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Poll: iPhone 7 Plus telephoto lens — awesome feature or gimmick?

posted by Paul K. / Nov 01, 2016, 10:23 AM

Poll: iPhone 7 Plus telephoto lens — awesome feature or gimmick?

So, after months of speculation, it turned out the iPhone 7 Plus' secondary camera sports a telephoto lens. That's something we haven't seen in other phones — it offers a 2x optical zoom and can be used for the brand-new Portrait mode... and that's pretty much it.

While another notable dual-camera equipped flagship — the Huawei P9 — uses its two sensors at all times in order to better its photos, the iPhone 7 Plus pretty much only uses its “regular”, 12 MP, F1.8 sensor. It will only switch to the secondary one if you zoom to 2x and beyond, or if you switch to the aforementioned Portrait mode.

Would you consider this feature a good enough reason to pick up and iPhone 7 Plus rather than an iPhone 7? Or an enticing enough upgrade to convince you to replace your 6 Plus or 6s Plus for the latest Apple phablet?

What do you think of the 7 Plus' secondary camera?

Pft, gimmick.

32.49%

It's neat, but at the end of the day - it won't be used that much.

44.04%

It's awesome and a main reason I'd love to have / already have the iP7+!

23.47%

Options

20 Comments

1. CreeDiddy

Posts: 2246; Member since: Nov 04, 2011

Its a gimmick! Telephoto has no OIS, plus it looks very noise on zoom ins during low lighting. I have the 7 Plus as I can state this with confidence.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 10:29 AM 14

2. letosaw

Posts: 135; Member since: Aug 05, 2014

Because you are using software zoom. Second "telephoto" lens doesn't work in low light conditions.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 10:32 AM 7

5. Hoggington

Posts: 356; Member since: Feb 23, 2016

Which a bunch of people don't realize. You have to be in very bright light, for the tele lens to activate. 90% of the time I thought I was using the tele lens, if I placed my finger over it...I realized it was still using the normal sensor. Not good.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 11:24 AM 11

7. Darkkracker

Posts: 255; Member since: Jun 11, 2016

good information for iphone 7 plus owners. thanks for sharing.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 11:54 AM 2

21. Klinton

Posts: 1409; Member since: Oct 24, 2016

@ CreeDiddy Of course its gimmick. But the media as usual make a big buzz of it. Just like the Life Photo, Night Shift, ...! This is perhaps the only magic, except of courageously ditching the headphone jack, that Apple could brag about iPhone7. But it took 3 years for the media to see the Multi-Window or One Hand Mode on the Note line.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 7:35 PM 0

3. nctx77

Posts: 2540; Member since: Sep 03, 2013

26% are Android fans that do not own or have never owned an iPhone. It's a nice added feature, but the 2x zoom will get used more.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 10:54 AM 0

10. bolosantosi

Posts: 103; Member since: Sep 20, 2016

So just because people say it's a gimmick, they are automatically android users who have never used an iPhone? Yeah right, people are entitled to their opinions.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 12:16 PM 13

14. Unordinary unregistered

On THIS site, most likely lmfao. This site is a joke to all other major tech forums. Voted worst tech site of 2014 and 2015 lmao.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 1:44 PM 1

11. bolosantosi

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 12:17 PM 0

12. combatmedic870

Posts: 986; Member since: Sep 02, 2015

It's not a zoom lens.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 12:39 PM 1

4. Hoggington

I'd say it's more gimmick than useful. I had the 7 plus for 3 weeks...and I was really unimpressed with the cameras. Speed, quality, "telephoto" lens was really not good (and only works in bright light. A lot of people think they are using it, when it's only the main cam. Place your finger over the lens when you think you're in telephoto mode. You'll be surprised to learn most of the time...it isn't using it)....and probably bar none the absolute worst camera UI, in any phone. So slow and cumbersome, with hardly any user controls. And this one very odd thing, that I can't imagine doesn't bug the hell out of Apple employees. From the mailroom guy to Tim Cook.... You can't change any resolution settings inside the camera app itself!? Wha wha what?? Want to change the video resolution? Exit out of the camera, goto into general settings, scroll down to camera and pictures (or something) and then scroll down to the actual resolution settings. And then you're greeted with just a couple of choices.... Only for video. No ability to change picture resolution, or any tweaks of any kind. That my friends...is just laughable in 2016. How in hell this doesn't bother tech people, normal people, executives, that work at Apple....is beyond me. Sorry for the rant. I tried to go Apple with the 7 plus and just realized how incredibly backwards it is, with so many basic functions. iOS is not user friendly at all. It makes basic things, difficult. Don't get me started on file transfers. I'll be using the V20 until at least the S8 comes out. The cameras and camera app of the V20 is fantastic. Manual mode is legit. Auto is a little hit n miss. The speaker sucks...but audio recording is by far the best of any phone out there. It's incredible.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 11:19 AM 8

9. fay99

Posts: 118; Member since: Mar 16, 2012

You are the smartest iOS user. Salute

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 12:10 PM 0

6. MrElectrifyer

Posts: 3960; Member since: Oct 21, 2014

The idea isn't gimmicky, but the way it's implemented without OIS and awful performance in low-light, it's a useless joke and puts it to shame compared to the competition, even with 1 camera ( https://youtu.be/seSJvwF68-0 ).

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 11:45 AM 4

16. Iodine

Posts: 1493; Member since: Jun 19, 2014

Ok and how would you like to cram OIS and big sensor and/or wide aperture on a 56mm equivalent lens, cramed into a phone ? Only solution is bigger bump (it still would be much less than what primary camera could do on the same height) or wait for some new tech to enchance it.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 2:25 PM 0

20. MrElectrifyer

If you're gonna implement it, figure out a way to make it useful and better than what is possible without a second camera. If you can't do that in a neat package, then it's a useless joke and a waste of space, which it currently is compared to the competition. There's no need for dual camera, but if it's done right, it can work as a great alternative to higher MPs.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 4:05 PM 1

8. Darkkracker

but it has a fruit on it. it has to be the best. don't ask no questions. just put your money in the plate.

posted on Nov 01, 2016, 11:57 AM 10

15. p51d007

Posts: 705; Member since: Nov 24, 2013

There is a REASON my 300 mm dSLR lens costs more than an iphone, and why it is so HEAVY. Cell phone zoom is nothing more than digital zoom, which looks like crap. You want a camera? BUY A CAMERA. Stick to selfies & portraits with a cell phone. That sensor is too TINY for anything else.