Apple opted for incremental upgrades with the release of the 2016 iPhone 7, but this could play for or against the Cupertino Company. In fact, there are some experts who are already recommending that you wait until 2017 for the real changes.
For those who are into the Apple iPhone upgrade program, it is easy to step up the game and get a new iPhone 7 once it is available starting next week. However, it could still be a great idea to stick around with your iPhone 6S as you wait for the release of next year’s version, which should indeed be big.
Despite all the fuss, there are still some differences between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S, all of which are not so easy to notice from a distance. Here’s a look at the major ones.
No headphone jack
Say goodbye to the 3.5mm headphone jack and hello to the new Lightning port. Apple will be shipping the new iPhone 7 with a pair of EarPod headphones compatible with the new port. There is also an adapter that can be used when you still believe in using your older 3.5mm headphones. Apple also has a pair of wireless AirPods that can be used when you don’t want to interfere with music listening just so as to charge your phone.
More storage
There have been numerous calls for Apple to up the base model of its iPhone range from 16GB to 32GB. Well, the Cupertino Company heeded to the call with the iPhone 7. But it took matters to the next level by similarly doubling the other storage options from 64GB to 128GB and from 128GB to 256GB for the high-end models.
Water resistant
Although not as great as the Samsung Galaxy S7s and Note 7 of this world, the iPhone 7 still impresses with its IP67 rating. In short, you shouldn’t be afraid to take a call when in the shower or rain – the phone can survive a dive of up to 30 minutes in water that is about 3 feet deep.
Better camera
Among the major improvements, the iPhone 7 comes with touch on camera matters. You get the same 12MP sensor on the back, but the new model has an aperture of f/1.8 as opposed to the f/2.2 you get on the iPhone 6S. The larger aperture of the new model means more light is allowed into the lens, thus delivering better shots Apple has finally made the jump to OIS with the standard 2016 iPhone, something that lacked on the previous handset but only featured on the Plus models. However, both units can still get you 4K videos.
Coming to the front, there are some real changes as well, with the new model getting a 7MP sensor that is capable of recording up to 1080p videos as opposed to the 5MP on the 6S, which manages just 720p videos.
Faster performance
The iPhone 7, as expected, has a newer A10 processor that is more powerful and energy efficient than the A9 used on the iPhone 6S. According to the tech giant, the A10 SoC is 40% faster and more energy efficient than its predecessor. It gets even better when it comes to the graphics performance, with the chipset bettering its predecessor by the same percentage.
Longer battery life
According to Apple, the new iPhone 7 beats the current iPhone 6S’ battery life by up to 2 hours. This means you get 12 hours of 4G browsing, but this should only be confirmed with real world tests.
Better stereo speakers
Unlike the iPhone 6S, the new iPhone 7 comes with two speakers, something that should make you enjoy listening to music via the speakers of the phone. The iPhone 6S only comes with a single speaker, which is located at the bottom edge of the handset.
Enhanced home button
The home button of the iPhone 6S requires physical pressing, however, the iPhone 7 has a pressure-sensitive button that reacts with haptic feedback, but you might take some time to get used to it.
What do you think? Are these enough to make you switch from iPhone 6S to iPhone 7? Share your thoughts in the comments.