If you live in the United States and owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016, and January 3, 2023, Apple might owe you as much as $349 as part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over a defective chip. 

Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit brought against the company, over claims “the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus experienced certain audio issues allegedly related to the “audio IC” chip.” As is often the case in these scenarios, Apple denies the devices had any such issues and denies all allegations of wrongdoing. However, that hasn’t stopped the company from agreeing to create a $35 million settlement fund that will be paid to customers who owned the allegedly defective devices. 

The case settlement has its own official website, aptly titled smartphoneaudiosettlement.com. If a District Court Judge in California approves the settlement, it could mean significant payouts for affected users. 

Are you part of the iPhone 7 settlement? 

The site’s FAQs clearly set out who might be eligible for a payment as part of the settlement. Specifically, “Individual persons who are United States residents and who own or owned an Apple iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023.” If those customers reported to Apple in the United States issues with the device pertaining to the iPhone’s sound, speaker, or microphones, or unexpected restart and shutdown issues, they’ll be eligible. The class includes but is not limited to users “who paid Apple out of pocket for repairs or replacements for Covered Issues as reflected in Apple’s records.” 

Class members who are eligible will be paid differently based on whether they paid out of pocket for a repair or replacement. Settlement class members who did pay could receive as much as $349, and no less than $50. Meanwhile, settlement class members who did report the issues but didn’t pay Apple out of pocket for a repair or replacement device “will receive an equal payment of up to $125. Naturally, the settlement pool is fixed, so the payouts depend on how many people come forward seeking compensation. The more claimants, the lower the payments. 

If you think you might be eligible you should check out the settlement website, as your rights are affected whether you do or don’t act in response to the settlement.

Apple's iPhone 7 was the company's best iPhone to date way back in 2018, introducing a new A10 Fusion chip and eschewing the headphone jack for the first time.  

More from iMore

• You might soon receive your $65 from Apple's 'Batterygate' settlement
• How to tell if you qualify for Apple's $500 million iPhone settlement
• Developers able to submit claims in $100 million Apple lawsuit

Some iPhone owners will finally receive up to $65 after the company was accused of throttling the batteries of iPhone‌ 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7, alongside the Plus variants of these phones.

As reported by Mercury News, a judge has scuppered a last-ditch appeal from two iPhone owners against the settlement (who presumably wanted more money), paving the way for Apple to finally dish out the long-awaited payments. 

Apple had denied these claims at first, by leaving out its new battery optimization feature in a new iOS update. It eventually acknowledged that iOS 10.2.1 did indeed introduce battery throttling, and apologized with a new FAQ page on Battery Health on its website.

The agreed settlement by Apple was roughly $500 million in this lawsuit. If you were one of the three million owners who claimed before the October 2020 deadline who used one of these iPhones, alongside iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 11.2 prior to December 21, 2017, you may receive a payment soon.

Check in the mail

It was a rare blip in Apple’s public relations messaging when it was discovered that iOS 10.2.1 throttled battery performance. At first, there wasn’t an acknowledgment in the update notes. But it wasn’t until users started noticing a massive battery drain that it updated this new ‘feature’ on its update page.

Looking back, this was all done out of order. The new Battery Health page should have arrived first, and when the new update was released, an acknowledgment of this should have been there.

It gave the impression that Apple was sweeping this under the carpet when there wasn’t any need to. And unfortunately, it’s why it had to pay a $500 million settlement through the courts.

While $65 may not pay for a new iPhone 15, it could help pay for a new iPhone 14 case if you’ve been looking for one. Every little helps.

What you need to know

• Apple won't support iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus when the software ships this fall.
• The iPhone 7 devices use the A10 Fusion, a chip that also powered iPads that are supported by iOS 16.
• Apple is yet to say why iPhone 7 will not be supported and people are angry.

Apple's decision not to support iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus when iOS 16 ships later this year is proving to be a controversial one. Owners of devices older than iPhone 8 will need to upgrade if they want to benefit from iOS 16's new features, and they're taking Apple and CEO Tim Cook to task over it.

Apple announced iOS 16 as part of its WWDC22 opening keynote on Monday and while it's true that the update was well-received, the news that iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus won't be supported wasn't. People have been taking to Twitter to complain, with Cook often feeling the full force of their frustration.

One person suggested that even if their iPhone 8 is dropped when iOS 17 launches next year, they won't upgrade. They don't like the large screen and lack of Home button, although switching to an iPhone SE is one option they could consider.

While Cook was on the receiving end of much descent, others just shouted into the void of Twitter, hoping for something better.

And that, right there, is the crux of the problem. Apple often stops supporting older devices and the iPhone 7 lineup has been around since 2016, a time when iPhone 7 Plus was the undisputed best iPhone for photographers. But its A10 Fusion chip is also used in the sixth and seventh-generation iPad — devices that will get iOS 16 support this fall. With that in mind, the logic behind Apple's decision is a difficult one to follow. It's possible there are other factors at play, but until Apple explains its decision people are going to continue to complain.

Even if there is some specification that iPhone 7 is lacking, there is precedent for releasing an update and keeping some features for newer devices. Even iPhone 12 will miss out on the ability to use Face ID in landscape mode, for example. That's an iOS 16 feature that will only be offered on iPhone 13 for now — although iPhone 14 will surely be added to the mix this September.

Despite the size of your iPhone 7 Plus' battery, you may find it's not lasting through the day, especially if you're a power user. Carrying around an external battery pack can be cumbersome, so why not streamline the process and grab a battery case instead. It'll probably bulk things up a bit, but better bulky than a brick.

Which should you buy?

All of these battery cases will be compatible with both the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone 8 Plus. For my money, the Smtqa battery case is the best option, since it has 80,00mAh battery power. It should keep your iPhone going at least all day and into the next, and it's protective without being extremely bulky.

If you're wary of buying an unknown brand, the Mophie Juice Pack carries a well-known name, so it's a brand you can trust. Plus it comes in a variety of fun colours and is guaranteed to keep your iPhone's battery secure.

Resetting and DFU mode are the last two steps on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus troubleshooting ladder. When nothing else is working, these steps are your go-tos for getting your phone back into working order. A reset is just a forced reboot — one that you can do even if your device is malfunctioning. DFU (device recovery mode) mode, in contrast, is the last resort: It puts your iPhone into a state where it can still communicate with iTunes on Windows or Mac and be restored, but it won't trip the boot loader or iOS, in case your software has become royally borked.

• How to reboot your iPhone 7
• How to put your iPhone or iPad into DFU mode

How to reboot your iPhone 7

If your iPhone 7 stops responding and you can't force quit apps or turn it off by holding down the power button, you may need to reboot your device.

1. Press and hold down the On/Off button on the right side.
2. While continuing to hold the On/Off button, press and hold the volume down button on the left side of your iPhone.
3. Hold both buttons as the screen turns off, and keep holding them until the screen turns back on and displays the Apple logo.

How to put your iPhone or iPad into DFU mode

If all else has failed, you may need to restore your iPhone; if it won't restore normally, you'll need to put it into DFU mode. When you're in DFU mode, you can actually downgrade firmware if needed, since it skips the iBoot bootloader. Standard Recovery Mode runs iBoot, which means you can only restore to factory settings with the latest iOS firmware.

1. Plug in your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus to your Mac or Windows PC.
2. Make sure that iTunes (macOS Mojave and PCs) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later) is running.
3. Turn off your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus if it isn't already.
   1. Press and hold down the side button button on the side of the device for 3 seconds.
   2. Swipe the slide to power off slider to the right**
4. After the device has been turned off, press and hold down the side button on the side of the device for 3 seconds.
5. Press and hold down the Home button on the front of the device while still holding down the side button.
6. Continue to hold down both buttons down for 10 seconds. (If you see the Apple logo, you've held them too long and will need to start again.)
7. If the screen stays black, your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus should now be in DFU mode.

At this point, iTunes should show you an alert saying it's detected your iPhone 7 and will allow it to be restored from scratch or a backup.

Reminder: If you see any logos on your device, you might be in Recovery Mode, but you're not in DFU mode. If Recovery Mode works, great. If not, try for DFU Mode again.

Questions?

If you have any questions about rebooting your iPhone 7 or putting it in DFU mode, let us know in the comments.

Updated July 2020: Updated steps to put iPhone 7 into DFU mode.

Why do you want the iPhone 7?

I know it can be tempting to buy an older iPhone from a carrier offering a deal, or a mildly used one for way cheaper, but as a general rule, purchasing used iPhones aren't my first choice. They can be a bit of a pain to properly transfer ownership due to Apple's strict software that locks iPhones to certain iCloud accounts unless you deactivate them properly. Plus, even if the phone looks fine on the outside, it could have battery problems or problems with the internals that you might not notice before purchase. Buying a new iPhone is always a safer investment.

Of course, maybe you're looking for an iPhone 7 because you don't like how big and bulky iPhones are these days, or you really love TouchID and don't want to lose it, the goods news is the iPhone 8 can help with all of that.

The iPhone SE is just better

The iPhone SE has everything the iPhone 7 does. It's water-resistant, has TouchID, is the same form factor and size, and Apple sells it, meaning it readily available straight from the source.

The A13 Bionic chip packs enough power to get you through anything you can throw at the iPhone SE, from gaming for hours on end, to lots of emails, texts, Facebook messages, tweets, and every other type of communication. Plus, the UI and new features of iOS 14, like widgets, run amazingly well on the iPhone SE.

There's no denying that opting for an iPhone that has Apple's old design has a few drawbacks when you compare it to the iPhone 11. You're not getting an OLED display, the TrueDepth selfie camera, or the near bezel-less design, but in honor of saving $300, the iPhone SE still has a lot to offer.

iPhone XR has the new form factor for the lowest price

The iPhone XR features quite a few upgrades over the iPhone 8, including the new design, even bigger display, Face ID, and dual-SIM support, but still has some of the same features like wireless charging, and LCD screen, and a single rear-facing camera. Of course, the iPhone XR is bigger than the iPhone 8, and if you're a fan of small phones, the iPhone XR will likely fail you in that regard.

The iPhone XR is a great option for those who don't mind spending a little more to get a more updated and modern looking device.

The iPhone 11 is the most future proof

When buying a slightly older model of a phone, it's natural to be worried about how well (and how long) the device will still be running as newer models come out. The good news is Apple has an impressive track record when it comes to supporting older devices with new software updates; however, iPhones do get phased out.

Most likely, the iPhone 8 would be supported for a year or two, but beyond that, its anyone's guess to how long new iOS updates would make their way to that older hardware. If you're looking for a phone that will last you as long as possible, the iPhone 11 is the cheapest new model of the iPhone.

No, you don't save a ton of money when you buy an iPhone 11, but it's a reasonable size (though not as small as the iPhone 8), and it will ensure you will have it supported for years to come.

What you need to know

• A class action relating to iPhone 7 audio failures will go ahead.
• Plaintiffs claim Apple breached warranties.
• The judge did side with Apple in some cases.

A class action lawsuit relating to several failed iPhone 7 audio chips will go ahead after the judge refused to dismiss it. He did, however, agree with Apple in some instances, throwing out some claims in the process.

US district judge Jon Tigar agreed with Apple on some claims but denied its motion to dismiss claims of breach of warranty under California law, violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and unjust enrichment in the form of an alternative remedy. The lawsuit was originally filed in May 2019.

As MacRumors points out, this all relates to a period where we saw a number of iPhone 7 handsets begin to exhibit an issue which meant some people couldn't be heard during calls. Others noticed that the speakerphone icon was greyed out when making calls, too. It ultimately boiled down to a failed audio chip with Apple acknowledging the issue in an internal memo.

The document stated that service providers should request a "warranty exception" which in turn meant the customer would get a free repair. But that policy ended mid-way through 2018, leaving many out of luck.

The lawsuit now seeks damages "likely in the millions of dollars," with the proceeds to be shared between those affected.

If you're on the lookout for some bedtime reading, you can check the whole motion to dismiss out on Scribd.

Verizon has a stellar offer on Apple's iPhone 7 available right now that may just be the best deal to ever reach the device. For a limited time, you can pick one up for free when you add a new line to your account. This offer is valid for new and current Verizon subscribers and saves you $350 off the regular price of the phone. Verizon includes free two-day shipping with your order, or you can select in-store pickup where available.

Choose between Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, and Black 32GB models of the device while supplies last. The discount will be applied to your monthly bill over 24 months to cover the cost of the phone's monthly financing price of $15. You could also choose to pay the phone's full cost of $350 up-front and still receive the monthly bill credit over 24 months, which might be useful if you're trying to rack up credit card points by making a big purchase. Otherwise, it's easiest to go with the first option so your money stays in your pocket.

Originally released in 2017, the iPhone 7 is equipped with a 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front-facing camera, along with a 4.7-inch screen and an A10 processor. The iPhone 7 was also the first splash, water, and dust resistant iPhone with a rating of IP67. To learn more about this device before its purchase, check out our review of the phone from March 2017.

Make sure to find a case for your new iPhone while you're at it. Our guide to the best iPhone 7 cases in 2019 likely has a few that you'll be interested in using.

Note: A one-time activation fee will be charged to your account, though you'll save 50% on this fee by using Verizon's website rather than going in-store. That brings the fee's cost down to $20 which will be added to your next monthly bill.

Now that we're in the midst of the month of September, it's only a matter of time before new iPhone models are released to surpass last year's versions. Previous generation devices are still fantastic though, and you can score some pretty heavy discounts on select models thanks to the impending release of the 2019 iPhone.

Verizon has the Apple iPhone 7 Plus on sale for only $5 monthly when you add a new line to your account, and you'll be eligible whether you're switching to Verizon or already an existing customer. That's nearly $19 off its monthly cost otherwise, and a savings of $450 in total. This offer is only available on the 32GB model.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 is available from Sprint for just $8 monthly as an 18-month lease when you add a new line of service. You'll see a $17 promo credit applied to your bill during the duration of its lease which can take up to two months to first appear. After the lease, you'll have the option of swapping out the device with a newer model or paying the remainder of its balance to keep it.

Verizon's deal applies a promo credit to your account over 24 months, meaning you'll see the full charge of the device on your bill along with a discount to bring its cost to $5 each month. You also have the option of buying the phone outright at retail price, in which case the discount will still be applied over 24 months to your monthly bill. The sale on the iPhone 7 Plus is to own the device, whereas Sprint's offer on the iPhone 8 is just a lease, so you definitely want to keep that in mind while deciding between the two.

Though the iPhone 7 Plus was released in early 2017, it's still a powerful choice featuring a 5.5-inch Retina HD display, IP67 water and dust resistance, and a gorgeous 12MP rear camera offering 4K video resolution as well as a 7MP FaceTime HD Camera with Retina flash. You'll be able to use the stunning Portrait Mode too. This is also one of the last iPhone devices to include a headphone jack, which is a must-have for audiophiles and anyone who doesn't already own a pair of AirPods.

Making your decision a bit more difficult, around a year ago we called the iPhone 8 "the upgrade many people will be looking for" and that still holds true if you're on an older device or the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 8 is more than capable of handling all the latest apps and games, taking stunning photos and videos, wireless charging, and more at a fraction of the cost of the latest models. For an in-depth look on whether you should choose this upgraded model, this guide can help.

