Back in 2016, Phil Schiller stood on a stage and said it took "courage" to remove the headphone jack. People lost their minds. Fast forward to today, and that controversial slab of aluminum and glass, the iPhone 7 Plus, has become something of a cult classic. It’s the phone that wouldn't die. While your friend is out there stressing over a $1,200 titanium frame that might scratch if they look at it wrong, there’s a massive secondary market still trading these 7 Plus units like they're gold.
It was the first time Apple really leaned into the "Plus" moniker as more than just a bigger screen. They gave us two cameras. They gave us a solid-state home button that clicked back at you using wizardry (well, the Taptic Engine). Honestly, it felt like the peak of a specific era of design before everything became a notched, gesture-heavy rectangle.
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What Made the iPhone 7 Plus a Turning Point?
Most people forget that before this phone, mobile photography was kinda "meh" unless the lighting was perfect. The iPhone 7 Plus changed the game by introducing the dual-lens system. You had a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. This was the birth of Portrait Mode. Sure, the bokeh looks a bit digital and crunchy compared to a modern iPhone 15 or 16, but at the time? It was revolutionary. It made everyone feel like a pro.
The A10 Fusion chip was another beast entirely. It was Apple's first foray into a quad-core architecture. It had two high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores. This sounds standard now, but in 2016, it was the reason the phone didn't just melt your hand while playing Pokémon GO. Even today, for basic tasks like scrolling through Reddit or checking emails, that A10 chip holds up surprisingly well, provided you aren't trying to export 4K ProRes video.
The Home Button That Wasn't a Button
Let’s talk about that home button. It doesn't actually move. If you turn the phone off and press it, it feels like a piece of dead glass. But turn it on, and the Taptic Engine mimics a physical click so well that your brain genuinely gets fooled. This was a massive reliability win. Physical buttons on the iPhone 6 and 6s used to fail all the time. By making it solid-state, Apple basically made the iPhone 7 Plus tank-proof in that department.
Then there was the Jet Black finish. Oh boy. It looked like a piano. It scratched if a dust particle landed on it. Apple even put a warning on their website saying it might show "fine micro-abrasions." But it was the most beautiful phone they’d ever made. If you find one today in mint condition, it’s basically a museum piece.
Can You Actually Use an iPhone 7 Plus Today?
Here is where we have to be real. Software support is the elephant in the room. Apple officially stopped providing major iOS updates for the iPhone 7 series a while ago. You're likely stuck on iOS 15. For many, that’s a dealbreaker. Security patches still roll out occasionally, but you aren't getting the latest emojis or the fancy lock screen customizations.
Does it matter?
For a huge chunk of the population, not really. If you need a "burner" phone, a device for a kid, or a dedicated music player for your car, the iPhone 7 Plus is actually a steal. The 5.5-inch Retina display is still crisp. It uses the 16:9 aspect ratio, which—hot take—is actually better for watching a lot of YouTube content than the skinny, tall screens we have now because you don't get those massive black bars on the sides.
Battery Life and Thermal Realities
If you buy one of these now, the battery is probably shot. Lithium-ion doesn't age gracefully. You’ll see "Service" in the battery health settings almost immediately. But here’s the thing: replacing a battery on a 7 Plus is cheap and relatively easy compared to the glass-backed nightmares of today. Once you swap in a fresh cell, the endurance is surprisingly decent.
- The 2900 mAh battery sounds tiny.
- But it doesn't have a 120Hz ProMotion screen to drain it.
- It doesn't have a 5G modem sucking power like a vacuum.
- It just... works.
One thing that will surprise you is the weight. It feels substantial. It doesn't feel like a toy. The Series 7000 aluminum is tough. You can drop this thing (within reason) and it won't shatter into a million pieces like the newer glass-sandwich models.
The Headphone Jack Drama: Ten Years Later
We have to address it. The iPhone 7 Plus was the beginning of the "dongle life." At the time, it felt like a betrayal. Looking back, Apple was just forcing the hand of the industry. Now, almost nobody uses wired headphones with their phone unless they're an audiophile with a dedicated DAC.
But man, in 2016, that was a spicy conversation. I remember people literally drilling holes into their phones because they saw a prank video on YouTube claiming the jack was just "hidden" under the casing. (Please don't do that).
Technical Specs That Still Work
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | A10 Fusion (16nm) |
| RAM | 3GB LPDDR4 |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1080 x 1920 |
| Water Resistance | IP67 (1 meter for 30 mins) |
The 3GB of RAM is actually the secret sauce here. The smaller iPhone 7 only had 2GB. That extra gigabyte is why the Plus model feels significantly smoother today. It can keep more apps open in the background without refreshing them every time you switch. It’s the difference between a frustrating experience and a usable one.
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Misconceptions About the 7 Plus
People think it's obsolete because it can't run the latest iOS. That’s a bit of a myth. Most apps in the App Store still support iOS 15. You can still run Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Gmail without a hitch. The "obsolescence" is more about the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) than actual utility.
Another misconception: "The camera is trash now."
Actually, in bright daylight, the iPhone 7 Plus takes incredibly natural photos. It doesn't have that aggressive "over-processed" HDR look that modern smartphones struggle with. Skin tones look like skin. The grass looks like grass. It only falls apart when the sun goes down because it lacks a dedicated Night Mode. If you're a daytime shooter, you might actually prefer the color science of this older sensor.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers
If you’re looking to pick up an iPhone 7 Plus as a secondary device or a budget primary, do these three things:
- Check the Battery Health: If it’s below 80%, factor in the cost of a replacement immediately.
- Verify the Model: Avoid the "Matte Black" models if you can find a silver or gold one; the Matte Black was notorious for "chipping" or pitting over time, looking like it had chickenpox.
- Audit Your Apps: Make sure the specific apps you need (like certain banking apps) still support iOS 15. Most do, but some high-security apps are starting to move their minimum requirements to iOS 16.
The iPhone 7 Plus represents a moment in time when Apple perfected the "classic" iPhone formula. It’s durable, the screen is still great, and the Touch ID sensor is arguably faster and more convenient than Face ID when your phone is sitting flat on a desk. It’s not a powerhouse anymore, but it’s a long way from being a paperweight.