IPHONE 7

Design

On the outside, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus look a lot like the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The dimensions, aside from weight, are identical. The iPhone 7 measures in at 138.3mm tall, 67.1mm wide, and 7.1mm thick, while the iPhone 7 Plus is 158.2mm tall, 77.9mm wide, and 7.3mm thick.

At 138 grams and 188 grams for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, respectively, the two devices are slightly lighter than previous-generation iPhones.

Design wise, there are few visual differences between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 6s, aside from relocated antenna bands that no longer span across the back of the iPhone and larger protruding cameras, which is especially noticeable on the larger iPhone 7 Plus that has a dual-camera setup.

CAMERA

The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus feature a huge jump forward in camera technology, for photographs that are clearer, brighter, and crisper, even in low-light conditions.

Optical image stabilization, once a feature limited to the 5.5-inch iPhone, is built into the iPhone 7, compensating for small movements and hand shakiness when snapping a photo to allow for longer exposure times (3x longer than iPhone 6s). There's a new 6-element f/1.8 aperture lens that lets 50 percent more light into the sensor while keeping photos sharp at the edges.

The 12-megapixel high-speed sensor that's 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient, and there's a new image signal processor with twice the throughput for faster camera performance across the board.

The image signal processor, custom designed by Apple, sets exposure, focus, white balance, and uses wide color capture for more true-to-life images. It features fourth-generation tone mapping and noise reduction, performing 100 billion operations in just 25 milliseconds every single time a photo is taken with the iPhone.

Wide color gamut support results in richer colors, especially for greens and some shades of red. Low-light photo capture is improved, and Live Photos feature stabilization, can be edited, and are accessible to third-party developers via new Capture and Edit APIs. In addition to facial recognition, the iPhone 7 also features full body recognition.

A redesigned four-LED rear flash puts out 50 percent more light and reaches 50 percent further, plus it has a flicker sensor that can read the flickering of artificial lighting and can compensate for it in both photo and video.

VIDEO

Video taking capabilities haven't been improved in the iPhone 7. It still includes 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p video recording at 30 or 60fps. 1080p Slo-mo video support is available at 120fps and 240fps at 720p.

IPHONE 7 PLUS - DUAL CAMERAS

All of the features built into the iPhone 7 are included in the iPhone 7 Plus, but it has one other unique feature -- a second lens. The first lens in the iPhone 7 Plus is the same wide-angle 28mm lens included in the iPhone 7, but it is installed alongside a second 12-megapixel 56mm telephoto lens with an f/2.8 aperture.

The two lenses create a new zoom feature that allows iPhone 7 Plus users to switch seamlessly between standard 1x zoom and an optical 2x zoom, right within the camera app. Optical zoom is superior to digital zoom because there's no loss of detail, but the 2x optical zoom function also enables better digital zoom for clearer photos up to 10x closer.

Apple says that because you're starting with a 2x lens when you zoom in with the iPhone 7 Plus, the quality is up to four times better than digital zoom in the iPhone 6s.

In a future update, the two cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus will also be used for a new "Portrait" feature that uses shallow depth of field to make portrait photos "pop," as is possible with a high-end DSLR. To achieve this, Apple's image signal processor scans a scene, using machine learning techniques to recognize people.

It creates a depth map of the image from the two cameras, keeping the people in focus while applying an artful blur to the background. There's even a Live Preview effect that lets you see the background blur before taking the photo, something that's unique to the iPhone. "Portrait" will be a new feature in the camera app alongside other options like "Video" and "Panorama," and it will be introduced later in 2016.

FACETIME CAMERA

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus feature a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera for better-than-ever selfies and clearer FaceTime calls. There's new sensor technology for sharper images, auto image stabilization to reduce shakiness, and the wide color capture feature of the rear-camera is also available on the FaceTime camera.