There's been enough said about the price of Apple's latest iPhone devices, but you don't have to break the bank to get your hands on a new iPhone. Verizon is offering the Apple iPhone 7 Plus for only $5 monthly when you add a new line to your account, and you'll be eligible whether you're switching to Verizon or already an existing customer. That's nearly $19 off its monthly cost otherwise, and a savings of $450 in total. This offer is only available on the 32GB model.

Verizon's deal applies a promo credit to your account over 24 months, meaning you'll see the full charge of the device on your bill along with a discount to bring its cost to $5 each month. You also have the option of buying the phone outright at retail price, in which case the discount will still be applied over 24 months to your monthly bill.

Though the iPhone 7 Plus was released in early 2017, it's still a powerful choice featuring a 5.5-inch Retina HD display, IP67 water and dust resistance, and a gorgeous 12MP rear camera offering 4K video resolution as well as a 7MP FaceTime HD Camera with Retina flash. You'll be able to use the stunning Portrait Mode too. This is also one of the last iPhone devices to include a headphone jack, which is a must-have for audiophiles and anyone who doesn't already own a pair of AirPods.

To learn more about the iPhone 7 Plus, take a look at our in-depth review of the device.

Good news! Apple just announced a (PRODUCT)RED version of the iPhone 8. You'll be able to order it starting on April 10.

If you visit Apple's online store and attempt to purchase an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you might notice a certain cherry-colored model missing.

That's right — it appears Apple no longer offers the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. We did a quick search of the site and — save for Apple's announcement about the crimson smartphone — it's no longer referenced on the site. Major cell phone carriers don't appear to be offering the device, either.

If you're itching to own a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 at this point, you might be able to come across one on Amazon or eBay, but keep in mind a third-party purchase is not without risk! You're better off just purchasing a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 case from Apple.

If you're rocking the new iPhone X, you can still get that sweet, sweet (PRODUCT)RED look with Apple's leather case for iPhone X.

Still, if you'd prefer to live vicariously through someone who has gotten his hands on an iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition, you can check out Rene Ritchie's unboxing and hands-on!

(PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7: Unboxing and hands-on!

Apple is now offering certified refurbished iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.

Whether you're a frequent international traveller or just want to be able to switch domestic carriers more easily, carrying an unlocked iPhone offers more flexibility and less hassle than using one locked to a particular carrier. And while many carriers sell iPhones that are locked to their particular network, there are still a number of options for buying unlocked.

So if you're looking to get an iPhone 7 that's unlocked right out of the box, here's how you can do so.

• Refurbished
• SIM-free
• iPhone Upgrade Program
• Verizon
• T-Mobile

Refurbished

You can now purchase refurbished iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models directly from Apple. The devices, which are offered in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants, are certified by Apple. Here's Apple's explanation of its certification:

Curious about pricing? Here's what you'll pay!

• iPhone 7 32GB: $499
• iPhone 7 128GB: $589
• iPhone 7 256GB: $679
• iPhone 7 Plus 32GB: $599
• iPhone 7 Plus 128GB: $689

See at Apple

SIM-free

Your most straight-forward option for getting an unlocked iPhone 7 is to buy a SIM-free model directly from Apple, either online or in an Apple Retail Store. The SIM-free model comes unlocked and, because it uses the Qualcomm radio, it''s compatible with all U.S. carriers, CMDA and GSM.

Be prepared though: you'll be paying the full price for your iPhone 7 up front, which starts at $649 for the 32GB model, or $749 for the 128GB model if you're looking to get Space Black, which doesn't come in the lower storage capacity.

See at Apple

iPhone Upgrade Program

Apple's own iPhone Upgrade Program offers customers an unlocked phone no matter which carrier they use. You pay in monthly installments and are eligible for one iPhone upgrade per year after 12 payments. The program also includes the AppleCare+ protection program in its cost.

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint customers can purchase enroll in the program online, while T-Mobile customers can head to their nearest Apple Store in order to get on the program.

See at Apple

Verizon

If you buy your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus through Verizon, that device should be SIM unlocked at the time of purchase. The carrier says that it's policy not to lock their LTE-enabled phones, saying:

So whether you buy your iPhone on a Verizon installment plan or pay for it all up front, you can simply pop out the Verizon SIM card and insert another one. That lets you jump between CDMA and GSM, thanks to the Qualcomm radio inside.

Just remember that if you bought your iPhone from Verizon on an installment plan, then later want to switch to another carrier you'll need to pay off the remaining cost of your phone before you do so.

See at Verizon

T-Mobile and AT&T

iPhones sold directly by T-Mobile and AT&T can be unlocked if you follow the right procedures, but there's an important caveat here: while the SIM-free iPhone 7 will work with CDMA carriers (like Verizon and Sprint) and GSM carriers (like AT&T and T-Mobile), thanks to it's Intel radio, the iPhone 7 for T-Mobile and AT&T will only work with other GSM carriers.

So while you're fine if you need to use the phone with AT&T and T-Mobile, or most other GSM carriers around the world, if you decide to move to Verizon or Sprint, you'll need to shell out for a new phone.

Questions?

If you have any questions about buying an unlocked iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, be sure to ask us in the comments!

The iPhone 7 Plus's screen is beautiful, to be sure — but that glass beauty can break if dropped, smashed, or otherwise chipped against similarly-hard surfaces. Some breaks are worse than others, but if you completely smash your screen, you're probably in need of a screen repair.

After all, modern iPhone screens aren't just LCD and glass: They pack several different components in one. The digitizer reads your finger contact and movement; the LCD displays all the images, video, and other visual information, and the glass screen helps shield the inner components of the phone. As such, whether you crack the glass, run into a black screen, or can't interact with your phone via touch, you'll need to replace the entire screen to get your phone working properly again. When you crack your screen, it also destroys your iPhone's water resistance; if you're used to keeping it near water, you'll definitely want to fix your device.

There are several ways to repair or replace a broken iPhone screen, depending on your monetary situation and free time. Here are a couple, in order of easiest (and cheapest) to most complicated.

• Buy a screen protector
• Get Apple to fix it
• Fix it yourself
• Required tools and parts
• Open the iPhone
• Disconnect the cables
• Remove the camera and speaker
• Remove the home button
• Replace the screen
• Put it all back together

Buy a screen protector

If your screen is shattered but relatively intact, you can put off a potentially-costly repair by sealing the broken pieces behind a screen protector. I'll note that this is a temporary measure, and one I generally recommend for screens that are cracked, but not completely destroyed — it can keep the cracks from worsening or pieces of the screen from falling apart, but eventually, you'll need to replace the screen. It also won't maintain your iPhone's water resistance.

• See at Amazon
• Best iPhone 7 Plus Screen Protectors
• How to replace a tempered glass screen protector

Make an appointment with Apple

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus screens have more complicated technology embedded within them than any iPhone before them: Between the Touch ID sensor, Taptic Engine-based Home Button, 3D Touch display, and FaceTime front-facing camera, a cracked iPhone screen can be a real hassle to replace.

Luckily, if you purchased AppleCare+ with your iPhone, a screen repair is simple and inexpensive — assuming you have the time to send it to Apple. It's just $29 to fix a broken iPhone 7 or 7 Plus screen, and an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Representative store you visit has the equipment necessary to properly remove, replace, and re-calibrate your iPhone for Touch ID and water resistance.

Start a repair request

Repair the screen yourself

In past years, we've recommended this option above making an appointment with Apple, but as the iPhone screen has gotten more complicated — a home-brew repair can potentially hinder your device from full operability. (You won't be able to re-calibrate your screen for water resistance, for instance.)

But if you'd prefer to repair your gadgets yourself, here's the best way to go about it.

If your glass is intact, but your screen is black or you have lost touch control, you should always try a soft reset of your iPhone before this repair.

1. Press and hold the Power button on the right side of your phone.
2. While holding the Power button down, press and hold the Volume Down button on the left side of your phone.
3. Hold both buttons down until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

If the Apple logo doesn't appear after holding down the buttons and waiting for at least 90 seconds, your phone likely needs a screen repair.

Always make sure to back up your phone before any repair.

• Always use good lighting - smart device components are small and you'll need plenty of light to see what you are doing.
• Maintain a clean, organized workspace so you don't lose or confuse any components.
• Group your screws so you can keep track of where they came from. Most screws cannot be interchanged.
• Apply enough heat to loosen adhesive but not enough to damage the device.
• At any point during a repair, if the adhesive becomes hard to separate, apply more heat.
• After separating adhesive, keep the housing and screen in close proximity until flex cable is disconnected.

How to replace a broken iPhone 7 Plus screen

The iPhone 7 Plus LCD screen assembly is difficult to remove and replace: Several flex cables can be torn easily, so proceed carefully. In addition, loosening the screen's adhesive requires controlled heating with a dehydrator or heat gun.

Not only will need a new screen — an "LCD Assembly", if you want to be technical about the part — you're going to need some tools if you're going to do this right. Or at all.

• iPhone 7 Plus LCD assembly
• Metal spudger
• Phillips head srewdriver
• Pentalobe screwdriver
• Tri-point screwdriver
• Spudger
• Dehydrator, heat Gun, or heat mat

While not required to repair your iPhone, we also recommend you use a magnetic mat and screw capsules to keep everything organized. You're going to be working with some tiny screw here; these will help you keep them on your table and not lost on the floor.

Start by heating up the device's interior adhesive strips with a dehydrator, heat gun, or heat mat. Heat guns are the quickest, but be careful because it is easy to overdo it and damage the device. Twenty minutes in the dehydrator should be enough. Ten to twenty seconds of a heat gun on a low setting should be all you need to loosen the adhesive.

1. Remove the two pentalobe screws on the bottom edge of the phone. They are on either side of the lightning port.

2. Using the metal spudger, slowly and carefully separate the screen of the iPhone from the body. Start on the bottom edge by the Lightning port and proceed slowly.

3. Continue using the metal spudger or use playing cards or guitar picks to separate the adhesive from the sides and top. Don't push the metal spudger too far into the device.
4. The left side of the screen will open off the body like a book opened from the back cover. The flex cable connecting the screen to the battery will still be attached, so exercise caution.

1. Remove the silver EMI shield on the mid-right side of the phone needs. It is secured by four tri-point screws; one of those screws is longer than the others.

2. After the shield is off, use a spudger to disconnect the battery from the logic board.

3. Disconnect the display connector flex cable using the spudger.

4. Unscrew the two Philips head screws on the shield over the front panel sensor assembly connector; that's the silver shield near the top of the phone with the flex cable coming out of the bottom.

5. Disconnect the black front panel sensor assembly connector cable from the logic board with the spudger: It's the one that connects the screen to the iPhone's body.

6. Remove the LCD assembly of the iPhone 7 Plus from the body.

1. Next, we will remove the five Phillips head screws that hold the silver bracket on the top of the LCD assembly.

2. Pull the front camera up and out of the way with your spudger or tweezers.
3. You can now also remove the earpiece speaker.

4. Use your spudger to remove the ambient light sensor and proximity sensor. This is a thin cable that is easy to tear so use caution.

The Touch ID sensor must be removed carefully. Failing to remove it safely or breaking any of its connectors will require visiting an Apple Store.

1. Unscrew the pentalobe screws holding the Touch ID and home button bracket.

2. Remove all the screws around the sides of the LCD shield. There are 5 tri-point screws and 1 Philips head screw on the bottom edge.

3. Pull the LCD shield away from the screen. The flex cable passes through an opening on one side.

4. Using your spudger, disconnect the home button cable connector.

5. Disconnect the underlying connection carefully.

6. Pry the adhesive holding the Touch ID and Home button to the back of the digitizer.
7. Push the home button forward through the front of the screen.

1. Insert the home button into the new screen from the front.

2. Reconnect the home button flex cable.

3. Pass the flex cable through the LCD shield.
4. Set the LCD shield in place over the screen.

5. Screw the 5 tri-point screws and single Philips head screw that fasten the LCD shield to the screen.

6. Re-attach the home button bracket. There are four tri-wing screws. Do not overtighten as this can cause home button issues. The shorter screw goes directly on the home button.

7. Using your plastic spudger, gently press the ambient light and proximity sensor back into place.

8. Re-install the front camera.

9. Re-install the earpiece speaker.

10. Attach the bracket over the front camera. It needs five Phillips heads.

1. Reconnect the front-facing camera flex to the logic board.

2. Screw in the front facing camera EMI shield using two Philips head screws.

3. Reconnect the display flex cable.

4. Fasten the display flex EMI shield back onto the mid-right side of the phone using its four tri-point screws. The longer screw goes in the right corner.

5. Fold the screen over the body. Insert the top of the screen into the frame first. Proceed carefully, it will click back into place but don't press too hard on the glass.

6. Screw in the two pentalobe screws that go on either side of the lightning port.

If you have any other questions about this repair, or if you find this iPhone 7 Plus repair too complicated to attempt on your own, check out iMore's repair partner iFixYouri online at www.ifixyouri.com or at 888-494-4349.

Digital zoom is never going to be great — you're essentially just cropping and enlarging pixels from the original photo. But, more often than not, we use digital zooms when composing iPhone images — especially if we're shooting a subject from far away.

Thanks to its multi-camera system, the iPhone 8 Plus and onward devices offer up to 2x optical and up-to-10x digital zoom when composing your images — and better still, that zoom is now a one-handed circular swipe. Here's how it works!

How to use photographic zoom on iPhone 8 Plus and later

Note: Portrait mode doesn't currently support zoom, since both lenses are already active and engaged.

1. Open the Camera app and swipe to the Photo, Square, or Pano option.
2. Tap on the 1x button and swipe to the left to increase zoom, swipe right to decrease. You can increase up to 10x in Photo or Square, and up to 2x in Pano.
3. To return to 1x, tap again on the zoom button.

Note: You can also quickly switch between 1x and 2x zoom with a single tap of the zoom button.

With the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, there is a new Ultra Wide lens in the camera so you can even zoom out to .5x, in addition to the normal 1x Wide and 2x (Pro models only) Telephoto lenses. You can still tap and swipe on these magnification levels to fine-tune your zoom level with the zoom dial.

How to use the camera on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro

How to use zoom with video on iPhone 8 Plus and later

1. Open the Camera app and swipe to the Video or Slo-Mo option.
2. Tap on the 1x button and swipe to the left to increase zoom, swipe right to decrease. You can increase up to 3x in Video or Slo-Mo, or up to 2x in Time-Lapse.
3. To return to 1x, tap again on the zoom button.

Questions?

Let us know in the comments.

Updated September 2019: Updated for iOS 13 and iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Serenity Caldwell contributed to an earlier version of this guide.

Some pricing changes are afoot at Apple, with some price hikes hitting the iPad Pro line, while there's a new model of iPhone 7 that you can get your hands on if you so desire.

Apple has raised the prices on the top two storage tiers on all of its iPad Pro models. All 256GB and 512GB versions of both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro now cost $50 more. The pricing now breaks down like this:

• 10.5-inch iPad Pro (256GB, Wi-Fi): $799
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro (256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular): $929
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro (512GB, Wi-Fi): $999
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro (512GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular): $1,129
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256GB, Wi-Fi): $949
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular): $1,079
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512GB, Wi-Fi): $1,149
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular): $1,279

Apple has yet to give a reason for the price hike.

Additionally, Apple has increased pricing for iPhone repairs across the board for those without AppleCare+. iPhone SE and iPhone 6 have seen their prices bumped to $129 for screen repairs, up $30 from the previous price. Screen repairs on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 will cost $149 (up from $129), while for the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 7 Plus you'll need to shell out $169, a $20 increase over the previous price. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus also see price jumps in their "Other damage" service pricing.

