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Fans weren’t expecting much from this year’s iPhone upgrade. We wanted something big — something that could reverse falling demand for Apple’s biggest product lineup — but we feared we weren’t going to get it.
What we got was the iPhone 7. It looks just like iPhone 6s (and iPhone 6), but Apple promises it’s a different beast. It’s faster, more exciting, and more capable than its predecessors — and it comes in new colors.
I’ve been using iPhone 7 since it went on sale last week, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my experience so far. It’s definitely not the massive disappointment some people anticipated, but is it worth the upgrade if you already have a recent model?
Review written by Killian Bell
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0:00
The iPhone 7 may look familiar, but a lot has changed
0:16
It's prettier thanks to those redesigned antenna bands, and if you choose the matte black
0:20
or jet black models, the ugly but functional design element is even more difficult to spot
0:25
Apple has taken away the ring that surrounded its eyesight camera on the iPhone 6S, the humpus
0:29
still there, but the iPhone's aluminium unibody encases the camera lens now for a more
0:34
seamless look. Alongside it sits the new True Zone Flash with Quad LEDs, which is twice as many as before
0:41
Apple is also taken away the headphone jack, as you've probably heard, which I'll talk about
0:45
more later. In exchange, we have a larger Taptic engine for greater feedback, an additional speaker, and
0:51
a slightly bigger battery. We also have an all-new home button. The new one is capacitive, and clicks are generated by the Taptic engine, just like on the latest
0:59
MacBooks. That means when you press the home button it doesn't actually move, though it feels
1:04
like it's clicking. It's a so much strain sensation at first, but you quickly get used to it
1:10
Apple gives you three different levels of feedback to choose from. If you want something a bit more
1:14
forceful, something that feels more like a traditional click, just select option three during the
1:18
iPhone 7 setup process. The biggest design improvement we get with the iPhone 7 is water resistance
1:25
It earns an IP 67 rating, which means it can be submerged in up to 1 metre of
1:29
water for up to 30 minutes. You can take it in the bath or out in the rain and you don't have to worry about it getting wet
1:36
Bear in mind, however, the Apple's standard iPhone 7 warranty does not cover liquid damage
1:41
So if your iPhone ends up in water too deep and gets damaged, that's your problem
1:46
However Apple made other nice improvements to the Retina HD displays The brighter new iPhone displays reach around 705 knits when necessary and they support a wider colour gamut
1:57
The iPhone 7 also delivers Apple's best colour management to date, with the ability display
2:01
more shades of the colour spectrum to deliver a truer representation of the real world
2:06
But honestly, I wasn't as impressed by this as I initially imagined
2:10
In fact, I didn't really notice a difference until I placed my iPhone 7 alongside an iPhone 6S and
2:16
loaded up the same photos on both. And even then, the new Retina HD display doesn't appear to be that much better
2:22
The improvement is certainly welcome. And there's no doubt images look better on the iPhone 7
2:27
But I don't think it'll blow you away. This is one area where the iPhone falls behind the competition
2:32
It's not so bad with the iPhone 7 plus, which has a 1080p display with 401 pixels per inch
2:37
but the iPhone 7's 750 display with just 326 pixels per inch is nowhere near as pretty as it could be
2:44
Apple certainly seems in no danger of falling behind when it comes to raw computing power
2:50
Its A-series processors have been beating rival chips for years, but none of being quite as
2:54
spectacular as the new A-10 Fusion chip. Apple's latest chip is faster, more powerful, and more efficient than any of its predecessors
3:02
Just like the iPhone 6-S, the iPhone 7 performs incredibly smoothly no matter what you throw at it
3:07
We won't get to enjoy the true capabilities of the A-10 Fusion until developers start to really take
3:12
advantage of the additional power it brings. But there is one improvement you might notice right away
3:17
And that's the introduction of two new cores. Unlike any other A-Series chip, the 8M Fusion packs two new high-efficiency cores
3:25
These sip one-fifth of the power of the two high-performance cores, which means they
