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Getting to know the iPhone 7

Design

The iPhone 7 features a design that bears a strong resemblance to the 6 and 6s, but there are some subtle yet significant improvements. Overall, the design is noticeably cleaner; the antenna lines that were on the back of the previous models are more discreet, and are built into the handset. There's still a camera bump though, which keeps it from sitting flat on a table, like the iPhone 6 and 6s before it. The iPhone 7 comes in 5 colours: Gold, Silver, Rose Gold, Black and a shiny, glossy Jet Black. Apple has warned that the Jet Black version may be especially prone to scratches, so may want to get a case if you want to keep it in optimal condition.

Cameras

The 12-megapixel rear camera on the iPhone 7 includes optical image stabilization. The larger f/1.8 aperture enables more light to be captured, which means better photos in dark, poorly lit conditions. The front camera has been updated to 7 megapixels, which means better selfies. Apple also claims that its new image processor will use machine learning to enable better autofocusing, exposure, and color-correction.

Audio and Headphone Jack

The iPhone 7 no longer has a traditional 3.5mm headphone socket. Instead, the headphones supplied with the iPhone connect to the Lightning port (the same one you use for charging). This will inevitably frustrate many people, especially if they have invested large amounts of money in high-end headphones. It also means you can't easily charge and listen to music at the same time. To ease the transition, Apple is providing a free adaptor when you buy the new iPhone so you can use your own headphones. In the long term, Apple is trying to encourage users to use wireless audio, and to that end will be releasing wireless AirPods soon. Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have stereo speakers, providing sound twice as loud as that on the iPhone 6s.

Home Button

A subtle change to the home button is that it no longer clicks in. The new button is pressure-sensitive, and uses haptic feedback to make it feel like you're pushing it in, even though it doesn't actually move. Apple has used a similar trick for the trackpads on MacBooks that simulate a mechanical click when you tap on it.

Water Resistance

One of the big improvements of the iPhone 7 compared to older iPhones is water and dust resistance. The device is IP67 certified, which means that it's resistant to dust, and can survive being submerged in about a metre of water for up to 30 minutes. This has been a feature of various Android phones over the last few years, and is a welcome added feature for the iPhone.

Storage Options

For the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple has finally updated the storage options and increased the size of the smallest option from 16GB to 32GB - a welcome (and somewhat belated) improvement, meaning that even the most basic version will allow for room to shoot and store larger video files. Both the 7 and 7 Plus are available with 32GB, 128GB or 256GB (the Jet Black is only available with 128GB and 256GB).

Battery life

Apple is claiming a modest improvement on battery life compare to last year's models; iPhone 7 users should get on average 2 hours extra battery life compared to the iPhone 6s.

Screen

In terms of screen size and resolution, nothing has changed compared to the last couple of iterations. The iPhone 7 has a 1334x750 4.7 inch screen, whereas the 5.5 inch 7 Plus has a screen resolution of 1920x1080 (Full HD). However, the displays are 25 percent brighter, with a wider colour range for better color management and reproduction.

Release Date

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are available for purchase.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus cost more than their predecessors. While the cheapest iPhone 6s was priced at £539 when released, the cheapest iPhone 7 will set customers back £599 instead. The price bump for the cheapest Plus model is even larger - from £619 for the iPhone 6s Plus to £719 for the iPhone 7 Plus. It's worth pointing out that the new models start with 32GB storage as opposed to models with 16GB, but in the US, Apple isn't charging more for the newer model - the 16GB iPhone 6s cost $649 when it was released, and the 32GB iPhone 7 is being offered at the same price.

What the critics say (scores are out of 100)

