iPhone 7 Hands-On: Improved Cameras, New Jet Black Color, AirPods, No Headphone Jack, and More

[Justino_Asturias]

I hereby dub the iPhone jet black as... The Darth Vader Edition iPhone !

 

[MellowFuzz]

I'm convinced Ive has all but retired and is just sticking around to entertain himself by trolling people with these ridiculous designs.

Ive has secretly died... they're just using life model decoys and digital reproductions to fake he's alive. It's like Equilibrium meets SHIELD.

 

[Tubamajuba]

Do you work for apple ? Or just offering the cheerleading for free in regards to the removal of the headphone jack?

You know, it's possible to not bash Apple for every single thing they do and also not work at Apple.

I know this sounds weird, but some people actually kind of like Apple and Apple products, which is why they post on this website.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Seriously Apple? That's your solution? Wireless earphones with a long stick poking out? People are gonna get serious stick for wearing those!

How are other companies able to make theirs much more compact and stylish, yet you've gone for some weird alien protrusion? I thought style was something Apple excelled at.

These do look as if broken off.
Plus, by my experience all white apple plastic will eventually turn yellowish and there is no way these will stay in everybody's ear without some kind of a hook.

Try again Apple for $ 159 you MUST DO BETTER

 

[bopajuice]

iPhone 7 should have included dual camera. Tim is making bigger is better. No headphone jack, no wireless charging, no retina scanner, no oled screen, no new macs, Apple lost its way.

I totally agree. Most of my friends are Apple fanboys myself included, but the magic is gone.

New phone, new watch, yet the rest of the computer line is a generation or more behind. I mean everything is lagging behind. Yet the prices are head and shoulders above everyone else, who BTW are sporting the latest tech.

You can look at just about any of their current products, and find nothing but old technology. 4th or 5th generation processors in most of their computers? USB 2.0? iPads with only 802.11n? Macbook Air with only 1440x900? Mac Mini's that are slower than the old ones, and not upgradable? On and On.

Meanwhile with get Mario Brothers, an iPhone that looks almost the same, a watch that looks the same, butt ugly headphones...

But hey we got a $9 adapter!!! Woo Hoo.

 

[coolspot18]

Try a pair with the aptX codec? I would have said the same thing until I got a pair of really nice Plantronics Pro headphones with both class 1 BT and aptX and I can't go back to wired now. I wish Apple would put class 1 BT chips in the iPhone because it's great being able to wander 300' from the source (my rMBP), without cutting out.

Voice quality for conference calls on BT headphones is questionable ... whereas the old iPhone headphones just worked.

 

[Analog Kid]

Well one thing's for sure ... the way Phil emphasized the headphone jack as a single function port suggests we'll see Lightning added to the MacBook possibly next month. That will make a huge difference on the rMB for some. Something else that signals Lightning ports in the Macs is the fact there was no mention of an adapter to plug the Lightning headphones into a 3.5mm jack source -- like the Mac. I'm very curious to see how Apple updates the MFi specs and what kinds of adapters start showing up in the Apple Store.

With all the whining about making analog headphones work with the iPhone, I'd never thought about the reverse problem.

Wireless is clearly the end goal here, and I'd find it strange to suddenly start putting lightning ports on Macs, but not being able to use lightning headphones with a Mac is a legit gripe. Don't think you can go from lighting to 3.5mm male though-- the headphones will need power to process digital audio.

 

[belltree]

You say that now...wait until all the Android phones start removing the 3.5mm jack as well one by one...

I won't be going to Android either. Screw 'em all.

 

[Small White Car]

In fairness, this was the year that wireless headphone sales overtook wired headphone sales.

But [non Apple] Bluetooth ear buds have been out for years and can be had for around $30 to $100 and beyond for premium models.

Apple has had wireless headphones since they bought Beats, and people have known about bluetooth for much longer than that...

My reply was in relation to the person who said wireless technology would be good "in 5 years."

My reply to him was based off his own assumptions.

 

[MacBj]

I Want HI-RES Sound, i thought you love music at Apple? Why are you still selling this Compressed **** and keep the old 16bit 44, Sound, that would have been modern and brave. Get an Fiio X1, that's Music with Jack for real good Headphones, Not this earpod and Overpriced Beats Crap

 

[Analog Kid]

I hereby dub the iPhone jet black as... The Darth Vader Edition iPhone !

Wonder if he needs an adapter to make his headgear compatible...

 

[meboy]

That means it's probably a passive adapter - meaning generic brands can make them for even cheaper.

If true, that means there is still a DAC in the phone. Is there? Why? Just for the dongle? Is it equal to the previous DAC?
So what the hell was the point of removing the 3.5mm jack...

 

[Dan_Florida]

Immediately following its media event today in San Francisco, Apple invited members of the press to a special hands-on area to get a closer look at the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The first real-life photos and videos of the smartphones are now beginning to surface around the web, showcasing the improved cameras, new black colors, no headphone jack, and more.

The Verge shared pictures of the iPhone 7 in both the new Black and Jet Black colors, providing a glimpse of the new matte and glossy finishes in action. The two new colors complement the existing options of Gold, Silver, and Rose Gold. Jet Black in particular will be limited to 128GB and 256GB models of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, while the other four colors will be available for all storage capacities.

