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Apple Event 2016 - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus reveal and specifications

Phew, they've really jammed it all in there

Apple Event 2016 - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus reveal and specifications
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Okay, firstly everyone breathe. Finally the rumours have been put to rest as today's Apple Event comes to a close (serenaded by the lovely Sia).

As it was accidentally confirmed earlier, the new Apple products, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are looking pretty damn good. Phil Schiller took the reins to walk us through the 10 features we should be most excited about.

Before we get started iOS 10 will be available September 13th and will be the biggest update to Apple's mobile operating system so far. But for the sake of simplicity, I'll put up a separate article about that.

Number one – the design

Following a rather artistic video about its new Jet Black finish, the design of the phone is sleek and methodically designed. The two new colours are Jet Black, which features a high-gloss finish, and Black, which diffuses light for a more matte finish. The remaining colours, Rose Gold, Gold, and Silver all follow the same string as before.

Number two – the home button

As was expected, the home button has been redesigned to be more useful, reliable and customisable. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will have force sensitive button that gives unique feedbacks for messages, notifications, ringtones, and more thanks to its new generation tactic engine.

Number three – resistance

No, not political resistance – the iPhones 7 and 7 Plus will be fully water and dust resistant thanks to its new seals, making it more suitable for even the clumsiest of folks.

Number four – the camera

As the most talked about part, the camera plays a huge role in what makes the iPhone so popular. Stated as the best camera on the smart phone market, the iPhone 7's single –lens 12 MP rear sensor camera is certainly one to be envied. Even its FaceTime HD camera has gone from 5 MP to 7 MP.

The phone camera has gained the OIS (optical image stabiliser) that previous versions have been missing, RAW capture, improved colour gamut, and ISPs (image signal processors) to read the environment and balance out brightness, colour, and so on. Its wider aperture lens brings in 50% more light giving it ability to perform 60% faster and be 30% more energy efficient.

The iPhone 7 Plus is the one that'll be raved about by the photography enthusiasts as it has not one but two cameras. This dual-camera set up acts like a pair of eyes as it gathers stereoscopic data, allowing us to experience new features such as the live depth of field setting on portrait mode to give profiles a more professional look. This setup also offers up a telephoto lens which allows us to zoom in 10x without sacrificing picture quality dramatically.

Number five – the display

Other than its camera, Apple is famous for its crisp retina display and this is the best of the bunch. The display is 25% brighter with a wider colour gamut, cinema standard resolution and offers up the most refined colour management to date (as was proved using Instagram).

Number six – audio

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will feature stereo speakers, one at the bottom and one at the top, for a more dynamic range and to make it 2x louder.

Number seven – EarPods

Sounds weird, but it isn't anything new. As previously predicted Apple has gotten rid of the headphone jack, instead favouring Lightning EarPods which connect at the charging port. It isn't all doom-and-gloom however so don't go returning those Beats or Bose or whatever brand takes your fancy just yet.

As well as receiving a pair of Lightning EarPods, each purchase will come with an adaptor in the box so you don't have to hang up your headphones just yet.

Number eight – Wireless

Following on from the previous feature, the AirPods have been revealed – Apple's first wireless headphones. You'll get five hours of use from a single charge, and then 24 hours of charging from the battery case. AirPods can be used to listen to music without the interference of wires, to take calls, and to have a quick gab with Siri. Best hope you really want these though as a pair will set you back $159.

Number nine – Apple Pay

The iPhone 7/7 Plus and Apple Watch 2 will be bringing Apple Pay to Japan beginning in October. This'll make those daily commutes and the purchases everyday items much easier and quicker. Just one swipe and off you go.

Number ten – performance

Phew, we made it. Last but not least the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have upped their performance yet again with new graphics chips for the latest and greatest mobile games, and a custom-design Apple A-10 Fusion chip, making battery life that bit longer. The iPhone 7 is slated to last two hours longer than the iPhone 6S, where the iPhone 7 Plus lasts about an hour longer.

TL;DR

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available to order this Friday 9th September with shipping starting next week on September 16th to a large variety of different countries.
Starting from $649 the iPhone 7 now comes in 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256GB across all colours. The iPhone 7 Plus offers the same and starts from $769.

Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.