3:29
won't drain the iPhone 7 battery anywhere near as quickly. If you only use your iPhone for light tasks like messaging and email, the iPhone 7 will conserve
3:37
power by relying on those high cores The high performance course will kick in only when you need them for things like gaming and streaming video It not all good news though Apple has yet again played conservative with its RAM
3:49
So the iPhone 7 only comes with 2 gig, just like the iPhone 6S
3:54
You probably won't notice this too often during normal use, but at times the lack of RAM
3:58
becomes a pain in the butt. Apple improves upon its excellent eyesight cameras every year, and the iPhone 7 delivers the best yet
4:07
It now boasts optical image stabilization, a feature previously exclusive to the larger plus
4:12
models, a wider F1.8 aperture, a new six element lens, and a quad LED true tone flash
4:19
You also get wide color capture to take advantage of the improved retina HD display
4:23
These improvements make for a terrific smartphone camera, easily one of the best available today
4:28
The iPhone 7 takes spectacular photos in good light, with excellent clarity and beautifully vibrant colors
4:35
Where you will notice the difference is in low light. Thanks to the wider aperture and optical image stabilization, the new eyesight camera performs
4:43
much better and darker environments. The difference between iPhone 7 and 6s photos as shot in low light is pretty phenomenal
4:51
Video shot with the iPhone 7 look just as stunning as the photos and the optical image
4:55
stabilization means you get a significantly smoother image when your handset is moving
5:01
also upgraded its FaceTime HD camera for the iPhone 7. The new 7 megapixel camera, up from 5
5:06
megapixels with the iPhone 6S, also supports wide colour, which means your selfies look sharper
5:11
and more vivid. Thanks to a slightly larger battery and a much more efficient processor
5:17
the iPhone 7 promises better battery life than any of its predecessors. Apple says you'll get around
5:22
two hours of additional usage in between charges, but it's still not enough. I've been forced
5:27
to top up my iPhone 7 before the end of the day, since I started using. it Granted I have been using it more than I usually would for the purposes of this review but I still can see myself going a full day without a charge The iPhone 7 certainly looks prettier without the gaping hole required for a headphone
5:43
jack, but living with that one takes a bit of getting used to. You might not notice it if you've
5:48
already made the switch to Bluetooth. But everyone else will. It's not as painful as you might
5:52
think, however. Apple gives you the new lightning earpods that will be more than enough for the
5:56
average user, and a free adapter that lets you connect your existing 3.5mm
6:01
headphones to the Lightning port, so they're not redundant. The biggest issue is charging your iPhone and using the headphones at the same time
6:08
With only one lightning port, you can only use the one cable. Alternatively, you can pick up an adapter that will let you do both simultaneously
6:15
Of course, if you don't need to use headphones, you can enjoy the iPhone 7's new stereo speakers
6:20
It makes music, movies and games sound even better, and it also makes them sound twice as loud
6:26
They're not going to replace your stereo speaker system or even a good Bluetooth speaker, but they're
6:30
definitely the best speakers ever inside an iPhone. I've been getting slightly bored with Apple's smartphone lineup in recent months, but the
6:38
improvements the company made with the iPhone 7, combined with the brilliant iOS 10 update
6:43
it helped me appreciate the iPhone all over again. It makes the iPhone 7 one of the most enjoyable and most exciting handsets I've used in a long time
6:52
If you're still clinging on to an iPhone 6 or earlier, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the
6:56
iPhone 7. You won't regret it, and the many improvements you get will be well worth it
7:00
If you're switching from Android, this is the iPhone you should be looking at rather than
7:05
previous models. But should you upgrade from an iPhone 6S, that's a tough call
7:11
If you think you'll appreciate the stereo speakers, better low-light photos, the new home
7:14
button and water resistance as much as I do, then go for it
7:18
You won't be disappointed. If those things seem unnecessary to you, then your iPhone 6 is still good enough
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