Over on the iPhone side of things, Apple has added a new storage capacity for the Jet Black model of iPhone 7. While originally available in 128GB and 256GB configurations, Apple now offers the Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in a 32GB version, with starting prices of $549 and $669, respectively. The 128GB version is also still available, though the 256GB model seems to have been discontinued.

You can find the 32GB Jet Black iPhone 7 at Apple right now.

See at Apple

Finally, Apple has introduced a revamped version of its Siri Remote for the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K. The only apparent change to the design of the remote is to give the Menu button more prominence with the addition of a white circle around it. The remote also comes in at a lower price than its predecessor. While the first Siri remote could be purchased independently for $79, the new remote will be available for $59.

You can check it out right now on Apple's online store, but it doesn't seem to be available for purchase yet.

See at Apple

Update September, 2017: Added information about the pricing increases for iPhone screen and damage repairs.

On Sunday, I broke my iPhone screen. I dropped it, it shattered, and I let out a slow-motion "Nooooooooo" that was frankly way better than Darth Vader's in Episode III. The damage was done.

My first (highly misguided) thought was, "Ugh, I wish I had AppleCare+." But after researching the problem and getting my screen replaced at the Apple store the next day, I'm here to tell you I'm so glad I don't have AppleCare+. Not having it actually saved me money.

The numbers

It breaks down like this: AppleCare+ used to cost $99 for new iPhones, but when the iPhone 6s came out, Apple raised the price to $129. Currently, AppleCare+ for an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus is $129, so if I'd bothered to purchase it when I bought my iPhone 7 outright in September 2016, I'd have paid $129.

That $129 AppleCare+ plan would have entitled me to a screen repair at the Apple store for $29. In fact, it includes coverage for "two incidents of accidental damage," at $29 for the screen or $99 for anything else.

Reading that, you'd assume that without this special coverage plan, having Apple replace my screen would be even more expensive. Ugh, what is this gonna cost me, I wondered: $149? $179? $199?

Reader, I paid $129.

No, that's not a typo. An out-of-warranty screen replacement, done the same day, in about 2 hours, cost me $129 plus tax, A.K.A. the exact same price I would have paid for the AppleCare+ plan that then would have dinged me another $29 to actually fix the screen.

So why would anyone want AppleCare+ then?

Beats me. OK, to be fair, if I drop this phone a second time and break the screen again, that's when AppleCare+ would really save me some money. In that case, the initial $129 fee plus the two $29 damage incidents would add up to $187, but two out-of-warranty screen fixes would be $258.

So AppleCare+ isn't for the accident-prone who might drop a phone. It's for the Venn diagram of people who are so accident-prone they will probably drop and break the phone twice, and they're self-aware enough of this possibility that they think to buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of the iPhone purchase, BUT they still somehow aren't willing to just buy an Otterbox or another tough case to avoid breaking the phone. (Or even one of those nifty thumb loops for the back to avoid dropping it in the first place.) For that small subset of people, AppleCare+ is probably a great idea.

But AppleCare+ covers other stuff, doesn't it?

Yes, yes it does. For $99, it will cover any accidental damage, plus an extra year of warranty against manufacturing defects that aren't your fault. But what else do you really need covered besides the screen breaking? Water damage isn't as common as it used to be now that the iPhone is more water-resistant. It's still very possible to drown an iPhone, but a quick accidental dunking probably isn't going to ruin it.

The solid Home button on my iPhone 7 is less likely to break. It's got no headphone jack, so that can't break. That leaves the Lightning port and the sleep and volume buttons as the major points of weakness, aside from the screen. It's also possible that an accidental drop could avoid damaging the screen but still somehow mess up the iPhone's insides: maybe a connector comes loose or an internal radio or modem stops working. All of this is possible, but when I think about the iPhones I've broken over the years, 100% of the incidents came down to water damage or a broken screen. Personally, I just don't think the other possibilities are urgent enough to insure against.

It comes down to your philosophy on insurance

I think we can all agree I came out ahead on this one. Paying $129 for AppleCare+ and then another $29 to fix the screen is a ripoff compared to just fixing the screen for $129. That doesn't mean AppleCare+ is a ripoff in every case, but it does mean iPhone buyers should consider their purchase carefully and not just assume that because insurance is offered, it would be smart to buy it.

I've owned eight iPhones in total and never purchased AppleCare+. (Actually, I bought my iPhone 6s with the iPhone Upgrade Program that forces you to pay for AppleCare+, but I now consider that a mistake.) If I had put the AppleCare+ fee in a savings account every time I bought an iPhone, I'd have around $860 in there today, not counting interest. Which means I could throw my iPhone 7 off the Golden Gate Bridge, hail a cab to the Apple store over on Chestnut Street, buy a brand-new one, and still have enough left over for a cupcake at the bakery next door.

Insurance is a way to transfer risk that you can't afford to take yourself to the insurance company. You're paying the insurance company to take that risk for you. If I total my car, or a tree crashes into my roof, that's not something I can just afford to pay for out of pocket without extreme impact on the rest of my finances. Saving one Benjamin Franklin on a new iPhone screen just doesn't make the cut, at least not for me.

So I'm glad I didn't have AppleCare+, and I still don't plan to buy it in the future. But I did put a case on my iPhone.

Vic Gundotra, former VP of social at Google and, before that, general manager of platform evangelism at Microsoft, got a new iPhone complete with Portrait Mode, Apple's first step towards computational photography, and he was so impressed he started raving about it on Facebook:

He went on to elaborate, in response to a question, on the advantage Apple has over modular software (Android) and hardware (Samsung) competitors:

Anecdotally, I haven't picked up my Canon 5D Mark III since I got the iPhone 7 Plus. It may not have the lens assortment or the lack of noise in low light of all that glass and that huge sensor, but it has every bit of the emotion in a package that slips into my pocket.

And, ultimately, that's what I care about.

Can't wait to see what Apple does with A11 and the next-generation iPhone.

Whenever a new iPhone is launched, there are always flaws that are found and pointed out by curious and concerned consumers.

A few years ago it was the bending of the iPhone 6, but when the iPhone 7 Plus launched last year, there was some speculation about the antenna – specifically, how it might not be the best of the best…

Some people say they've seen a bit of a difference between their iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 6 Plus...

While others say they only notice a difference in the number of bars they would normally get...

But what do you think?

Hop on into the iMore forums and join the discussion today! We love to hear from different Apple-lovers and their opinions on different tech, updates, gadgets, and more!

See you in the forums!

Join the discussion on the iMore forum!

Most people will agree that putting a case on their iPhone 7 Plus is a no-brainer. Until science is able to build them out of the same secret formula used for Captain America's shield, it's wise to try and protect them. At least a little bit. The new Oaxis InkCase lets you keep your iPhone safe and has an awesome E-ink second screen on the back.

The quick and dirty details:

• This Kickstarter is only for the iPhone 7 Plus InkCase. Other smart cases and InkCase products for the iPhone 6 and 7, as well as cool gear like direct-contact speakers and kids' smart watches, are available at the Oaxis website.
• Early birds can get in for $89. The case will retail for $159 once the Kickstarter slots are filled.
• The cases are scheduled to ship in July 2017. That's like next week.
• All the details can be found at the InkCase iPhone 7 Plus Kickstarter page.

InkScape cases are pretty cool. You have a full-size (5.2-inch for the iPhone 7 Plus) E-ink display on the back of your phone, embedded in an impact-absorbing micro-weave case. You connect the InkCase to your phone wirelessly, and you can do things like reading eBooks ('natch), checking your calendar or even taking selfies with the high-resolution rear camera.

And none of this sucks away at your phone's battery: the InkCase has its own. Because E-ink displays aren't power hungry like the big full-color screens used for our phones, you'll get about 5 days of battery life from it. To top up, use the provided magnet cable with a wall charger.

They're built tough and let you do even more with your phone. That's a winning combo, and we're glad to see one for the iPhone 7 Plus!

Updated May 2017: New and improved picks for iPhone 7.

As summer approaches, our iPhone 7 accessory picks only get hotter. From cases to headphones, docks to battery packs, cables to cleaners, here's everything you need to take your iPhone to the next level.

Apple Leather Case

It breaks my heart to put something as iconic as iPhone 7 — especially in the new blacks! — in a case, but here's the deal: If you want that finish to last, you need to take care of it. Apple, of course, has the advantage here. They've known for a while exactly what iPhone 7 looks like, and so they're once again first out the gate with high quality, high finish cases.

They feel different this year than last, fit the different-sized camera on the back of iPhone 7, and match the rest of Apple's fall color lineup. They're not ultra-protective, and they're not ultra-slim. They're affordable luxury, with microfiber lining and rich, soft-tanned European leather.

And you can get it in sea blue, storm gray, tan, saddle brown, midnight blue, black, and (Product) RED — especially good if you're suffering from (Product) RED envy.

If you like the idea of leather, but you're looking for something a bit different, then check out our other favorite leather cases for iPhone 7.

See at Apple

Vena Harmony

For an excellent fusion-style case, check out Vena's Harmony. This is easily my (Mike) favorite case for the iPhone 7, since it sturdily protects the phone with it's TPU bumper and hard polycarbonate back, while leaving half of the back transparent so that you can still admire the beauty that is the iPhone.

Though the case is a two-piece, it never feels like it, and it's even somewhat difficult to separate the two pieces, which I really like. The TPU portion of the back is ribbed to give the case some texture so that you don't drop it, and though the buttons are covered, the tactile response through the TPU is perfect.

These cases come in five great colors, which the jet black even having a gloss finish on the polycarbonate edging to match your jet black iPhone 7. If you're just looking for a regular case that gets the job done and is very affordable (like $12), then grab the Harmony.

If you're not sold on this one, check out the others on our list of the best cases for iPhone 7.

See on Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones

iPhone 7 has no headphone jack — maybe you heard? I know I did, which is one of the reasons I picked up a pair of Bose Q35 back in July. That and about a dozen hard recs from colleagues here and friends everywhere. And like them, I was blown away by the sound quality.

Connect the Q35 over Bluetooth, strap them on, and Bose's incredible noise-cancelling technology takes over. Then the coffee shop din, the airplane engines, the shouting in the park, even the relatives visiting for the day — what? — all go away. Well, for up to 20 hours per charge, at least.

These are over the ear headphones and they're big. Full on cans, so to speak. But they're not overly heavy, and they're hella comfortable, as the name implies.

You can get them in black and silver to match your black or metallic iPhone.

• See at Amazon
• $349 at Walmart

AirPods

Airpods are Apple's oh-so-handy little Bluetooth earbuds that you carry around with you in a compact travel case that also keeps them charged. They're completely wireless yet have all the function of wired EarPods — you can answer and make calls, talk to Siri, control playback, the works.

Apple's W1 chip makes connecting an absolute breeze, without the usual rigamarole of pairing Bluetooth devices — they just work!

If you're looking for an awesome pair of Bluetooth in-ear headphones that works seamlessly with your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, then definitely check out the AirPods.

And if you want Apple's W1 but you don't want — or can't get — AirPods, Apple has three sets of Beats for you to choose from.

See at Apple

Apple Lightning Dock

If you need a dock that can both charge your iPhone 7 and let you listen to 3.5mm headphones at the same time, Apple has you covered. You can keep it at your desk or beside your bed, and then charge and listen as much as you want. It might be a nice-to-have for watching video, but it's a must-have for people with low or no vision.

Available in silver, gold, rose gold, and — of course — all new black!

(If you need a charge-and-listen adapter for when you're on the go, check out Belkin's adapter.

See at Apple

Native Union Lightning cable

If you need a charging cable that withstand life on the road and whatever that life throws its way, then check out Native Union's reinforced Lightning cables, which come in four colors and lengths of up to 10 feet. No more awkwardly stretching to reach your phone when it's plugged in and no more having to sit beside the outlet.

The weighted knot in the cable keeps it anchored wherever you need it to be so that the weight of the cable itself isn't dragging your iPhone off the table. You can also get the 6.5-foot anchor cable, which features a grippy silicone weight to hold the cable in place.

Be sure to check all the variations and pick the one that works best for you.

See at Amazon

Apple Watch Series 2

See, iPhone is the starship and Apple Watch is the shuttle craft. No, wait. iPhone is the right cross and Apple Watch is the jab. No, seriously, I can nail this! Sigh. Fine. Here's the deal:

As great as iPhone is, it's always a reach a way. Your wrist is right there. That means, with Apple Watch, you can go for a workout or use Apple Pay without lugging your phone with you, see notifications without reaching for your pocket or bag, control your accessories from across the room, and the list goes on.

Series 2 even has GPS, a slightly bigger battery, and swim-proofing so you can take your workouts into the water.

Available in gold aluminum, rose gold aluminum, silver aluminum, space gray aluminum, and ceramic while.

See at Apple

CLEAN Screen Cleaner Kit

While everyone is worrying about smudges on the jet black iPhone 7, every glossy black iPhone 7 screen is ripe for fingerprints. What's more, those fingers might just have been eating, working with tools, or touching other fingers that could have been almost anywhere.

I don't mean to gross you out — OK, I do! — but unless you're actively trying to build immunity against the oncoming super germs, you're going to want a way to keep your iPhone 7 screen clean. Hey, even if you are trying to build immunity, you still need a way to get any goop that actively obstructs the screen.

That's where the CLEAN Screen Cleaner kit comes in. It includes a small, super-soft cloth, and a natural, non-toxic, odorless spray. Once you start, you won't want to stop. iPhone, iPad, Mac... And you'll feel great doing it!

See at Amazon

Maxboost screen protector

The Maxboost tempered glass screen protector is an anti-scratch, protective cover for your iPhone 7, and something anyone who's at all afraid about damaging their iPhone's display should seriously consider.

Yes, sure, the ion-exchange glass on modern iPhones is tough. But keys, buckles, and bits of barely discernible debris on tables can be tougher. That's where Maxboost comes in. It's not bulky, but it won't hesitate to step in front of you iPhone and take any scratches or gouges coming its way.

Like a bodyguard, but for your phone!

Don't like Maxboost? Check out the other best tempered glass screen protectors for iPhone 7.

See at Amazon

iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case

I love the iPhone Smart Battery case. Hump or no hump, it's the most efficient way to keep your iPhone 7 powered well past the night and into the next day. The key is the "smarts". Apple not only designed it to avoid obstructing the iPhone antennas, they included antenna boosters in the case. That means the radios don't ramp up to get through the case, which can cost you power even while you're trying to stay charged.

Moreover, because of the deep integration with iOS, your iPhone won't mistake the battery case for an outlet. That means it won't start spinning up all the background and network activity it does when plugged in, which also waste power just when you need it most.

Add a microfiber interior and soft touch coating — in black, white, or Product (RED) to match your new iPhone — and you get the absolute best iPhone 7 battery case on the market. One that will keep you Snapchat-ing, Pokémon Go-ing, or simply working well past the wee hours.

Not sold on Apple's battery case? Then check out our roundup of the best battery cases for iPhone 7.

See at Apple

Anker PowerCore+

If the Smart Battery Case isn't enough for you, and you need even more power on the go, you need the Anker PowerCore+. It's small, but it really packs a power punch. Sure, stand alone battery packs aren't as convenient as battery cases, but they're much more flexible. You can plug any gadget that charges over USB and get it back up and running in jiffy.