In the article, the website described the iPhone 7's capacitive home button as "awful," adding that "it doesn't feel like a button at all."CNET prepared a quick hands-on video with the iPhone 7 Plus in Rose Gold, showing off its dual cameras, no headphone jack, stereo speakers, repositioned antenna bands, and capacitive, force-sensitive home button.

SlashGear, meanwhile, provided a hands-on look at Apple's new wireless AirPods with charging case and Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. AirPods will be available for $159 in late October, while the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter is included in the box with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The adapter is $9 as a standalone purchase on Apple's online store and retail locations.

More hands-on videos and first impressions should follow in the coming hours and days.

Article Link: iPhone 7 Hands-On: Improved Cameras, New Jet Black Color, AirPods, No Headphone Jack, and More

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

Nilay Patel seems to be phoning it in today.

FYI the Jet Black is not available in 32GB only the regular black is.....

 

[Feenician]

If true, that means there is still a DAC in the phone. Is there? Why? Just for the dongle? Is it equal to the previous DAC?
So what the hell was the point of removing the 3.5mm jack...

There's speakers on it so, yes. A DAC would be tiny - super, super tiny - in relation to the size of a 3.5 mm jack and whatever space around it subsquently cannot be used when its there

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

What did macrumors do to apple to never get invited to these things?

 

[ValO]

If true, that means there is still a DAC in the phone. Is there? Why? Just for the dongle? Is it equal to the previous DAC?
So what the hell was the point of removing the 3.5mm jack...

There is stil a dac in the iphone, for sound output throughout the built-in iphone speakers.
Youp know, the sound form the speakers has to be converter top from digital to.... well....sound.

 

[meboy]

First, the verge suck. Ignore them from and forever.

If you don't have a 6s then go for it.

The Verge are massive Apple fan boys.
Think what they were implying is that if even they say it's awful..
[doublepost=1473289822][/doublepost]

There is stil a dac in the iphone, for sound output throughout the built-in iphone speakers.
Youp know, the sound form the speakers has to be converter top from digital to.... well....sound.

True...
Is it equal I wonder?
[doublepost=1473289957][/doublepost]

With all the whining about making analog headphones work with the iPhone, I'd never thought about the reverse problem.

Wireless is clearly the end goal here, and I'd find it strange to suddenly start putting lightning ports on Macs, but not being able to use lightning headphones with a Mac is a legit gripe. Don't think you can go from lighting to 3.5mm male though-- the headphones will need power to process digital audio.

Neither did Apple think of it...

 

[falainber]

What Samsung should do is not just chuck another chip in a product or a feature and say hey kids look what we got... they should find harmony in their system and refine it ... may save on the fires.

The Gear 3 may be faster but having not seen much with an apple Series 2 I couldn't say but I know I wouldn't buy a gear as I think they lack anything special about them. They tried being different but were cheap and have now caved going the circular design combination design route. Dull.

How do you know the iPhone 7 does not take better pictures than the S7?

You mean like Samsung adding a co-processor, NFC chip, barometer etc. -- all the features laughed at by some Apple fans which were later adopted by Apple?

 

[Dan_Florida]

Apple did not mentioned if the iPhone Bluetooth will be programmable to be BlueTooth 5 compatible in the future. The new Bluetooth 5 specifications should be out early next year. The new Bluetooth 5 standard will really be a wireless game changer.
I think the timing is a little bad for Apple. Looks like we'll probably have to wait for the new year for the BlueTooth 5 standard to be finalized, and then wait for the iPhone 8.
Or, I wonder if the Ear Buds are using BlueTooth 5 now as best it can, and will be programmable to be more legit when finalized.

 

[Feenician]

You mean like Samsung adding a co-processor, NFC chip, barometer etc. -- all the features laughed at by some Apple fans which were later adopted by Apple?

I don't recall anyone laughing at NFC chips. I do recall people laughing at the idiotic things that Android OEMs did with them, like bumping phones together. As for co-processors and barometers, they hardly sound like targets for mirth. Do you have any examples of this being widespread? A popular, "A co-processor and and barometer walk into a bar..." joke perhaps?

 

[delegagtor]

There is a difference between courage and throwing caution to the wind. This is more Pickett's Charge than San Juan Hill.

The 3.5mm to lightning adapter is laughable -- the fact that the thing has to exist at all shows how stupid it was to remove the headphone jack. It also doesn't solve the problem of what to do when your Airpods run out of juice about an hour before touchdown on your transcontinental flight.

 

[mjmatsen]

New 'AirPods' be lookin' like...

And...

 

[MartiNZ]

Awesome work there! My main concern would be that there's no way those things will stay in anyone's ears - I've only met one person that could keep the earPods in, and I gave him mine because they were absolutely hopeless for me. Subtract the cord, and I feel there would be issues. Not even a band to connect them? Brave new world indeed.

 

[StyxMaker]

What involvement did Beats have, if any on those airpods? I highly doubt the inherited Beats engineers were on board with the aesthetics, unless groupthink got a hold of them. Leaving one side with a prolonged stem for voice calls would make more sense, but both looks absolutely ridiculous. I am just really shocked this is the resulting product of a 3 billion dollar acquisition, regardless of whether Beats was in on it or not. It just doesn't look great.

I believe most people have a preferred ear, just like we are better with one hand than the other. If I'm doing something with just one ear (like talking on the phone) I use my left ear. I have friends who prefer their right ear for those situations. This way Apple accommodates everyone, and doesn't try to force everybody to be the same.