And now, the moment that many have been waiting for. There was no doubt that Apple would announce their new iPhone devices at today’s event — we covered more than a few leaks ourselves — and the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were unveiled to the world. Yes, there are plenty of similarities to last year’s models, but much has changed as well.
Let’s start on the outside, shall we? We’ve seen rumors of a “Space Grey” iPhone 7, and even rumors about a blue iPhone 7. Seems that the Space Grey rumors were closest to reality here. You’ll still have your typical silver, gold, and rose gold finishes, though you’ll also have the option of purchasing a new Jet Black or plain black iPhone 7. Jet Black will have a glossy finish — it was called “Piano Black” in some rumors we’d seen — and will obviously ditch the matte design of the plain black, and other finishes.
While it’s not something you can directly see, Apple has joined the waterproof coating party, adding an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating for the new iPhone models. The waterproof rating means the phone can stay submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The occasional splash of water that most iPhone owners may have worried about in the past should no longer be an issue. The Home button has also received a few upgrades, most notably making it Force Touch compatible.
The real surprise (if you haven’t been paying attention to leaks and rumors) has got to be the dual camera system found on the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 has some of the same camera improvements listed below, however the smaller iPhone will be stuck with only one camera. Some new camera features include:
Both Phones:
- Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
- f/1.8 lens
- 12-megapixel rear camera
- 7-megapixel front-facing camera
- 60 percent faster
- 30 percent more efficient
- Quad-LED flash
- New Image Signal Processor
iPhone 7 Plus:
- 2x optical zoom
- 10x digital zoom
- 2x 12-megapixel rear cameras
- 1x 28mm equivalent lens
- 1x 60mm equivalent lens
- Use both cameras to simulate shallow depth of field (available in software update)
Apple has also improved the display for the new iPhones, making them 25% brighter with a wider color gamut for better color management. The phones will also still feature 3D touch.
The worst kept secrete with the new iPhone was the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. Rumor no longer, it has truly come to pass. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will, in fact, be without a headphone jack. The new iPhones will, however, include stereo speakers, which some will certainly appreciate. To get around the omission of the headphone jack, Apple will include a pair of EarPods that connect via the Lightning connector, as well as a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter with each iPhone 7.
Perhaps even more impressive though, are the newly announced AirPod earphones. We’ve touched on some completely and truly wireless headphones here before, but the AirPods feature an additional layer of Apple polish. Developed with a new wireless technology that handles both music and connection to your Apple device, the AirPods are completely wireless. The batteries are rated for 5 hours of playtime, and the included case will keep them charged for an additional 25 hours. The AirPods will be available at the end of October with a suggested price of $169.
Apple has made some improvements under the hood as well. A brand new 64-bit 4-core A10 Fusion processor is the brain of the operation, and it’s said to be 40% faster than the chip found in the iPhone 6S. The new graphics chip is said to be 50% faster than last years models. These improvements will allow for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to outlast the older iPhones in the battery department. It was said that users can expect up to two additional hours of battery life with the 7, or an extra hour with the 7 Plus.
What do you think about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus? Do you really want a pair of AirPods? Tell us what you think in the comment section below, or on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
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