iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Specs, features, price & release date
The iPhone 7 PLUS' camera has a major bug. Image credit:_ CNET.

The new iPhones are cheaper than Samsung's Galaxy handsets

The tech giant Apple has just unveiled its next generation of iPhones. The new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come packed with rich new features both inside and out, including a new design, powerful cameras, and revolutionary audio changes. The iPhone 7 starts at $649 and the iPhone 7 Plus at $769.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, led the two-hour long keynote at San Franciso, California earlier today. The event also featured the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 2, upcoming OS updates, and the latest advancements of the company’s ventures.

Cook introduced the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phillip Schiller to present the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in depth. Schiller summed up the main features of the new smartphones in a ten-point presentation that wrapped up with a live performance by the Australian artist Sia.

Apple unveiled two exclusive iPhone 7 PLUS designs

Apple maintains the 4.7 and 5.5-inch standards for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus respectively in this new generation. However, the signature aluminum body got a design overhaul that does away with the antenna lines and is now water and dust resistant.

The Retina HD display now supports a wider color gamut and shows it on-screen with more brightness and vibrancy. This enhanced feature is almost necessary to match the advanced specs on the iPhone’s new camera. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come available in five colors, introducing the new ‘Black’ and ‘Jet Black’ glossy finishes for the iconic device.

Apple’s iPhone 7 specifications 

The Cupertino-based company premiered the new A10 Fusion quad-core 64-bit processor along with the new iPhone 7. The device now performs 120 times faster than the first iPhone and processes graphics 50% better than the iPhone 6 according to the engineers at Apple. That change enhances battery life up to 2 hours longer compared to previous models.

Both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus now have 32 GB of base storage, skipping the 64 GB option straight to 128 GB and 256 GB versions. The new models like the ‘Jet Black’ are only available in 128 and 256 GB presentations.

One of the highlights of the morning was the reveal of the new camera system on the iPhone 7, especially, the iPhone 7 Plus’. While both handsets’ rear cameras now support optical image stabilization (OIS) and have 7 MP selfie cameras, only the 7 Plus packs dual-lens optics.

The two 12 MP cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus are separate but integrate seamlessly into Apple’s software to provide a unique photographic experience. With a dedicated telephoto lens and another wide-angle lens, the handset can zoom images up to 10x, while the camera itself can zoom up to 2x.

As previously foreshadowed by the event’s ‘out-of-focus’ invitation design, the new camera, and software on the iPhone 7 Plus can simulate a unique effect.

The device detects objects in the foreground and keeps them sharp while blurring the background to achieve a shallow depth of field seen mostly in professional DSLR photography.

The iPhone 7 ditched some of the traditional features 

With the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple is rolling out the first device in the lineup to include stereo speakers, one in the bottom as usual and now one at the top to optimize the sound experience.

Moreover, the tech giant cited “courage” as its main reason to get rid of the traditional 3.5-mm jack. Instead, the iPhone 7 have a unique lightning port for both audio and charging. All the models will ship with the new Lightning EarPods and a Lightning-to-headphone adapter.

Apple also unveiled a third alternative for iPhone 7 sound needs: the wireless AirPods headphones. Integrated with microphones and voice command support, the AirPods by Apple will rebut separately for $159 starting in late October.

The clicking home button on the iPhone is gone. The next generation of iOS smartphones will come with a redesigned, pressure-sensitive home button. Apple credits its new Taptic Engine for the evolution of the feature, now supporting quick actions and gesture customization.

iPhone 7 pre-order and release date 

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be available for pre-order this Friday, September 9. Apple said the new iPhone would be arriving the stores by September 18 in more than 25 countries including the United States and Canada.

Source: Apple