Comparing my iPhone 7 Plus to my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

[Travisimo]

BACKGROUND: I frequently switch between Android and iOS, and there are things about each OS that I favor. For the past few months, the Galaxy S7 Edge has been my daily driver, and as of last Monday, the iPhone 7 Plus is now my daily driver (but I still have the S7 Edge). I didn't want to post my comparison until after I've spent a little time with the new iPhone. But the time has come to summarize what I like and dislike about each phone. Overall, these are two top performing phones that take different approaches to many things, but a winner can only be declared when weighing ones personal preferences.

COMPARISON:

1) BUILD QUALITY & FORM FACTOR. It goes without saying that both phones have premium build quality, using premium materials and crafted with great precision. I like the design of both phones, but there are some clear differences. While neither is a one-handed device, the S7 Edge is more compact when comparing the screen to body size ratio. However, I like the feel of the iPhone 7 Plus in jet black much better in the hand. The jet black, in particular, stands out with its unibody look even though it will need to be handled with care (not using a case and don't plan to except when I'm outdoors taking photos and videos). While I think Apple's devices still feel a bit more premium, I think Samsung has exceeded them in terms of design. WINNER: Galaxy S7 Edge

2) SCREENS. While the curved screen of the S7 is an eye catcher, I personally don't like it because I find myself trying to avoid touching the sides (even with Samsung's touch cancellation, you still end up with false touches). However, it does lend itself to more immersive viewing of video content when it wraps around the screen. The iPhone's color balance and auto brightness have both been flawless for me as I have not had to make any adjustments. On the Galaxy, however, I found myself frequently having to switch between auto and manual controls. And even though it has an overall brighter and more contrasty screen, I found the iPhone screen to be more responsive (this may be due more to the OS than the actual screen, but it just "feels" better to the touch). I also like the force touch capability on the iPhone, and I went from rarely using it a year ago when I first got the 6s Plus to using it a great deal on the 7 Plus. WINNER: Tie

3) AUDIO. Apple has definitely upped its game with the dual speakers on the iPhone 7 Plus. Even though it's a bit strange having a speaker in the same place as the earpiece, it actually works quite well. Having only one down-facing speaker on previous iPhones was a big drawback for me, and this new iPhone is significantly better. Sound is not only louder, but also sounds richer. The Galaxy speaker is not great at all, BUT it has a better microphone (stereo mics and higher gain, which results in louder, but noisier audio in video recording). WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

4) CAMERAS. Probably the biggest competitive area between both of these phones, and I think they are both just fantastic. The Galaxy still has a competitive edge in terms of sensor size and aperture, but the new iPhone brings a LOT to the table. The dual cameras on the Plus is much more than a gimmick. having a 2x optical zoom is a boon in itself (even with its low-light limitations), but the new Portrait mode is pretty awesome (no it's not the first to do it, but it does it well and does it very easily). I also like the more natural colors of the iPhone's photos, the less aggressive sharpening, and the superior optical image stabilization for video recording. In low light, the Galaxy still has an edge (pun intended) due to its superior light-gathering capabilities, but it still struggles with white balance. On the other hand, it still focuses faster, despite Apple's improvement in this area as well. One area of contention for me on the Galaxy as I've used it extensively during photos shoots is that it frequently overheats, stutters, and glitches when using the camera app. I would frequently get that overheat message when shooting outdoors in the summer where the phone just wouldn't let me record video at all. And when shooting 4k, there's also a second or two of stuttering at the beginning of every video. The iPhone is much more consistent and performs better, but the Galaxy offers a more substantial camera app with tons of features and pro modes (the iPhone requires a 3rd party app for most of that). WINNER: Tie

5) BATTERY LIFE. Despite its bigger battery, I am getting significantly better battery life out of the iPhone 7 Plus. This is especially true in terms of standby time and low-medium usage. When both phones are used intensively (for camera recording or playing games, for examples), the battery life is similar. But for every day use, the iPhone is much better. And I use a lot of background location and data apps on the iPhone, as well as quite a few widgets. Same for the Galaxy, but the standby time is a lot less. The Galaxy does charge faster, but I would rather have a phone that lasts all day and just charge it overnight, which I've been able to do with the iPhone. Though I have the wireless charger for the S7 Edge, I rarely use it because I normally continue using my phone while it's plugged in, which is difficult to do while it's sitting on a wireless charger. WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

6) OPERATING SYSTEMS. This is really a personal preference more than anything else, but they both have their strengths. The main things I like about iOS is the clean interface, bloat-ware free and updates from Apple, more responsive touch screen (except when comparing to Nexus phones, which are very similar to iPhone), better memory management, and in my opinion, better eco-system. The main things I like about Android are the customization, 3rd party launchers, better actionable notifications, better Google integration, and diverse phone selection. Regarding apps, in most cases I prefer the iOS version to Android, though Android has come a long way. Perhaps the clincher for me is having the best of both worlds in iOS: with the iPhone, you have almost all of Google's services (sometimes better Google apps on iPhone than on Android itself) plus Apple's services and apps, whereas on Android, you are pretty much all Google-only. WINNER: iOS with the disclaimer that I frequently get bored with iOS and find myself longing to go back to Android for a while just for the kicks.

