The iPhone 7 has a lot of changes when compared to previous devices, but it also has a lot of hints about what’s coming next.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been going strong for quite some time now. Ever since Iron Man set the stage, we’e seen the universe expand in a truly triumphant way. For folks who have kept up with Marvel’s efforts, we’ve seen Avengers assemble, civil wars, and Asgardians take on Frost Giants and Dark Elves. Things will get Strange in next month’s Doctor Strange, too, and there are many other movies still set to launch in the months, and years, ahead.
Marvel has a track record of positive reviews for its cinematic universe, even if some movies aren’t as well received, or beloved, as others. The company has found its pace recently, with most of the missteps happening in the early stages of the overall universe development. Films like Iron Man 2 (Iron Man 3), Thor, and some others don’t get praised as often as films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Ant-Man, or even the more recent Captain America: Civil War.
One of the more frequent complaints of these films, as a whole, and especially targeted on those earlier releases, is that they feel more like advertisements for what’s next, rather than a film standing on its own merits. Basically, movies like Thor or Iron Man 2 just feel like ads for the next Marvel movie.
I feel like Apple’s iPhone 7 is the company’s Marvel movie in this sense.
Before I dig in here, let me just say this, to get it out of the way: I don’t think those complaints are all that valid, considering the scope and the precedent, and the goal, of what Marvel has set forth with its cinematic universe. Each of the movies have felt self-contained in the story they’ve been telling, even if there are obvious hints and cameos, or even outright plot threads, that are meant to connect to a future film.
With that being said, I think Apple has essentially followed this same path with the iPhone 7, and managed to not only build a self-contained handset worth owning, but also giving clues to things that might be happening in future iPhones.
This isn’t the same as including new features, be it software or hardware. Like Siri, or iCloud, or even the dual 12-megapixel cameras on the back of the iPhone 7 Plus. These are threads that will continue to be present from one phone to the next, improved upon with each iteration.
In the case of the iPhone 7, this feels like a phone that’s meant to take some of the burden off what’s coming next, what’s being called the 2017 iPhone. If the rumors are true, Apple saved the biggest changes for next year’s iPhone, set to be launched on the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone’s arrival. With that phone, we’re supposed to get even better water resistance, an OLED display, a new glass hardware design, and even more. Like an embedded Home button.
That’s the first of it right there, as far as I’m concerned. The new Home button, which isn’t a button at all, feels more like a change now just to make it less of a complaint in the next iPhone. This new feature, which adopts already existing technology from the 12-inch MacBook and some MacBook Pro models, feels more like a move to prepare people for what’s coming in the 2017 iPhone.
And then there’s the missing 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7 lineup, too. I feel like this wasn’t necessarily a courageous move on Apple’s part — because the AirPods don’t feel like finished products. I talked about this before, when it comes to Apple products (like the Smart Keyboard) that lack features the competition has, but the AirPods seem downright lacking when compared to other truly wireless headphones already on the market. (The W1 chip is fantastic, of course, and a great feature, with room to grow.)
In both of these cases, the iPhone 7 feels like the aforementioned complaints about Marvel movies, in that the device is working so hard to point to what’s coming. With all of the changes expected with the 2017 iPhone, I think Apple’s move here is to remove some of those issues people have with this year’s iPhone, so they can’t really complain about those same things with next year’s iPhone.
Just like with Marvel’s movies, though, I don’t think this is a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s the complete opposite. Removing the burden that inherently falls upon these missing features or changed designs, so that the 2017 iPhone doesn’t have to combat them while trying to show off all of the other great changes Apple is sure to implement is the right move. The “negatives” that people have had about the iPhone 7 can’t, or at least shouldn’t, be levied against the 2017 iPhone because we’ve had a whole year with them.
It would be silly, for instance, if next year with the launch of the next iPhone someone still complains about a missing 3.5mm headphone jack. (Especially when it looks like every other company is already following suit.) So that already removes one negative talking about, simply because Apple rolled it out a generation prior.
What do you think, though? Are these changes that Apple implemented in the iPhone 7 a good idea to prepare for net year’s major design changes? Are you looking forward to seeing what Apple implements in next year’s iPhone based on what they released with the iPhone 7?
