iPhone 7 and 7 Plus vs. The Field

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the newest additions to Apple’s arsenal of smartphones, are some of the most powerful phones on the market. But that doesn’t mean that they are without competition.  There are several quality devices that run the Android software, though these smartphones are not manufactured by Apple.

Smartphones differ in everything from design and aesthetics, to the quality of the camera, to the processing speed and memory that enables them to run all of their apps. These differences are the best metrics in judging between the iPhone and its competitors. When it comes to the 7 and the 7 Plus, it’s worth noting that they aren’t the only smartphones out there that can take a pretty picture or shoot video in 4K.

iPhone 7 Changes

The biggest change to hit the iPhone 7 is the lack of a headphone jack. Perhaps this is just another sign that the “wireless age” is upon us, but either way, it does pose a potential problem for those that don’t have a pair of wireless headphones yet. Be that as it may, there is still an adapter that plugs into the lightning port that allows the user to plug in a pair of headphones.

Besides the lack of a headphone jack, there are a few upgrades to the iPhone 7 that make it worth an upgrade over the older iPhone models. One of the features many iPhone users are excited about is the water-resistance of the iPhone 7. It has a rating of IP67, which means it can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The iPhone 7 also has an improved display and better battery life over the previous editions of the iPhone, making it a great upgrade for anyone with the previous models.

iPhone 7 Plus

The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus is the dual camera system on the rear side of the 7 Plus. It has 2 lenses on the rear, which help it take better lowlight photos and videos, and there is a telephoto lens that allows for a zoom that’s not digital. There is a wide-angle lens as well, for those that want to take wider shots. The iPhone 7 Plus has a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution on its screen as well.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

The Galaxy S7 Edge is the latest release from Samsung, and a worthy competitor against Apple and its smartphones. iPhone owners used to the iOS operating system in the iPhones may not be used to an Android device, but there are plenty of features in the S7 and S7 edge to make up for it. The S7 and S7 Edge have a slightly better water-resistance rating than the iPhone 7 series, with an IP68 versus the IP67 of the Apple smartphones. This means that the Galaxy S7 can be submerged slightly deeper in water without being damaged.

The Galaxy S7 edge also shoots video in 4K, like each of the iPhone 7’s. A series of shots taken on the Galaxy S7 edge can be seen here. It also has a 12MP camera on the rear side to go along with the 5MP camera on the front.

 

The Galaxy S7 edge also has wireless charging capabilities. It powers up fast and stays charged longer with the longest-lasting battery from Samsung yet of 3600mAh.

 

The memory on Galaxy’s smartphones can also be expanded with a simple micro-SD card, with expandable memory up to 200 GB. The S7 edge are also run by Marshmallow OS, one of the latest operating systems from Android. We’ve listed a few of the “top competitors” below:

LG V20

The LG V20 is another great smartphone that gives the iPhone 7’s a run for their money. One of the most impressive features on this LG are the dual cameras on the rear, one 16MP and the other 8MP. The 5MP front-facing camera is also great for taking selfies. It also runs the Nougat OS, the very newest OS from Android.

For those that like a big smartphone, they’ll be getting it in the V20. The V20 is bigger than even the iPhone 7 Plus or the Google Pixel XL. It also has 64GB of memory storage, and coupled with a microSD card it can be expanded up to 256GB. These are several great features that make the LG V20 a worthy competitor against the iPhone. It’s a step up above the V10, and for fans of LG it’s going to do the trick just fine.

Honor 8

From manufacturer Huawei, the Honor 8 is another competent smartphone. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, it also has a 12MP dual-camera system on the rear. Its 3000mAh battery life is a slight advantage over the reported power pack of the iPhone 7 Plus at 2900mAh. The Honor 8 also has a 1080p Full HD screen, and an eye care mode that filters out blue light to reduce the strain that the screen has on the user’s eyes. All of these features make the Honor 8 another smartphone worth owning for those that don’t

Google Pixel XL

Pixel was Google’s first phone, and the XL is the bigger version. There are a lot of people who are finding out that Apple isn’t the only place to get a smartphone, and the Pixel XL is a great place to start. Google’s smartphone brings the Google Assistant to the table, their version of iPhone’s Siri. One big benefit of the Pixel is that it has unlimited online storage, a big advantage over the iPhone’s cloud storage where additional cloud space is available but, must be purchased. It’s also achieved an 89 DxOMark Mobile score, the highest ever achieved by a smartphone.

The iPhone may be the most popular smartphone, but it’s not the only one out there. There are other options out there for people who need a break from Apple devices or who are ready to try something new.