year, but the 7 Plus is still a handful to hold, and it’s expensive.)

Now, should you wait until September 2017? All the rumors point to Apple delivering a major design overhaul for the iPhone’s 10th anniversary anything from a Galaxy Edge-style wraparound OLED screen to a fingerprint sensor hidden under the screen to wireless charging. It’s tempting. But in the meantime, especially if you want to take advantage of the various retro-contract “free with two-year commitment” offers, know that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are worthy, useful upgrades to their predecessors even if they look almost identical from the outside.

Let’s not diminish the missing headphone jack. The loss will hurt, especially while other iPhones exist that still have a headphone jack onboard. If you want to plug regular headphones into your new iPhone, a process that seemed simple and uncomplicated before, you now need to consider whether you brought the included dongle, or have a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Or your special Lightning headphones that come in the box. But it’s surmountable.

Looking back on the iPhone 7 months after its release, it’s a great phone with a lot of worthwhile improved features, and its water resistance is a solid overdue feature. But, while I’ve moved on to Bluetooth headphones most days, I still miss that headphone jack.