100	What Hi-Fi? The lack of headphone jack will grab the headlines, but this phone makes all round improvements on its predecessor – including its sound. Read full review
100	Pocket-lint | Stuart Miles The iPhone 7 is the company's best iPhone yet. It's just that the best is only slighter better than what we've already had for the past year. Read full review
100	Stuff | Elissa Loi The iPhone 7's modest upgrades all come together to make a much more significant whole than you'd expect; in typically Apple fashion, the whole experience is just so polished. Read full review
93	phoneArena | Stephen S we see all these really focused improvements that on their own might not seem so hot, but add up to giving us an iPhone that's superior to its predecessors in nearly every way. From the screen, to the speakers, the camera, and even in terms of durability with its dust and water resistance, the iPhone 7 is the best iPhone of its size Apple's ever brought us. Read full review
91	Engadget | Chris Velazco If you're looking for newfangled features (or a headphone jack, for that matter), you'll have to search elsewhere. While it's not thrilling enough to warrant an upgrade from last year's 6s, the iPhone 7 is nonetheless an excellent smartphone. Read full review
90	OtherGadgetGuy | Thomas Bartlett It you're an iPhone user and intend to stay one, the iPhone 7 will please you by being just a little bit better at everything, without being a revolutionary advance. If you're an Android user switching over, you'll likely be pleased with the iPhone 7 once you've adjusted your ways to Apple's approach to smart phone design. Read full review
90	Pickr | Leigh Stark The regular-sized iPhone is still a great phone, but we get the feeling the Plus will be the one to beat, and with the features it brings against its sibling, we already feel that the Plus is where we'll probably gravitate towards, even before reviewing it. Read full review
90	Australian PC World | Nick Ross If we compare the 7 to a market that includes Android phones then we wouldn't recommend it...You're paying a premium ... to be part of the Apple ecosystem. Ultimately, it's a decent phone whose greatness depends entirely on what the Apple environment means to you in terms of value. Read full review
90	Gotta Be Mobile | Josh Smith Ultimately the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are great phones and worth the upgrade if you are coming from an iPhone 5s or older and want the bigger screen, but if you already own the iPhone 6s you'll need to think harder. Read full review
90	GottaBeMobile | Josh Smith Ultimately the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are great phones and worth the upgrade if you are coming from an iPhone 5s or older and want the bigger screen, but if you already own the iPhone 6s you'll need to think harder. Read full review
90	NDTV Gadgets | Kunal Dua All in all, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus set the foundation for some fundamental technology like wide-gamut displays and wireless audio that will form a key part of Apple's ecosystem going forward, and they do that while being compelling offerings in the present. Read full review
90	news.com.au | Matthew Dunn It's a solid offering from Apple and is OK if you need to upgrade, otherwise hold onto your cash or spend a little more to purchase the 7 Plus. Read full review
90	AnandTech | Joshua Ho & Brandon Chester If you're upgrading from the iPhone 6s Plus you probably won't find a ton of differences, but it's still a significant step up in display, camera, speaker quality, battery life, and system performance. Read full review
90	Mobile Choice | Sunetra Chakravarti If you are after a revolutionary phone, then you will need to look elsewhere. Probably towards an Android-totting number because the iPhone 7 ain't that. My recommendation would be to save yourself some cash and buy the 6S if you really want an iPhone. Read full review
90	Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman Things I like about the iPhone 7: it's well-made and has a nice screen; call quality is much better; it's really, really fast; battery life is finally in a good range; it takes excellent pictures and video; it's water-resistant. Read full review
90	ZDNet | Jason Cipriani The iPhone 7 line has two of the best iPhones Apple has ever made, but the iPhone 7 isn't my favorite iPhone of all time. I would give that award to the iPhone 7 Plus for its superior camera and added battery life. Read full review
90	BGR | Zach Epstein If you currently have an iPhone 6, an iPhone 6 Plus or any earlier iPhone model, or if you're switching from Android to an iPhone, this is truly a no-brainer. The performance boost when jumping to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will blow your mind - they're the fastest phones in the world. Add in the incredible new cameras, the gorgeous new displays, twice as much storage and all the other new features Apple mixed in, and you've got yourself the best all-around smartphones on the planet. Read full review
90	SlashGear | Chris Davies Better cameras, faster performance, and water-resistance are probably enough to convince many that it's time for an upgrade. They have, after all, the potential to legitimately impact your day to day experience of living with an iPhone. The decision is a whole lot easier if you're using an older iPhone, too: the iPhone 7 will be a significant improvement. Read full review
90	Recombu | Chris Barraclough Sure there's a fair few improvements, such as the water resistant design and new better-in-low-light camera, but nothing that'll blow your mind. Read full review
