IPhone 7 review: black is back in fashion

Equipment

Apple has even changed the design of the packaging film. Now, to open it, it is enough to pull the special tongue, nothing needs to be cut and pierced.

The delivery set has also changed. The envelope with documentation and stickers (also in an updated design) now lies on top, covering the iPhone. Under the smartphone hides a paper package of the already familiar EarPods with a Lightning connector and an adapter for 3.5 mm audio jack, as well as a charging cable and a USB adapter.

Design

And even when you take the iPhone 7 out of the box and it habitually lies in your hand, you still understand that it is different. On our model in matt black, the antenna inserts on the rear panel are almost impossible to distinguish. They are not visible at all. The same situation is with the more premium "black onyx". There, the back panel is a solid black gloss, although it is prone to scratches.

Matte black is the perfect color. It is scratch-resistant and does not show fingerprints. In addition, it is easier to find it on sale.

On silver, gold and pink, the ill-fated stripes are visible, but due to their displacement to the ends and the rejection of the transverse lines, they are not at all annoying. However, the old colors do not look so interesting compared to black ones, so it is not at all difficult to guess which one will be the most popular.

Apart from the disappeared audio jack and new camera bezels, there are no design changes. IPhone 7 has a larger camera module that protrudes from the surface of the body, but its border has a smoother transition. Some say that dust collects in this place, but we did not notice anything like that.

Well, the most significant innovation in the design of the iPhone 7 is, of course, moisture protection. It is implemented in accordance with the IP67 standard, which means immersion in water to a depth of 1 meter without any consequences. It is important to remember that although short-term contact with water is allowed, it is still undesirable. Apple's official position is to disclaim warranty for damage from liquids. So be careful.

Camera

Each iPhone has its own signature feature, and while the iPhone 6s has a touch-sensitive display, the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have such a highlight. The older model in this regard is distinguished by more advanced features, but the younger one has something to boast about.

It has the same 12-megapixel module with ƒ / 1.8 aperture as the iPhone 7 Plus, but without the optical zoom and dual lens. This year, the iPhone 7 was finally equipped with optical image stabilization (remember, previously this option was only in the Plus line). The front camera has received an upgrade to 7 megapixels and video recording in 1080p resolution. In addition, you can now take live photos with the front camera.

Few people are interested in bare numbers, and you probably already know them by heart, so let's better look at real photos. We compared the image quality of the iPhone 7, iPhone 6, and the old iPhone 4s.

iPhone 4s

iPhone 6

iPhone 7

iPhone 4s

iPhone 6

iPhone 7

iPhone 4s

iPhone 6

iPhone 7

iPhone 4s

iPhone 6

iPhone 7

Speed and performance

The hardware platform of the iPhone 7 is so powerful that the performance of the smartphone surpasses even the 12-inch MacBook. There are no impossible tasks for the quad-core A10 Fusion processor now: any games and applications from the App Store are launched and opened instantly. There is no talk at all about the interface, animation and switching between applications: everything does not even fly there, but simply reacts instantly.

The younger model has 2 GB of RAM, but in conjunction with the new processor, this was enough to provide a 25 percent increase in performance compared to the previous generation. Yes, now this power is not felt and the iPhone 6s is almost as fast, but in a couple of months the difference will be noticeable.

We did not run the benchmarks as it makes no sense. The iPhone 7 bypasses all current devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and OnePlus 3 with 6GB of RAM.

Screen

As for the characteristics, the screen remains the same: all the same 4.7 inches, 1,334 × 750 pixels and 326 ppi. However, with the naked eye, you can see improved color rendition and a good margin of brightness.

There is a difference with the iPhone 6s, but no more than the one that appears in each new generation. Moreover, it is felt only at high brightness levels. If you reduce it to 50–70 percent, there are almost no differences in the screens of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s.

Home button

But the "Home" button is something that you may not like, or at least something that will take some time to get used to. It may not even be entirely correct to call it a button, because now it has already turned into a touch panel.

The updated Taptic Engine module is responsible for the tactile response, which simulates pressing by means of vibration. And while it has three customization options, they have nothing in common with the crisp click of a mechanical button. There are no complaints about the operation of the button itself, but the sensations from interacting with it are somewhat different.

You can already wean from the combination of the power and Home keys to restart the iPhone. Now a new one is used instead: the power button + volume down key.

The Touch ID sensor stayed where it was and seems to be even faster, despite the fact that it already reacted almost instantly. The new unlocking mechanism in iOS 10 and the touch-sensitive Home button with super-fast Touch ID are revolutionizing the long-term iPhone experience. But you just need to try it, you won't be able to describe it in words.

Sound

Knowing about the existence of the second speaker in the iPhone 7, we were ready for a louder sound, but did not expect it to be so outstanding. Stereo speakers don't just play, they really convey depth and full range of frequencies, as much as possible in smartphones. The stereo effect is not just for show here, it is clearly distinguishable and makes the sound much more pleasant. It will be very, very difficult to miss a call when the iPhone 7 is under your clothes, and you are somewhere in a noisy place.

Headphones are now connected via the Lightning connector, but the sound quality does not differ from ordinary EarPods at all. If you've used third-party wired headphones, you'll need to attach the included adapter to them. For those who have already switched to Bluetooth, it will be easier.

Autonomy

With very active use, any smartphone may not live until the evening. Apple promises iPhone 7 owners an additional two hours of battery life over the previous generation. I must say, the company did not lie. Such impressive autonomy is due not only to the increased capacity of the battery from 1,750 to 1,960 mAh, but also to the new processor, which has a separate pair of cores with low power consumption for undemanding tasks.

Is it worth buying

Well, the answer to the most important question. Should I run to the store as soon as possible, or can the old iPhone last another year?

As always, for owners of older models, the answer is clear: worth it. New camera, fastest hardware platform, absolutely stunning black - well worth the price. If you have the previous generation, then you can overcome the temptation and wait for the iPhone 7s, which will be anniversary and even cooler. At least until the end of next year, the iPhone 6s will be quite relevant.