7) APPLE PAY vs SAMSUNG PAY. Samsung pay is nice because it works with almost all magnetic card readers, whereas Apple Pay (and Android Pay) only work on NFC terminals. However, Apple Pay is still easier to use and faster at checkout. I frequently had trouble with Samsung pay, having to hold it longer and getting error messages asking to try again. Once more business upgrade their terminals, I think the Samsung Pay advantage will disappear and the ease of use of Apple Pay will shine. None of these are really mainstream yet and the biggest obstacle has nothing to do with the phones but with the businesses which still insist on taking your credit card to pay for things. WINNER: Neither

8) PROCESSING POWER. I normally don't care for benchmarks, so what matters to me is how fast the phones feel performing everyday tasks. There is no question that the iPhone nails is here, as the Galaxy S7 Edge feels sluggish in comparison. Part of this is because i have the AT&T branded version of the S7 Edge, but even after disabling the bloatware and carrier apps, it frequently lags and takes much longer to open applications. The iPhone, by comparison, is lightning quick doing just about everything you throw at it. And while I don't play games frequently, what matters most to me is interface smoothness, app performance, and camera performance... and the iPhone is better in every regard. WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

8) HEADPHONE JACK. Much has been said about Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack. So while having a jack is always preferable to not having a jack, I haven't used a headphone jack on a phone for years. I use Bluetooth for everything, having Bluetooth in my car and listening to Bluetooth headphones for everything else. So this doesn't affect me at all, and I understand Apple's decision to move technology forward. Some will argue that isn't the case and that having to use a dongle is a stop-gap (which it is).

9) FORCE TOUCH / HOME BUTTON. I really like force touch and I find that it makes using the phone less tedious, even though most of it is just shortcuts to things. The new haptic feedback on the iPhone 7 Plus is great though, much more prominent for certain tasks (like setting an alarm, for example, that is pretty nifty). I'm a big fan of the new home button too, which is probably understandable since I've used Android phones with capacitive buttons quite a bit before. I like having adjustable haptic feedback, and I like knowing I don't have to worry about the home button failing mechanically. I don't use my phone with gloves, so there is no issue for me with the capacitive nature of it. Samsung's home button has also felt cheap to me, and I wish they would move away from a physical button as well (they probably will now that Apple has done it).

10) STORAGE. Different approaches here too where Apple has increased storage capacity significantly this year and Samsung has the SD card slot for expandable storage. I like the flexibility of expandable storage, but I bought the 256gb iPhone and should never have a problem. So while Apple gives you more storage per dollar this year, it's also nice being able to use your own memory card on the Galaxy.

11) WATER RESISTANCE. Even thought the iPhone isn't rated quite as well for water resistance, real-world tests show that they are pretty much on par. Which is a good thing for Apple because customers have been asking for this for years. I actually used my S7 Edge two times in a pool earlier this summer, but I don't think I'd ever do it again. The first time I did it, all that happened is that I had to wait a couple of hours to charge and the speakers were muffled until they dried out. The second time I did it, though, the home button took several hours to work right (it kept on registering double-clicks non-stop) and it freaked me out. I would feel comfortable using either one in a bit of rain, but these aren't underwater cameras by any stretch.

SUMMARY: I really like both of these phones, but I'm sticking with the iPhone for the foreseeable future (at least until a more exciting Android phone comes out, LOL). Overall, the iPhone is just a lot faster to use and is a better fit for me personally. I will definitely miss some things about the Galaxy S7 Edge (fully featured camera app interface, for example, and better mic audio), but there are just so many more things I like about the iPhone. I'm sure Samsung will race to release their next phone (especially with the Note 7 debacle), so who knows what I'll think 3-6 months from now. Now I'm off to play around with the Portrait mode on the iPhone because that's a killer feature, in my opinion.

 

[44267547]

Fairly good comparison between both devices. The only thing I would have added, was customer service between both Companies. And I'm aware this has nothing to contribute to the hardware sense, but it is a major factor when standing behind a $900.00 device. Apple wins in this category by a land slide.

 

[adamneer]

How the hell have you had a Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus for a week already?