It also holds enough of a charge to replenish an iPhone 7 up to four times. That'll get you through even the toughest "roaming while traveling with Snapchat in the background and spinning all the PokéStops" day.

Available in silver, gold, and black.

Need more power or something smaller? Check out our other favorite battery banks for iPhone.

See at Amazon

What are your must-have accessories for the iPhone 7?

If you have any questions or any experiences with iPhone 7 accessories you want to share, let me know in the comments!

If you're someone who didn't upgrade the second the new iPhones came out, then you've had a number of months to admire from afar the features and qualities each iPhone has to offer.

But if someone came up to you and asked you point blank "IPHONE 7 OR IPHONE 7 PLUS?!", what would your answer be and why?

We're chatting in the forums to see if you should upgrade to the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus!

Join the discussion in our forums and let your voice be heard by hopping into the conversation and let us know if you think the iPhone 7 is the way to go or if the iPhone 7 Plus will forever reign supreme!

Join the discussion on the iMore forum!

Die-hard Apple fans will always be die-hard Apple fans, but it's hard to ignore the look, feel, and features that the Galaxy S8+ has packed into its sleek-looking frame.

So we wanted to ask the question: if you had the option, would you choose the Galaxy S8+ over the iPhone 7 Plus?

Why would you pick the iPhone 7 Plus over the Galaxy S8+ or vice versa? Are you someone who's super attached to your iPhone and couldn't imagine parting with it, or are you ready for a change with the Galaxy S8+?

Join the discussion in our forums and let your voice be heard as to why one phone is catching your eye more than the other!

This is the (Product) RED iPhone 7. And it's gorgeous. It has a really deep, really matte, almost lustrous red anodized finish on the back and sides. Unlike the rose gold and gold iPhones, Apple even color-matched the antenna lines so they all but disappear. I've had a Product (RED) iPod touch for years and this is even... redder. The look is beyond sexy. It's fire 🔥.

See at Apple

The faceplate is white, which has rankled some people. I totally get it. Black makes the screen look more expansive for dark interfaces, including video and gaming, but a lot of interface is white and bright these days as well, from good old web pages to the new Apple Music and News interfaces. Plus, white just looks lighter to me. I've preferred it since the gold and rose gold iPhones. (Selfishly, it's also easier to photograph since it doesn't show as much dust.)

The Touch ID sensor ring is silver. It's supposed to match the silver Apple logo embedded on the back. I get it but, audaciously, I'd have loved a red ring. That way it's apparent from the front that you're not using a silver iPhone but a (Product) RED one. Yes, scratch my surface and what do you find? More. Surface.

Like the Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, there's no 32 GB version of the (Product) RED, so your buy-in is at the 128 GB or 256 GB price points. Apple did that with the very first white iPhone as well. I'm not sure how much is supply balance and how much is positioning, but color has been shown to drive attraction as much as any new feature.

It's also for a good cause. Apple has donated $130 million to (Product) RED to date and a portion of proceeds from this special edition iPhone will be adding to that starting Friday.

We'll have much more on the (Product) RED iPhone soon, so stay tuned! (And if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below!)

See at Apple

We live in the age of iPhones. Apple has sold over a billion of them now, and they're used every day by our families, our friends, our colleagues, our classmates. Not too long ago, the idea of so many of us having incredibly accessible, always connected, supercomputers in our pockets would be the stuff of science fiction. Now, it's so commonplace we take it for granted.

Blame it on the steady pace of iteration. The technology is so mature now that sometimes we don't even notice the year-over-year improvements. It's only when we look back over a few years that we realize how much has really changed. Typically for the better, but not always.

Enter iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple calls them the best and most advanced iPhones ever. In many ways, they're exactly that. They've got significantly improved cameras, including a new fusion camera on iPhone 7 Plus. They've got better cellular radios, and processors, including a new A10 Fusion. Also, for the first time, they're officially water resistant. But Apple has also deleted the 3.5mm headphone jack and virtualized the home button. And some would argue one or both of those things makes iPhone 7 just as significantly worse.

That's what's so interesting this year. Apple has taken one of the most successful and profitable products in the history of products, and gambled its present for what they strongly believe is a brighter future. Done right, and it propels technology forward, kicking and screaming though it might be. Done wrong, and it risks alienating the very customers that made the product so successful and profitable.

At the time of this writing my colleague, Serenity Caldwell, and I have each had an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus review unit for four days total, two of which we spent testing them out on the streets of New York.

We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight. We went to Apple World Trade Center. We caught Pokémon at Battery Park at sunset. And we got to see the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 launch at Apple 5th Avenue. In other words, we used iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the real world like real people, sometimes on Verizon, sometimes roaming on AT&T or T-Mobile.

This preliminary review is based on those experiences. Like all of our reviews going forward, though, we're going to be updating and expanding it over time, as we link to and add camera tests, long-term battery life tests, and more. In other words, it's going be a living review — so check back often.

Also, unless noted otherwise, all videos and photos used in this review were shot with iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.

• A screaming-fast smartphone
• Significantly improved cameras
• New black finishes
• Much better haptics
• Water resistance

• A 4-inch phone
• Wireless charging
• A headphone jack
• Physical home button
• Low pricing

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus take away the 3.5mm headphone jack and physical home button, which some will find inconvenient if not infuriating. What they add, though, are better cameras front to back, with significantly improved low-light performance, and a new 2x optical zoom on the Plus model, with simulated bokeh to come. There's also water resistance, designed to save your iPhone if it accidentally gets flooded or dunked, and a much more powerful processor that's also efficient enough that, when combined with a slightly larger battery, can provide for an hour or two of extra battery life a day. The speakers are also louder now, top and bottom, and stereo, and the phones can capture and display P3 wide gamut color.

If you have an iPhones 6s, you'll need to really want the new cameras or water resistance in order to upgrade. If you have an older iPhone, or are looking to switch to iPhone, then iPhone 7 is a significant upgrade and well worth considering.

iPhone 7 Video review

If you'd like to watch this review rather than read it, we've got you covered. Here's the video version of my colleague, Serenity Caldwell and I, taking our iPhones out to take Manhattan!

• iPhone SE review
• iPhone 6s Plus review
• iPhone 6s review
• iPhone 6 Plus review
• iPhone 6 review
• iPhone 5s review
• iPhone 5c review
• iPhone 5 review
• iPhone 4S review
• iPhone 4 review
• iPhone 3GS review
• iPhone 3G review

iPhone 7 Unboxing

Included in the iPhone 7 box are the phone itself, information pamphlets and Apple stickers, Lightning EarPods, 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, a Lightning to USB cable, and an AC adapter.

iPhone 7 Design

iPhone 7 looks a lot like the last couple of iPhones. I get it. As observations go, it's far from insightful, but I get it. Here's the thing: iPhone is iconic. It's an object Apple's industrial design team has been working endlessly to refine since before the original shipped. At the risk of being just as trite, it's their Porsche 911 or Rolex Submariner.

Just like human hands have evolved into a uniformly useful shape, so, too, have phones designed to fit into those hands. If triangular- or donut-shaped phones had been better, they'd have won. But they didn't. That's why pretty much every phone from pretty much every manufacturer are similarly rounded rectangles, year after year.

I carried both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus around New York City, walking mile after mile, shooting photo after photo, checking and posting to social networks, browsing the web, listening to music, watching videos, and otherwise using it for more hours each day than health laws should allow, and I never once felt uncomfortable or lost my grip. (Not unintentionally, at least!)

Both slipped easily in and out of my non-hipster jean pockets, front and back, and let me easily reach coffee shop — and even hotel vending machine (!) — Apple Pay terminals with ease. In other words, the shape is fine. Don't stress about it.

Worthier of critique is the screen resolution. For the third year in a row, Apple has also retained the 1334 x 750 display for iPhone 7 and 1920 x 1080 for iPhone 7 Plus, while other vendors have pushed to 1440 x 2560. Apple's choice saves on battery life — fewer pixels means less to power. That's especially true given iPhone still uses LCD panels and not more energy efficient OLED.

326 pixels per inch (ppi) and 401 ppi are plenty dense for the naked eye, but only at a normal viewing distance. For applications like VR headsets, they're no longer good enough. Apple uses OLED in the Watch, but hasn't shown much public interest in VR. As currently implemented, Apple's pressure-sensitive technology for iPhone, 3D Touch, also requires the LED backlight of the LCD panel to measure pressure.

Apple is also maintaining one of the higher bezel-to-screen ratios in the industry. In other words, competing phones with big screens manage to get by with smaller cases. That makes them easier to hold and to carry. I'd love to see Apple go in that direction as well. I think it would make the 4.7-inch iPhone even more attractive, including to people who chose to go with the 4-inch iPhone SE instead.

The iPhone 7 design has evolved in a few ways, though. The camera housing for both the single iPhone 7 lens and dual iPhone 7 Plus lenses is no longer a separate piece but milled now into the aluminum casing. I like the look, and unless there's some magical breakthrough in physics, the camera hump won't be going anywhere for a long, long time. So, like with the Smart Battery Case, iPhone 7 is owning it.

There are also two new finishes. The first is a glossy Jet black, reminiscent of the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS but still anodized aluminum, not plastic. Apple impregnates the metal with dye and then polishes it for hours on end to get the shine, which also makes it the least slippery iPhone I've held since that same iPhone 3G/iPhone 3Gs casing. And just like iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS, it shows smudges, fingerprints, scuffs, and scratches far more prominently than any of the other finishes. It's great if, like me, you can live with the "worn objects" look, like the Millennium Falcon.

If not, there's also a matte black option. It's much darker than the old slate and space grays. It's also still anodized aluminum, which is really hard to get this dark without getting gloppy, so kudos to Apple's materials team. If you want to keep your iPhone 7 looking blacker longer, go for matte, or for the silver, gold, or rose gold finishes Apple has carried over from last year.

If you consider the antenna lines less racing stripes and more distractions, the blacks, and to some extent the silver, conceal them much, much better. If bling is your thing, though, the metallics still look great.

Update: On March 21, 2017, Apple introduced a new color option for iPhone 7: (Product) Red. It has a deep red anodized aluminum back with color-matched antenna lines, and a white front. Like the jet black model, it's only available in 128 GB and 256 GB configurations. Otherwise, the design and features are identical to the previous finishes.

Then there's the other change …

iPhone 7 RIP Headphone Jack

With iPhone 7, Apple has deleted the 3.5mm headphone jack. It's gone, gone. For anyone and everyone used to using 3.5mm headphones with their iPhone, that'll be inconvenient at best, and a show-stopper at worst. Or at least it'll seem that way.

My guess is Apple's been wanting to delete the headphone jack for years. It takes up precious space inside an iPhone while offering functionality that's easily duplicated by the other, smarter port on the bottom: Lightning. Removing it now, according to Apple, gave them the space to add optical image stabilization to the iPhone 7 camera, a second lens to the iPhone 7 Plus, a better fit and position for the new Taptic Engine, and an increase in size of the battery. Every new feature Apple wanted to ship was made easier to ship by removing one, relatively old, extremely limited, relatively redundant port.

I'm OK with the decision for a couple of reasons: First, even though I just bought a new pair of wired B&O headphones, which I adore, I also picked up a new pair of Bose wireless headphones that are so good, and so convenient, I've been using them instead of the B&O. As much as it surprises me to say it, Bluetooth really is coming of age, and once you cut the cord, it's hard to go back.

Second, Apple is including both a pair of Lightning EarPods and a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter in the box. Apple failed to include an adapter back during the 30-pin Dock connector to Lightning transition in 2012, and didn't have any in stock at retail either. It was inexcusable. But it also seems to have been enlightening. This year, in addition to the adapters in the box, there's stock available at retail — and at only $10 a pop.

There are some reports of controls freezing after five minutes with the adapter. We're in the process of testing that out and will update with our findings.

Some people will barely notice the transition. They'll simply pull out the default EarPods and start grooving like they always do. For others, the adapter will ease the pain of transition, especially if it can be put on and left on. Otherwise, if you swap your headset between devices regularly, it'll hurt for a while.

The new Apple wireless AirPods (see below) are fantastic, and really do point to the future of — don't make me write hearables! — wireless wearables. But they're too expensive to bundle in.

The Lightning EarPods, meanwhile, haven't been marketed as having any clear advantage over the old 3.5mm ones. HD Audio, apparently, doesn't offer any differences easily discernible to the human ear, especially for compressed audio. (Making sure everything is mastered at the highest quality possible seems to be far more important when it comes to the overall listening experience.)

USB-C, even though Apple had a lot to do with spearheading its development and uses it on the Mac, is bulkier and not as flexible as Lightning.

The 3.5mm headphone port was used by more than just headphones, though. Everything from credit card swipers to pH meters used the 3.5mm port to connect to iPhone and iPad without having to go through Apple's Made For iPhone/iPad (MFi) program.

Listening and charging while you game is nice to have. Listening while charging because you have low or no vision and audio is your primary interface is a must have. So, with two ports going down to one, what can you do? There are a couple accessories either on the market, or coming soon that can help:

• Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge
• Apple Lightning Dock

It's always possible Apple will open up Lightning or make the Made For iPhone/iPad (MFi) program more accessible to everyone from indie designers to kids in school, but they likely don't have to bother. Wireless is already a standard, thanks to Bluetooth, and manufacturers may decide swapping one tether for another isn't the forward-thinking solution.

That's why removing the headphone jack feels like yet another case of forced evolution. Though it's already been repeated ad nauseum Infinitum, Apple deleted the floppy drive, deleted FireWire, deleted the 30-pin Dock, deleted the optical drive, and has all but deleted the ethernet port. In many of the latter cases, wireless was one of, if not the major replacement — so it seems with the headset jack.

My guess is, in a couple of years, we'll think about the headphone jack about as much as we do those other technologies — seldom, if at all.

iPhone 7 AirPods + W1

If you don't want to use Lightning headphones or the 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, there's another option: Bluetooth. iPhone 7 supports Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy. That makes it easy to pair with accessories, stay connected without expending a lot of power, and then quickly burst or stream data when you need to, including audio.

You can pair iPhone 7 with any existing Bluetooth audio headset, and the latest generation has gotten really good. That's what Serenity and I used throughout our New York City trip. (You can see a picture of her below with ever-present Bose around her neck.)

As an added benefit when you're spending a lot of time moving around, there's no cord to pull on the headphones, which means less tension and less chance they'll come out of, or off of, your ears.

Apple, though, wants to make it even better — with their new W1 wireless chip. W1 lives in the headphones and, when combined with iOS 10, makes Bluetooth pairing even easier and more energy efficient.

After launching the A-series system-on-a-chip for iPhone and iPad and pairing it with, then integrating it with, the M-series motion sensor fusion hub, Apple followed with the S-series system-in-package for Apple Watch. Now, the W series. That's in addition to custom drive controllers, timing controllers, and other silicon. It reminds me once again of just how significant an advantage Apple's hardware technologies organization has become. And there's still 22 letters left...

Back to W1: Three new Beats-branded headphones will support it, as will the Apple-branded AirPods.

They're not shipping until later this fall, so I won't review them now. But I have been trying out a pre-production set for the last four days and they've been tremendous.

Snap open the case and they pair automagically. Put one in your ear and the music switches from your iPhone to the AirPod. Put in the other and it goes stereo. Take one out again and it pauses. Tap twice to answer the phone or invoke Siri. There are beam forming mics, so you can talk normally and the AirPods just pick it up.

