Gadgets

So What Do We Think of the iPhone 7?

Apple announced the iPhone 7 at a big event in San Francisco. Without actually holding it in our hands, what do we think of it? Okay, I’ll start.

  • It’s pretty, especially the glossy black model. But will it be a fingerprint magnet?
  • The camera looks very good. Anyone who’s ever tried to take a decent picture from a distant at a concert knows that the old camera needed improvement.
  • Better water and dust resistance? Great. All for that.
  • Faster processor? Can’t argue with that.
  • Better-sounding stereo speakers? Fine, but I’ll never use my iPhone like a boombox, so I don’t care.
  • A non-mechanical home button? As someone with a MacBook with a non-moving touchpad, I’m okay with that. It’s the next step towards eliminating the home button altogether.
  • No more headphone jack. Apple has eliminated that port as an act of “courage.” Um, how did that bit of phraseology make it past Apple PR?

The Upside

  • The digital Lightning jack has much greater throughput than the 3.5 mm analogue hole. This should mean iPhones can offer up higher resolution music. Hi-Res Audio on an iPhone? Bring it on. It’s now theoretically feasible.
  • Apple has always hated having holes in their products, so it was inevitable that the headphone jack had to go. It was analogue technology dating from the late 1800s, something that was anathema to Apple.
  • A pair of Lightning-ready earbuds come in the box. But that’s the least Apple could do, right?
  • And Apple is throwing in a Lightning-to-3.5 mm adaptor in as well. Nice, but it’s still a dongle that I’ll probably lose.

The Downside

  • No more charging your iPhone and listening to it at the same time–unless you use wireless earphones, of course.
  • Apple’s new Airpods look cool, but they’re expensive ($159) and the chances of me losing one or both is pretty good. Think they’ll come with a Find My Airpods feature. Nope.
  • All those headphones and earbuds you already own? Useless for the iPhone without an adapter.
  • Lightning is proprietary technology. Once you start buying into it with compatible headphones/earbuds, you’re locked into to another part of the Apple ecosystem.

There’s already been some backlash.  And then there’s this from The Daily Show (via Larry).

Apple will start taking iPhone 7 orders tomorrow with deliveries starting next week. Here’s a review of the new device.

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38011 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

One thought on “So What Do We Think of the iPhone 7?

  • Once you go wireless…
    Much ado about nothing.
    My wireless headphones also have a corded option, in case you run out of of battery or want a wired connection for *superior sound quality*(for nostalgia?). Cord is still in the box, in storage, in its factory wrap.
    My BT phones pair with my phone and my computer simultaneously. I can listen to music from my phone and listen to a news/whatever clip on my computer without changing/adjusting anything. If I lift an earcup off my phones- the music pauses automatically, and resumes when I put the phones back on my ear.
    IT’S THE FUTURE ALREADY … TODAY!

    Reply

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