 

[denisej]

BACKGROUND: I frequently switch between Android and iOS, and there are things about each OS that I favor. For the past few months, the Galaxy S7 Edge has been my daily driver, and as of last Monday, the iPhone 7 Plus is now my daily driver (but I still have the S7 Edge). I didn't want to post my comparison until after I've spent a little time with the new iPhone. But the time has come to summarize what I like and dislike about each phone. Overall, these are two top performing phones that take different approaches to many things, but a winner can only be declared when weighing ones personal preferences.

COMPARISON:

1) BUILD QUALITY & FORM FACTOR. It goes without saying that both phones have premium build quality, using premium materials and crafted with great precision. I like the design of both phones, but there are some clear differences. While neither is a one-handed device, the S7 Edge is more compact when comparing the screen to body size ratio. However, I like the feel of the iPhone 7 Plus in jet black much better in the hand. The jet black, in particular, stands out with its unibody look even though it will need to be handled with care (not using a case and don't plan to except when I'm outdoors taking photos and videos). While I think Apple's devices still feel a bit more premium, I think Samsung has exceeded them in terms of design. WINNER: Galaxy S7 Edge

2) SCREENS. While the curved screen of the S7 is an eye catcher, I personally don't like it because I find myself trying to avoid touching the sides (even with Samsung's touch cancellation, you still end up with false touches). However, it does lend itself to more immersive viewing of video content when it wraps around the screen. The iPhone's color balance and auto brightness have both been flawless for me as I have not had to make any adjustments. On the Galaxy, however, I found myself frequently having to switch between auto and manual controls. And even though it has an overall brighter and more contrasty screen, I found the iPhone screen to be more responsive (this may be due more to the OS than the actual screen, but it just "feels" better to the touch). I also like the force touch capability on the iPhone, and I went from rarely using it a year ago when I first got the 6s Plus to using it a great deal on the 7 Plus. WINNER: Tie

3) AUDIO. Apple has definitely upped its game with the dual speakers on the iPhone 7 Plus. Even though it's a bit strange having a speaker in the same place as the earpiece, it actually works quite well. Having only one down-facing speaker on previous iPhones was a big drawback for me, and this new iPhone is significantly better. Sound is not only louder, but also sounds richer. The Galaxy speaker is not great at all, BUT it has a better microphone (stereo mics and higher gain, which results in louder, but noisier audio in video recording). WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

4) CAMERAS. Probably the biggest competitive area between both of these phones, and I think they are both just fantastic. The Galaxy still has a competitive edge in terms of sensor size and aperture, but the new iPhone brings a LOT to the table. The dual cameras on the Plus is much more than a gimmick. having a 2x optical zoom is a boon in itself (even with its low-light limitations), but the new Portrait mode is pretty awesome (no it's not the first to do it, but it does it well and does it very easily). I also like the more natural colors of the iPhone's photos, the less aggressive sharpening, and the superior optical image stabilization for video recording. In low light, the Galaxy still has an edge (pun intended) due to its superior light-gathering capabilities, but it still struggles with white balance. On the other hand, it still focuses faster, despite Apple's improvement in this area as well. One area of contention for me on the Galaxy as I've used it extensively during photos shoots is that it frequently overheats, stutters, and glitches when using the camera app. I would frequently get that overheat message when shooting outdoors in the summer where the phone just wouldn't let me record video at all. And when shooting 4k, there's also a second or two of stuttering at the beginning of every video. The iPhone is much more consistent and performs better, but the Galaxy offers a more substantial camera app with tons of features and pro modes (the iPhone requires a 3rd party app for most of that). WINNER: Tie

5) BATTERY LIFE. Despite its bigger battery, I am getting significantly better battery life out of the iPhone 7 Plus. This is especially true in terms of standby time and low-medium usage. When both phones are used intensively (for camera recording or playing games, for examples), the battery life is similar. But for every day use, the iPhone is much better. And I use a lot of background location and data apps on the iPhone, as well as quite a few widgets. Same for the Galaxy, but the standby time is a lot less. The Galaxy does charge faster, but I would rather have a phone that lasts all day and just charge it overnight, which I've been able to do with the iPhone. Though I have the wireless charger for the S7 Edge, I rarely use it because I normally continue using my phone while it's plugged in, which is difficult to do while it's sitting on a wireless charger. WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

6) OPERATING SYSTEMS. This is really a personal preference more than anything else, but they both have their strengths. The main things I like about iOS is the clean interface, bloat-ware free and updates from Apple, more responsive touch screen (except when comparing to Nexus phones, which are very similar to iPhone), better memory management, and in my opinion, better eco-system. The main things I like about Android are the customization, 3rd party launchers, better actionable notifications, better Google integration, and diverse phone selection. Regarding apps, in most cases I prefer the iOS version to Android, though Android has come a long way. Perhaps the clincher for me is having the best of both worlds in iOS: with the iPhone, you have almost all of Google's services (sometimes better Google apps on iPhone than on Android itself) plus Apple's services and apps, whereas on Android, you are pretty much all Google-only. WINNER: iOS with the disclaimer that I frequently get bored with iOS and find myself longing to go back to Android for a while just for the kicks.