It's like Star Trek, and it's exactly the kind of delight you want and expect from Apple.

iPhone 7 Speakers

Better iPhone speakers have been on my wish-list for years. For a company whose modern fortunes were founded on music, the state of iPhone speakers to date has been depressing. No longer. Now they're loud, clear — and stereo!

Instead of putting two speakers on the bottom, though, Apple has amped up the existing speaker on the bottom, but also turned the earpiece on the top into a full-on companion. That provides for far greater separation, and hence the potential for real stereo sound.

Like iPad Pro, they also switch channels as your rotate your device. That way left is always on the left, regardless of which side the home button is on. What fascinates me most, though, is that Apple managed to get impressively deep, rich sound from such tiny speakers, and that even though one is pointing down and the other out, both sound indistinguishable in use. My guess is Apple solved the problem by throwing money at the components and engineers in the mix, which works fine for me.

We shared videos during our trip through New York, both ones we shot and ones we were sent or stumbled across on YouTube, and most of the time they were loud enough to hear, even on the streets. Since then I've also used them to make calls and to listen to podcasts — yes, on the speaker, like an animal — and I couldn't be happier with the improvement.

There's been some weird commentary surrounding iPhone 7 having a "fake" speaker grill on one side. Here's the deal: They aren't "speaker grills" on iPhone, just grills.

Apple has done this frequently over the years, including on every iPhone from the original to the 4s (which all had the headphone jack on the top).

One grill covers the speaker, the other covers mics, enables the barometer to function, or does whatever else Apple needs it to do on opposite side. It's an example of painting the back side of the fence.

iPhone 7 Cameras

The iPhone 7 camera system is beyond impressive. I expected it to be better than iPhone 6s, but I didn't expect it to be so significantly better, especially in low light. At the risk of being overly dramatic, I remember the feeling I had the first time I shot with a fast 50 at 2 a.m. outside Moscone West and got images brighter than my eyes could see. iPhone 7 obviously isn't equivalent to a DSLR and big, expensive lenses, but when I took it for a walk at 2 a.m. across the Brooklyn Bridge, or shot the sunset at Battery Park, and saw what I was getting just by pointing, tapping, and shooting off a phone, the feeling was the same.

Both iPhones 7, including the smaller 4.7-inch model, now include optical image stabilization (OIS) for the rear-mounted 12 megapixel, f/1.8 wide angle lens, and 4K video camera. That means the shutters can stay open longer in low light and produce better, brighter photos and videos — sometimes where older or other cameras would have produced nothing at all. It's great for when you're in a dimly lit room or out at night.

To prevent any aberration that might occur from the increased aperture, Apple's added a 6th, curved element to the lens package. That way it isn't just the center of the image that looks great, but the whole image. And, again, it makes for photos and video that are ridiculously good. So good, it's hard to believe they came from phones.

When you do need an extra boost, the flash now has four LEDs. It can time flicker as well, so get you even better, more natural looking flash photos. Well, as much as that's possible for any flash....

Both also have a new 7 megapixel, 1080p front-facing camera. It's f/2.2, but it uses technologies like deep trench isolation to ensure colors are as clean as possible. And that's great, since selfies, like iPhones, are mainstream now, and it's about time Apple started paying as much attention to the front optics as they have been the back.

The bigger iPhone isn't giving up its optical edge just yet, though. Instead, it's doubling down: iPhone 7 Plus now has a dual camera system. Next to the effectively 28mm wide angle lens is a new, effectively 56mm telephoto lens. It's also 12 megapixels, but f/2.8 and, sadly, there was no room left inside for Apple to jam in a second stabilization system.

That means it's not as useful in low-light situations, but that's not how Apple's positioning it anyway. Instead of just dropping two lenses on you and leaving you to figure it out, Apple's fusing them together into a single camera system. The implementation details are abstracted away, and all you need to do is point, maybe tap, and shoot.

Under normal circumstances, the camera will pull data from both lenses and use it to make the best hybrid photo it can. That involves billions of calculations on the image signal processor (ISP) behind the scenes, but again nothing the user needs to worry about. You see something you want to shoot, you pull your iPhone out and shoot it, and the camera system does everything it can to give you a great photo in as wide a range of circumstances as it can.

Then there's the new zoom. Hit the 2x button on the view finder and, under normal or better lighting conditions, the camera will switch to the telephoto and give you really good quality optical zoom. Thanks to a new, really clever, one-thumb optimized interface, you can also quickly swipe to up to 10x digital zoom as well. Up to 5x looks surprisingly good. 10x looks like you'd expect maximum digital zoom to look.

Because it's effectively 56mm, the telephoto captures less of the frame, but also preserves a far more natural perspective. I've been leaving it in 2x and using it like I would a not-so-fast 50mm, and I've enjoyed it immensely. It lets me keep some distance but at the same time frame more closely than I could with any previous iPhone camera. It came in handy when shooting from a distance at World Trace Center.

If you want full, manual control, App Store apps can access each camera separately, and even pull RAW data straight from the sensors and save it in Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative) format.

Coming later this year, there'll also be a portrait mode. With it, the camera will use both lenses to create a depth map. Then, it'll apply a blur effect, and give you a simulated version of that great looking "bokeh" shallow depth of field you see on fancy cameras with fast lenses.

Those types of ongoing updates, including security updates, provided for free to every customer, in every region, on every carrier all at the same time, is an important part of iPhone's value. Just like getting the latest version of iOS on the latest phone, and ongoing day-and-date updates for years to come.

Conversely, though, it's a shame Portrait Mode is only coming in a future update. It leaves the two-lens system feeling like a work in progress — like it was meant to be much more ambitious and powerful than what Apple managed to ship at launch. Far beyond optical zoom and faux-keh, the potential is enormous. Apple just has to realize it.

When Apple showed off the iPhone 7 Plus, one of the big features they demonstrated was Portrait Mode. It used the two cameras to capture a both the subject and depth information about the scene, build a multi-layer depth map, then use a custom disk blur to simulate a depth-of-field, or bokeh, effect around the subject.

In beta for over a month following the launch of iPhone 7 Plus, it shipped to the public with iOS 10.1. I've been using it since the beta, and I'm really pleased with it. Though it's designed for portraits, as the names implies, and uses face detection as part of the process, the real world range is much wider.

It works great on pets, of course — my colleague, Serenity Caldwell, has dubbed it Pet-rait Mode — but also for nature photography, still life, product shots, food picks, and more. The only place where it has real trouble is highly reflective surfaces, which makes taking pictures of bottles, glasses, and — haha! — iPhone 7 in Jet Black difficult, since it'll mistake the reflections for areas that need blurring.

Apple has also made a lot of really smart choices with the software. For example, because Portrait Mode needs a lot of light to properly engage the f/2.8 telephoto lens, lower light portraits will be noisy. Instead of just leaving them noisy, Apple tweaked the software to make that noise reminiscent of old-style film grain.

The result is something almost better felt than seen. There's an emotional content to the Portrait Mode photographs that I've not experience on camera phones before.

The Camera app interface is great as well. Since getting a Portrait Mode shot requires specific distance and lighting, the app coaches you through the process. It'll tell you to get closer or further away, and when you need more light.

When you take the picture, you also get both the regular and the Portrait Mode version, just like you do with HDR, so you can pick the one your prefer. The Portrait Mode version is labeled "Depth Effect", though, which is an odd choice given Apple specifically called the feature "Portrait Mode". The latter is a better, more mainstream friendly choice, but I'd like to see it reflected in the photo labeling as well for consistency's sake.

Even though it's not what Portrait Mode was optimized for, I also like the product shots enough that I haven't shot with my Canon 5D Mark II since getting iOS 10.1. I do have to be more careful about light and angles, but I can now shoot anywhere, at any time, without lugging a DSLR with me.

And for people, pets, pictures of iPhones and coffee, and everything else, that's exactly what I wanted from Portrait Mode. About the only thing I'd love to see improved is the ability to use it in lower light one day.

Read our complete Portrait Mode review

iPhone 7 Wide Gamut Color

There's one other trick up iPhone 7's camera sleeve: It can capture images in a wider color gamut than typical cameras. Specifically, in Digital Cinema Initiative P3 (DCI-P3), which Apple calls Display P3. It's the color gamut used by digital movie projectors in the U.S., and wider than the typical sRGB space used by most phone, tablet, and computer displays. It means, with iPhone 7, you get deeper, richer, brighter, and more beautiful reds, magentas, and oranges — far closer to what the human eye can actually see.

What's more, iPhone 7's Retina HD screen can also display P3 as well, just like the 2015 Retina 5K iMac and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. It's also significantly brighter than the iPhone 6s display, and slightly easier to use outdoors in direct sunlight.

Sadly, there's no True Tone like on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. That's Apple's color temperature color matching technology. It prevents the baby Pro's screen from looking too cold and blue or warm and yellow, and instead keeps it a soothing, papery white.

Apple may not have been able to fit the extra ambient light sensors needed to drive True Tone into the already highly space-constrained iPhone casing, but I'd love to see it one day. Everywhere.

iOS and macOS 10 also contain Apple's advanced color management technology, which means you shoot, show, and retain all that wide gamut color as you move images around between your devices — even if not all of those devices support P3. (I believe the color management is also forward thinking, so it'll support the next-generation, even wider, Rec. 2020 standard when it becomes more prevalent as well.)

The results are eye-popping when you see it on screen. Those reds, magentas, and oranges really pop, almost like a layer of haze has been wiped away. I showed the photos we'd been shooting to many of the people we met during our trip, and they were likewise blown away. Once you see P3, all other displays look drab and dull.

I had a chance to visit Dolby last June and see their high-dynamic range (HDR) theaters. Side by side, deep color at 1080p was more impressive than standard color at 4K. HDR television sets at 4K are unbelievable and, though expensive, have been making their way onto the market for a couple of years now.

It'll take some time, but deep color ubiquity seems to finally be on the horizon, and I couldn't be happier.

iPhone 7 A10 Fusion

Apple has been taking the lead in mobile silicon for a while now. They were the first to go 64-bit, and since they have no cross-platform baggage to support, don't deploy third party chips in addition to their own, and don't have to care about profit and loss at the chipset level, they can build exactly what they need each and every year, and just keep on racing ahead.

This year, though, the A10 is doing something new — fusion. Apple has pushed their high-performance dual cores so far, so fast, they've risked creating a gap at the low end. Instead of leaving it that way, though, they've taken the opportunity to slide in a couple of high-efficiency cores as well.

That totals four cores: two big.LITTLE-style cores. But the system only ever sees one set at a time. That's because Apple's custom controller works invisibly, behind the scenes, to assign the right set to the right job. Combined with a hex-core graphics processor, it once again allows Apple to leap ahead in terms of power, but also in terms of power savings.

On the power side, Apple's got the lead in "multi-core" performance, even though it's using only two cores at any one time, and other processors can have considerably more. That's where Apple's lead in "single core" is valuable to see, almost doubling that of competing processors. Astonishingly, A10 even trounces the current MacBook Air, and is comparable to the 2013 MacBook Pro., both of which run Intel 64-bit core duo processors. And it fits in the pocket of your skinny jeans.

On the efficiency side, add in slightly bigger batteries, and iPhone 7 effectively gets an average of two extra hours of power a day, and iPhone 7 Plus, one extra hour. That's important because as much as the early days of iPhone were about battery life while checking email and surfing the web, now it's about battery life while using Facebook, Snapchat, or Pokémon Go — with screen on, data transferring, and GPS tracking all at once. It's brutal, so any improvement is significant. An extra hour or two, tremendous.

M10, the new motion sensor fusion hub on iPhone 7, is integrated same as last year, and provides the same functionality: It lets the A10 sleep while it keeps track of acceleration, gyroscope, altitude, and all the other positional metrics.

For LTE, iPhone 7 supports an additional band this year, as well as 3x carrier aggregation for speeds up to 450 Mbps. You'll never get that, though, unless everyone else is on vacation and you're sitting alone on the tower. Apple has also switched to Intel for some of the modems this year.

That means not all iPhones 7 support CDMA — Verizon and Sprint's legacy, industry-restraining, technology. It saves on the exorbitant CDMA licensing feeds the rest of the world has been forcibly eating for years, and doesn't affect most of that world at all. If you're on or think you might eventually switch to Verizon or Sprint in the U.S., though, you'll want to make sure you get the model that supports them (and China's CDMA).

We used our iPhones 7 constantly while in New York, for more hours a day than we should have, taking tons of photos and videos, following maps, checking Twitter, and, yes, hatching eggs and spinning PokéStops. I also stuck my Rogers SIM in my iPhone 7 review unit, which meant roaming on AT&T or, occasionally, T-Mobile. Roaming hits a battery like a battering ram.

Through all that, the iPhones 7 held up well. It's impossible to reach a verdict yet, since it's only been a few days and, through them, we were alternating between many different iPhones, including an iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE for camera comparisons.

We'll conduct more regular, everyday battery tests over the next few weeks and update with our findings.

iPhone 7 Water Resistance

Last year's iPhone 6s enclosure may have replicated the look of iPhone 6, but it was re-engineered out of 7000 series aluminum to strengthen it for 3D Touch, and sneakily included gaskets and seals for a better, albeit unofficial, water resistance. This year's iPhone 7 enclosure may also have replicated the look of the previous two years, but it's once again been re-engineered, this time to officially support iP67 water resistance under IEC standard 6052.

That's the same rating as the original Apple Watch. It means dust can't penetrate the enclosure, even in a vacuum. Since manufacturers get to set their own conditions for liquid ingress, though, it roughly means if an accident happens and your iPhone 7 gets splashed, flooded, or dunked, it has a better chance of surviving than previous generations.

I phrase it that way, very carefully, because a) water resistance can become less effective over time and with repeated exposure, and b) Apple has expressly pointed out that liquid damage isn't covered under warranty, which is a shame.

(Obviously, I don't run finance and can't image what the costs of covering liquid damage would be, but I'd love an option for it under AppleCare+, just like the one for screen repairs.)

So, you shouldn't take iPhone 7 shark diving or use it as your regular underwater camera, but if you get caught in the rain, splashed by passing car, tumble into the tub or the pool, or get water bombed at the beach, your iPhone should be fine. Mine took multiple dunks during the filming of our review video (see up top), and didn't break a sweat … not that sweat would have mattered, because water resistant.

Removing the headphone jack helped with the water resistance. Some companies use superhydrophobic nanoscopic coating to repel water, and cut power to prevent shorts, so they can keep the headphone jack and still offer water resistance. Not all of them are environmentally friendly, though, and they can wear off over time. That's why not having the jack makes it easier than having it.

Likewise, not having the physical Home button.

iPhone 7 Home Button

For years, the home button mounted at the bottom of the iPhone's face plate has been a big, clicky, mechanical switch. Now, like the trackpads on recent Macs, it's virtual.

Now, when you press the home button, the same metallic ring around it that used to detect finger contact and activate Touch ID also activates pressure sensitivity. (That's to conserve power.) Then the Taptic Engine responds by vibrating horizontally in a way that tricks your finger into thinking it's clicking vertically. And when your iPhone is off, you can't click it at all. That's when you fully realize the proprioceptive illusion. It's science, but it still makes you think physics is a lie and your fingers are liars. Whatever.

(It does mean you have to reboot iPhone 7 differently, though.)

