Apple iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: Should You Buy S7 or Wait for iPhone 7

By Prajith

| Updated: Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 16:15 [IST]

At a glitzy event yesterday, Apple has unveiled the much-anticipated iPhones- the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. In line with the earlier rumours, Apple has killed the audio port presumably to achieve the IP67 water and dust resistance.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s: What's Different?

By the way, did we mention that Apple also got rid of the physical home button? Apple now uses a force sensitive home button instead, which can be programmed to create different responses, thanks to the Taptic Engine API.

Apple has thrown minor updates to the iPhone 7 to set it apart from its predecessor. But, the big question is how does the best iPhone from Apple yet stacks up against what people call as the best smartphone of the year 2016 yet- the Samsung Galaxy S7?

Fret not! We have compared the iPhone 7 with Galaxy S7 and let's see how both of them fare on paper.

Design

As far as the looks go, the iPhone 7 is not much different from its predecessor except for the relocated and less prominent antenna bands and of course, the missing audio port. At 4.7-inches, the iPhone 7 fits well in the hand and not to mention looks great. Also, at 138gm, it's light in weight which makes it easy to use it for extended hours.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S7 also sports a similar design as its predecessor. That said the S7 is slightly more curved than the S6 and looks gorgeous. At 5.1-inch, the S7 is slightly bigger than the iPhone 7. However, it sits well in hand and provides a comfortable feel. The S7 is slightly bulkier than the iPhone 7 at 152gm.

While the S7 boasts a glass front and black, the iPhone 7 has a brushed metal finish. Both the smartphones are water resistant with the iPhone 7 IP67 certified whereas the S7 is IP68 certified.

Display

The S7 rocks a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display. With a resolution of 1440 x 2560pixels, it offers a pixel density of 577ppi which is very impressive. It also means that you get a sharper and crisper display. On top of it, the S7 features an always on display to show you date, time, and notifications without the need of unlocking the screen every single time.

The iPhone, on the other hand, has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 pixels which translates to a pixel density of 326ppi. That being said, the new iPhone 7 has a 25% brighter display and covers a wide colour gamut.

In contrast to the punchy and eye-popping colours produced by the S7's display, the iPhone 7's display produces more realistic colours. It's up to you to choose which one you want, the Galaxy S7 has a better display on paper, though.

Hardware

Both the smartphones have top-notch hardware. The Galaxy S7 comes with a Snapdragon 820 chipset or the Samsung Exynos 8890 depending on the region you choose to buy it. Both these chipsets are considered as top of the line in the industry. It comes with 4GB of RAM in two storage variants - 32GB or 64GB. It also has a microSD slot to further expand the storage up to 256GB.

On the other hand, the iPhone 7 features Apple's proprietary 64-bit A10 Fusion chipset which is claimed to be 40% faster than its previous chip A9 and two times faster than A8. The iPhone 7 is available in three storage variants - 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The Jet Black version will only be available in 128GB and 256GB options. As usual, you can't expand the storage further and will have to make do with whatever Apple offers.

Software

The iPhone 7 comes pre-loaded with iOS 10 whereas the S7 runs Android 6 Marshmallow. It's a never ending debate to conclude which one's better. Both of them have advantages and disadvantages. It's more of a personal preference, if you have multiple Apple products you are better of with the iPhone 7 and if you want to switch to Android, the S7 is what you're looking for.

Camera

The Galaxy S7 has a dual pixel 12-megapixel sensor with a f/1.7 aperture at the back. It also has OIS (optical image stabilisation), phase detection autofocus, and a LED flash to assist in low-light photography. At the front is a 5-megapixel camera.

The iPhone 7 comes with a 12-megapixel shooter, OIS, and a quad LED flash which is claimed to be 50% brighter than the one in its predecessor. For the selfie enthusiasts, the iPhone 7 sports a 7-megapixel front camera.

On paper, both the smartphones have similar camera specifications but, we will have to wait until a unit arrives at our office to see if the iPhone 7 can beat the S7 in terms of camera.

Performance and Battery

As long as performance is concerned, both of the smartphones will handle whatever the task you throw at them with ease, all thanks to the stellar hardware they've got.

When it comes to battery life, the Galaxy S7 lasts for around 20 hours easily on a full charge thanks to its 3,000mAh battery. Apple, on the other hand, promises to have improved the battery life. It claims that the new iPhone will last you around 2 hours more than what 6S used to last for.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is already available in the market for around Rs. 44,000. In India, the iPhone 7 will be available starting from Friday, October 7. For the US market, it's priced at USD 649 which roughly translates to around Rs. 43,000 for the 32GB variant. But, given Apple's history, you can expect it to be priced way more, perhaps around Rs. 60,000. Given that the Galaxy S7 is a stiff challenger to the iPhone 7, would you upgrade your smartphone to the Samsung flagship or wait for the iPhone 7 to be launched in India. In case you will wait, do you think you need to spend Rs. 60,000 and above for the latest Apple phone.