Apple today unveiled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus at its ‘See you on the 7th’ event. The latest iPhones might not seem that different from previous iPhones at first glance, but they are packed to the brim with latest technological improvements and enhancements.
These changes might not seem revolutionary but they will definitely help in improving the everyday experience of using the phone. If you missed Apple unveiling the new iPhones and are wondering what the major new features of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are, read below.
IP67 Rating
The design might have remained the same, but the new iPhones have one major ace up their sleeve: they are now dust and water-resistant. Featuring an IP67 rating, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus can survive being dropped in a swimming pool or a liquid spill while you are having a gala time with your friends and families at a restaurant. The IP67 rating denotes that the new iPhones are dust tight, with no ingress of dust being possible. The second digit (7) denotes that the handsets can survive being submerged in fresh water for up to 30mins in 1m depth.
Colors
Apart from the repositioned antenna lines and the secondary speaker grille at the bottom, the biggest visual change that Apple is offering for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is the introduction of two new colors: Jet Black and Black.
The Jet Black color looks more attractive of the two new colors introduced by Apple today, but there is a problem with it. Since it has a glossy finish, it can get scratched very easily. Apple recommends Jet Black iPhone 7 owners to use a case with the handset for this purpose. Apple is also only offering the Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 128GB and 256GB storage variants.
The other Black has a matte finish to it so abrasions don’t show up easily on it. However, it does not look as attractive as the Jet Black iPhone either. Nonetheless, both colors are a great replacement for the Space Gray color in my opinion.
Camera
The biggest upgrade that Apple is making to the iPhones this year is in the camera department. While there is still a 12MP shooter at the rear, it has been upgraded in almost every way. The 12MP shooter features a larger sensor along with larger 1.3u pixels. As if this was not already a big enough upgrade, the bigger sensor is paired with a 6-element lens with a f/1.8 aperture. This should allow the iPhone 7 to offer vastly better photos than previous iPhones, especially in low-light. The wide aperture will also allow the new iPhones to capture portrait photos with a DSLR-like bokeh effect.
The improved camera hardware is paired with Apple’s upgraded ISP and Quad LED True Tone flash that are up to 50% brighter now.
The iPhone 7 Plus is getting an even bigger upgrade in the camera department thanks to the introduction of a secondary 12MP sensor at the rear with a telephoto lens. Thanks to this setup, the iPhone 7 Plus is able to offer 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom without the image quality taking any severe hit. It also features a Portrait mode in the camera app that lets it capture photos with some amazing bokeh effect. The feature will not be available on the phone right from day 1, though. Apple instead will add it to the device with a software update later this year.
Capacitive Home Button
The new iPhones also feature a capacitive home button at the front, though most users will likely not be able to make this out by simply looking at the phone the first few times. While the button is capacitive in nature, pressing on it will still simulate a clicking feeling thanks to the Taptic Engine. Apple uses a similar technology on its MacBook lineup, and it was inevitable that the Cupertino company brought this tech to the iPhone.
Storage
Apple has long been criticized for offering iPhones with base 16GB of storage. With the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple is finally fixing this issue for good. Not only has the company upgraded the base storage of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to 32GB, it has also doubled the storage space for the other two variants of the device. This means that instead of 64GB, the iPhone 7 comes with 128GB storage, while the 128GB storage variant has been replaced with a 256GB one. The pricing remains the same as well, so compared to the iPhone 6s, you will be getting double the storage space on the iPhone 7 at the same amount.
A10 Fusion
Apple is switching over to a quad-core chip inside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus with the A10 Fusion this year. This quad-core chip comprises of 2x high power cores that are up to 40% faster than the A9 chip found inside the iPhone 6s. They are paired with two low-power cores that consume 2/3rd the power of the A9 chip. The A10 chip also features a six-core GPU which Apple says is up to 50% faster than the iPhone 6s.
A speedier A-chip might not seem like a big deal, but it has played a phenomenal role in keeping Apple ahead of its rivals with new technologies and features.
Better Battery Life
Despite major improvements across the board and a faster A10 Fusion chip, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus offer the longest battery life of all the iPhones Apple has ever launched. The company claims that under average use, the iPhone 7 lasts up to 2 hours more than the iPhone 6s. Similarly, the iPhone 7 Plus now lasts an additional hour when compared to the iPhone 6s Plus.
Since these numbers come directly from Apple, we should see the new iPhones deliver over and above in terms of battery life than what the official numbers suggest.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale in major countries like China, Australia, United States, and the United Kingdom from September 16th, with pre-orders for the devices starting from September 9th.
Which feature of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are you most excited about? Drop a comment and let us know!
