Gordon Kelly of Forbes noted that rival smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, had increased battery life and added water resistance over its predecessor while retaining the headphone jack, and that the iPhone 7's camera photo quality was improved but still lagging behind some phones already on the market, including the Galaxy S7 and Nexus 6P.
Forbes mencatat bahwa saingan smartphone, seperti Samsung Galaxy S7, telah meningkatkan hidup baterai dan resistensi terhadap air dari pendahulunya sementara tetap mempertahankan headphone jack, dan pada iPhone 7 kamera kualitas foto membaik, tetapi masih tertinggal beberapa ponsel yang sudah ada di pasar, termasuk Galaxy S7 dan Nexus 6P.