Apple‘s latest flagship smartphone the Apple iPhone 7 is available for orders now and as expected, some of the models are already not available to order because of their demand at the time of pre-orders. Apple is one of the top names in the smartphone industry and it has been so for a long time.By the looks of it, it will continue to be so for days to come especially considering that Apple is the company that revolutionized smartphone. However, the question that arises now is that if iPhone 7 features are revolutionary or is it just a better and enhanced version of the previous device.
Let’s dive into the iPhone 7 features and specs to evaluate whether the new iteration will be worth the upgrade or not.
Apple iPhone 7 features at a glance:
Apple is a big name in the smartphone industry having most loyal customers as compared to any other company and the next iteration of flagship smartphone is most likely going to be one of the top smartphones of the year. Keeping being a tech giant Apple is under a lot of pressure to create the very best smartphone. Hence, the iPhone 7 is going to have some very interesting new features that are going to set it apart from the rest. Below is a list of all the main new things that the company has introduced in its latest flagship smartphone.
- IP67 Water resistance and dust proof protection.
- Improved Camera, better photos in low light, optical image stabilization.
- Significantly longer battery life.
- Faster processor, the improved speed id highly noticeable in intensive games and high-level photo editing apps.
- No headphone jack.
- Better Storage capacity.
The new iPhone 7 doesn’t have plentiful new upgrades compared to the iPhone 6 but the few it does have are worth it if you are looking to buy the new iteration. If an improved camera, water and dust resistance, faster processor, and better battery life are what you are looking for then the new iPhone 7 is a must buy. However, if you are looking for something new like wireless charging or innovative wraparound screen design then it is best if you look elsewhere.
iPhone 7 Price & Release Date:
The iPhone 7 launched in the wake of high anticipation of September 16 and has been highly awaited since then. The device will be available in three storage options 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. The new iPhone 7 is offering a lot more at a significantly lesser price compared to its previous smartphones. The iPhone 7 32 GB model is priced at $649 and the 128 GB model is priced at $749. The 128 GB iPhone is priced the same as the 64 GB iPhone 6S was when it was first released.
The 256 GB version of the iPhone 7 is specifically directed at power user. It comes with massive storage space and is priced at $849. Mostly the pricing structure of the iPhone 7 is similar to that of iPhone 6S when it was first released. Unfortunately, for users in the UK, the iPhone 7 will be available at a price hike of £60 because of Brexit.
iPhone 7 Design:
The iPhone 7 has experienced three main design changes, water resistance, a new home button, and the removal of the headphone jack. Apart from these, there aren’t any other significant new design changes in the iPhone 7. The headphone jack has been removed to make the chassis of the device water resistant.
The headphone jack removal has been a little controversial from the start because it is going to impact the users in varying degrees. A lot of people are displeased with Apple’s decision to eliminate the jack. Especially because not a lot of iPhone users are accustomed to using the bundled Air pods that Apple offers.
The best design change is, of course, the waterproofing. Because of it the new iPhone 7 is now a little thicker. The new dual speakers are also a welcome change as well. Then there is the Home button. The physical home button is now replaced by a haptic one that takes some getting used to. It is a sunken spot on the smartphone that responds to your touch. And, unlike the physical button, it will not wear down.
iPhone 7 Display:
In the Display sector, the main change that the iPhone 7 brings is the brightness and color modification. Otherwise, the device is pretty much identical to its predecessor. The iPhone 7 features a 4.7- inch display with 1334 x 750 resolution. Compared to its competitors like the Galaxy S7 Edge the display still noticeably lacks sharpness. Like it’s predecessor the iPhone 7 also features 3D Touch.
The iPhone 7’s brightness and color have been improved significantly. The display of the new iPhone is more vibrant and colorful without being overpowering. The colors of the iPhone are said to match the color depth of a cinema screen. The brightness improvement is also not overpowering. It is a subtle change that makes the screen easier to look at the brightest setting. Apple has also made the white balance of the display a little bit warmer to make it easy on the eyes. However, the auto brightness setting still needs adjustment.
Ultimately, there isn’t anything really innovative or exemplary that the new iPhone 7 has to offer in terms of display. There is still room for improvement especially considering how far in terms of display the competitors have gone.
Performance:
The Apple iPhone 7 doesn’t hold back in the performance department. It is equipped with the new and improved A10 Fusion chip which is the best processor chip by Apple up to date. The chip is a quad core. Two cores are dedicated for high powered operations and two for tasks that don’t require full power. The company has manufactured the chip in such a way to make sure that your smartphone last longer if you are only performing low-level tasks like checking your email.
The iPhone 7 is sub par when it comes to speed and can handle pretty much everything from a quick photo edit to high scale video processing without lag. The iPhone 7 is noticeably faster than other smartphones that have greater RAM.
