At the same price as the old iPhone 6, you would expect the newly launched iPhone 7 to be, well, looks like a new iPhone readied to be shown off in front of friends. Get ready to be disappointed because people won’t be able to tell if you’ve actually splashed that money on a new iPhone. There’s absolutely no visual difference between an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 7.

 

That’s fine, but will you be getting more goodies with the new iPhone 7? Yes and no, depending whether you’re talking about physical or non-physical bells and whistles. If you’re talking about the usual stuffs such as better processor, longer battery life, more colour options and sexier camera, then yes.

But if you’re looking for more physical features, unfortunately, you will pay more for less. But that’s a good thing because your friends will finally be able to tell if you’re using iPhone 7. Yes, before the iPhone is even available for purchase, angry fans are already talking about potentially losing the earphones – Apple has removed the headphone jack, for real.

 

Tim Cook took to the stage and told the audience – “We have created the world’s most advanced smartphone – the best iPhone we have ever created. This is iPhone 7.” Indeed the new iPhone is the most advanced smartphone on planet Earth, because consumers will be sticking a pair of wireless headphones out of their ears, which is called “AirPods”.

Seriously, if you hate those salesmen walking around with that annoying looking Bluetooth wireless thingy sticking out of their ears, then you should stop reading. Using the same technology, Apple says its chips improve the technology by connecting faster and using less power. Yes, Apple shamelessly calls iPhone 7 the most advanced smartphone when wireless earphones have been around for years.

 

And yes, the wireless “AirPods”, of which Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller has defended as “Courage”, needs recharging. The batteries last for 5 hours and the AirPods come with a charging case that holds 24 hours of charge. Essentially, the case is like a power bank which you must “courageously” bring everywhere to charge the new AirPods.

You have 3 alternatives though: a Lightning-compatible pair of new included EarPods; a pair of US$159 wireless Bluetooth AirPods that require no physical connection; and a free dongle to connect old, analog headphones to the device. You lose your AirPods and the cost of getting a replacement could actually buy you a decent looking new Android phone.

 

Although audio experts believe a wired connection has always been the best, let’s look at the bright side. The AirPods contain infrared sensors to detect when they are in the user’s ears. This allows them to automatically stop music when they are taken out. Over time, critics may love being wireless and the automations. Just make sure you don’t lose it.

Still on the subject of audio, you can watch movie on the iPhone 7 with richer and louder sound now because Apple has added another speaker – to the top and bottom of the device. In what appears to be the first step towards the removal of the Home button, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus feature a pressure-sensitive solid-state Home button – no more physical button press.

 

Here’s something else to cheer you up: both iPhone 7 and Plus are IP-67 water and dust resistant – up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. However, it’s not water-proof and you do know the difference, don’t you? It means water splashing and brief dips in the water (such as a drop in the toilet) are acceptable but definitely not snorkelling with it.

Both new models are available in Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Black (new darker matte colour replacing Space Gray), and Jet Black – a brand new high-gloss finish. Be warned – being a responsible and honest company, Apple admits the “Jet Black” option scratches easily. But why bother if you are armed with the casing before buying the new iPhone, right?

 

Inside, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have an A10 Fusion processor with a 64-bit four core CPU that run 2 times faster than the iPhone 6 and 2 high-efficiency cores that run at one-fifth of the power to save battery life. Graphics performance is improved, running 3 times faster than the iPhone 6 and at as little as half the power.

Because of the processor improvements, Apple claims the iPhone 7 offers 2 hours more battery life on average than the iPhone 6s, while the iPhone 7 Plus offers an extra hour of battery life compared to the iPhone 6s Plus. The iPhone 7 has a single lens camera while the 7 Plus has a dual lens camera, of which Apple claims it’s 60% faster than previous iPhones.

 

Both version of iPhone 7s are available with higher storage capacities – starting at 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Pricing on the iPhone 7 starts at US$649, while pricing on the iPhone 7 Plus starts at US$769. Apple badly needs another smash hit in China after the shrinking sales but the new iPhone 7 may not be the answer.

Apple may call it “Courage” to go wireless with the headphone but from the look of it, “Desperate” may be the more appropriate word. Desperate for sales and desperate for innovation since the era of Steve Jobs could be the reason forcing Tim Cook into cutting corners, or in this case cutting cables and pretend to be innovative.

 

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September 8th, 2016 by financetwitter

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