Tech

I've had the iPhone 6S Plus for over a year, and I'm so happy I didn't upgrade to the iPhone 7

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I bought the iPhone 6S Plus when it came out in September 2015 for $800-plus (with taxes), and I couldn't be happier that I saved $800-plus in 2016 and 2017 by not upgrading to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Don't get me wrong — the iPhone 7 Plus is a great phone that's objectively better than the iPhone 6S Plus. It has a faster processor and a better camera with dual lenses that makes for beautiful photos. Those two features are arguably the main reasons someone should upgrade to a new smartphone.

iphone 6s plus back
Antonio Villas-Boas

With that said, the upgrades to the camera and processor simply weren't enough to warrant the dent in my bank account that a new iPhone 7 Plus would have caused.

Here's why:

The iPhone 6S still looks like the iPhone 7, which is Apple's latest design.

iphone 7 vs iphone 6s
The iPhone 7, left, and iPhone 6S. YouTube/SuperSaf TV

The iPhone 6S looks nearly identical to the iPhone 7, save for the redesigned and less visible antenna stripes. The plastic stripes might bother some, but I dress my iPhone in a case, so I can't see the stripes anyway.

The new iPhone 7 colors are nice, but I prefer the silver model, which is available for the iPhone 6S.

red iphone 7
Apple

While the iPhone's 7's jet black, matte black, and new red options are nice, they have no effect on my desire for the iPhone 7. If I were to buy a new iPhone 7, it would be the white/silver model.

The only color that would tempt me to upgrade is an '80s-electronics beige.

retro iphone 7 plus colorware
Colorware

My iPhone 6S Plus is still speedy and reliable.

One of the main reasons I upgrade to the latest smartphone is to make sure I can run my apps quickly. In my opinion, there's nothing worse than waiting for an app to open and run — especially Google Maps when you're in a hurry.

The A9 chip turning the wheels inside my iPhone 6S Plus still feels speedy, and it rarely stutters while opening and running my apps.

The camera in the iPhone 6S Plus is still a great camera.

iphone 6s photo hawaii
A photo I took during a trip to Hawaii. My iPhone 6S Plus managed the brighter sunlit parts and the darker shadowy parts amazingly well. Antonio Villas-Boas

The iPhone 7 Plus got a significant camera upgrade in the form of a dual-lens camera. It can zoom without losing photo quality, and the Portrait Mode feature adds that fuzzy, out-of-focus texture from professional cameras, called "bokeh."

The zoom is a meaningful upgrade, as my iPhone 6S Plus photos will look worse and worse as I try to zoom in with the camera app. But I'm not about to spend $800-plus on better zooming, and Portrait Mode is a mixed bag. Some like it; others weren't so impressed.

For the extra $800 in my bank account, my iPhone 6S Plus takes photos just fine.

The iPhone 7 has a slightly better screen, but it has no meaningful effect.

iphone 6 vs 6s vs 7
A comparison of the 6, 6S, and 7 shows the iPhone 7 has a marginally brighter and more colorful screen. YouTube/ApplePie

The iPhone 7 has a slightly brighter display that can show slightly better colors with its "wide color" feature. Yet I haven't craved a brighter display with better colors on my iPhone 6S Plus. And both phones have Apple's 3D Touch feature, which lets you press an item to bring up a menu of useful shortcuts.

The new home button on the iPhone 7 is nice, but it doesn't work any better than the iPhone 6S's home button.

iphone 6s plus home button
Antonio Villas-Boas

I quite like the new home button on the iPhone 7. It's a capacitive button that you don't have to physically press, and it feels more modern compared with the iPhone 6S's mechanical button.

But it's not an upgrade worth spending more money on. The mechanical button on my iPhone 6S Plus works just fine, and it can read my fingerprint to unlock my phone or make mobile payments with Apple Pay just as quickly.