In addition to proving one less point of potential dust or liquid ingress, there are a few other advantages to virtualizing the home button. It saves space, since it doesn't need a physical switch stacked underneath it, and that decoupling means Apple can tuck the Taptic Engine and circuitry anywhere it fits.

It doesn't wear out or go all loosey-goosey the way a physical switch can, which means everyone using AssistiveTouch out of fear of home button failure can relax about it now.

It also allows for different types of feedback. A physical click is just a click, but haptic feedback can vary in intensity, duration, and even "feeling". So, pressing the new home button to unlock can feel different than pressing it for quick actions, messages, notifications, ringtones, etc.

In practice, it feels just like 3D Touch and you can even adjust to find your preferred pressure "number". Go to Settings > General > Home Button and choose your click from 1 (light), 2 (medium), or 3 (firm). I started at 3 but settled on 2.

It does take some getting used to, not so much when you're holding your iPhone in your hand, but when it's on a table or in a car mount. It's there that the lack of physical movement is more noticeable. The sensor is still recessed, though, so you can find it even if you have low or no vision. Apple's staying committed to accessibility.

Because I use 3D Touch all the time, I took to it immediately. Because I have RSI from years of grappling and typing, the muscles in my arms are all very happy with it as well. Some people I've spoken to took a few hours or days to get used to it. Others simply don't like it. It's one of those things you'll need to try for yourself.

Since the new home button activates on finger contact, it won't work if your fingers are covered in a way that prevents that contact from being detected, or if you use an object like the end of a pen which isn't capacitive. In other words, the home button now works the same way as the screen has since 2007.

It's not a big deal, because a) all you could do with covered fingers before was wake up the lock screen, you couldn't tap, swipe, or scroll anyway, b) Raise to Wake now wakes up the lock screen without having to use the home button, c) the power button is still there if you really want to click something, and d) the new home button will work with the same type of capacitive gloves that work on the screen. Take that, winter.

Touch ID is the same, second-generation fingerprint identification sensor as last year. Rumor has it, on iPhone 6s it was slowed down ever so slightly. With the new Raise to Wake feature, though, on iPhone 7 it seems to be running at full throttle.

Thanks to that new Taptic engine, 3D Touch feels better and more accurate on iPhone 7 as well. Apps are using it to hint actions and as you swipe, spin, tap, and even game, you can almost "feel" the controls on the screen. (See the section on apps, below.)

It's exciting because, two years into the technology, and my fingers are already being conned into thinking there are physical objects on the screen of my phone.

iPhone 7 comes pre-installed with iOS 10, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, announced in June and shipped just three days before the phones themselves. Having the latest version of the OS,with software built specifically and only for the hardware it's running on, is hugely valuable. As are the feature and security updates Apple has been providing, for every customer, on every network, in every region, typically for three to four years post-purchase. It's like an insurance policy for the OS.

• Read our complete iOS 10 review
• Read our iOS 10 getting started guides

iPhone 7 Apps

iPhone 7 has access to the full range of iPhone apps. That includes not only the over 2 million now available in the iOS App Store, including the best of Google, Microsoft, — and, coming soon, Nintendo! — but an increasing amount built-in by Apple.

• Camera
• Photos
• Health
• Messages
• Phone
• FaceTime
• Mail
• Music
• Wallet
• Safari
• Maps
• Calendar
• iTunes Store
• App Store
• Home
• Notes
• News
• Contacts
• iBooks
• Game Center
• Weather
• Reminders
• Clock
• Videos
• Stocks
• Calculator
• Voice Memos
• Compass
• Podcasts
• Watch
• Tips
• iCloud Drive
• Find My iPhone
• Find My Friends

Many of the built-in apps can now be deleted — read: hidden — as well, if they're not to your liking.

In addition to supporting multicolumn apps in landscape mode on iPhone 7 Plus, and 3D Touch apps on both iPhones 7, new apps that take advantage of the wider P3 color gamut display or photography, of the telephoto lens, and of the new Taptic engine are unique to the new iPhones.

Over the last few days, I've pulled wide gamut RAW files off my iPhone and marveled at them on my iMac. I've seen a demo of rack focusing and live curves on a video recording app. I've played a shooting game where you can feel the difference between rapid fire and pump action beneath your fingers, and where you could almost swear you were touching actual, physical piano keys on the screen. That's in the first week, at launch.

I can't wait to see what developers do with it all next.

iPhone 7 Accessories

iPhone 7 is physically the same size and shape as iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, but the camera isn't in the same position. That means you can cram an iPhone 7 into a comfortably tolerant older case if you really have to, but you'll want a new case for it. Apple has a full set of them, including a new Smart Battery Case for iPhone 7 — sadly, not for iPhone 7 Plus! — as well as Lightning Docks in black to match the new black iPhones.

Other manufacturers are also ramping up fast. 3.5mm headphone jack accessories will need the 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, as mentioned previously, but Bluetooth and Wi-Fi accessories are fully compatible and good to go.

The iMore team is keeping up-to-date lists of all our favorites so bookmark these pages and check back whenever you need a rec:

• iPhone 7 cases
• iPhone 7 Plus cases
• iPhone 7 screen protectors
• iPhone 7 Bluetooth headsets
• iPhone 7 Lightning headsets

iPhone 7 ships alongside Apple Watch Series 2, which features an enhanced S2 system-in-package that includes GPS, and will no doubt make runners, walkers, and cyclists super happy. Swimmers too, as Apple has upped the water resistance for salt water, fresh water, and pools. (If you don't need GPS or swim-proofing, there's also an Apple Watch Series 1, that loses both of those things in exchange for a lower price tag.)

Paired together, it's still like an iPhone starship with an Apple Watch shuttle craft — or the jab and the cross. The smaller computer on your wrist can get you notifications, health and fitness data, remote control, and Apple Pay faster and more conveniently than pulling your phone from your pocket or bag. It's the best accessory for any iPhone. (Sorry, Apple TV!)

• Read all about Apple Watch Series 2

iPhone 7 + iCloud

iCloud storage can be used for backup, email, contacts, calendars, iCloud Drive documents, iCloud Photo Library, and more. Apple includes 5 GB of iCloud storage with every Apple ID, but it's really not enough in an age of 256 GB devices. Hopefully, Apple will make backups "free" the way iTunes content is, but in the meantime, there's a new 2 TB tier, which is what I'm on.

• 50 GB: $0.99/month
• 200 GB: $2.99/month
• 1 TB: $9.99/month
• 2 TB: $19.99/month

Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other popular storage providers, as well as Google Photos, Flickr, Spotify, Rdio, and all major photo and music services are also available for iPhone.

iPhone 7 at Apple Retail + AppleCare+

Apple Stores, especially when combined with iCloud and the extended warranty service, AppleCare+, provide remarkable customer support for iPhone owners. Apple specialists can help you test a phone to make sure it's what you want, help you set it up, teach you how to use it, and if anything goes wrong, help you fix it. It's a feature not always included on competitive checklists but anyone who's ever needed to avail themselves of it knows just how important a feature it is.

With AppleCare+, you can walk in with a damaged iPhone, get a replacement, restore from backup, and walk out with all your data, just the way you left it. It's one of those things few people appreciate until they're in desperate need of it.

Apple has also recently dropped the price of an AppleCare+ screen repair. I get it for all my Apple devices, because paranoid and clumsy. Over time, though, I've found it not only to be a great value, but a great advantage of buying from Apple.

iPhone 7 Upgrade Program

Apple has expanded the iPhone Upgrade Program this year to include not just the U.S., but the U.K, and China as well. Current costs are:

iPhone 7 with AppleCare+

• 32GB: $32.41 ($777.84 in full)
• 128GB: $36.58 ($877.92 in ful
• 256GB: $40.75 ($978 in full)

iPhone 7 Plus with AppleCare+

• 32GB: $37.41 ($897.84 in full)
• 128GB: $41.58 ($997.92 in full)
• 256GB: $45.75 ($1,098 in full)

You're essentially getting 0% financing for 24 months, with an option to upgrade to the next iPhone in 12 months (though this year that process was rocky, to say the least). It's more expensive than some carrier options, but it includes AppleCare+ which makes it more competitive.

If you're interested in upgrading every year, and you want AppleCare+, the iPhone Upgrade Program looks terrific. Now we just need it in more countries.

Not sure whether to upgrade or what color or capacity is best for you? Just get an iPhone 7 and not sure how to get set up and started? Our ultimate guides can help:

• iPhone 7 buyers guide
• iPhone 7 users guide

iPhone 7 Bottom Line

The iPhones 7 are the best iPhones Apple's ever made, but we knew that going in. The real question was, how much better? The answer is much better — and by much more than we expected.

A lot of people, myself included, may be tempted to look at iPhone 7 and dream about the future. That's fair, but it's fair every year. Apple isn't dropping the mic and switching to the hot tub business any time soon. There'll always be an iPhone next, so I'm going to keep this review focused on the iPhone now.

It has the new A10 system-on-a-chip, which fuses high-performance and high-efficiency cores into a single, incredibly smart processor — we previewed some movie shooting bits that were mind blowing. The water resistance can be a life saver, as can the increased battery efficiency. The wide gamut P3 screen is eye-popping, and the new cameras, well, they're a revelation. Able to capture more natural looking photos and videos in a wider range of color and situations than ever before, they make you forget you're holding an iPhone. Add in the lens fusion, both for optical zoom now and simulated bokeh later, and swoon.

Apple's as much camera company now as computer, but the computer is a huge part of what makes the camera so great, and when you add in the apps and the connectivity, it makes me want to shoot with nothing else.

Yes, the physical arrangements of the atoms that form the enclosure come together in the same shape as last year, even if a lot about those atoms and what's inside that enclosure has been totally re-engineered. But that's the most superficial, cynical level of analysis..

Loss of the headphone jack could be a legitimate deal-breaker for some people, at least right now. Others may simply not like the feel of the new home button, at least not yet. iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE, all still for sale, retain the 3.5mm jack and the mechanical home button, and are less expensive if you want an iPhone with both those things.

It's the philosophy of all this "fusion" that I keep coming back to, though. Apple fused Mac drives a while ago, letting fast flash combined with mammoth platters provide the best balance for speed and storage. They fused motion tracking in a chip that let it persist longer but without wasting main processor cycles. They fused local and online storage as well, keeping recent and frequently accessed data on-device so you can access it immediately, but moving older, infrequently accessed data to the cloud where it can take up server space rather than your space. They fused artificial intelligence and machine learning, so your data is kept private and secure on your devices, and internet data is pulled down and mixed in only when you want it.

Now they're fusing processors and lenses, again coming up with an easy to use, balanced approach, that literally gives the best of both worlds. When things get bigger and faster, you risk leaving the smaller, slower things behind. And that can bite you in the apps — in all the software — if you let it. By keeping both sides in play, though, you get the advantages of the biggest, but mitigate the losses on the other end. By abstracting away the complexity, you don't burden customers with complexity, but you make sure they're constantly getting the very best efficiency and performance for anything and everything they want, when they want it.

We're living in an age of fusion, and it's a total win/win.

That said, if you've got a recent iPhone, you're fine holding onto it. Unless you want the new performance, protection, power, or mind-blowing photography. For those specific needs, especially photography, it's worth your time to check it out.

If you've never had an iPhone before, iPhone 7 and iOS 10 are a great jumping on point. Combine ease of use and accessibility with unmatched customer service and software updates, and it's a compelling upgrade for anyone.

iPhone 7 didn't just get us through our trip to New York, it delighted us every step of the way. And that's exactly what I want from a new iPhone.

Florence Ion, writing for Android Central:

If you stand real close, squint, and tilt your head just so, you can see Samsung's ARM IP win the Galaxy S8 speeds and feeds race by a hair. If you're all the way across town, even if you blink, you can see Apple's ARM IP is far ahead of both.

That's for single core, of course, and some may argue Samsung throws so many multi-cores at the problem that everything evens out in the end. But they'd be wrong.

Jerry Hildenbrand, responding in the comments:

Apple's A10 fusion, currently found in both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, makes beasts feel bad about themselves. Yet features like Portrait Mode still manage to peg it. As cameras and camera-based technologies become increasingly important in mobile devices for everything up to and including AR, having the best cameras is going to require having the best silicon.

And, sadly for those of us who love competition, no one else is coming close right now.

So, if the best chipset is what you're really after, it's not Qualcomm or Samsung you should be looking at. It's Apple.

iMessage was one of the best things about iOS 10 and stickers were one of the best things about iMessage. The ability to slap a sad, silly, happy, cheeky, sassy, naughty, nifty sticker onto text, images, and even other stickers made messages... more human. And the ability to stack stickers, turning them into living, collaborative, communication art — it's just fantastic. Especially when it results in the total ostickeration of the original, underlying message.

I could talk appreciation and messaging fashion all day, but I need to get to Apple's new ad which, as good ads do, shows rather than tells just how fun stickers really all. It's young, it's vibrant, it's fun, and it's catchy.

It's part of Apple's Practically Magic series of spots for iPhone 7 but it's also more than that. It's culturally fresh and relevant. I like it a lot.

Music is "Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice" by Monk. You can get all the sticker packs featured in the commercial from a special page on the App Store. They include:

• Imoji
• So Me
• MarcyMoji By Andrew WILLIAMS
• Pop Art Collection
• Essential Stickers by MojiMade
• Weirdos
• WSHH Stickers
• CoachMoji
• Eat Stuff
• Jeremyville By Stickpax
• Major Lazer Stickers
• Marvel Items of Power
• Real NYC Stickers
• Breakfast Stickles
• Care Bear Rainbows
• Ellen's Emoji Exploji
• Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff
• Heavy Metal Stickers by Team Rock
• Iconfactory Route 66 Stickers
• Kawaii Sushi
• Kimoji Stickers - Launch Pack
• Marc Johns By Stickapax
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• South Park
• Cartoon Comics
• Cat Stamp
• Classic Sonic
• Disney Stickers (Mickey & Friends)
• DreamWorks Trolls 3D Animated Stickers
• Garfield Emojis Stickers
• Germany Sticker Pack by Henry Glendening
• Halo Stickers
• Harry Dude
• Hello Kitty
• Jordan Keyboard
• Medieval Monsters
• Meet the Pink Panther
• Movesum - Step Counter by Lifesum AB
• Musicomics by Getty Images Inc
• Nyan Cat: Lost in Space
• PBS
• Popeye "I Yam What I Yam"
• Power Rangers
• Powerpuff Girls (Fun PPG Sticker Sampler Pack)
• Ramen Sticker Pack
• Shark Head
• Slicker Stickers
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Wurps like Words but Better
• Zoodles

Give the spot a watch and then let me know what you think!

Billboard's February 17 issue has a cover shot on iPhone 7 Plus using Portrait Mode, the feature that provides a depth-of-field-like effect usually only obtainable with fancy lenses. Shot by Miller Mobley and featuring Camila Cabello, it shows once again just how far Apple is pushing photography on iPhone.

From Billboard

Sure, iPhone photography doesn't yet have the range or flexibility of a DSLR or micro 4/3 armed with thousands of dollars of glass, but it's lighter, faster, and always connected. That, combined with its ever-increasing range and flexibility, can let you get photos you might otherwise miss, and instantly share them in ways not otherwise possible.

That's especially true of Portrait Mode, which really focuses attention and emotion on the subject, blurring out the world, for an almost old-world film feel.

And it's still a first generation feature. Imagine a year from now? Two? Ten? Yeah.

