[amunster]

This is not true for the dual-camera 7 Plus. Though, initial reviews mentioned the second camera (at 2x optical zoom) was not quite as good as the primary camera (1x with OIS).

Whether a cropped 1x photo is better than using the 2x camera is beyond the scope of this comment.

[throwanem]

In almost any case, the optical zoom is going to give a more detailed result than cropping an image from the stabilized wide-angle camera; that's not really a high enough zoom factor for stabilization to become an issue, except perhaps in the relatively narrow range of situations where there's enough environmental vibration to produce noticeable image degradation, but not so much that the stabilization motors can't compensate.

Admittedly, I'm basing this on my experience with a DSLR, rather than any hands-on time (which I haven't had) with an iPhone 7+. That said, since a lot of what I shoot is wildlife, I very frequently use a 70-300mm tele (on a DX body, so 1.5x crop factor and 105-450 35mm equivalent) that isn't stabilized, and it's really only beyond about 250mm (indicated) that I start to have shaky-hands trouble. Anything less than that, and there's not enough detail in the image for stabilization problems to be perceptible. Since the 7+'s tele camera, as best I can find, seems to have a 35mm equivalent focal length of about 56mm (thus 56-112mm, taking the 2x zoom into account), the lack of stabilization doesn't seem likely to pose too much of a problem.

(And if it is, you can always brace the camera and take multiple shots - this latter, in particular, I've found to be a pretty good workaround for the lack of stabilization in my own tele, and when an equivalent lens with VR costs half a grand, a pretty good workaround is nice to have! Generally I find that, taking about two exposures per second at full zoom, about one in every six is sharp enough to be a keeper. Something similar would probably work with an iPhone, if stabilization at full zoom proves to be an issue after all - and burst mode would work really well for this.)

[comex]

On the 7 Plus, you can switch between 1x and 2x with a tap, no need to use two hands. :)