7) APPLE PAY vs SAMSUNG PAY. Samsung pay is nice because it works with almost all magnetic card readers, whereas Apple Pay (and Android Pay) only work on NFC terminals. However, Apple Pay is still easier to use and faster at checkout. I frequently had trouble with Samsung pay, having to hold it longer and getting error messages asking to try again. Once more business upgrade their terminals, I think the Samsung Pay advantage will disappear and the ease of use of Apple Pay will shine. None of these are really mainstream yet and the biggest obstacle has nothing to do with the phones but with the businesses which still insist on taking your credit card to pay for things. WINNER: Neither

8) PROCESSING POWER. I normally don't care for benchmarks, so what matters to me is how fast the phones feel performing everyday tasks. There is no question that the iPhone nails is here, as the Galaxy S7 Edge feels sluggish in comparison. Part of this is because i have the AT&T branded version of the S7 Edge, but even after disabling the bloatware and carrier apps, it frequently lags and takes much longer to open applications. The iPhone, by comparison, is lightning quick doing just about everything you throw at it. And while I don't play games frequently, what matters most to me is interface smoothness, app performance, and camera performance... and the iPhone is better in every regard. WINNER: iPhone 7 Plus

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

8) HEADPHONE JACK. Much has been said about Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack. So while having a jack is always preferable to not having a jack, I haven't used a headphone jack on a phone for years. I use Bluetooth for everything, having Bluetooth in my car and listening to Bluetooth headphones for everything else. So this doesn't affect me at all, and I understand Apple's decision to move technology forward. Some will argue that isn't the case and that having to use a dongle is a stop-gap (which it is).

9) FORCE TOUCH / HOME BUTTON. I really like force touch and I find that it makes using the phone less tedious, even though most of it is just shortcuts to things. The new haptic feedback on the iPhone 7 Plus is great though, much more prominent for certain tasks (like setting an alarm, for example, that is pretty nifty). I'm a big fan of the new home button too, which is probably understandable since I've used Android phones with capacitive buttons quite a bit before. I like having adjustable haptic feedback, and I like knowing I don't have to worry about the home button failing mechanically. I don't use my phone with gloves, so there is no issue for me with the capacitive nature of it. Samsung's home button has also felt cheap to me, and I wish they would move away from a physical button as well (they probably will now that Apple has done it).

10) STORAGE. Different approaches here too where Apple has increased storage capacity significantly this year and Samsung has the SD card slot for expandable storage. I like the flexibility of expandable storage, but I bought the 256gb iPhone and should never have a problem. So while Apple gives you more storage per dollar this year, it's also nice being able to use your own memory card on the Galaxy.

11) WATER RESISTANCE. Even thought the iPhone isn't rated quite as well for water resistance, real-world tests show that they are pretty much on par. Which is a good thing for Apple because customers have been asking for this for years. I actually used my S7 Edge two times in a pool earlier this summer, but I don't think I'd ever do it again. The first time I did it, all that happened is that I had to wait a couple of hours to charge and the speakers were muffled until they dried out. The second time I did it, though, the home button took several hours to work right (it kept on registering double-clicks non-stop) and it freaked me out. I would feel comfortable using either one in a bit of rain, but these aren't underwater cameras by any stretch.

SUMMARY: I really like both of these phones, but I'm sticking with the iPhone for the foreseeable future (at least until a more exciting Android phone comes out, LOL). Overall, the iPhone is just a lot faster to use and is a better fit for me personally. I will definitely miss some things about the Galaxy S7 Edge (fully featured camera app interface, for example, and better mic audio), but there are just so many more things I like about the iPhone. I'm sure Samsung will race to release their next phone (especially with the Note 7 debacle), so who knows what I'll think 3-6 months from now. Now I'm off to play around with the Portrait mode on the iPhone because that's a killer feature, in my opinion.

Great comparison!! Thanks!! I have the Note 7 (non-exploding version) and will pick up my Iphone 7 + 128gb Matte Black today from UPS. Like you, I switch frequently between the two also. I'm just starting to take more pictures and love the features on the camera app of the Note 7. I'm really looking forward to using the camera on the Iphone 7+.

 

[swarlos]

How the hell have you had a Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus for a week already?

