The iPhone 7 is set to launch soon, and I can’t be more underwhelmed.
Let me start off by prefacing by saying that I am a huge Apple fan – my phone, my computers, and my tablet are all Apple products. But lately – especially with the upcoming release of the iPhone 7 – I’ve started to feel a bit bored with the ‘innovations’ of the new device. Granted, they do fall under the textbook definition of innovation:
‘The action or process of innovating. Synonyms: change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough; a new method, idea, product, etc.’
But are the handful of seemingly lackluster features enough to keep me coming back? At this point, no. However, I really do not want to revert to using an Android again, since I love the stability of the iPhone. I would never again trust getting a BlackBerry after the experience I had with the BlackBerry Storm, which was the worst phone I have ever used or purchased – I went through approximately 12 phones in less than a year.
So, I am stuck between choosing integration and stability (although in some areas this is failing – but more so on the app front) over new and exciting features. Thus, begrudgingly, I am stuck with a phone created by a company that envisions colors as a revolutionary innovation in their product line.
UPCOMING BIGGEST FEATURES OF THE IPHONE 7
The biggest change in the iPhone 7 was the removal of the headphone jack, which was replaced with lightning-enabled headphones. The two biggest reasons for this seem to be:
A) that the audio quality will be able to be better, and B) that it will allow for slimmer phones (with the possibility that the reduction in internal room usage may result in a slightly larger battery).
While better audio quality is always great to have, most audio sources will not be exporting higher resolution audio clips for a small select group of people. Audiophiles just are not that prevalent in the mainstream to have a large enough impact on sales. According to idownloadblog.com, “The so-called Hi-Res Audio format will enable audio streaming in up to 96kHz/24bit resolution, reads the report. By comparison, audio quality on regular music CDs is 44kHz 16-bit. Apple Music features adaptive streaming technology which automatically adjusts audio quality based on each particular user’s Internet connection, and whether they’re streaming over Wi-Fi or cellular.”
For the thickness issue, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 6 Plus suffered from BendGate, which was created from an alleged bending issue with Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. There was a specific weak point on the inside of the chassis right beneath the volume buttons that allowed it to bend very easily with pressure added in the right place.
LEAKED NEW FEATURES OF THE IPHONE 7
The following list of features was originally reported by AppleInsider for the iPhone 7:
- New True Tone displays like the iPad Pro range, with laser-based proximity sensors for faster response times
- 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage tiers replace the previous 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB options
- 2x 12MP dual rear camera limited to iPhone 7 Plus, using 1x wide-angle and 1x telephoto lenses
- Upgraded ambient light sensors on both new iPhone cameras for better low-light shots
- Camera flash LEDs doubled from two to four with warm and cool colors
- 3.5mm headphone jack removed
- Lightning EarPods and a 3.5mm to Lightning headphone adapter included in the box
- Second external speaker and integrated amplifier for louder, richer output
- Basic IPX7 water resistance – both phones can withstand splashes and full submersion for up to 30 minutes. Not quite Galaxy S7 level (one hour+), but close.
- 2GB RAM for iPhone 7, 3GB RAM for iPhone 7 Plus
- Next-generation A10 chipset sees CPUs hit 2.45GHz clock speeds and 20-30% performance gains
- 3D Touch 2.0 sensor with more distinct haptic feedback
- Home button replaced with non-clicking touch sensor with haptic feedback
- Antenna bands removed from the back of both models for a cleaner look
- Two new colors: dark black and piano black (latter in limited quantities for the 256GB model); the space gray color option has been discontinued.
It’s important to note that these features were reported for the iPhone 7, which was released in 2016.
Is this enough to make you buy the new iPhone?
