iPhone 7 Plus Unboxing & Review
Apple's recent strategy of bringing out an iPhablet that includes all the best bits of the smaller new iPhone has been a strong one – but this year, the iPhone 7 Plus is a phone that's markedly better than the smaller model.
That's mostly achieved through two things: improved battery life and an innovative camera. The former is always going to be better, given the larger size, but by adding a dual-camera setup to the mix Apple has made a conscious effort to make the 7 Plus seem like a distinctly different choice.
There are also new color configurations, more space to throw in your media and apps, and changes to the internals – we lose the headphone jack, but gain a new kind of vibrating motor.
Here's our iPhone 7 Plus video review:
All this added fun comes at a cost though: the 7 Plus is the most expensive iPhone ever. So is it a price worth paying, or are you going to feel out of pocket?
As we said in our iPhone 7 review, there are many, many similarities between 2016's iPhones and the 6S duo from last year – and while the iPhone 7 Plus may be the better of the two new iPhones, it hasn't exactly moved on in leaps and bounds from the iPhone 6S Plus
iPhone 7 Plus price and release date
- Out now (but limited stock)
- Launched on September 16 2016
- Starts at $769 (£719, AU$1,229) for 32GB model
The iPhone 7 Plus went on sale on September 16… sort of. That was the official release date given by Apple during its iPhone launch event, but as release day dawned it transpired that the 7 Plus had been so popular during the pre-order period there wasn't any stock left at Apple Stores.
At the time of writing, the Apple website says the typical wait for iPhone 7 Plus delivery is 2-3 weeks, so while you will be able to get hold of Apple's new phablet before Christmas, you still can't pop down to your local Apple boutique and walk out with one in your hand.
If you're not in a rush then availability will improve over the next few months – and you may need that time to save up, given the hefty price tag.
The iPhone 7 Plus price starts at $769 (£719, AU$1,229) for the entry-level 32GB model. Apple has finally (and thankfully) done away with the 16GB storage option, so you're getting double the storage over the entry-level iPhone 6 Plus and 6S Plus – but you'll be paying an extra $20 (£100, AU$40) more for the privilege.
That's not all that much extra – although for those in the UK that price hike has been amplified by the vote to leave the EU and the subsequent fall in the value of the pound, hitting iPhone-loving Brits squarely in the pocket.
Apple has also ditched the 64GB model in favor of a new 256GB option at the top of the range, with 128GB dropping down to become the middle storage option.
The 128GB iPhone 7 Plus price is $869 (£819, AU$1,419), while power users will need to shell out a whopping $969 (£919, AU$1,569) if they want to get their hands on the 256GB version.
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