APPLE HAS UNVEILED the latest additions to its iPhone range: the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
At a media event in San Francisco, Tim Cook unveiled both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch devices saying it was “the best iPhone we have ever created… It makes all the things you do every day so much better”.
Both phones will come with the latest version of its operating system iOS 10 and is powered by a new A10 chip. It is water and dust-resistant, has a retina HD display and will start at 32GB. The home button is now force sensitive, using a taptic engine found in the Macbook to determine soft or hard presses.
Battery life has also been improved with the iPhone 7 having two more hours of battery life than the iPhone 6 and one hour more than the iPhone 6s.
The biggest change is that the headphone jack has been ditched in favour of the lightning port. Headphones will need to connect to it, via Bluetooth or an adapter.
It also announced Wireless earbuds called AirPods which have up to five hours battery life.
The Airpods also come with a chip built-in so it will be able to tell when you’re wearing them before playing music. It will also work with Siri, coming with a touch pad, and the case is also a charger, storing up to 24 hours of charge.
The iPhone 7 will include wired earbuds and an adaptor for those who still wish to use traditional headphones, but you will have to pay for the AirPods which will be available in October.
The iPhone now comes with an upgrade to the camera. It will also come with stabilisation as well as a new sensor and image processor for better quality photos.
The Plus now has 12MP cameras, one dedicated to wide-lens shots. The camera app comes with a 1X button which, when tapped, takes a photo with the telephoto lens and lets you shoot with optical zoom, going as far as 10X if the user requires it.
It also allows depth of field which by using software to scan the photo, makes the subject pop out and look like it’s almost 3D.
Traditionally, Apple announces a major update every two years, starting off with a new digit like the iPhone 6 in 2014 before releasing an updated ‘s’ version a year later (the 6s in 2015).
However, the upgrade cycles for users has changed thanks to smartphone technology plateauing and with the tenth anniversary of the iPhone launch happening next year, it’s likely that Apple is saving major changes for that year’s version.
It’s a me, Mario
Apple also announced a new version of the Apple Watch called Series 2. One of the major features is it’s now swim proof. It can now be taken 50 metres underwater and comes with a dual-core processor making it 50% faster, and built-in GPS so you can run or walk without bringing your phone.
The event was also used to announce a new iOS title from Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong, announced a new mobile game called Super Mario Run. An endless running-style game, it will be released at the end of the year at a set price, instead of following the free-to-play model most games use.
Another Nintendo property, Pokemon Go, was announced for the Apple Watch. The CEO of Niantic Labs John Hanke took the opportunity to say it had been downloaded over 500 million times.
Both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are expected to be released in Ireland next month with pricing yet to be confirmed. It will come in five different colours: jet black, black, silver, gold and rose gold.
Pre-orders will start on 9 September while the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will go on sale in Ireland on 16 September. iOS 10 will be released on 13 September.
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