HEADPHONE JACK

Let's tackle the big issue right away. As you might have heard, the 3.5mm headphone port is no more, taken out back like Old Yeller and given both barrels by (presumably) a symmetry-obsessed Jony Ive.

You’ve got to switch to a pair of headphones with a Lightning adapter if you want to pump music directly into your ears now, or invest in some pricey Bluetooth buds. Sure, there’s a pair of Lightning EarPods in the box, but when have Apple’s bundled ’phones ever been the last word in critical listening?

So, just how big a deal is this? Well, let’s do a little fence sitting.

On the one hand, it’s a typically arrogant move by Apple which will definitely annoy millions of people who already own standard headphones and are quite happy with them really, thank you very much. We imagine there’ll be one or two upset headphone manufacturers too.

The change doesn’t really seem to bring many benefits and while Apple has at least included an adapter in the box so you can keep using that decent pair of in-ears or cans, it’s both pug-ugly and another thing to carry around (and lose) while you’re on the move.

On the other hand… so what? Wireless has been the future of audio for some time now and, in ditching the port, Apple has simply brought that reality forward by half a decade or so. Yes, it’s an arse if you feel the need to buy a new pair of quality headphones, but if you’re set to spend £40 or so a month on a new iPhone the reality is you can probably afford the switch. When it works, wireless feels genuinely new and exciting.

Anyway, we've been here before. Apple does its thing, the world complains, Apple ignores the world, the world gets bored complaining and realises it still wants to buy an iPhone and yadda yadda yadda.

What you do get in place of the headphone port is a second speaker grille - however it doesn’t actually have a speaker behind it, instead just pumping out sound generated from behind the first grille. However up on top of the phone there is in fact a stealthy second speaker hidden behind the earpiece grille. All very strange.

It’s a first for Apple, and it really packs quite a lot of loud for its size. With both speakers pumping, it’ll easily overpower most other phones. Cover up one speaker and you’ll be amazed by how wide the stereo effect can be, too. Netflix in the bath just got a whole lot more immersive. And hey, this time your phone won’t drown if you don't fish it out quickly enough.

WATER RESISTANCE

The iPhone 7 might look a lot like the iPhone 6s, but it's been re-engineered from the inside out with new seals and new adhesive techniques to make it more water and dust resistant. It has a dust/water resistance rating of IP67, meaning it's entirely dust proof and able to withstand 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. It's safe from splashes and accidental submersion, but don't take it swimming.

REDESIGNED HOME BUTTON

The Home button on the iPhone 7 might look like the iPhone 6s Home button, but it's no longer a physical button. Apple calls it "solid state," which essentially means it's flush with the rest of the iPhone. When you press on it, you get haptic feedback from the Taptic Engine to mimic a button press, similar to the trackpad on the newest MacBooks.

Instead of feeling the sensation of pressing down on an actual button, when you use the Home button on the iPhone 7, you'll feel haptic vibrations in response to let you know that actions like unlocking the iPhone's screen or making a payment with Apple Pay have been successful.

When setting up the iPhone 7, you can choose the level of haptic feedback you want, ranging from light to powerful, with a setting in the middle available. It should be noted that the iPhone 7 Home button is capacitive, requiring skin contact or the right kind of capacitive gloves to press. It otherwise won't register touch, unlike the physical home buttons of earlier devices.

TAPTIC ENGINE

The Home button in the iPhone 7 is powered by a redesigned and updated Taptic Engine, a piece of hardware that was first introduced in the iPhone 6s. According to Apple, the Taptic Engine is more responsive and works with a wider range of frequencies.

It is used throughout the iPhone 7 system for everything from the Home button to notification vibrations, and for the first time, it can be programmed by third-party applications for new feelings and experiences that were not previously available.

TOUCH ID

The Touch ID fingerprint sensor that replaces passwords and offers additional security for things like Apple Pay payments is still located on the Home button, despite the Home button's redesign.

Second-generation Touch ID technology is built into the iPhone 7 and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is as quick as the one in the iPhone 6s.