I've had my Jet Black 7+ also for a week

 

[5105973]

Great comparison!! Thanks!! I have the Note 7 (non-exploding version) and will pick up my Iphone 7 + 128gb Matte Black today from UPS. Like you, I switch frequently between the two also. I'm just starting to take more pictures and love the features on the camera app of the Note 7. I'm really looking forward to using the camera on the Iphone 7+.

I've got the Note7 version 2, too. It's different from and a few notches above the Galaxy s7 and S7 Edge my husband and I were given as loaners during the recall in terms of Touch Wiz refinements and I had a bit of a lemon in my S7. I don't have an iPhone 7, just a 6sPlus and SE for comparison, so I look forward to reading any comparisons you care to post.

I generally prefer my Note 7 as I grow more familiar with it, but I value the sturdy aluminum build of the iPhones, as I prefer to carry my phone in my pocket when I'm working out in the yard and I don't dare try that with Samsung's glass chassis.

My Note 7 bested my 6s Plus in a video comparison I conducted. Audio recording was superior because of the stereo mic, which was much quieter and a lot better than the one I had on the S7 which seemed to pick up too much noise like wind blowing over the mic. And Note 7's camera seemed to do a much better at handling changes in lighting as I panned around, keeping a more evenly exposed scene than my 6S Plus which was too sensitive and went from dark to light to dark.

But IPhone 7 is new and has a new camera and powerful processor and I look forward to seeing and reading about more comparisons between iPhone 7 and Note 7.

One thing most of us who go between the two platforms can agree on is that IPhone does have the advantage when it comes to communication, at least in the USA. iMessage and FaceTime seem to be the killer features that keep a lot of people enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem. As we shift to include Android in our lives, my family and I are moving to WhatsApp and have other messaging apps according to our needs. But there's no doubt iMessage and FaceTime are our favorites.

 

[seattlecard]

Very good write up... thanks!

 

[imorton]

What about the "security" aspects in the OS's....?

I hear that Android is full of Malware etc... and that the Apple eco-system is much more secure and less full of malware filled apps.

Any proof about this?

 

[kargurin]

I finally had enough of the poor battery life of the Notes. The 7 Plus is so much better as was the 6 Plus. I ditched the Note 5 because I was tired of babysitting. It was dumb for just about all the Android companies get rid of extended batteries. If you don't have an efficient system of dealing with battery draining apps, you need to have that available.

 

[Travisimo]

Fairly good comparison between both devices. The only thing I would have added, was customer service between both Companies. And I'm aware this has nothing to contribute to the hardware sense, but it is a major factor when standing behind a $900.00 device. Apple wins in this category by a land slide.

I haven't had to deal with Samsung's customer service, but I've never had bad service from Apple. Apple won me over several years ago when I had an iMac with a screen problem when nearing the end of my warranty period. Getting it fixed was taking too long, so they voluntarily replaced my iMac with the newest model at that time. I do not buy Applecare for my iPhones, but I have had warranty replacements before and never had an issue. Apple is sometimes slow to acknowledge problems on a universal level, but they almost always take care of the customer on a personal level.

How the hell have you had a Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus for a week already?

I feel for those who haven't been able to secure a jet black iPhone, but I got mine delivered last Monday after ordering from my iPad Apple Store app on preorder night. Regarding the jet black, I have no regrets in choosing this color. I like the uniform look and extra grip. I have a few micro abrasions on the back which can be seen only when holding it in a certain light, but they don't bother me. I have a naked skin on order which I might use if it isn't too much of a distraction; otherwise, I'll just use it caseless/skinless and not worry about. I'll be trading it in next year anyway, so no worries.

Great comparison!! Thanks!! I have the Note 7 (non-exploding version) and will pick up my Iphone 7 + 128gb Matte Black today from UPS. Like you, I switch frequently between the two also. I'm just starting to take more pictures and love the features on the camera app of the Note 7. I'm really looking forward to using the camera on the Iphone 7+.

Samsung does a great job with the camera app interface, giving the customer tons of advanced features but also making it easy enough to use. Apple's camera interface is slim and easy to use, but requires a 3rd party app for some advanced features. One thing that definitely bugs me is having to go into the general phone settings to switch to 4k video recording. I understand they don't want to clutter the camera interface, but really? On the other hand, the iPhone camera app is buttery smooth, never crashes, and gets the job done consistently each time.

My Note 7 bested my 6s Plus in a video comparison I conducted. Audio recording was superior because of the stereo mic, which was much quieter and a lot better than the one I had on the S7 which seemed to pick up too much noise like wind blowing over the mic. And Note 7's camera seemed to do a much better at handling changes in lighting as I panned around, keeping a more evenly exposed scene than my 6S Plus which was too sensitive and went from dark to light to dark.