90	Digital Spy | Luke Johnson The iPhone 7 is everything you need and more. With a superior camera, improved screen and oodles of additional power, the iPhone 7 shows that Apple is back on form... Yes, this is the best iPhone yet. Read full review
90	Tom's Guide The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus may not look new, but their better cameras, longer battery life and faster performance make them awesome upgrades, especially the dual-camera Plus. Read full review
90	NotebookCheck | Daniel Schmidt and Patrick Afschar Kaboli Apple did a good job with the iPhone 7. If you are coming from the iPhone 6 or 6s, however, you should not expect any revolutionary features. The iPhone 7 is a successful evolution and you will certainly not regret switching if you are still using an older smartphone. Read full review
90	Cult Of Mac | Killian Bell If you're still clinging onto an iPhone 6 or earlier, do yourself a favor and upgrade to iPhone 7. You won't regret it, and the many improvements you get will be well worth it. If you're switching from Android, this is the iPhone you should be looking at rather than previous models. Read full review
90	Mobile Syrup | Patrick O'Rourke Whether or not the iPhone 7 is for you will depend on your expectations and which current iOS device you're using. If you're still rocking a 6 or 5, the 40 percent increase in hardware power over the 6s with with the iPhone 7, could be reason alone to warrant an upgrade. Subtle new features like the home button's new Taptic Engine and Stereo speakers, breathe new life into the aging overall design. Read full review
90	The Verge | Nilay Patel The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are legitimately among the most interesting, opinionated, powerful phones Apple has ever shipped, and the most confident expressions of the company's vision in a long time. iOS 10 is excellent, the cameras are better, and the performance is phenomenal. And the batteries last longer. These are terrific phones. Read full review
87	TechDissected | Nick Schiwy Despite my many ongoing gripes with some of Apple's design choices, this phone was one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of putting my hands on. Read full review
87	Techdissected | Nick Schiwy That having been said, I'd still say it's one of only three phones I would recommend someone would buy right now. Read full review
87	pocketnow | Juan Carlos Bagnell The iPhone 7 is a good phone, but for every step forward we find with lifestyle features, there seems to be a step back somewhere else. Trading pieces around, in many ways the iPhone 7 feels like a lateral move from the iPhone 6S, less like a true successor. Perhaps an iPhone 6SE if you will. Read full review
85	The Verge | Walt Mossberg The iPhone remains an outstanding smartphone, and this latest model makes it even better in many ways ... But the whole audio jack thing makes choosing the iPhone 7 more difficult than it might have been. Read full review
82	What Mobile | Thomas Wellburn The Apple iPhone 7 is undoubtedly the "best iPhone ever" but it's a surprisingly safe handset. With no defining features to truly make it appeal among the general public, most will probably see no reason to upgrade from their existing iPhone 6s. Read full review
80	Expert Reviews | Nathan Spendelow, Jonathan Bray ...if your allegiance lies firmly with iOS, then the iPhone 7 is definitely the best iPhone you can buy today. With its increased battery life, superior speed and better-looking display, the iPhone 7 offers a decent bump over the iPhone 6s, and a significant improvement over the now rather elderly iPhone 6. All of which makes it a very satisfying upgrade if your contract's coming to an end. That said, if the new prices are just a little too high for you, then I'd recommend buying a new iPhone 6s instead – particularly now that Apple's bumped up the storage and dropped the prices Read full review
80	Macworld | Susie Ochs The iPhone 7 has more speed, a better camera, double the storage, and a more vibrant screen. But some people might be turned off by little annoyances that previous iPhones didn't have. Read full review
80	Eurogamer | Damien McFerran While the design might not have altered a great deal, it's clear that some big strides are made with this year's iPhones. However, there's no denying that in some key areas, Apple's phones continue to lag behind the competition. Read full review
80	Ubergizmo | Hubert Nguyen The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are very good phones even if their design isn't something to brag about. As long as you like and it and feel good using one, it's fine. Read full review
80	TechRadar | Gareth Beavis If you're going to buy a new iPhone, this is the one to get – there's a slightly longer battery life, a better camera, fast innards and protection against water. However, many of the changes are slight, and the predecessor, for the lower price, suddenly becomes a very attractive option. Read full review
80	Alphr | Ian Betteridge, David Court A collection of small improvements amounts to a decent upgrade for Apple's flagship smartphone but it isn't a major leap forward Read full review
80	Mashable | Raymond Wong The iPhone 7 camera is still my favorite camera.... The stereo speaker setup are very blast-worthy.... I know other phones have had water-resistance for ages, but it's a first on the iPhone and, man, is it great... So yeah, the iPhone 7 is boring, and you know what? Unless next year's iPhone has a big redesign, it'll be boring too, and it'll still be the best iPhone and one of the best - if not the best phone - out there. Read full review
