We’ve been using the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus for a short time to gather some first impressions about Apple’s latest and greatest. Here’s everything you need to know, including specs, features,
pricing, and availability. Stay tuned for our full review.
Small design changes on a waterproof body
The iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus don’t look all that different from last year’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus — you’ll have to wait for next year’s iPhone 7S/8 for major changes, and of course rumors are already plentiful.The biggest cosmetic difference (besides the removal of the headphone jack — hello, elephant in the room!) is that both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are (finally!) water- and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating. That means you’ll be able to take either of them under up to 1 meter of water for about 30 minutes. The water resistance level isn’t as high on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as it is on the Galaxy S7 and most other water resistant phones, all of which support IP68 water and dust resistance. The difference is that you can submerge the Galaxy S7 in 5 meters of water versus 1 meter with the iPhone 7. Unless you literally swim with your phones, it’s really not a huge deal, but it’s a shame that Apple’s water resistance rating is a tad lower.
Related: How to order the new iPhone 7 or Apple Watch Series 2 — and avoid the lines
We dunked both iPhones in a beer stein full of water to see if they’d pass the test, and they did — with flying colors. Both phones were fully operational after several submersion tests. We even played music on the iPhone 7 Plus while it was underwater in the glass, and it pumped out sound like normal. If anything, the speakers sounded better with the amplification of the glass and water.
Apparently, the headphone jack took up a ton of space, and now that it’s gone, Apple added a taptic engine in its place, which provides haptic feedback when you press the Home button. The haptic feedback is key because now the home button isn’t a press-able button — it’s a flat, solid surface. You press it to unlock your phone, double-press it to trigger Apple Pay when the screen is off, and double-press it when the screen is on to trigger multi-tasking mode. When you press it, it provides the same haptic feedback you feel when you use 3D Touch on an app icon. You feel a small vibration, and that’s it. Some people will miss the physical button, but it hasn’t bothered us yet.
The jet Black model is as fingerprint-prone as any glass-backed Galaxy S7, and that’s a real shame.
But the differences are still noticeable, and they’re particularly obvious on the new color options: Black and jet black. Jet black features a “pristine, mirror-like surface” and a high-gloss finish.
Related: Apple’s futuristic ‘spaceship’ campus looks almost ready to take off
“The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process,” according to the site. “Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone.”
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The camera on the rear still sticks out, but the most noticeable difference is on the iPhone 7 Plus. It features dual-cameras on the rear, similar to smartphones like the LG G5. It’s the first iPhone to ever have such a feature, which is easily identifiable on the back of the device. We’ll go into more detail on the cameras later in this article.
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