But IPhone 7 is new and has a new camera and powerful processor and I look forward to seeing and reading about more comparisons between iPhone 7 and Note 7.

One thing most of us who go between the two platforms can agree on is that IPhone does have the advantage when it comes to communication, at least in the USA. iMessage and FaceTime seem to be the killer features that keep a lot of people enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem. As we shift to include Android in our lives, my family and I are moving to WhatsApp and have other messaging apps according to our needs. But there's no doubt iMessage and FaceTime are our favorites.

You bring up some important points, for sure. I forgot to mention iMessage, which is very much improved from previous versions. Though it's not iPhone 7 specific, I really enjoy using iMessage. Facetime is something I don't use often, but my wife does and she likes it a lot.

Regarding video recording, I can't comment on the Note 7 because I haven't used one, but I found the OIS significantly better on my iPhone (6s Plus and 7 Plus) than on the Galaxy S7 Edge. Recording video on the iPhone is almost like having a stead cam, and while the OIS on the Galaxy isn't bad by any means, it does register more movement and has more stutter. I haven't had any issues on the iPhone 7 Plus with exposure, but I definitely agree about the audio mic. Apple dropped the ball by not improving the recording microphone. Not only is it not stereo, it is much less sensitive, resulting in significantly quieter audio when compared to the Galaxy. On the other hand, that extra gain on the Galaxy is not always desirable but it does distort more quickly and picks up unwanted background noises. I would be curious to see how a normalized iPhone audio would compare to the Galaxy's audio. Is it just that Apple decreases the sensitivity to eliminate distortion and unwanted noise, or is the microphone quality that much different?

What about the "security" aspects in the OS's....?

I hear that Android is full of Malware etc... and that the Apple eco-system is much more secure and less full of malware filled apps.

Any proof about this?

Though Android itself is more susceptible to malware in general because of its more open ecosystem, good owner habits is the primary thing that keeps you safe on ANY platform. If you stick to the Play Store on Android, keep your phone unrooted and the bootloader locked, you are pretty safe (especially if you check app reviews before downloading). And while iOS is inherently more secure, there have been vulnerabilities on there as well and the same practices apply (don't jailbreak or install 3rd party certificates unless you know exactly what you are doing). I do think that Apple takes security very seriously and I appreciate their attempt to do as much as possible on the actual phone versus sending everything to a server. But all in all, these are computers and ALL computers are vulnerable, so I wouldn't necessarily decide between platforms based on this alone.

I finally had enough of the poor battery life of the Notes. The 7 Plus is so much better as was the 6 Plus. I ditched the Note 5 because I was tired of babysitting. It was dumb for just about all the Android companies get rid of extended batteries. If you don't have an efficient system of dealing with battery draining apps, you need to have that available.

I think most of it has to do with the carrier-added apps and OEM skins. If I had waited patiently, I would have bought the unlocked version of the Galaxy S7 Edge over the AT&T version, but most people just cannot do this because they need to buy with an installment plan, etc. I would choose a Nexus phone any day over a Samsung-branded phone if it weren't for the superior camera on the Galaxy phones. Though the Nexus cameras have improved over the years, they still are one level down from the iPhone and Galaxy cameras (and camera is VERY important to me). But overall, stock Android is very similar to iOS in that is it more fluid, more efficient on battery and RAM, and feels exactly like Google intended it to feel. But overall, Apple gets a lot more mileage out of its battery than almost every other Android phone.

Thanks for the comments everyone!

 

[jjayr41]

Nice writeup! I have been on Android since the Nexus 1 (coming from iPhone 3gs)...I had the note 7 as well before I returned it due to the recall and made the switch to iPhone 7+, though I still have my Nexus 6p just so I can get the new OS updates for another year before they stop updating it. For now, I'm sticking with iPhone that is until I get bored of iOS LOL.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

I've had my Jet Black 7+ also for a week

As have I

Good writeup OP. Agree with most of your points.

 

[Cyberguycpt]

In regards to Samsung Pay vs Apple Pay I will say I used Samsung Pay more than I ever used Apple Pay mainly because I knew it worked just about anywhere. I never wanted to be that guy in line lol. But the major drawback back was only one of my cards worked with it. With Apple Pay many of my cards works I just tend to use it where I know they take it or when I see the new terminals.

 

[kargurin]

Personally no matter which Android I own whether it be Nexus, HTC, Moto or Sammy I end up putting an extended battery on it. Except you can't do that anymore. Right now I'm at 4:30 hours of standby and an hour of usage and I'm at 97%. No android can touch that.

