Apple has introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which feature advanced camera systems, the best battery life ever in an iPhone, stereo speakers, a wide color system from camera to display, and two new finishes.
They’re also the first water and dust resistant iPhone. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in more than 25 countries beginning Friday, Sept. 16.
“The completely redesigned cameras shoot incredible photos and videos day or night, the A10 Fusion chip is the most powerful chip on any smartphone while delivering the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and an entirely new stereo speaker system provides twice the sound, all within the first water and dust resistant iPhone,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The new smartphones boast iP67 protection thanks to new seals and adhesives, he adds. They can survive a dip in the pool, but they’re not waterproof.
The new smartphones boast entirely new camera systems. The 12-megapixel camera includes optical image stabilization on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and a larger ƒ/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens enable brighter, more detailed photos and videos, and a wide color capture allows for more vibrant colors with more detail.
The iPhone 7 Plus features the same 12-megapixel wide angle camera as iPhone 7 and adds a 12-megapixel telephoto camera that together offer optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos. Coming later this year, the dual 12-megapixel cameras also enable a new depth-of-field effect, using both cameras on iPhone 7 Plus to capture images, while sophisticated technology including Machine Learning separates the background from the foreground to achieve amazing portraits once possible only with DSLR cameras. Additional camera features include:
- A new Apple-designed Image Signal Processor, which processes over 100 billion operations on a single photo in as little as 25 milliseconds;
- A new 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera with wide color capture, advanced pixel technology and auto image stabilization for better selfies;
- A new Quad-LED True Tone flash that’s 50% brighter than iPhone 6s including a sensor that detects the flickering in lights and compensates for it in videos and photos.
The new custom-designed Apple A10 Fusion chip features a new architecture that powers these innovations, making it the most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, while also getting more time between charges with the longest battery life ever in an iPhone, says Schiller. The A10 Fusion’s CPU now has four cores, integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than iPhone 6, and two high-efficiency cores that are capable of running at just one-fifth the power of the high-performance cores. Graphics performance is also more powerful, running up to three times faster than iPhone 6 at as little as half the power, enabling a new level of gaming and professional apps, Schiller says.
Both phones include support for up to 25 LTE bands and LTE Advanced for three times faster data rates than iPhone 6 at up to 450 Mbps. For customers in Japan, iPhone will now support the FeliCa contactless technology, bringing the ability to use credit and prepaid cards, including on iD and QuicPay domestic networks, and Suica, Japan’s dominant transit card issued by JR East, the world’s largest transit operator.
New stereo speakers offer immersive sound that’s two times louder than iPhone 6s, offering increased dynamic range of sound and a higher quality speakerphone, says Schiller. The new iPhone comes with EarPods with a Lightning connector to deliver incredible sound, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter that allows customers to use old headphones and accessories. So, yep, the rumors were true: the traditional audio jack is a thing of the past.
Why remove the analog headphone jack? School says there are three reasons: one: Apple has the courage to move on and do something new that’s better for all of us. Two: our smartphones are packed with ever-increasing technologies (and we all want more) so having an “old, big” analog connector doesn’t make sense. Three: Apple has a vision of how the audio experience should be, and Lightning and wireless connections are part of the company’s vision on how audio should work on mobile devices.
AirPods, Apple’s new wireless headphones, sport a new Apple W1 chip. Theyharness the power of Siri, allowing you to access your favorite personal assistant with just a double tap.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come in a design in silver, gold and rose gold finishes and introduce two all-new black finishes: a black finish that has an anodized matte appearance, and a jet black finish that has a deep, high-gloss look. The new jet black finish is accomplished through a nine-step process of anodization and polish for a uniform, glossy finish. An entirely reengineered enclosure results in a water resistant iPhone offering protection.
The new iPhone features the brightest, most colorful Retina HD display ever in an iPhone, now with a wide color gamut for cinema-standard colors, greater color saturation and, per Apple, the best color management in the smartphone industry. A new, advanced, solid-state Home button on iPhone 7 is designed to be durable and responsive, and working in tandem with the new Taptic Engine, provides more precise and customizable tactile feedback.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in silver, gold, rose gold and the new black finish in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models starting at $649. The new jet black finish will be offered exclusively on the 128GB and 256GB models from Apple.com, Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers.
Through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, customers in the US, and for the first time in the UK and China, can get an unlocked iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, with the protection of AppleCare +, choose their carrier and have the opportunity to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. The iPhone Upgrade Program is available at Apple.com and Apple Stores in the US with monthly payments starting at $32.
Customers will be able to order the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus beginning Friday, September 9, with availability beginning Friday, Sept. 16, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.
The new Apple-designed wireless AirPods including charging case will be available for $159 from Apple.com and Apple Stores beginning in late October. All iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models will include EarPods with Lightning Connector and a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter, also sold separately at Apple.com and Apple Stores, for $29 and $9, respectively.
Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors will be available starting at $35 and iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case will be offered in black and white for $99 from Apple.com and Apple Stores. Lightning Docks in several color-matching metallic finishes will also be available for $49
Every customer who buys iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online4, to help them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more.
