The iPhone 7 (and the iPhone 7 Plus) are possibly the hottest phones on the market. As with all Apple products, the hype leading up to its release was off the chart. So, let’s get a taste of the 7 Plus’ brother to see if it’s as impressive its sibling.
The most significant change that is evident is Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack from the device. It’s a bold move, but it reiterates their mind-set that their devices should only use Apple peripherals. There is a lightning adapter included in the box to allow you to connect wired headphones, but this is a bit cumbersome.
One of the gripes that iPhone users have had is that Apple’s own apps could not be uninstalled; the good news is that they have finally added this functionality and it is a welcomed change.
With the increased power, owing to the new chipset, battery life was a big concern, but Ale has come to the party; the battery is 15% bigger than its iPhone 6s counterpart and according to GSMArena, has a 61 hour endurance rating.
The Music app has received a UI rework and is much better for it. The “For You” feature displays recommended music based on your listening history, ensuring that your favourite tunes are easily accessible.
The camera has undergone some serious upgrades – your photos are going to be more vibrant and detailed than ever! The improvements include: a Quad-LED True Tone flash (the iPhone 6s has a dual LED), Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). All selfie fans will love the 7MP HD FaceTime shooter and a Retina flash.
The memories feature is very cool; it allows you to sort your photos into specific albums e.g. if you’ve taken a wonderful trip, it will sort images taken on that trip by the landmark, making it very simple to access – there are many other categories from which to choose.
Key Specs
- 4.7” LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen
- Resolution: 750 X 1334 pixels
- Protection: oleophobic coating, Ion-strengthened glass
- 12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS, quad-LED (dual tone) flash
- 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face detection, HDR, panorama
- Video: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps
- Apple A10 Fusion chipset
- CPU: Quad-core 2.34 GHz
- iOS 10.0.1, upgradable to iOS 10.1
- Memory card slot: No
- 2 GB RAM
- 128 GB on-board storage
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
- Bluetooth: v4.2, A2DP, LE
- USB: 0, reversible connector
- Non-removable Li-Ion 1960 mAh battery (7.45 Wh)
- Up to 14 h (3G)
Pros: Nightshift mode; long battery life; improved system apps; Siri updated; Can uninstall some of Apple’s own apps; Memories feature
Cons: Expensive; video player is limited
Verdict: 9/10
Apple iPhone 7 available from R9,949