 

[goofy1958]

So why does there have to be a winner???? They are both excellent phones, and both OS's do a good job, so people pick what they want. It really gets tiring when people say there has to be a winner in this. No, there doesn't have to be. People can love whatever platform and phone they pick without saying that someone else's choice isn't as good. Grow up people.

 

[rulymammoth]

Wow, what a writeup. Thanks for this. I've always been tempted, but it's so hard to completely switch ecosystems. All I can say is, if Apple would stuff in the latest tech the way Samsung does (even though I'm not sure I like their kitchen sink approach), there wouldn't even be a discussion as to who's best. Apple seems to take a more measured approach to innovation, which can be both good and bad.

 

[5105973]

So why does there have to be a winner???? They are both excellent phones, and both OS's do a good job, so people pick what they want. It really gets tiring when people say there has to be a winner in this. No, there doesn't have to be. People can love whatever platform and phone they pick without saying that someone else's choice isn't as good. Grow up people.

The original post is merely using a format for a presentation that many tech articles use, it's not meant to be a slam on anyone's choices. @Travisimo used the format properly by delineating the parameters of each category and explaining how within those parameters each phone measured up according to Travisimo's standards, which Travisimo also explained what they were and how important they were to Travisimo specifically.

We readers are then free to compare Travisimo's priorities against our own and weigh the commentary and observations against our own personal scale.

I suppose I am not explaining it very well.

I guess it's just best to look at this as a relative evaluation, with the comments being relative to certain priorities. It's not meant to be read as an absolute declaration of a winner. Though in some categories there can be one product that aces that category above the competitors.

 

[esteli]

i have samsung for my job and i only use it just to receive jobs email and documents and the battery is awful and its so slow and always crash eventhough its the latest version and the previous version that my boss gave me i couldnt even take a picture it was blurry,i just admire the patient of samsung user,i dont have that patient thats why i always iphone for my personal use i can use it all day without having the charger on my purse and ill be alright,never crash,never reboot no need to clear cache etc.

 

[5105973]

Wow, what a writeup. Thanks for this. I've always been tempted, but it's so hard to completely switch ecosystems. All I can say is, if Apple would stuff in the latest tech the way Samsung does (even though I'm not sure I like their kitchen sink approach), there wouldn't even be a discussion as to who's best. Apple seems to take a more measured approach to innovation, which can be both good and bad.

Samsung actually has scaled back on that anything goes approach. The iris scanner works very well and can be useful at times. I currently don't see anything that they've included that seems ridiculously extraneous.

They don't advertise themselves as health oriented as Apple does, but they've actually got a lot of customizable features in Note 7 that cater well to special needs and health monitoring. I'm actually quite surprised at how helpful and useful my Note 7 can be because Samsung marketing is just so poor at conveying what these devices can do.

They spend much too much time and attention on trying to outdo Apple or snarking at Apple to make Apple look bad instead of promoting how useful and versatile their phones really are. Jeez, I only found out about the stereo audio recording capability by chance. I had these things for well over a month before I caught on. I don't mean just the commercials they run, but managing their presence in the press.

They obviously also need to step up on their QC. Understatement, eh?

Samsung as a company reminds me of a very gifted child. They produce a beautiful work of art but present it like a giddy little kid. You barely critique it when they get hyped up by the praise and they're already off working on the next project. They're sort of nodding "yeah yeah" as you give a few words of advice, but you're not sure if they've heard you and are going to incorporate your advice into the next art project. And like that kid, they don't seem aware of what's truly great about their art. They're too busy monitoring the attention their siblings are getting for their art projects and trying to copy what gets their siblings some attention.

 

[Travisimo]

Wow, what a writeup. Thanks for this. I've always been tempted, but it's so hard to completely switch ecosystems. All I can say is, if Apple would stuff in the latest tech the way Samsung does (even though I'm not sure I like their kitchen sink approach), there wouldn't even be a discussion as to who's best. Apple seems to take a more measured approach to innovation, which can be both good and bad.

Sometimes Apple leads, sometimes they follow. And in specific areas, sometimes they stay ahead and sometimes they fall behind. This is just the nature of technological evolution, and it's of great benefit to us as consumers that we have competitors that want to outdo each other. Imagine an Apple without a competitor like Samsung, and imagine a Samsung without the drive to outdo Apple. WE are the winners here! I happen to like both approaches, and I can't say that one is superior to the other. Apple is definitely more measured when it comes to innovation and pushing the tech, and sometimes that's good (doing things right like Apple Pay, Touch ID, and camera) and sometimes that's bad (like Maps, cloud services, and some areas of industrial design).

We readers are then free to compare Travisimo's priorities against our own and weigh the commentary and observations against our own personal scale.

