iPhone 7: Waterproof, But no Headphone Jack

After months of speculation and rumour, the iPhone 7 was finally launched in September 2016, and it immediately got people talking. Outwardly, the iPhone 7 is almost identical to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. However, the introduction of a waterproof chassis and the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack were just two of the changes that made the headlines.

iPhone 7´s Features: Is the Upgrade Worth it?

Since the introduction of the very first iPhone in 2007, Apple has remained at the forefront of smartphone technology and innovation. The company’s approach to technology is now more about evolution than revolution, and the latest version of the world’s best-selling smartphone is evidence of that.

Outwardly, one of the main differences between the latest iPhone and its predecessor is the lack of an antenna band along the back of the handset. This creates a cleaner, sleeker look that many ardent fans have been asking for.

In addition, there are two new colours in addition to the usual Silver, Gold and Rose Gold options. Customers can now choose between a Black option and a high-gloss Jet Black version.

The iPhone 7 also introduced us to some big functional changes, although some of them proved to be more than a little controversial amongst die-hard fans of the iPhone. Newly engineered water and dust resistance makes this the most durable iPhone yet. The home button that has adorned Apple’s flagship product since its launch in 2007 has made way for a pressure-sensitive “virtual” button that doesn’t actually move.

In terms of general performance, the iPhone 7 is the most powerful variant yet, although some of the potential upgrades have probably been held back for Apple’s anniversary edition of its smartphone, 2018’s iPhone 8. There is a display that is 25% brighter than the iPhone 6’s, and a new A10 Fusion processor is purportedly 40% faster than the previous version.

Of all the changes announced by Apple at the iPhone 7 launch, easily the most divisive was the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. To listen to music via earphones now, users must use the new Lightning connector or connect wirelessly. Apple has been kind enough to include a 3.5mm adapter with the phone, but this wasn’t enough to stop a barrage of complaints for Apple fans.

This is iPhone 7

A Closer Look at the Main Features of the iPhone 7

Now it’s time to look under the hood of the iPhone 7, and delve into the detail a little more.

Design

At first glance, there is very little that separates the iPhone 6 from the iPhone 7. Apart from the weight, the dimensions are exactly the same. The iPhone 7 is 138.3mm tall, 67.1mm wide and 7.1mm thick.

 Apple has managed to remove the unsightly antenna band that aggravated so many iPhone 6 users. In addition, there is a moulded casing for the camera that is much more attractive to the eye. The other main differences in the chassis are a new pressure-sensitive home button (which isn’t actually a button), and extra speaker grill and the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack.

Water Resistance

Sony and Samsung have been ahead of the curve for a long time when it comes to water resistance in smartphones. But after years of customer complaints, Apple has finally launched its first waterproof handset. Yes, that’s right; the iPhone 7 is fully water and dust resistant.

Unfortunately, it looks like Apple is keeping its true waterproof capabilities under wraps for the iPhone 8. The iPhone 7 can safely be held underwater at a depth of no more than one metre for a maximum of 30 minutes. In short, this means that the iPhone will be fine if dropped in the toilet or bath, but diving or swimming with it is probably a risk you don’t want to take.

The Display

The resolution of the iPhone 7 is 1134 x 750 pixels. While this is exactly the same as the iPhone 6, Apple claims that major upgrades to the LCD display ensure colours are brighter and crisper. While many fans are calling on Apple to include their first AMOLED screen, most experts agree that this latest screen is the best non-AMOLED screen around. Colour accuracy, brightness and contrast settings are higher than ever before, while screen reflectance is the lowest of any major smartphone on the market today.

3D Touch

After being introduced with the Apple Watch and the iPhone 6S, 3D Touch is back with the iPhone 7. This features gives the user increased functionality for each app, simply by pressing a little harder on the screen. There are also some pretty nifty shortcut gestures called “Pop” and “Peek” to explore, which allow you to access specific features of an app without going through a raft of menus.

The Home Button

The traditional home button is no more. Instead, users have a glass panel that looks just like a home button. This change was just one of several needed to ensure the latest iPhone could be made water and dust-proof.

To activate the home page, the user simply presses down lightly on the new glass-panelled button. To let you know you’ve been successful in your attempts to call up the home page, you will feel a small vibration from the new taptic Engine. You can set the level of haptic feedback your finger feels yourself during the setup process. And as in previous incarnations of the iPhone, Touch ID for unlocking the screen and various other security measures is in operation.

