Thinking about replacing your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus with the iPhone 12? But are you undecided about whether the upgrade is worthwhile? To find out, read our guide.
The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 are definitely out of stock. Sure, they may function properly and you may be satisfied, but you have no idea what you are missing out on with the iPhone 12. Check out our detailed comparison below to see why upgrading from the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone 12.
iPhone 7 Vs iPhone 12: Should You Upgrade?
Display
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| Size | 4.7 inches | 6.1 inches |
| Resolution | 1334 x 750 pixels, 16:9 ratio, 326 PPI | 2532 x 1170 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, 457 PPI |
| Technology | IPS LCD | OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Screen-To-Body | 65.71% | 87.24% |
| Peak Brightness | 625 cd/m2 (nit) | 1200 cd/m2 (nit) |
| Features | Pressure-sensitive, Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | HDR support, Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass (Ceramic Shield), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
When we compared the Super Retina XDR display of iPhone 7, 7Plus, and iPhone 12. We have realised that the display of the iPhone 12 is on an extreme level. The good part is that the screen is larger, brighter, and has a higher resolution that supports HDR and Dolby Vision playback. Despite these all improvements, the iPhone 12’s display has almost no bezels, allowing Apple to fit a larger display into a device that is actually smaller in size than the iPhone 7 Plus. The display of iPhone 12 is protected by Ceramic Shield and provides 4x better drop performance.
Perhaps the only difference between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus displays and the iPhone 12 is that the former has 3D Touch and the other only has Haptic Touch. However, with Apple abandoning 3D Touch, this advantage is only on paper.
Design
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| Dimensions | 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 inches (138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm) | 5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 inches (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm) |
| Weight | 4.87 oz (138.0 g) | 5.78 oz (164.0 g) |
| Materials | Back: Aluminum | Back: Glass; Frame: Aluminum |
| Resistance | Water, Dust; IP67 | Water, Dust; IP68 |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint (touch) | 3D Face unlock |
| Keys | Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key | Left: Volume control, Other; Right: Lock/Unlock key |
| Colours | Black, Gold, Silver, Red, Rose gold, Jet black | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
The iPhone 12, like the iPhone 7/Plus, is made of aluminum. It does, however, have a much more modern design with minimal bezels on the front. The iPhone 12 does not support the home button or Touch ID because it has Face ID. The iPhone 12 is not the best device for you if you dislike notch displays and Face ID. Otherwise, the design of the iPhone 12 is far more modern than that of the iPhone 7 lineup. It also has better dust and water resistance, with a depth rating of 6m. Finally, despite having a larger display than the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone 12 is slimmer and lighter.
Hardware
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| System Chip | Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24 (16 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| Processor | Quad-core, 2340 MHz, 64-bit | Hexa-core, 3100 MHz, 64-bit |
| GPU | PowerVR 7XT GT7600 Plus | Yes |
| Device Type | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| Operating System | iOS (15.x, 14.x, 13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x) | iOS (15.x, 14.x) |
The A10 Fusion chip inside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has aged extremely well, but it is clearly showing its age. You may be satisfied with the performance of your iPhone 7, but the iPhone 12 will be noticeably faster in almost every way. More than anything else, you will notice a difference in daily tasks such as opening apps, switching between apps, and so on.
The A14 Bionic chip inside the iPhone 12 is manufactured using a 5nm process. Apple claims that the chip’s 6-core CPU improves performance by 40%, while the 4-core GPU improves performance by 30%. The Neural Engine has also been significantly improved, now boasting 16 cores and being twice as fast as before. Finally, second-generation ML multiplies machine learning calculations by ten. With such a significant performance boost across the board, the iPhone 12 lineup will once again set a new performance standard. The faster Neural Engine, ISP, and ML will also benefit apps that rely on them for more complex and specific tasks.
Storage
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| RAM | 2GB LPDDR4 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 32GB,128GB, not expandable | 64GB,128GB,256GB, not expandable |
The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 come standard with 32GB of storage. That was adequate back then, but in this day and age, it is insufficient. By this point, most users have most likely encountered storage issues on their iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. 128GB was the only other storage option.
