Thoughts on my first day's use.

I just received my Jet Black 256gb IP7 today and I gotta say, I really like it.

Things I was concerned about:

• Home button feeling like whole phone is vibrating
• Yellow tint in screen / brightness of screen
• Micro-scratches

So I watched the Verge's coverage, and in the hands-on section, I think it was Vlad who said he hated the new home button, and that it felt like the whole phone was vibrating when he pressed it. I love the old home button, so I was worried that I'd dislike the button as well. There are 3 sensitivity settings, low, medium and strong. I thought for sure, to make it most like a real button, I'd need the "strong" setting. But that made it feel like the whole phone was vibrating. Using the low and medium settings made it feel like only the button / bottom were vibrating (low for button, medium for bottom). After a few hours usage, I've gotten used to the old button. Since I have my old phone I went back to it for a few things, and I think I prefer the new button now. It's nice.

The dreaded yellow tint. I have a serial number starting with "D" if that means anything. After reading these forums for a couple hours every night, and seeing photos of the 7 next to the 6 / 6S, I was dreading a darker and yellower screen. Upon opening the box and booting the phone up, I noticed it right away - a yellow tint in the screen and the fact that it is not as bright. I immediately booked an appointment at my Apple store.

However, after using it for a few hours, I think my eyes adjusted to the new screen colour temperature, because I was seeing colours accurately in my photos and on webpages - it only looked yellow when put right next to a 6 / 6S. (In my case, the 6S). After using the phone all day, now when I go back to my 6S, I feel like the screen has a blue tint, and is too bright. I think I like the new screen - it is easier on my eyes, and whites don't look yellow unless put directly next to a 6/6S.

I talked to a co-worker about this, and she has a special coating on her glasses to lessen eye-fatigue when working in front of a computer. The coating tints everything slightly yellow. Funny, how that has been the optical solution (I think for many years) to lessening eye-fatigue in front of a computer screen. I usually have night shift on, set to a medium-strong setting, andI feel like it actually makes my eyes less sore when looking at the phone for long periods at night.

Long story short, if this screen is the new default for Apple, I understand where they're coming from, and can get used to it. As long as the colours are accurate (and in my first 8 hours, checking out my photo stream, they look pretty accurate) I'm a happy camper.

As for the micro-scratches on the Jet Black - YES they happen, almost IMMEDIATELY even if you take care to avoid them!!! I purposely did not put the phone down on any hard surface, or made sure there was at least a pad of paper / toque / book / mousepad under the phone when I did put it down. Within a couple hours, I started noticing micro-scratches catching in the light. My case has not arrived yet, so I couldn't put it in immediately, and I wanted to try the phone naked, anyways. I work in an "art gallery" setting, so there really is not much to scratch my phone - and I took care with it too, knowing it was easier to scratch - but no dice. Didn't even last 4 hours before I started noticing scratches.

Either I'll have to suck it up, and get used to the scratches, or exchange it for a matte black. As I think I will be putting it in a case anyways, I will likely keep this phone - as long as the display is accurate / representative of the default.

Finally - bonus point - I love how the taptic engine response to software in the phone. The little taps you get when going in and out of the control centre and getting rid of notifications - the peek/pop taps; it's all a lot more refined and nuanced now. Feels great in the hand.

Last last last point - the grip on the Jet Black phone is amazing - I can now balance it on my four fingers on the back, using my thrums to scroll and navigate at the front. I don't need to hook my pinky in the bottom anymore to secure the phone in my hand. Its the grippiest iPhone I've ever owned - and I've had quite a few of them.

PS. I bought this phone mainly for the jet black aesthetic - I really love the look of it, and genuinely think it's a beautiful piece of tech. I don't think it looks like plastic, (i've seen a lot of comments to this regard on these boards) and think it is the best looking iPhone Apple has put out yet - just edging out my favourite iPhone of all time - the original (dark) black 5 (before the chamfered edges started chipping).

Anyways, keep it real macrumors readers!

 

If scratches drive you crazy, don't go JB. Even with a case on, it'll get these tiny micro "abrasions" that you can only see when the light hits it right.

Even with careful use, after 24 hours I have them.

To be honest though, they're only visible under close inspection, I mean really close, nose almost touching the phone, inspection.

OCD buyers beware!!

 

As I posted in the yellowgate thread, I don't exactly like the yellow - it's inconsistent - changing depending on the angle of view.

However, the screen is so much brighter than the "white" screens. Like, even brighter than my 6S in a fully lit room - that was surprising to me actually.

When I first unboxed my 7 and sat it beside my 6S, I was disappointed in how much dimmer the 7 screen was compared to the 6S. But at the apple store today, which was super-well lit (obviously) the 7 was brighter. Both on auto-brightness, both with sliders up to 100%, both with power saving mode OFF, both with night shift OFF.

So I'm sticking with this one, because I love the strength of the screen brightness. I do not like how it changes at an angle though. I only notice this on white screens, so I can live with it. For now.

Maybe in a couple months I'll exchange it for a new phone - and that'll give me a reset-button for my wear-and-tear as well!