Is it Still Worth Buying a Used iPhone 7?

iPhone 7 design and feel

When you pick up an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you’ll notice it still feels fresh, sleek, and clean. It isn’t the newest Apple design anymore, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still feel insanely modern and nice. This is also the last iPhones to have a full metal body, so it feels different from newer iPhones that usually have a glass back. Aside from material, you'll probably be surprised by the iPhone 7's size and weight. Newer iPhone models have been made to have bigger, dazzling screens and larger batteries, but the iPhone 7 had just a 4.7-inch screen and weighed only 4.87 ounces despite having the heavier metal material.

There are different colors available—as with any iPhone—so you can pick one that best complements your personality. Many people are fans of the all-black versions, but my personal favorite is the (PRODUCT)RED edition, which was made in partnership with the (RED) organization which provides AIDs relief to Africa. Not only does this version of the phone have an incredible cause behind it, but it also looks awesome :D

iPhone 7 camera quality

Since we're 6 generations removed from the iPhone 7's camera technology, we don’t think it’s necessarily fair to compare it to phones like the iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note10—both of which have night modes and multiple lenses. But the iPhone 7 still has a perfectly capable camera if you're just looking to take a few simple photos that aren't going to win you any awards. You’re obviously not going to be taking any pro-grade pics with this and if you're doing a side by side photo comparison with later iPhone generations, you're going to find more sharpness, color capture, detail and lighting on the latter.

That said, since this is an iPhone, it will take good pictures—all iPhones do. Android phones, alternatively, are a little trickier to compare camera quality because every manufacturer has a slightly different color palette—some Android manufacturers like Samsung are known for saturated colors, while others reproduce dull colors that make certain scenes look super stale. But thankfully, photography is something Apple has always done consistently. Colors have always looked true-to-life—as they should—considering how much capital Apple has invested into their camera software. So, if you buy a used iPhone 7, don’t expect its camera to be comparable to newer iPhone cameras, especially in dark environments. It won’t have as many neat tricks up its sleeve, either, but if you’re shooting in a well-lit environment, expect pictures to look great with those true-to-life Apple photo colors we have all come to love and respect.

Reading tip: We wrote a lot of buying guides about iPhones, so if you want to know about the best used iPhones or read an iPhone XR vs. XS comparison, we got you covered :)

iPhone 7 battery life

Similar to camera quality, you shouldn't expect the iPhone 7 to beat any recent iPhone models in battery capacity. And this is true, but it isn’t necessarily because batteries have gotten better. Newer iPhones will have on average better battery life simply because most of them are bigger. The iPhone XR can get almost 2 full days on a charge, but the phone itself is much thicker, with a display size one and a half inches bigger than the iPhone 7.

Size can be a dealbreaker for many iPhone users: some prefer smaller phones and for others anything under 5.7" won't cut it. But keep in mind that the smaller iPhones usually come with a smaller battery size. Ever since the inception of the iPhone, people have become accustomed to charging their device at the end of each day, so most people don’t really need an iPhone with more than a day’s worth of battery life—and the used iPhone 7 should have no problem lasting you a full day. If you want more battery life, the iPhone 7 Plus can probably get you through two full days if you’re a light user.

All used iPhones on Back Market come with at least 85% of their original battery capacity. If you prefer to start with a fresh new battery, you can also shop for iPhones with new batteries.