iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: which is the best smartphone in 2016?

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We compare the specs, features and camera of the new iPhone 7 and Samsung S7

If you're looking for a brand new smartphone right now, you couldn't have picked a more confusing time. We're months away from the iPhone 8, days away from the Samsung Galaxy S8, and there are also more impressive handsets from LG, OnePlus. However, if you need a phone right now, the iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 are two great choices.

Both handsets have been out for a while now, which means you'll be able to find some great deals on them. And even though they're going to be replaced later this year, they still offer great value for money.

We've had both handsets for some time, meaning we were able to compare everything from features and specs to camera, price and storage options. So, do you want to know what is the best phone to get in 2017 right now? Read our iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 comparison to find out.

iPhone 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7: Features

Camera

Both the iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S7 have a photo sensor of

12 megapixels

, but the S7 has an opening

f/1.7

wider than iPhone 7

f/1.8

opening. This means that the S7 can let more light into its lens than its Apple rival, so it should, theoretically, produce higher quality images in low light conditions. However, both phone cameras have

optical image stabilization

, so any unwanted handshake effects should be kept to a minimum.

It's safe to say the iPhone 7's camera is much better than before, but the Samsung Galaxy S7 still beats it. Although the iPhone 7's camera performs much better in low light, it seems to suffer from ugly post-processing artifacts, especially in shadows.

Fingerprint readers

Both phones have a fingerprint reader hidden in their respective home buttons, but the iPhone 7 now features Apple's Force Touch technology, giving you the same kind of haptic feedback as the MacBook Pro's Force Touch trackpad. . This is quite significant as it essentially removes the mechanical part of the home button to make it less prone to faults and failures. It will still feel like a click when pressed, but it should be more reliable and durable than previous Apple home buttons.

iPhone 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7: Design

The Samsung S7 is one of the best looking phones out there and really does look neat and sophisticated. The S7 uses a glass front and back bound together by a metal frame, making it a reassuringly heavy 152g.

In contrast, the iPhone 7 is available in a range of colors including silver, rose gold and gold and two new colors. A matte black finish now joins the iPhone 7 range, along with a glossy jet black – although it's a fingerprint magnet. The iPhone 7 weighs only 138 g, which is 14 g less than the Samsung.

Water resistance

The S7 has a higher level of waterproof protection than the iPhone 7, with its

IP68

beats Apple's index

IP67

. This means the S7 can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, rather than just a meter with the iPhone 7. In real terms, however, they will both survive a immersion in the toilet and a heavy downpour. , so unless you're planning on drawing a particularly deep bath, that extra 50cm of protection probably won't make a huge difference.

iPhone 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7: Specs

Display

The iPhone 7 has the same

4.7 inches, 1134 x 750

display than the iPhone 6s, which on paper looks pretty mediocre against the 5.1-inch, 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display

from Samsung.

However, Apple has made several improvements to the screen quality of the iPhone 7 this year; it is now much brighter and supports the wider DCI-P3 color gamut. This is the same color gamut used by digital cinema projectors, so it should display a richer, more vibrant color gamut than the iPhone 6s screen.

Of course, the S7's screen is already quite vibrant thanks to its Super AMOLED panel, so it'll be interesting to see how the S7's color accuracy stands up to Apple's new IPS panels. The iPhone 7 is likely to be brighter overall; I have never been able to achieve a peak luminance level of around

490cd/m2

with the Galaxy S7 - that's a far cry from Apple's claim of

650cd/m2

. However, the S7 will certainly have the edge when it comes to contrast, as AMOLED's ability to switch individual pixels on and off to produce pure blacks of 0.00cd/m2 means it potentially has a

infinite contrast ratio

p>

, taking it much higher than Apple's stated ratio of just

1300:1

.

Again, the iPhone 7's screen looks better than Apple's previous handset, but its LCD technology doesn't quite match the Samsung Galaxy S7's Super AMOLED technology. Despite this, it's amazing how well Apple designed the iPhone 7 screen, when many people consider LCD screens to be inferior technology.

Performance

Speed ​​is always a key testing ground for any high-end smartphone, and Samsung's S7 is by far the fastest Android handset I've tested so far. Powered by one of the Samsung chips

octa-core 2.3GHz Exynos 8890

and

4 GB of RAM

, the S7 pretty much outperforms every other Android handset currently available. However, the new chip

A10 Fusion

of the iPhone 7 narrowly tops it, and on our Geekbench tests it scored 5,652 to the Galaxy S7's 5,295. We also tested single-core performance, where Apple destroyed the Samsung, but since both phones are designed to use more than one processor at a time, that's not really a relevant score.

Price

£599

, the 128 GB version available for

£699,

and the 256 GB version available for an attractive price

£799

, it starts to look very expensive compared to its rival Samsung.

Right now, for example, you can buy a SIM-free S7 card for around

£549

and, if you really need it, Amazon's SanDisk Ultra 256GB microSD card for around £129, bringing the total cost to £678. That's over £100 less than the 256GB iPhone 7.

View Latest Samsung Discount Codes

Most people won't want to pay that much upfront, so it's more likely you'll be buying both phones with a contract rather than SIM-free. Again, though, the S7 has the edge here: contracts start at around £34 a month, with no upfront costs.

The iPhone 7, on the other hand, costs around £50 a month to varying degrees. of the initial cost depending on where you shop. You can consult our

Article on the best iPhone 7 deals

for more, but the only way to get a contract for around the same price as the S7 right now is to pay several hundred pounds up front, which isn't exactly ideal.

Battery

In our video playback test, with the screen brightness set to our standard measurement of 170cd/m2, the S7 lasted an incredible

5:48 p.m.,

much more than the around 1pm score managed by the iPhone 7.

Storage

For the first ever, the entry-level iPhone 7 will be available with

32 GB

of storage, which puts it on a par with the S7. However, although the S7 is also available in a version of

64 GB

, it has a microSD slot so you can expand the phone storage at a later date. It supports cards up to

256 GB

in size, so you should have enough space for all your files. The iPhone 7 doesn't offer that level of flexibility, so the amount of storage you buy up front is what you'll be stuck with for the life of the handset. In this case,

32GB, 128GB or 256GB options

are available.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7:

Verdict< /p>

You can't live without it, the S7 offers much better value for money and makes the iPhone 7 look slightly overpriced - but either handset will be a solid buy right now. If you already own an Apple Watch, iPad, or MacBook, you're probably already sold on the Apple ecosystem, and the iPhone 7 will fit best into your life. On the other hand, if you are more of an Android user, it currently makes more sense to take a Galaxy S7. If, however, you're purely about hardware and value for money, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is the phone for you right now. Both handsets are up for grabs right now, but if you're someone who wants to make sure they're fully updated, or you only have a few months left on your contract, there's no reason not to wait. Here is

what we know about the iPhone 8

and

Samsung Galaxy S8

right now.

Learn more

In detail