80	IT PRO | Adam Shepherd, Rene Millman Apple's latest iPhone hits all the familiar notes you'd expect it to, and while it's still an amazing device, there's nothing here that we haven't seen before. If you're due for an upgrade, you're unlikely to be disappointed, but don't rush out to buy one. Read full review
80	Gizmodo UK | Christina Warren Next year's iPhone is going to be the real bonanza, but the iPhone 7 is helping pave the way to get there. Yet in the present this is still a damn good phone, even if its frankenstein camera and home button that's not really a button are a little weird. Read full review
80	T3 | Dan Grabham The iPhone 7 is what we expected - it's clearly one of the best phones around and matches the rival Galaxy S7 almost punch for punch. It's priced at a premium level - though Apple will sell bucketloads of course. So do we like it? In a word, 'yes', but we feel there's a lot more going for the iPhone 7 Plus, especially when you consider the dual camera. Read full review
80	TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton I love the iPhone 7 Plus, and it's now my daily driver, but I'm always craving the latest and greatest from Apple and its competitors... Ultimately, yes, this phone deserves a "Buy" rating because it knocks everything out of the park, but only if you need a new iPhone and find value in this year's offering. Read full review
80	International Business Times | Alastair Stevenson The iPhone 7 is still one of the very best smartphones on sale today but it perhaps isn't worth buying if you already have the previous model.... Just because the iPhone 7 doesn't appeal to Apple die-hards who upgrade annually, is isn't automatically an inferior phone. Read full review
80	V3 | Matt Farrington-Smith The iPhone 7 isn't a revolution, it just does things differently. Another solid effort. Read full review
80	The Inquirer | Matt Farrington-Smith The iPhone 7 isn't a revolution, it just does things differently. Another solid effort. Read full review
80	S21 The iPhone 7 is faster, with more memory, a better camera and longer battery life, but the price has gone up again. Oh, and the headphone jack has been removed. Read full review
80	The Telegraph | James Titcomb The iPhone 7 is about functional, incremental improvements that will make our lives easier. Read full review
70	AndroidPit | Eric Ferrari-Herrmann I've tested, tortured and admired many expensive phones this year. I did not enjoy the iPhone 7. The experience was mediocre and if you're used to Android, you feel very limited. Read full review
70	Digital Trends | Jeffrey Van Camp The iPhone 7 is a fantastic phone, but we recommend the 7 Plus (or waiting for the iPhone 8). The iPhone 7 is cheaper and smaller than the Plus (which will make some of you happy), and also has a camera that's as good as any Android phone we've used, but the 7 Plus is a far nicer device, despite its daunting size. Read full review
70	Know Your Mobile | Damien McFerran It's Apple's most powerful phone yet, and while the design is familiar, there's plenty of stuff to make the upgrade worthwhile Read full review
70	Wired UK | Victoria Woollaston The iPhone 7 is mainly aimed at people with the iPhone 6. It is a good phone with decent upgrades. If you're an Android fan, this phone is unlikely to make you want to switch. Read full review
70	Trusted Reviews | Evan Kypreos Barring its battery life the iPhone 7 is a great phone. Its camera, screen and performance are awesome, and the water resistance is a real boon.... There are many positives to take from the iPhone 7, but unfortunately they're negated to a large extent by poor battery life and a lack of basic features. Read full review
60	The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs The iPhone 7 is a missed opportunity. Apart from a bit of fluff retention the fit and finish, the cameras, fingerprint scanner, snappy performance and waterproofing are all great. But what does it matter how good it is when the battery is dead? Read full review

Compare Apple iPhone 7 specs side-by-side with other phones COMPARE SPECS

Dimensions & Form	Form factor: Touchscreen bar Dimensions 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in) Weight: 138 g (4.87 oz)
Screen	Size: 4.7 inches diagonal Resolution: 1334 x 750 pixels Screen Density: 326 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 65.6 % Display Type: LED-backlit IPS LCD
Runs
Performance	Chipset: Apple A10 Fusion CPU: Quad-core 2.34 GHz GPU: (six-core graphics) RAM: 2GB
Camera	Main Camera: 12 megapixels with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Quad LED True Tone flash Secondary Camera: 7 megapixels
Storage	Built-in Storage: 32GB, 128GB, 256GB Expandable Storage: Not Available
Battery & Charging	Capacity: 1960 mAh Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: No Quick Charge: None
SIM standard	Micro SIM Compare SIM Only deals
Water & Dust Resistance	IP67 Rating: Protection from contact with harmful dust, and protection from immersion in water up to a depth of 1m for up to 30 minutes
Fingerprint Reader	Front
References & More info	Official website GSMArena specs page

Photos taken with the Apple iPhone 7

We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the Apple iPhone 7 camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the Apple iPhone 7.

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All images shown are used under the rights and terms specified by the Creative Commons.