When it comes to audio performance the iPhone 7 is superb as ever. Apple’s music platform, Apple Music is also getting better and better and can hold its own against its rival Spotify. Both streaming services offer great audio quality. Moreover, despite the removal of the headphone jack you can still use your old standard headphones to listen to music. All you will need to do is plug the adapter in that comes with the iPhone 7. The speakers have also been upgraded the main change is that now they are stereo. Now one speaker is at the top of the device and one at the bottom. They also sound louder and are great for casual gaming and movie watching.
The speakers have also been upgraded the main change is that now they are stereo. Now one speaker is at the top of the device and one at the bottom. They also sound louder and are great for casual gaming and movie watching.
The A10 chipset also provides a great gaming experience on the iPhone 7. The processor has made the games more visually impressive. The device can easily play games with high-end graphics smoothly. Furthermore, the haptic feedback feature really improves the gaming experience as well. The smartphone is equipped with a vibrating engine that delivers small targeted vibrations which make the gameplay a lot more compelling.
iPhone 7 has pre-loaded iOS 10:
The iPhone 7 is going to the be equipped with the new iOS 10 which is one of the best platform Apple has created. There are plenty new features in the latest iOS 10 and quite a few modifications as well. Now the left panel of the home screen displays a lot more updates and information then it did before. It has been remodeled to resemble a new panel. The notification pane has also been merged into one.
One of the most noticeable changes, however, is the lock screen. The iPhone 7 now also features ‘raise to awake’ so whenever you pick up your smartphone it will automatically wake itself. However, the modification has its ups and down and it may take some getting used to.
iPhone 7 Battery Life:
Apple has improved the battery life of the iPhone 7 compared to its predecessors but not by much. The battery life is a crucial aspect of any smartphone or device and Apple has increased it through improvements to the smartphone and the A10 fusion chip. Albeit the increase is small it is still significant. The A10 chip plays the major part in the battery life improvement. It is designed to separate into two task machines: on the one hand, two cores can run the harder stuff, such as video editing, multiple background processes, photo manipulation etc.
The charging speed of the iPhone 7 is decent enough. A neat trick is that if you connect your smartphone to a faster 2.1A iPad charging block it will power up the smartphone faster. The battery is now also charging at an increased speed when it is dead. However, topping it up takes slightly longer. The battery life increase and charging boost are not dramatic but it is still highly practical.Unfortunately, Apple still hasn’t dabbled into the realm of wireless charging yet. We are hoping that the next iteration of the smartphone will feature the technology.
Camera:
Apple claims that the camera of the iPhone 7 is an entirely new design and it is one of the important changes when considering the iPhone 7 features. The rear camera is 12 MP while the FaceTime HD camera is 7 MP. There is also Quad-LED True Tone flash and optical image stabilization in play. It also features an improved f/1.8 aperture sensor for better lower light photos, an enhanced ability to gather color and light into the lens, and a dedicated image processing chip to speed things along when capturing multiple images. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t include the dual-camera of the iPhone 7 Plus to iPhone 7.
Ultimately, the iPhone 7 camera’s performance is as well as one would expect. Cameras in iDevices have always been designed to capture a more natural image that isn’t saturated. While this results in a more muted image it is also more realistic and true to life and the iPhone 7’s camera is the same.
Apple has also significantly improved the camera when it comes to taking pictures in less lightning. The colors are nice, the brightness is better and the sharpness is the same but also looking better thanks to the new color-capture ability. The other usual features are also present like the ability to switch on HDR mode, Live Photos, the flash and a few other smaller settings.
Apple has kept the photography aspect of the device simple and minimalistic. There are no outrageous filters or settings, the camera is designed to capture as realistic an image as possible. If you are looking to improve you camera experience then the iPhone 7 is worth the upgrade. But, it is better if you go for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Conclusion:
The iPhone 7 is packed with amazing features and improvements just like its predecessor was but is it worth upgrading? That depends on various factors. There isn’t a major design change and basically, the iPhone 7 features will not make you excited to buy it. If you own an iPhone 6S then it is better if you don’t upgrade to the iPhone 7 because it isn’t worth it. However, if you own a different smartphone and are in the market looking for a new iPhone then the iPhone 7 can be a great upgrade.
The iPhone 7 is a great option if you are looking for a water resistant smartphone. The iP67 rating is undoubtedly one of the most notable upgrades of the iPhone 7 along with stereo speakers. Minor upgrades include an improved camera, extended battery life, charging boost, more colorful screen, removal of the headphone jack, and the haptic home button. One of the major selling points of the iPhone 7 is also its price, while it is still quite expensive, it is slightly less pricey in terms of storage options compared to its predecessors.
There are a few unwelcome changes in the iPhone 7 as well. Mainly the removal of the headphone jack. If it bothers you then you are better off buying the iPhone 6S. It has the same sharpness of display, a similar camera, the same dimensions and the same iOS capabilities, along with a headphone jack.
Ultimately, the iPhone 7 isn’t a huge upgrade and it’s better if you save you money for the next iteration of the iPhone. But, it is still a few steps forward than its predecessors.