BILLBOARD DEBUTS COVER CAPTURED ON IPHONE 7 PLUS

Miller Mobley Photographed Camila Cabello for the Feb. 17 Issue Using the World's Most Popular Camera

NEW YORK – February 16, 2017 – Billboard, the leading global destination for charts, news, business, lifestyle and innovations in music, today unveiled its February 17 magazine issue cover shot on iPhone 7 Plus using Portrait mode. Renowned photographer Miller Mobley used the new iPhone 7 Plus feature, which applies a depth-of-field effect to make the foreground subject sharp while creating a beautifully blurred background, to shoot pop superstar Camila Cabello for the February 17 issue of the magazine, on newsstands now.

"Music fans today are increasingly turning to their phones for minute-by-minute coverage about the music they love," said John Amato, President of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. "As our mobile audience continues to grow, we wanted to utilize technology available to our readers and fans to create a stunning cover demonstrating how our audience can use their own device to stay engaged and in touch with the world of music that plays such an important role in their lives."

Each day, more photos are taken with iPhone than any other camera in the world. With a surging mobile audience committed to engaging with Billboard's unparalleled news content on the go, Billboard decided to utilize technology available to millions to create a one-of-a-kind cover. Armed with an iPhone 7 Plus and a set of lights, Mobley took advantage of the new iPhone features to capture gorgeous images for the cover.

The new cover rolls out on the heels of the The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group's acquisition of SpinMedia's storied music assets Spin, Vibe and Stereogum, which established the world's largest music brand by digital traffic, social reach and audience share. With an online audience of 45 million readers a month, the decision to shoot a cover on an iPhone felt like a natural extension of the brand and emphasizes a commitment to using technology to deliver unparalleled content to a worldwide audience.

I've been using a (matte) black iPhone 7 Plus, without a case, since it launched in September 2016. The anodized finish is still fine with nary a chip in sight. And I'm not gentle with my phone — it's been dropped and otherwise knocked about several times. Still, it would be a mistake to assume my experience is everyone's experience. So, I pay attention when I see something like this from an outlet like CBS News:

Seeing the term "Gate" attached so quickly and loosely in what should be a serious story always hits all my clickbait alarms. Hard. But let's look at it anyway.

Anodizing for black

Black is a hard color to anodize. We learned that back with iPhone 5 in "slate black". Go too light and it's gray. Go too heavy and it might chip or become gloppy and lose the sharpness of its angles.

Apple was aggressive but not too aggressive with "slate black", so they got a black that wasn't super black but was still pretty tough. It chipped but not easily or often. (I had my iPhone 5 triple re-anodized, which made it tougher and blacker, though I still chipped it slightly some eighteen months later.)

There were a few complaints about it but all the anodization experts we spoke with at the time attested it was perfectly normal. Because science.

Still, it caused Apple to back off and go with "space gray" for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6s instead. And then people complained it wasn't black enough. Because people.

So, with iPhone 7, Apple has returned to black. They also upped their already good anodization game to make the new (matte) black iPhone 7 even more resilient than the old "space black" ever was. It can never be perfect, though. It's chemistry and physics. Put a black coating on a silver metal and, if that coating gets chipped, you'll see the metal.

Sources and scales

Jet black can scratch. Glass black can fracture. Plastic black can crack. And, while even good black anodization can chip, bad black anodization can chip even more. So, does there appear to be a problem with the anodization Apple did on the (matte) black iPhone 7?

Apple sold over 70 million iPhones last quarter. The company didn't say how many out of those 70 million were (matte) black iPhone 7 but it's certainly a number in the millions as well.

That means, if anodization was an issue, we'd likely see a high volume of complaints, especially if it's a problem with the process in general.

CBS sites Apple Discussion Forums as their source for the story. A quick Google search turned up 3 threads, one from November 13, one from January 26, and one from two days ago. Out of the millions sold it'd be hard to say even a fraction of a percentage are reporting any problems, let along a systemic problem.

Sticking Apple and #gate in a headline is a great way to get attention, especially when all eyes are on the stock price today, but making up a controversy doesn't make a controversy. It only misinforms and mistreats consumers who deserve better, especially from respected outlets like CBS.

Asking around, I couldn't find anyone who saw this as a serious or even frequent problem in the field. It's simply not something a large number of customers are reporting.

To make sure I was understanding the issue, I also asked Greg Koenig of Luma Labs for his take:

Again, my (matte) black iPhone 7, used day in, day out, since launch is still fine. I'll keep an eye on it, and on reader complaints and Apple discussions, but I don't think we'll see anything other than the normal wear and tear we'd expect to see from a product anodized black.

Your (matte) black iPhone 7?

If you're worried about chips or scratches or any kind of damage at all, get a case or get a rose gold, gold, or silver iPhone 7 that better hides small imperfections. Otherwise, get what you like and enjoy it. And, if you have a (matte) black iPhone 7, let me know how it's holding up for you!

Updated February, 2017 to add the Spigen iPhone 7 Case Ultra Hybrid as a clear case alternative.

Your shiny new Jet Black iPhone 7 is a hypnotic, glossy, beautiful object. So, of course, you need to accessorize accordingly (or what's the point, tbh?) The Jet Black finish is Apple's latest look for the iPhone, so finding the appropriate gear to go along with the glistening contours of your new partner in crime is a must.

Here are a few different ways to accessorize your Jet Black iPhone 7 without sacrificing its superior style.

• Vomercy wireless headphones
• Spigen Thin Fit Jet Black case
• Apple Lightning Dock – Black
• Anker Candy bar portable charger
• AmazonBasics certified lighting cable
• Spigen iPhone 7 Case Ultra Hybrid

Vomercy wireless headphones

With a glossy finish to match your Jet Black iPhone 7 flawlessly, Vomercy's wireless, noise-cancelling headphones pack a punch as the perfect partner for your Jet Black iPhone!

Vomercy headphones connect to your iPhone 7 over Bluetooth, though an audio cable is also included if the headphone's battery starts running low (of course, you'll need an adapter for that).

The headphones come with super-cushiony padding that make long-wear listening über comfortable, while phone calls are made easy with a built-in microphone.

See at Amazon

Spigen Thin Fit Jet Black case

Your Jet Black iPhone 7 is definitely eye-catching with it's hyper-smooth, super buffed finish, but without a case to protect it, you risk more than just "micro-abrasions". That's why the Spigen Thin Fit Jet Black case is a great option that'll keep your Jet Black iPhone 7 safe, yet still beautiful, shiny, and lookin' natural.

If Jet Black isn't your thing, you can also get the Thin Fit in four other colors, one to match each of the other iPhones 7!

See at Spigen

Apple Lightning Dock – Black

Charging your iPhone 7 is important. Charging it with a matching lightning dock is super-duper important.

Apple's Lightning Dock is a small yet powerful tool to keep your black Apple accessory vibes going. After plugging in your iPhone 7, your device stands upright and charges effortlessly. It's even got a built-in 3.5 mm headphone jack so you can charge and listen to music at the same time!

These lightning docks come in five different colors, including silver, gold, rose gold, black, and space gray, so there isn't a super specific shiny Jet Black dock yet in this model.

See at Apple

Anker Candy bar portable charger

Anker's portable charger may be around the size of a chocolate bar, but this little powerhouse of a battery-pack packs a punch while matching your Jet Black iPhone 7's design flawlessly (cue Beyoncé).

Simply connect your iPhone 7 to Anker's Candy bar portable charger, and your iPhone will start powering back up. The power-pack can charge up to two devices and can charge your iPhone up to four times faster than a computer's USB port.

Though it is little, it is fierce: the Anker Candy bar charger is perfect for carrying around and day-to-day at just 4.2 ounces!

See at Amazon

AmazonBasics certified lighting cable

Plug in your Jet Black iPhone 7 with a jet black cable from AmazonBasics and charge your brand new, super-glossy iPhone in accessory heaven!

This Apple MFi certified cable is another perfect partner in keeping the theme of the hypnotic Jet Black finish alive and shiny. With an extra layer of protection, you won't have to worry about massacring or destroying your AmazonBasic's lightning cable: they've been tested to bend 95 degrees nearly 4,000 times, so if you're rough with your tech, this lightning cable might be a good option to consider!

The cable design works to charge with nearly all cases, and you can pick your cable length from three feet, six feet, ten feet, or four inches.

See at Amazon

Spigen iPhone 7 Case Ultra Hybrid

If you're looking for an iPhone case that combines durability with simplicity (and the ability to show off your super sleek, Jet Black iPhone 7), then consider taking a look at the Spigen iPhone 8 Case Ultra Hybrid!

Here's what Brent Zaniewski said in his iMore review:

Designed with a hard, transparent, and relatively scratch-proof case with a durable TPU bumper and raised bezel that protects your screen from falls and scrapes, this incredibly thin iPhone 7 case allows the beauty of your new device to shine through while still protecting it from the elements.

The case allows full access for buttons and ports, and has been repeatedly drop-tested at a height of 3+ feet over 26 times. You can pick up your Spigen iPhone 7 Case Ultra Hybrid in a clear with black bumper combo, a completely clear design, a clear and mint bumper combination, or a clear rose gold design.

See at Amazon

How do you accessorize your new iPhone 7?

Is there an iPhone 7 accessory that you can't possibly live without that we might have missed on our list?

Let us know in the comments below and we'll be sure to check it out!

The iPhone 7 Plus's screen is beautiful, to be sure — but that glass beauty can break if dropped, smashed, or otherwise chipped against similarly-hard surfaces. Some breaks are worse than others — I've gotten by with a slightly-chipped 7 Plus screen for a month — but if you completely smash your screen, you're probably in need of a screen repair. When you crack your screen, it also destroys your iPhone's water resistance; if you're used to keeping it near water, you'll definitely want to fix your device.

There are several ways to repair or replace a broken iPhone screen, depending on your monetary situation and free time. Here are a couple, in order of easiest (and cheapest) to most complicated.

Repair it yourself

In past years, I would have recommended this option above making an appointment with Apple, but as the iPhone screen has gotten more complicated — and expensive, a home-brew repair can often hinder your device from full operability. (You won't be able to re-calibrate your screen for water resistance, for instance.) It's also now pricier than either the AppleCare+ repair or out of warranty repair, with a screen replacement and toolset averaging around $230.

As the iPhone 7 ages and screen prices go down, this may change, but for now, I find it hard to recommend users go this route. If you're really curious about repairing an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, however, you can watch JerryRigEverything's how-to explainer below.

Questions?

Have any questions about repairing your iPhone's screen? Have a better option? Let us know below.

Update: Pro photographers have shared their tips on how to get the most out of Portrait Mode on iPhone 7 on apple.com:

When I first downloaded the iOS 10.1 beta and began experimenting with Portrait mode, Apple's DSLR-inspired depth of field option for the iPhone 7 Plus telephoto camera, I did so with pretty low expectations. Software-based background blur is hard — and even though the iPhone 7 Plus has optical assistance thanks to its wide-angle and telephoto lenses working in concert to create a depth map, it's incredibly difficult to deliver the same kind of results you might see from high-end cameras and lenses.

But, as I discovered, the more you explore the world around you with Portrait Mode, the less that all matters. I started testing Portrait mode by doing a comparison against an entry-level DSLR, which gave me a good baseline for its photographs: It's not about whether the Portrait camera result was technically better than its DSLR counterpart, but whether the recipients of the photographs believed it was.

Because when it comes down to it, we take photographs to capture memories. To evoke feelings. We take pictures of our animals, our kids, and our friends to freeze-frame a moment in time. And what matters most about those images is that they properly capture that emotion — unless you're into photography for the art of the craft, chances are you're not going to care if you snap a perfect "bokeh" blur behind your pet.

I've taken 22 car and plane trips in 2016. I use my photographs to remember events, trips, and exciting moments in time that might otherwise fall into the abyss. Without my cameras, I don't know if I'd have remembered the exact taste of hot chicken in Nashville, or the feeling I got when a bobcat crossed my path in Yosemite. Images have become memory aids for the mundane and the fantastic, giving its recipients a smile when they sometimes need it most.

This is why Portrait mode works as well as it does: A depth of field effect allows you to focus your viewer's attention on part of an image. A portrait of a family member amidst a chaotic background might be unremarkable without that focus, but racking in gives us an essential snapshot of their personality.

Portrait mode does so with a dreamlike, fuzzy quality that doesn't compare to DSLRs so much as past boutique film cameras: Ricoh, Leica, Polaroid, Kodachrome film — all of these produce specific looks, giving memories a tint and emphasis they may not have otherwise had. The same goes for the iPhone 7 Plus. It's not a replacement for a DSLR in your pocket. But in some ways, it might be better.

The iPhone's telephoto lens is the primary capture for Portrait mode photos, and it ships with a f/2.8 aperture that prefers portraits to macros, and well-lit shots to evening snaps. Portrait mode won't fire if the iPhone doesn't think it can get a good shot at 1/30 shutter speed or better, though you can still take a non-blurred shot with the telephoto lens using this mode (unlike regular Photo mode, which will automatically switch to a 2x zoom of the wide-angle lens). It's also not really built for object-based shots just yet, and has particular trouble with mirrored surfaces like glass. And when you shoot with it, your iPhone 7 Plus gets hot — not to trigger temperature warnings or make you want to set it down, but certainly enough to make it a great hand warmer in the winter (and less fun in the summer).

But I've rather grown to love the mode's limitations: It forces me to think about what I'm looking for in my shot in a way that most mobile "point, shoot, forget" photography doesn't these days. For me, shooting Portrait almost feels more like shooting with an old 24-exposure one-use film camera than a traditional digital machine. Yes, I still have endless room for shots (depending on my iCloud and local storage), but I think more about the composition for photos I take in Portrait mode. And, often enough, those shots have ended up being my favorites of the day.

Portrait mode's poor low-light tolerance actually makes for some beautifully textured shots when you get a low-light subject with bright lights in the background — shooting carnivals at night, my fiancé in our kitchen, and my friend skating at sunset resulted in some of the most beautiful grain I've seen in iPhone photographs. It's the kind of grain that the wide-angle camera usually smooths out when the iPhone's image signal processor processes a picture, but smartly has chosen to leave in for the telephoto lens.

Going back to my point earlier: Why is that grain really important, if we're not taking photographs for the art, but for the memories? To me, that texture makes memories feel real in a way that many hyper-smoothed mobile shots don't. It's a grain we associate with, again, old school film memories — a time when every snapped shot was special, because we took time to compose them.

I've had the most success with truly special Portrait mode shots when it comes to people — the only officially supported subject in this mode — but I've still managed to grab a wide variety of beautiful object-and-pet-related shots. The mode won't automatically grab and focus the subject like it will with Portrait's face detection, but you can still manually focus by tapping anywhere on the viewfinder.

Doing so, I've gotten some of my favorite shots of our dogs and cat, as well as some gorgeous fall atmosphere and product shots. Again, this mode won't perfectly replicate a DSLR — and it still has many issues to figure out when it comes to cutting out fur, glass, and similarly-colored objects to its forefront. (Fences, leaves, and other patterned surfaces remain a challenge for the mode, though it's certainly improved since its initial beta release.) But it doesn't need to be perfect for me to love the results — nor does it seemingly matter to folks on Twitter or Instagram, who have wowed over some of the iPhone 7 Plus images I've put out over the last week.

