iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus Review: Should You Upgrade?

Apple's latest and greatest -- or in other words the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are here. The two devices are now available in major electronic retail stores. When it comes to Apple, everything latest that the company makes is also, according to it, the greatest.



The new iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are no exception. But this is the sort of claim that you can safely put into the category of hyperbole. Although new, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, seemingly don't bring all that much new to the table. After all, the design is more or less similar to the design of the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus. And so is the feature set.

But looks can be deceiving. Or at least they are in the case of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. We will have a better and more detailed look at the devices in the full review in the coming days, but the first impressions that we have of the two devices are very positive. In subtle, but significant ways, the two new iPhones improve on their predecessors.

THE DESIGN


The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus look remarkably similar to the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus. Yet, they come with a few design changes that make them distinctly unique. Two changes in particular stand out. The plastic antenna lines, which were in-your-face and across the rear cover in the earlier iPhones, have been moved to the edges of device in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. This makes them virtually invisible, especially if you have an iPhone in Jet Black or Space Grey colours.

The repositioning of the antenna lines gives the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus a look that seems more seamless and coherent. The other design element that makes the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus different is the camera module. On both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus the module protrudes. The iPhone 7 Plus also has the dual-camera module, which makes it easy to identify when it is placed alongside the iPhone 7 Plus.

The build quality of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, as expected, is fantastic. The finishing is top notch and the curved glass on the front, melds into the metal frame to create a device that seems edgeless.

HARDWARE

In terms of hardware, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus seem to be a sort of mixed bag. There are several hardware-related changes in the phones. But not all will be immediately apparent to users. The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are powered by new Apple-designed A10 processor. This one is much faster than A9 in the earlier iPhones. But given how fast the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus were and given how the animations are handled in the iOS, the speed boost won't be apparent to users.



But a couple of other features are quite unique. The stereo speakers in both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are fantastic, at least for a smartphone. They are loud and sound full.

THE CAMERA



Apple says that the primary camera in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, despite retaining a similar 12-megapixel image sensor, is now faster and better at rendering colours etc. On the basis the images I have clicked so far, Apple seems accurate in describing the iPhone 7 camera -- although, I also suspect that this won't be the best smartphone camera. At the same time, the big deal when it comes to cameras is the second camera in the iPhone 7 Plus. This camera, with its bigger focal length of 56mm, seems like a feature that most users are going to find incredibly handy.

FINAL WORDS

The first impression of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus is that it is a solid mix of great hardware and good enough software. With the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, Apple offers consumers two devices that seem to have the best-in-class hardware along with software that is slick.

The iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are particularly impressive devices for those who are already in Apple's camp and like the Apple's way of doing things. For them getting an iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7 Plus seem to be no brainer. For everyone else, we will be taking a more thorough look at the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus in the full review.

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