Yep, I am certainly not declaring a "winner" for anyone other than myself. In fact, I never really declared a winner for myself, other than saying I'm going to stick with iPhone for a while. My hope is that my comparison helps others evaluate their own positions, and I certainly didn't try to incite a platform war. I have nothing to gain or lose either way because I have both and have no need to justify my purchases. Thanks for explaining it as well as you did!

Samsung as a company reminds me of a very gifted child. They produce a beautiful work of art but present it like a giddy little kid. You barely critique it when they get hyped up by the praise and they're already off working on the next project. They're sort of nodding "yeah yeah" as you give a few words of advice, but you're not sure if they've heard you and are going to incorporate your advice into the next art project. And like that kid, they don't seem aware of what's truly great about their art. They're too busy monitoring the attention their siblings are getting for their art projects and trying to copy what gets their siblings some attention.

That is a VERY good analogy, actually. It's been very successful for them for the most part, though sometimes pushing too hard can cause a debacle like the Note 7 battery issue, or just rubbing customers the wrong way by releasing a new and upgrade phone just a short time after they purchased what (they thought) was the latest and greatest. I personally like Apple's approach of updating the phone annually, but I am also admittedly bored long before that annual upgrade is available (which I why I usually switch back to Android some time after the New Year). I'll be honest though, if it weren't for the camera, I would probably just avoid Samsung phones altogether and just stick with Nexus phones. It'll be interesting to see what Google has done with the upcoming Pixel phones, though I have doubts that the camera will be as good as either the Galaxy or iPhone.

 

[adamneer]

Meanwhile, the 128gb JB 7P I preordered from ATT 15 minutes after midnight on the 9th remains in "we'll ship it whenever we feel like" status. I KNEW I should have stuck with Apple's ordering site.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

Nice writeup. Thanks. The battery on the 7Plus will be better because the screen resolution is only 1080P, while the Edge is Quad HD.

 

[Phoenixx]

I think I should mention that where I live, the iPhone 7 plus is around TWICE the price of the S7 Edge. The top model is in fact so expensive, it is possible to buy a medium range gaming rig for similar money. Also, many of the features of the iPhone are not available in various countries around the world. e.g. Apple Pay and transit info. This makes the iPhone considerably less useful. Personally, I've had it with Apple these days. I simply cannot justify purchasing tech at the prices that Apple charges, for what amounts to gimped tech.
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Personally no matter which Android I own whether it be Nexus, HTC, Moto or Sammy I end up putting an extended battery on it. Except you can't do that anymore. Right now I'm at 4:30 hours of standby and an hour of usage and I'm at 97%. No android can touch that.

Oh yes they can! There are many Android phones out there that absolutely decimate the iPhone battery life. At the extreme of battery life there are phones such as the Oukitel K6000 Pro and K10000. These have a 6,000 mAh battery and 10,000 mAh battery. The largest of these can quite literally last for about a week worth of usage. These aren't even expensive phones, but can be picked up for around the $150 mark.

 

[got556]

I've had all the Notes (minus the IED....lol I keed I keed), all the S's and all of the iPhones minus the 7. Coincidentally I've also had all of the Nexus devices. 6P has been the best yet and one of the best fingerprint scanners I've ever used and I have become a fan of the scanner on the back. Huawei really built a premium device. But here I sit, lusting over a matte black 7+ as my 6P since updating to 7.0 has been terrrible. I used GPS/Waze quite a bit today but only managed to get 2hrs and 50 minutes SOT with 20% battery left. That is downright terrible. Note 5 was the same way as marshmallow killed my battery killed my battery life. Good write up OP. My fiance was an iPhone lover converted to Galaxy S lover. It is just so hard for me to get on board with Touchwiz (while they have improved it vastly) and lack of updates from Sammy. Samsungs hardware is top notch though. I miss the Google Experience phones and would kill for a factory AOSP or 7.0 device using the S7 or Note 7 w/out having to unlock the BL or Root or trip Knox.

 

[andyp350]

Great write up and comparison. Only thing I don't quite understand is how the fact that the camera app seems to crash (even just occasionally) isn't a deal breaker in itself.
A camera crashing at the wrong time could mean a moment is totally missed that you wanted to capture and it's something I really need to trust. The reason I use my iPhone as my primary camera over my 'better', 'real' camera is that I can literally have the phone out and camera loaded within seconds. Crucial moments are never missed.
It's basically the one reason I will never be able to move from iOS to android, no matter how much more customisable or open the OS is, I can't ever see it working as smoothly as iOS does. iOS has its bugs and annoyances for sure, but it's never let me down at a crucial moment, and neither has OS X when windows has. It's the main reason I always go for Apple products.