In comparison, the iPhone 12 comes standard with 64GB of storage, with additional storage options of 128GB and 256GB. I strongly advise anyone upgrading from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 12 to get the 128GB model, especially if they plan to keep the device for 3-4 years.
In addition, the iPhone 12 has more RAM than the iPhone 7 series. This will allow it to perform better multitasking and run heavy apps and games more smoothly.
Camera
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| Rear Camera 1 | 12 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF, BSI sensor).Aperture size: F1.8; Focal length: 28 mm; Sensor size: 1/3″; Pixel size: 1.22 μm. | 12 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF).Aperture size: F1.6; Focal length: 26 mm. |
| Rear Camera 2 | No | 12 MP (Ultra-wide, Sapphire crystal lens cover).Aperture size: F2.4; Focal Length: 13 mm. |
| Video Recording With Rear Camera | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (120 fps), 1280×720 (HD) (240 fps).OIS, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Video calling, Video sharing. | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (240 fps).OIS, HDR, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording. |
| Front Camera | 7 MP (HDR) | 12 MP (EIS, HDR, Slow-motion videos) |
| Video Recording With Front Camera | 1920×1080 (Full HD) | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps) |
When we compare the camera setups of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 12, it is astounding how many features are missing from the former. This demonstrates the recent evolution of mobile photography in past years.
Although all three phones have the same 12MP rear camera resolution, the iPhone 12 has a larger and better sensor, larger pixels, and a wider aperture, allowing it to take photos with greater dynamic range and capture more light. Improved processing thanks to Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion also contributes to this.
The iPhone 12 also has Night Mode support for all of its cameras, which the iPhone 7 series lacks. The iPhone 7 Plus includes a secondary camera with a telephoto sensor, but its utility is limited. In comparison, the iPhone 12’s 12MP ultra-wide camera is more useful because it allows users to capture photos from an entirely new perspective.
Another area where the iPhone 12 outperforms the iPhone 7 series. Because of its higher resolution sensor and Deep Fusion, the iPhone 12’s FaceTime camera takes much better selfies. It also has Night Mode, so you can take great selfies in low-light situations.
Biometric Authentication
The iPhone 7 series includes Apple’s traditional Home button, which includes a Touch ID scanner. However, home buttons are becoming obsolete on smartphones as OEMs strive for a bezel-less experience. Face ID unlock is unquestionably more convenient than Touch ID, but only when it functions properly. Touch ID is far more convenient to use than Face ID in some situations, such as when wearing a mask. On the other side the iPhone 12 has only a Face ID unlock, it doesn’t have any fingerprint sensor.
Connectivity
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 5.0 |
| Wifi | 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, dual-band; MIMO, Hotspot | |
| USB | Lightning.Charging, Headphones port, Mass storage device. | Lightning.Charging, Headphones port. |
| Location | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer |
| Hearing Aid Compatible | T4 | M3,T4 |
There is no competition here. The only one thing common in the three phones is that they can all connect to a Wi-Fi and mobile network. Beside that, the iPhone 12 has faster WiFi , newer Bluetooth technology, and can pull higher download speeds on mobile data. This is without considering 5G support, which could enable users to easily achieve gigabit+ speeds on their devices.
Battery
| iPhone 7 | iPhone 12 | |
| Capacity | 1960 mAh | 2815 mAh |
| Type | Li – Ion, Not user replaceable | Li – Ion, Not user replaceable |
| Charging | USB Power Delivery, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe wireless charging | |
| Max Charge Speed | Wired: 10.0WNo wireless support | Wired: 20.0WWireless: 15.0W |
Whether you want a good camera, display, or design, you’ll be concerned about your iPhone’s battery life. If you’ve been using your iPhone 7 for a long time without replacing the battery, chances are its capacity has dropped well below 80%. Even if the playing field is levelled, the iPhone 12’s battery is rated to last an extra 3 hours for video playback and 5 hours for audio playback.
Aside from battery life, the iPhone 12 has several other advantages. It has fast wired charging, Qi wireless charging, and MagSafe support. This enables compatible accessories to automatically snap onto the device’s back. The iPhone 12 can also charge wirelessly at up to 15W using MagSafe chargers.