The A10 Fusion Processor

The A10 Fusion processors is the iPhone’s fastest yet. It is actually a four-core CPU that combines added power with improved efficiency. As a result, Apple claims operational speed and battery life have been considerably improved. However, it is worth pointing out that in terms of the user experience, most leading reviews refer to the differences in performance between the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 as minimal. But as we’ll see later, this improved performance is necessary for a new and improved camera. The phone also comes with 2GB of RAM, so switching between different apps is a fast and smooth experience.

Playing Music

Apple caused uproar amongst ardent iPhone fans when they announced that the 100-year-old technology responsible for the 3.5mm headphone jack would be scrapped. Instead, you will need to use either the included Lightning earphones or the included 3.5mm adapter.

Of course, there is always the option of pairing some Bluetooth headphones with your new iPhone 7, but Apple would prefer you to part with a significant sum of money for their new Apple Airpods. These new earphones work independently from one another, meaning you can choose to use one or both without sacrificing core functionality. They include infrared sensors that can identify when they’re in the ear, and there are also motion accelerometers that respond to touch gestures, which include a double tap to communicate with AI assistant Siri.

Apple AirPods - Wireless Headphones

The Battery

Some significant improvements to the efficiency of the iPhone 7s CPUs have given users significantly more battery life according to Apple. You can expect to get, on average, around two extra hours of normal operation out of the latest iPhone battery than you get from the iPhone 6S. Once again, various reviews seem to contest this claim, so don’t read too much into battery life. If the frequency of charging is your main priority, there are older and cheaper iPhones out there that will deliver a similar experience.

The Camera

The iPhone 7 has delivered a major upgrade in the quality of camera technology used. Optical Image Stabilisation, which was once restricted to the 5.5-inch version of the iPhone, is now standard with both sizes of iPhone 7. This handy function reduces the effects of shakiness when shooting photos on the move, which increases exposure times and delivers a much better image. 



In addition to improved Optical Image Stabilisation, the iPhone 7 has a new 6-element f/1.8 aperture lens that lets in around 50% more light into the sensor. This new function is said to create photos that are much sharper at the edges. In reality, the differences between stationary photos taken with the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 are negligible to the untrained eye. If photos aren’t a huge priority for you, don’t let this issue sway your buying decision.

A 12-megapixel sensor is around 60% faster and 30% more efficient than the last iPhone. There are also a range of new and improved features, including a faster image signal processor, a new wide colour gamut and full face and body recognition.

In terms of video shooting, the iPhone 7 doesn’t provide a significant improvement on the iPhone 6S. It still offers 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p recording at up to 60fps. There is also slow-mo. video recording available at 120fps and 240fps, both at 720p.

One improvement to the iPhone 7’s photographic capabilities most users will notice almost immediately is the upgraded FaceTime, front-facing camera. Apple has equipped their latest smartphone with a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, which delivers selfies and FaceTime video calls of stunning quality. Some new sensor technology creates sharper images, and new auto-image stabilisation reduces shakiness on videos considerably.

The Speakers

Music and audio have never sounded so good on an iPhone. The iPhone 7 may have lost its 3.5mm audio input, but it has gained an extra speaker - creating the closest thing to surround sound a smartphone can deliver right now. There’s a speaker at the bottom and the top of the phone, which means stereo can be delivered whether you’re using the iPhone 7 in landscape or portrait mode. If listening to music without headphones is a priority, Apple’s latest flagship device should be right at the top of your shopping list.

Wireless Connectivity

As you’d expect, the iPhone 7 contains a very powerful NFC chip, so using the device for contactless payment via Apple Pay is a seamless process. There is also Bluetooth 4.2, which delivers exceptional wireless performance and compatibility with Apple’s new AirPods. Japanese users have the added functionality of Felica, which opens up a host of different payment options.

Key Specifications of the New iPhone 7

Before you make the decision to buy your next iPhone 7 with HotUKDeals, take a look at the main technical specifications of the handset at a glance, and compare them with other leading smartphones on the market.

