Photo courtesy of Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine (Flickr)
With every new school year, Apple releases a new batch of iPhones.
This year, Apple revealed the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Both phones are packed with new features, but first, the bad news. The new iPhones don’t come with an auxiliary jack, something that was standard on all prior iPhones. The removal of the auxiliary jack has many people upset, myself included, as a majority of iPhone owners use headphones to listen to music, watch videos or talk on the phone. The new iPhones will come with earbuds that connect using the charger port, along with an adapter so that people can use the headphones they already own.
Apple also revealed new wireless AirPods, which look like Apple earbuds with the wires removed. These cost an extra $159. The AirPods are a cool new device, but I think they are too expensive for the average iPhone user. Instead, if they were bundled with the new iPhones, that would ease the pain of the headphone jack removal.
Apple’s reasoning for the removal is that it helps free up space inside of the phone for other parts and also contributes to one of the standout new features: water-resistance. The iPhone 7 is the first iPhone to be water-resistant, meaning it can survive liquid spills or being in the rain, though it is not recommended to be fully submerged for an extended amount of time. This is a feature that many have been waiting for. This feature alone has me convinced to upgrade, as I lost my iPhone 6 to water damage.
The iPhone 7 has an improved seven-megapixel front camera for your selfies and a better camera on the rear too, which will take much better photos in low-light scenarios. The iPhone 7 Plus specifically has a new double camera that allows for much better zoom capabilities. There is also a new feature for the iPhone 7 Plus double camera called portrait mode. Portrait mode will allow you to take DSLR quality portraits in which the subject is in crisp focus and the background has a beautiful blur to it. Portrait mode will be added in a software update later this fall.
The new cameras are going to be a game changer. The iPhone is already the most popular camera in the world, so with these new changes, especially the double camera in the 7 Plus, it is going to change the smartphone photography landscape dramatically.
Other new features include a faster processor, brighter display with improved color output, stereo speakers that are twice as loud as before, a new home button, improved battery life and two new colors. The two new colors are black, a matte black finish, and jet black, a glossy polished finish. Reception of the new colors has been positive, and they have sold out across various websites that are currently accepting pre-orders. Most jet black models have been back-stocked until November.
Needless to say, the new iPhones will most likely sell well, despite the removal of the auxiliary jack, which has many people upset. Apple has not been afraid to remove major ports or other functions of their devices in the past. They removed floppy disks, CD drives and even standard USB ports from their newest Macbook. Luckily for Apple, its loyal fan base usually sticks around through these big changes and is likely to do so with the iPhone 7. Pre-orders began on Friday, Sept. 9, and the new phones will hit stores on Friday, Sept. 16.
