Other Upgrade for iPhone 7?

[Not-A-Fan]

Hi all,

after my house was destroyed in a flood, a friend gave me his iPhone 7 so I would have a phone at least.

I've been using that for a couple of months and I have to say, I would be very satisfied with it, if it weren't for the almost defective battery that hardly makes it through a half day even if I don't use it a lot.

I don't take a lot of photos, I don't use social media (apart from whatsapp), basically I only use the phone as a hotspot for my Mac, in my car for Car Play, and for my meditation and podcasts apps and I prefer TouchID over FaceID.

My biggest concern is always battery life and I really miss the haptics of my old iPhone 5 that I used for far longer than I'd like to admit.

Is there any reason to take the 13 Mini over the SE2 in my case? I'm such a casual phone user so I'm hesitant to spend 700 € on a phone...

Thanks for your input!

 

[tedley]

If your main concern is battery life, the 13 mini does somewhat better. If not the SE2 appears to be about the same as the 7

 

[Not-A-Fan]

Good point. I'm assuming the battery life is a fair bit better especially when using the hotspot.

 

[tedley]

I believe it would be. The battery in the 13 mini almost 25% bigger than the 7. Several of the components have also gotten more efficient since the 7 Good luck!!!

iPhone Battery Comparison: Which Models Are The Best?

From the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, we take a look at how the iPhone battery sizes have changed over the years and highlight which models – past and present – have the best battery life

www.knowyourmobile.com

 

[tenordrum]

ifixit indicated that a replacement battery and tools for the IP7 is about $30 US. Not sure about the price in Europe, but it seems like a decent alternative

 

[BugeyeSTI]

SE2 sounds like it would work for you. TouchID, significantly cheaper than the 13 mini and improvements in most of the hardware when compared to the 7..

 

[now i see it]

Get a new battery.

Do people buy a new car when the tires wear out?

 

[tenordrum]

BTW- I have an IP7 that my wife uses (always off in her purse, as an emergency phone) and I use a SE2020. For our limited use (I am now retired) there is not a lot of difference. The good news is that the case is interchangeable. You can also get a fairly inexpensive lithium battery for either "just in case" .

 

[JPack]

Agree with the battery replacement. Or get an SE2 or iPhone 11.

Why they heck are you thinking iPhone 13 mini based on your use case?

 

[Not-A-Fan]

Get a new battery.

Do people buy a new car when the tires wear out?

Good point. Reading the ifixit guide, I didn't realise it would be that easy.

 

[chscag]

I agree with replacing the battery. I replaced the battery in a 7+ we owned and the phone was like new after that. Why spend a bunch of money on a new phone when your 7 with a new battery still has lots of life left in it.

 

[JM]

I would get Apple to replace battery since there is a waterproofing gasket that runs around the screen. It gets destroyed when removing screen and someone that knows what they’re doing should put a new one back one.

A new battery will breathe new life into the 7…. But seriously consider getting the SE as it will have more efficient chip.