Apple hit the stage this week announcing the new iPhone 7, putting rumors to rest by revealing everything the new smartphone has to offer. The iPhone 7 has a slightly new look and comes in two new colors, matte black and glossy black. The phone, available for preorder on September 9 and fully available on September 16, is finally water and dust resistant. There is space for stereo speakers, on the top and the bottom of the phone; the speakers include an increased dynamic range to hopefully help improve the sound. The home button got its first major redesign supporting force-touch like gestures due to the “Taptic engine”, but we’ll have to wait to learn more details about this and the impact it might have. The processor was updated and Apple is promising this phone has the longest battery life yet, supposedly 2 hours longer than the iPhone 6s. Storage is available in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB with pricing remaining the same, starting at $649 for 32GB (or $769 for 32GB on the iPhone 7 Plus).
The biggest design change many have speculated on before the official reveal is the removal of the headphone jack. The new iPhone 7 comes only with a lightning port and no headphone jack. Lighting-based Apple EarPods will come with your new phone, including an adapter so you can use your old 1/8″ headphones. Apple is also releasing new wireless headphones, called Apple AirPods, priced at $160. They look just like Apple EarPods, but without the wires. AirPods will feature a five-hour battery life, accelerometers, microphones, Siri integration, and the promise of an easy connection to the iPhone 7. These will launch in October.
Other noteworthy announcements during the big event include the updates to the iPhone 7’s camea, with a lens letting 50% more light in, a higher-speed processor aimed at improving low-light photos, and a wider color gamut to improve live photos. If you’re going for the iPhone 7 Plus then you’ve got a second camera that has been added to the mix. The telephoto lens on this camera is meant to improve zoom. Another update include iOS 10, launching next Tuesday September 13 and packing in many new features like a brand new lock screen. And, the Apple Watch Series 2 is launching mid-month with added GPS and the arrival of Pokemon Go sometime before the end of the year.
To learn even more details about the new iPhone 7 and all of Apple’s other announcements made at their big event, visit here.