My iPhone 6S Plus has a headphone jack.

iphone 6s plus headphone jack
Antonio Villas-Boas

I'm fully on board with Apple's vision of a "wireless future," as my tech arch nemesis is the cable. At the same time, I own a pair of wired headphones as a backup to my Bluetooth headphones, and there have been several instances when the headphone jack in my iPhone 6S Plus has come in handy.

Sure, I could still use wired headphones with the iPhone 7, but only if I have a dongle or if my wired headphones have a Lightning connector, neither of which is as convenient as the good old headphone jack.

I'm a little worried that I'll have to adjust to using a dongle, which I'll surely lose, when I buy my next iPhone — if it's an iPhone.

My iPhone 6S Plus isn't officially water-resistant, but that's fine.

iPhone 7 water resistance
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The iPhone 7's water resistance is a big deal because the phone is less prone to damage if you drop it in water accidentally.

At the same time, I've never dropped my iPhone in water. (I'm literally knocking on wood right now. Look, here's a photo of me knocking on wood, taken with my iPhone 6S Plus.)

Also, the iPhone 6S is (unofficially) somewhat water-resistant, which should be enough for minor splashes and drops, even if it's likely not as water-resistant as the iPhone 7.

The only time I'd upgrade to an iPhone 7 would be if my iPhone 6S Plus succumbed to water damage.

So there you have it. I'm $800 richer, and I'm not missing out on much.

I'll keep using my iPhone 6S Plus until it can't keep up with me. That could potentially take it beyond the iPhone 7S, or even the iPhone 8/10/X edition, or whatever Apple will call its rumored fancy new iPhone. We'll have to see what Apple comes up with this September when it'll likely announce its new iPhones.

At this point, if you have an iPhone 6 or older and you can manage another six or so months with your older model, you could wait for the iPhone 7S or the new model.

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Antonio Villas-Boas was a consumer tech expert with over a decade of experience testing and reviewing smartphones, tablets, computers, smartwatches, and phone carriers.ExperienceAntonio joined the Business Insider team in 2015 as a tech reporter on the news desk and moved to the service journalism team in 2020. During his time as Business Insider’s senior tech reporter, Antonio developed industry-leading battery-life tests for smartphones and tablets, and covered and reviewed hundreds (if not thousands) of products from major brands like Apple, Google, Samsung, and OnePlus since as far back as Samsung’s Galaxy S6, the original Apple Watch, and the very first Google Pixel. This decade-plus of experience has given him tremendous insights into what consumer tech truly stands the test of time and what will be irrelevant in just a few years' time (RIP The Pebble).Antonio is also an experienced deal hunter, surfacing the best discounts on phones, laptops, and smartwatches for readers during sale events like Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Previously, Antonio was a consumer-electronics analyst at PCMag and ran his own blog. Why you can trust AntonioAntonio approaches all his reviews not only as a tech expert but as a consumer himself. He reads every word of fine print in the phone carrier plans he reviews, and is deeply skeptical of deals that promise you the latest iPhone model for free. (Spoiler: it might be “free,” but you could be stuck with it for three years.)He largely recommends less expensive and small-scale fixes to upgrade your existing tech before considering buying the latest and flashiest in new tech. Antonio believes his role as the go-to “tech guy” for his family and friends extends to his readers as well; he only recommends products that have stood up to the testing process.Scripps News, NewsNation, Fox 5 DC, NBC LX, and Rich DeMuro’s “Rich On Tech” radio show have requested his commentary and expertise. ExpertiseHis expertise includes:
  • Phones, including the iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy models
  • Phone accessories, including charging cables, phone cases, and protection plans
  • Smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch
  • Mobile carrier plans, including major carriers and MVNOs
  • Tablets, including iPads and Galaxy Tabs
  • Laptops and computers, including MacBooks and Windows models
  • Computer accessories, including mice, keyboards, and monitors
EducationAntonio graduated from Colgate University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in history.Outside of workBesides testing tech products, Antonio is also a full time dad to two young kids. His ideal day would be spent on a lake in the Adirondacks.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.