General:

• Finish: Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, Jet Black


• Capacity: 32GB, 128GB, 256GB


• Size: 138.3mm long, 67.1mm wide, 7.1mm thick


• Weight: 138g


• Processor: A10 Fusion with 64-bit architecture and an embedded M10 motion coprocessor


• Splash, water and dust resistant


• Touch ID


• 
Haptic home page button

Camera:

• 12 megapixels
f/1.8 aperture
5x digital zoom


• Optical image stabilisation


• Quad-LED True Tone Flash


• Live photos with stabilisation


• Tap to focus


• Backside illumination sensor


• Noise reduction


• Body and face detection


• Auto HDR
4K video recording at 30fps


• 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60fps


• Cinematic video stabilisation


• 7-megapixel FaceTime camera



Display:

• 4.7” Retina LED HD screen


• 1334x750 pixels at 326ppi


• Multi-touch display with IP technology


• 1400:1 typical contrast ratio



• Wide colour display


• Dual-domain pixels for wide viewing angles

Battery:

• 

Up to 14 hours talk time


• Up to 10 days standby


• Up to 14 hours Internet


• Up to 40 hours wireless audio playback


• Up to 13 hours wireless video playback

If you’re a die-hard Apple iPhone fan, the chances are you’re going to want to buy this handset regardless of its capabilities. While little has changed since the iPhone 6S in terms of cosmetics, there are a few improvements to functionality that will excite you.

Perhaps the biggest improvements relate to water resistance and the range of photography features available. However, if these upgrades aren’t priorities for you, there is still a great deal of value to be found within the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6 ranges.

Unless you’re a keen amateur photographer who relies primarily on your phone camera, you probably won’t notice much of an improvement in the quality of photos you take with the back camera of the iPhone 7. But if video calling and taking selfies are priorities, you will find the iPhone 7’s front-facing camera to be a major improvement on anything that went before.

More Comprehensive information can be found on Apple’s iPhone 7 pages at www.apple.com

The iPhone 7 Compared to Other Mobile Phones on the Market

The average user will not see a massive difference between the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 7. And because there are cheaper handsets from Apple and other manufacturers that deliver a similar experience, a lot of people are waiting for the iPhone 8 which promises to be one of the most ambitious smartphones ever conceived.

In testing along with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel, the iPhone 7 performed admirably in terms of raw speed. This is surprising, given the fact that the iPhone’s competitors have, at least on paper, a lot more processing power. In another test, the iPhone 7 opened and closed selected apps in just one minute and 40 seconds, compared with the three minutes and 14 seconds the Galaxy S7 took. This suggests that the combination of iOS and the A10 Fusion Chip is a powerful one.



One area where the iPhone 7 definitely loses out to its rivals is pixel density. The new Google Pixel boasts 441ppi, while the visually stunning screen on the Galaxy S7 delivers 576ppi. Compare this to the relatively measly 326ppi offered by the iPhone 7, and it’s easy to see why people who use their phone to watch videos often choose the Samsung.



To the untrained eye, the difference in photo quality between the iPhone 7 the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel is negligible. The camera specifications on all three phones are almost identical, so this is not surprising. However, several reviews have lauded the Google Pixel’s cameras as the best ever. But if you’re looking for customisation options, the iPhone 7 wins hands down.

How and When to Purchase Cheap iPhone 7 Deals

As always, the latest iPhone is one of the most expensive smartphones of its kind on the market today. A sim-free version of the phone will, as usual, be the most expensive option available, but there are some reasonably good iPhone 7 contract deals to be had from leading networks such as Vodafone, 02 and Three. 

Although initially limited in supply (many retailers ran out of the iPhone 7 on the day of launch), getting hold of Apple’s latest handset is relatively easy. The cheapest version available is the iPhone 7 4.7-inch, 32G although some retailers were selling the Jet Black version of this phone for a premium.

The memory options throughout the range have been doubled, which means the largest capacity now available as standard is 256GB. However, if you’re not storing a lot of music and video files on your handset, you can save yourself a significant amount of money by opting for a 32G model.

All of the UK’s major phone operators now stock the iPhone 7, but there are some big differences in the upfront costs being charged. By shopping around for the best iPhone 7 deals, you should be able to save yourself a considerable amount of money looking at the HotUKDeals listing.

Expect to see some cheap iPhone 7 deals during the Black Friday and January Sales events. In addition, thanks to the reimagining of the iPhone that is purportedly being planned for 2017, there should be some cut-price iPhone 7s available by the time 2018 arrives. Apple often discounts its unlocked iPhones around Christmas time, so keep checking their website for special offers.

Cheap iPhone 7 Deals UK: Saving Big with HotUKDeals

While the iPhone 7 is easily Apple’s most powerful smartphone to date, it lacks some of the features and specifications that many of its competitors have boasted for years. Nevertheless, Apple has still slapped a premium price on its handheld device, which might make other brands a lot more attractive. Fortunately, you only need to check one place for all the latest offers, as HotUKDeals is home to the very best iPhone 7 deals around.