Although this initial review is supposed to be just the basics, over the course of the review we've learned quite a bit about the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. These findings aren't necessarily going to excite those that are interested in the deep-dive aspects that we've come to expect from a review – and...

Which smartphone is better After using both of them for a couple of days, I concluded that the Huawei Nova 3i is definitely worth that little more money. It is better looking, its AI camera assists the user to capture better images (which can be toggled off from Gallery for every AI photo taken).

Editors' note (Sept. 12, 2018): The iPhone 7 Plus reviewed here is now available at a reduced price of $569. See all of the new iPhones and new products that Apple just announced.

The iPhone 7 Plus is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras ever -- and it's a great phone, too.

Dual rear cameras delivers true 2x optical zoom, with a cool bokeh Portrait mode; Battery lasts longer than last year's model, and longer than iPhone 7; Water resistant; Fast; Bigger storage options include 256GB model for serious photographers.

There's no standard headphone jack: you'll have to use Lightning, or the included adapter, or go wireless; Design is showing its age, as competing phones squeeze a 5.5-inch screen into smaller, sexier bodies; And it's really expensive.

The iPhone 7 Plus is an excellent phone. It’s Apple’s best yet, but it is also Apple’s most expensive yet, with a huge starting price. In some respects, the upgrades seem to justify this, but at the same time some features are arguably only catching up with what the competition has been offering for a while now – water-resistance for one. Taken as a whole, the performance, battery life, camera quality and stereo speakers are all compelling reasons to upgrade. But our advice remains much the same as for the iPhone 7: if you already own the previous generation, there’s not enough here to justify ditching a 6S Plus, especially if you’re halfway through a two-year contract. Those just coming out of contract on the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus would do well to grab a 7 Plus.

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus can't quite keep up with the best in terms of pixel-level detail but otherwise delivers very good image quality all-around. Its unique selling point is its dual-camera with a 56mm 'tele-lens.' It allows for the best zooming of all current smartphones, offers an alternative angle of view to the wide-angle and works well in Apple's new portrait mode. There is room for improvement as far as the dual-camera's low-light performance is concerned, but overall the system is a true step forward for mobile photography.

Zooming, people photography, video;

Low-light photography with the longer lens;

So Apple finally deigned to provide us with an iPhone 7 Plus review unit. The phone itself (plus the first reviews) came out several weeks ago so the interest in what we have to say will have waned somewhat by now. In fact, who’s even going to bother reading this? Let’s see?

A lightly-flawed flagship. Taptic feedback isn't as useful as a headphone jack, the camera's Portrait Mode is a mess and there are some low light issues. But it's fast and well-appointed and if Apple's ecosystem is important to you, value is less of an issue.

Fast; Decent camera with great video; Good screen; Compatible with Apple ecosystem;

Expensive; Portrait Mode is a mess; No headphone jack; Price hike for Australians; Siri feels old; No VR strategy;

For the first time, we're recommending the big phone—in this case, the iPhone 7 Plus—as the iPhone to get this year. Apple's two new phones, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, offer mostly stepwise improvements over last year's models. Older iPhone owners will likely most appreciate the significant improvement in battery life. There's a cost (other than the $769 and up you'll pay for the iPhone 7 Plus), as you're going to struggle for a few months with being an early adopter of the headphone jack-free lifestyle. But the iPhone 7 Plus offers enough benefits and improvements to make it worth your while. It's our new Editors' Choice. What's New This Year?The iPhone 7 Plus is exactly the size of last year's iPhone 6s Plus, at 6.23 by 3.07 by 0.29 inches (HWD), but a little bit lighter, at 6.63 ounces compared with 6.77. It may not fit into the same cases, however, because the dual rear cameras require a larger cutout. The phone is still kind of a surfboard, and doesn't fit into my p...

Absence of headphone jack aside, the 7 Plus is the best iPhone you can buy, with more memory than its smaller counterpart and dual cameras that peer toward Apple's future.

Dual cameras; Copious memory and storage; Water-resistant design; Faster on all performance measures, with better battery life, than last year's iPhones; iOS still leads on high-quality games and creative apps

Lacks a 3.5mm jack, and there aren't a lot of Lightning-compatible headphones yet; Not all models are compatible with all carriers

Similar to how the Galaxy S7 Edge perfected the design and features of the Galaxy S6 Edge, the new Apple iPhone 7 Plus perfects the iPhone 6s Plus design as we look to 2017 when Apple may offer a significant design change.

Stunning battery life, Excellent camera performance, Attractive matte black finish, Lightning fast performance, Stereo speakers, Worry-free water resistance, Bright and vivid display, Ample internal storage options

Top and bottom bezels are large, No fast or wireless charging

Apple's latest phablet is the best yet.