Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are now official and are set to be released in India next month. But are they good enough?
Let’s have a look.
Glossy finish
The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 looks gorgeous in pictures. Apple this time used high gloss finish to make them attractive. But that is precisely what is worrying me. In hot and humid climates like that of the Indian subcontinent, such glossy finished phones feel very uncomfortable and slippery. Smudges also are very common issue. Note that these phones are water resistant not shock proof, so if you drop them and they get damaged, your entire investment will go down the drain.
Also Apple has advised buyers to use protective cases as the bodies are not scratch-proof.
So if you have slippery hands, you should opt for the regular silver and gold colour models of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus which do not have glossy finish.
A warning on the product page of Apple reads: “The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone,” Apple
High price
Pricing would decide the fate of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in India. Last year’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were not that successful as people instead went for their predecessors (iPhone 6, 5 etc) as they were relatively affordable.
You might get swayed by Apple’s statement yesterday that the new iPhone 7 would cost as much as the iPhone 6S. In the US market, the Apple iPhone 7 will cost $649 (Rs 43,123) while iPhone 7 Plus will cost $769 (Rs 51,096). But they certainly will not be available at the same price in India. As of now their Indian prices are not known but expect it to be much higher, and probably will start from Rs 60,000.
Lightening connector
Apple was not the first company to ditch 3.5 mm jack. LeEco did that already with its Le 2. But the difference here is that Apple is selling the EarPods with lightening connector for $29. Apple also announced a wireless Bluetooth earbuds called AirPods, which will be sold separately in October for $159. There is however a cheaper alternative – Apple will also offer a Lightening to 3.5 mm Headphone jack adapter for $9. This means by spending just $9 you can use your current headset/earphone with the iPhone 7.
But if I go by experience with LeEco’s device, the lightening connector system for music is irritating. This means you have to carry a separate headset all the time or keep the adapter with you, else when needed you won’t have one to listen music.
No expandable storage
Apple this time ditched the 16 GB storage model altogether following heavy criticism from all quarters. So this time, the new iPhones have been launched in 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB models. However, in my view, Apple should have instead gone for a micro SD card slot.
Dual camera
Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were criticized heavily for not offering any innovative features. This time though the iPhone 7 Plus has something new – a dual camera set up. Though it isn’t the first phone to offer one but certainly it brought smiles on the faces of iPhone lovers who are looking for the new devices.
Apple during the unveiling event showed some great pictures which the company claimed to have taken through the new iPhone 7 Plus’s camera. The picture was really of great quality and I am pretty sure that the iPhone 7 Plus would soon be at the top of the segment.
Water proof
Apple also listened to a long held demand of iPhone lovers for a water proof device. Both iPhone and iPhone 7 Plus are water and dust proof and have the IP67 certification.