The recent iPhone 7 release marks the third year running in which Apple offered its new smartphone in two sizes. But 2016 marks the first time that the popularity of the larger model might be catching up with the smaller one per a report from Slice Intelligence. For those that have never understood the appeal of big phones or even their ungainly moniker -- phablets -- this might be surprising. It might even be a surprise to Apple, which has a well-deserved record of predicting demand but a shortage of iPhone 7 Plus models available for this past weekend's launch. That the big iPhone is suddenly "happening," when the basic design of both remains unchanged since the 2014 iPhone 6, is telling though -- both for what the Plus offers and the ever-changing needs of customers.
Empire State of Mind: While the iPhone 6S could capture some great images like this one), the camera... [+]
Why the Plus?
For those who haven't yet upgraded their iPhone or aren't sure they want to, the Plus represents the top-of-the-line iPhone but one with tradeoffs. In a nutshell you get a bigger screen, a better camera and more battery capacity. Of course, two of those aren't new and if we're getting technical, the 6 Plus and 6S Plus both offered slightly better cameras than their smaller counterparts too.
Still, this year's 7 Plus generates more separation from its smaller sibling in that it offers Apple's first dual-lens camera, which allows for both hardware "telephoto" shooting, at 2x zoom. There is also a forthcoming software upgrade that relies on some magic of the dual-lens setup to generate more flattering portraits though a synthetic depth of field effect. It allows for focusing on subjects while blurring backgrounds, something DSLRs with fast lenses can do but point and shoots have historically been unable to match.
But the reality is that the appeal of the camera only goes so far. There's now a $120 gap between the regular and Plus models at equivalent storage capacities ($649 vs. $769 starting price), a $20 larger difference than we've seen in the past. And arguably the improvements in iPhone battery life have made the larger energy storage on the Plus model less relevant for some users.
A false start
My personal purchase of a 7 Plus, though, I think helps explain what's changed over the years and why now might be the time for you to consider a larger iPhone as well. Like many Apple users, by 2014 I was over the tiny screens Apple had insisted were preferable to users. Upon the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, I eagerly jumped at the larger of the two phones thinking Apple had -- at last -- delivered the iPhone of my dreams.
That fantasy, however, quickly crashed into reality. The 6 Plus was big and heavy. After years of being able to do most things on the iPhone with one hand, the 6 Plus was sometimes difficult to work even with two hands. It was also uncomfortable in a front pocket, especially wearing shorts in the still warm September that year. After 10 days, I sold it to a startup that desperately needed one for testing its software (at face value) and purchased an iPhone 6 to replace it. Last year, that iPhone 6 was upgraded to a 6S without any consideration of the Plus model.
This, year, though I knew when Apple announced the new models I'd try the Plus again. It's absolutely true the superior camera helped justify the decision, but it wasn't the only factor. Instead, five things led me to the 7 Plus and those might do the same for others.
One hand? Two hand?
Two years of the 4.7-inch iPhone taught me that it's wonderful to have a bigger screen than the 3.5 and 4-inch iPhones of old, but the size of the non-Plus models is a bit awkward. It's too big to do much one-handed. Yes, occasionally you can read a long story with one hand or scroll Twitter, but too much else becomes a two-hand operation. The 4.7-inch phones, though, are two small for a pair of adult male hands to comfortably manipulate -- something I assumed in 2014 was limited to the Plus model but was common to both.
How the Plus helps: You stop trying to do much one handed with a Plus except except those scrolling type tasks. Most things become two-handed operations and dexterity on them improves with more screen real estate.
Keyboard woes
A related problem is the keyboard size. It's been more than a year since my typing improved on the iPhone. While my raw speed is far higher than on an iPhone 5 due to having some "breathing room" for the fingers, the error rate is actually worse than the old days.
How the Plus helps: Again, there's space to spread out a bit, which enforces more consistent typing habits. Using the TapTyping app, I measured 33 words per minute with 89% accuracy. That's nowhere near what I can do on the desktop, but feels a bit better than I was getting on the iPhone 6s.
Power outage
In the past two years, I've had at least one day per week where my battery is dead by lunchtime. The common element tends to be travel around San Francisco or New York -- in my experience nothing kills the battery faster than the phone hunting for signal for a few hours. To deal with this, I've resorted to carrying an extra battery (usually this one from Anker). When I don't bring the battery I'm constantly searching for a power cord to borrow to sneak out a bit more juice. And given increasing relying on the phone over time, the idea of running out of power is that much more disturbing. The phone can now be a house key, wallet, primary work tool and main (sole?) communication link. Being offline is less acceptable than ever.
How the Plus helps: The battery inside is larger than the non-Plus model. At 2900 mAh (milliamp hours) the Plus has nearly 50% more capacity than the 1960 mAh in the regular 7. While the larger screen eats up some of that edge, there is no doubt battery life is better on the bigger model. Apple says only about an hour for internet use or video, but 50% more for talk time or listening to audio.
Size matters
The 4.7-inch screen that seemed so expansive two years ago is now pretty much the smallest size you'll find on a smartphone that's >$100 (save for Apple's iPhone SE, a nod to the iPhone 5 past for those that still love the form factor). With more video usage than ever, screen size just gets more valuable over time. It's also worth mentioning the continued rise of emoji here. They can sometimes be hard to distinguish and parse the meaning of. The bigger they are, the easier it is to "get the message."
How the Plus helps: That extra 0.8 inches of diagonal is actually 37% more screen real estate. Everything looks nicer. This is especially true of text, which I can now afford to enlarge just a bit (Settings --> Display --> Text Size). I now run one slot to the right of center and enjoy almost every app a bit more without sacrificing the number of words on the screen at one time. For the millennials among you this might not matter, but age starts catching up everyone someday.
And oh yeah, that camera
While I'm not a big Instagram user (New Year's tech resolution?), I do like to capture and share interesting or beautiful things I see with friends and family. I want the best camera I can possibly have for that. As much as Apple has consistently delivered camera improvements with each iPhone, it continues to fall short at capturing far off scenes.
How the Plus helps: I'm hopeful that even the 2x telephoto function lets me get a bit closer to the sunset or a skyline in the distance such that the exposure is better set to capture those scenes. One problem with trying to shoot the moon, for example, is that the iPhone sees a dark photo where the object I want isn't particularly special in the "eyes" of the camera. You can touch the point of interest to try to get focus, but you can't really get the camera to understand what you're after without excessive use of digital zoom. Getting 2x "closer" is a step in the right direction.
It happens to be good for Apple, too
While we don't know the margin difference between the two phones, it's very likely Apple makes more selling Plus models than standard-sized iPhones. The $120 difference covers a bigger chassis, screen and battery and that snazzy new camera. It's not a reach to suggest half the difference is incremental margin for Apple. The company may well see zero or negative growth in iPhone units this year, but the 7 Plus might make investors less concerned if prices and margins rise.
It's also true that the more expensive iPhones Apple sells, the more it can afford to sell less-pricey models. It would be ironic indeed if the success of the 7 Plus ultimately allowed Apple to move the price of the iPhone SE down from $399 to $299 -- a move that could expand the market for iPhones right when Apple needs it. In the meantime, buyers should concern themselves with how they use and enjoy their phones. For me in 2016-17, that enjoyment will come from a 7 Plus. See if you don't feel the same.