There are going to be people who don't like the iPhone 7 Plus's effect — who label it cheesy, or "unreal," or awkward. There are also going to be people whose entire Instagram is suddenly full of Portrait mode shots of their children, or dogs. And there are going to be budding photographers who use this as a stepping stone for learning composition and depth.

But at the end of the day, all great photographs come down to this: Does it catch your eye? Does it tell a story? Does it evoke emotion?

And for all three, Portrait mode is a resounding yes. It's a new generation of specialty camera, and has made carrying an iPhone 7 Plus as my daily driver completely worth it. I can't wait to see how Apple improves both the mode and future hardware, but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to a year of Portrait mode photography — the experiments, the mistakes, and the beauty in both.

You can experiment yourself with Portrait mode by downloading iOS 10.1, which is available now, and browse through many of my images below.

I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING.

Dammit, Apple.

I love — LOVE — the 4-inch iPhone. Though the larger 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhone devices are great for most, there are some of us that still prefer a phone that can fit easily in a back pocket and can be used with one small hand effortlessly.

When the iPhone 7 Plus was unveiled, however, I was so enamored with its faster speed, amazing camera, and that Home button that's not actually a button, that I had to have one, even though it meant switching to a larger-size phone.

Three months later, and I've formed a solid opinion about whether I think 4-inch iPhone fans would be happy with or regret the decision to switch to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Why the iPhone 7 Plus rocks

First off, a larger phone would have to be pretty special to convince me to switch, and the iPhone 7 Plus is just that. What pushed me over the edge? The camera.

The iPhone 7 Plus has not one, but two camera lenses. They are both 12 megapixels. One is a wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/1.8 and the other is a telephoto lens with an aperture of f/2.8. Because of these two lenses, the iPhone 7 Plus has a 2X optical zoom. Not that fake digital zoom that leaves your pictures grainy.

Additionally, the iPhone 7 Plus has a bonus Portrait Mode in the Camera app that creates a faux depth effect that is pretty spectacular. Portrait mode, while not fully DSLR-grade, is about as close as you can get with a mobile phone.

There are a lot of other amazing things about the iPhone 7 Plus, like wide color gamut (DCI P3), better speakers (in stereo!), the the A10 fusion chip. But, honestly, If it weren't for the camera, I probably wouldn't have made the switch from the iPhone SE.

What daily usage on the iPhone 7 Plus is like.

In short: it hurts.

That's right. It actually hurts me to use the iPhone 7 Plus for extended periods of time. If I'm using the device in landscape mode with both hands, I'm fine. But, who uses their iPhone in landscape mode all of the time?

If I'm checking emails or chatting with my coworkers in Slack, my hand starts to cramp up and my wrist gets sore. I find myself setting my iPhone down on a table or my lap, just so I can continue working while giving my hand a rest.

If I'm playing a video game, I'll hold the phone in my left hand with my ring finger resting at the bottom of the phone for support. I've developed a sort of tough spot on that finger (not a callus). If I play a game for more than about 10 minutes at a time, that spot on my finger starts to feel irritated because it is rubbing against the rough edges of the Lightning port. Incidentally, I also have the same problem with my pinky finger on my right hand.

I know this sounds nit-picky and overly dramatic, but these are actual in-the-field experiences I'm having with the larger, heavier iPhone. It isn't the worst thing that's happened to me, but it is real (#firstworldproblems, I know).

Should I stay or should I go?

The iPhone 7 Plus has so many amazing features that the iPhone SE doesn't have. I love 3D Touch. I love the buttonless Home button. I love how fast it runs. I love the Taptic feedback. I love the bright colors and huge screen when I'm playing games or watching YouTube videos. I love the clarity and sound boost of the stereo speakers. I love that I can see everything on the screen without squinting. I absolutely love the camera. I really, really love that camera.

I don't love that it doesn't fit in my fanny pack very well (yes, I wear a fanny pack, but it's super badass and makes me look tough, I swear). I don't love that I tend to keep it out of said fanny pack because it is easier than trying to stuff it in and yank it out all of the time. I'm always worried that I'm going to leave it on a table somewhere. I don't love that I can't sit down with it in my back pocket or it might fall out. I don't love that I can't play Pokémon Go one-handed with it. I don't love that I get physically fatigued when I use it for lengthy periods of time.

After having spent a full three months with the iPhone 7 Plus, I've come to the conclusion that size does matter when it comes to mobile phones. I need something that is light, small, and easy to use with one hand. The iPhone 7 Plus is none of those things for me.

That is why I'm switching back to the iPhone SE. By the time you read this, I'll have already switched.

"But what about the larger screen, brighter colors and the faster speed?"

I have the 9.7-inch iPad Pro for that. In my opinion, the iPhone 7 Plus is about as portable as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro; in other words, not very.

"What about that camera you love so much?"

You got me there. I'm having to give up that oh-so-awesome 2X zoom 12MP camera with faux depth effect in exchange for a phone that fits in my pocket. It was a very tough decision. I'm not going to say it won't hurt a little.

Should you go or should you stay?

If you love the 4-inch iPhone, but have been tossing around the idea of switching to the iPhone 7 Plus because of the awesome camera and super cool hardware feature, consider this: Why are you still using the 4-inch iPhone?

If the answer is that you have small hands and are afraid that the iPhone 7 Plus is too much to handle, literally, then you might want to stick with the 4-inch form factor, or at the very most, upgrade to the 4.7-inch iPhone instead. I can say from experience that the iPhone 7 Plus is difficult to use for long periods of time and I find myself not wanting to pick it up as often.

If the answer is convenience (the 4-inch iPhone just fits better in my pocket), then you should think about an upgrade. As annoying as it was to squeeze the iPhone 7 Plus into my tiny fanny pack or even hold it because I didn't have a pocket to fit it into, I could have gotten used to the size. I would probably have eventually purchased a larger fanny pack, or move onto some other bag, to keep the iPhone 7 Plus in. Though it is less portable than a 4-inch phone, it certainly shouldn't be the only reason you don't upgrade.

If the answer is cost, then you might want to look into the iPhone 6s Plus. It has a ton of awesome hardware features that the 4-inch iPhone doesn't, like 3D Touch, a 5MP front-facing camera, and more. It costs $120 less than the iPhone 7 Plus model and you're getting a whole lot for a whole lot less.

TL;DR Wrap it up!

Even with the most amazing camera I've ever seen on a mobile device, the beautiful screen, the buttonless Home button, and the super fast speed, in the end, I've decided to go back to the 4-inch iPhone SE because the 5.5-inch phone actually hurts me to use it. That, coupled with the fact that it is too big to fit in my bag or back pocket, is enough to make me decide that portability is more important than a kickass camera.

My experience is not going to be the same as yours. If you've been thinking about switching to a larger iPhone, consider why you've stuck with the 4-inch iPhone this long. You may find that you love the 5.5-inch screen and it's worth a little inconvenience to have such an amazing piece of hardware.

Like that camera. Oh, that camera.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have been out for just about two months now. In that time, I've dunked at least seven or eight of the phones under faucets, in lakes, and into fountains — all in the name of science. In that time, I've never seen an iPhone so much as reboot as a result of water exposure. But despite all that, the device isn't waterproof, and Apple itself counsels against using it intentionally near or in water.

I suppose it was only natural, then, that the first time I used an iPhone 7 Plus for "fun" underwater photography, it immediately died. The worst part: It wasn't even mine.

Great photography… with a $99 catch

Every year, my fiancé and I go visit his parents down south for Thanksgiving; while the food and family is always appealing, we also get a hearty helping of pool and beach time before returning to a New England winter.

What better time, then, to at last test out the iPhone 7 with underwater photography? I'd taken some video in the course of our iPhone 7 review and my Apple Watch adventures, but most of our shooting locations had murky water with few true camera opportunities. A clear-blue pool, on the other hand…

Everything started out swimmingly: On day one, I brought my own 7 Plus into the pool for a few silly selfies and Live Photos with no ill effects. But disaster struck on day two — my iPhone 7 Plus fell out of my pocket on the way to the pool onto concrete, which cracked the display.

Surprisingly, the crack wasn't terrible: Between the Jet Black finish and Apple's new build quality, I only wound up with a small white abrasion on the lower left corner of the phone. But a crack is a crack, no matter how small, and it effectively beached my iPhone from further underwater adventures. (The last thing you want is water seeping into a crack in your screen.)

But hey — my fiancé had just purchased an iPhone 7 Plus two weeks earlier! I'd just use his for my rear-facing camera tests. Five minutes later, I'd tucked my iPhone safely into my shoes and brought his rose gold phone to the steps of the pool. He and his relatives were practicing underwater handstands — short of a dolphin appearing in the pool, it was likely the coolest shot I could get this vacation.

I waited until they began another handstand attempt, then brought the phone underwater for its first adventure, and fired off a few bursts of them balancing. Perfect.

But as I brought the phone back up for air, I noticed something rather alarming: Air bubbles escaping from the right side of the screen.

Uh-oh.

I immediately took the phone out of the pool and returned it to our belongings, dried it off, and played the loudest song I could think of to empty any water droplets from the speakers.

But it was too late: The iPhone's ten-second exposure to water was to be its downfall. Ten minutes later, the screen had a water leak; within an hour, the Taptic Engine had shut down; and by the next day, even after burying it in rice, it looked more like a multicolored piece of art than an iPhone 7.

And that's how, on Black Friday, we ended up at an Apple Store to replace the poor thing. Happy Thanksgiving!

Splash-proof vs swim-proof

Officially, the iPhone 7 series has been road-tested to survive a dunk of up to 30 minutes in three feet of water — the same resistance as the original and Series 1 Apple Watch, in fact.

Like the watch, the iPhone's eventual weakness is in its rubber gaskets: They wear down over time, and all it takes is one imperfect seal to bring down the whole device.

Before our misadventure, I'd tested enough Apple Watch models and iPhone 7s to feel pretty confident with Apple's water resistance assessment — I wasn't going to take my iPhone on any scuba-diving attempts, but I felt fine dunking it for a picture or two.

But there's a reason Apple's taken to branding this sort of water resistance "splash-proof" Just because the iPhone can theoretically go underwater doesn't mean you should take it on a seaside adventure.

As we learned this week, the water-blocking gaskets aren't the only things that can fail on an iPhone. The internal rubber seal on the iPhone 7 Plus's screen is vulnerable, too, especially if it hasn't been properly seated.

My fiancé's phone was brand-new and in a case — it had never been dropped or cracked, but the internal display seal failed on its first underwater outing. Attempt an underwater dunk if you have ever dropped your phone or had the screen replaced, and the chances of your display seal being mis-seated increase dramatically.

Unfortunately, even if you wind up with a defective model — as we did — Apple doesn't officially cover water damage in its warranty. You'll need AppleCare+ not to pay an outrageous sum to replace your device. Thanks to the phone being covered, it was just $99, but you only get two incidents at that price — drown your iPhone a third time, and you'll be paying half of your original purchase price for a replacement.

The Genius we spoke to did note that one-time drownings were rare; they were sending our phone to Apple's engineering department to dissect and check on the seals, and if one of the display seals was indeed found to be faulty, we might get our money and AppleCare+ incident back. But that's a long shot, and not one I'm necessarily banking on.

My general takeaway from the week's misadventure is this: You can probably use your iPhone in the shower, at the beach, or wash debris off its screen under the faucet with no ill effects. But when you completely submerge it, you're putting stress on every water-resistance gasket in the phone — and if just one of those gaskets fails, you're looking at an Apple Store visit and a costly to very costly repair.

Lesson learned

Much as I've enjoyed taking photos underwater with the iPhone 7 Plus, it wasn't worth the stress of seeing a new iPhone die before my eyes — especially when the phone wasn't mine to begin with. (Sorry, Rick.)

I'm going to cross my fingers that the next iPhone has true "swim-proof" capabilities, but until then, if I want to do any more underwater filming, I'm getting a waterproof case. No point in risking yet another $99 repair.

And besides: There are still plenty of nice shots to take outside the water.

Did you take advantage of Black Friday or Cyber Monday to make the switch from Android to iPhone? If so, was it the deal alone that finally promoted you to take action, or was it something else? I'd love to know the reason why!

Every quarter, Apple claims more people than ever are switching from Android to iPhone. What we don't know, though, is from which Android phones and why. Last month Apple released iPhone 7. Meanwhile, Samsung had to recall the Galaxy Note 7, and Google nixed new Nexus in favor of iPhone-looking Pixels. So...

I'm wondering if any of that — or any other reason — prompted you to make the switch from Android to iPhone? Previously the new big and bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had many of you making the switch. Conversely, the launch of the smaller but still powerful iPhone SE has more than a few making the shrink-grade.

Enter iPhone 7...

Now there's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus with industry-leading A10 Fusion processors, amazing new cameras, including a dual-camera system on iPhone 7 Plus, wide gamut color from capture to display, and long sought-after water resistance.

There's also iOS 10, which Apple once agains showed they could ship to hundreds of millions of compatible iPhones, in every region, on every carrier, all at the same time — including security updates. As well as Apple Watch and Apple TV compatibility, including new cross-device features like auto-unlock for Mac and Apple Pay for Safari. They all work together to make the a whole that's far more valuable than any part.

...Exit Android

If you made the switch from Android to iPhone recently, let me know which Android phone you switched from and what caused you to make the switch? Was it one or more of the reasons above or was it something else entirely?

Once upon a time I figured few people would switch from Nexus to iPhone. Rather than mainstream phones, Nexus were as pure Android as Google could make them, and that suggested their customers would be the most devoted. Turns out, though, not everyone who tries Nexus likes it, and some who like Nexus didn't like it's replacement, the Pixel. They liked iPhone 7 instead.

No doubt the Pixel looking like an iPhone helps make it feel familiar to casual consumers, but it may also cause many to figure that if they're getting something that looks like iPhone they might as well get the real thing. Others may realize that while Google will be updating Pixel quickly and directly, their record of supporting older phones isn't nearly as good as Apple's, who've proven they can deliver software and security updates to everyone in the world, all at the same time, for years and years to come. It's also never been easier to make the switch.

But what are the reasons that have mattered most to you?

Making the switch

City00:

nmarrion:

ChuckNorm:

A few of you left Nexus, tried Samsung, but ended up on iPhone, like xXxMVPete:

digitalicecream:

Pyro72:

Even those of you who haven't quite made the switch told us why they were thinking about it, including bagarwa

Why did you switch to iPhone?

Fascinating answers, to say the least. And I'd love to know more!

If you switched from your Nexus — or Pixel! — phone to an iPhone, why'd you make the switch. Was it one specific reason, like the camera or privacy? Or was it a combination of reasons, from hardware to software, quality to feature set? If you haven't switched yet but are considering it, is it because of the changes made to iOS 10 or iPhone 7?

Leave your answer in the comments and we'll use some of the most interesting and insightful in future columns!

Apple's Portrait mode for the iPhone 7 Plus isn't perfect — but that doesn't mean it's not already helping people take great photographs. Out of curiosity, I asked on Twitter for people to share their favorite Portrait mode snaps — and was very quickly blown away by some of the submissions. This camera mode may not be a substitute for a real DSLR (especially in low-light conditions), but it's already produced some truly spectacular and moving images taken by a wide variety of folks around the web.

But you don't have to take my word for it: Check out some of the Twitter submissions we got below.

If you can't see the embed below, go to the Twitter Moment directly.

iPhone 7 Plus's Portrait Mode in Real Life

Taken any great Portrait mode photos lately? Share them with us @imore on Twitter, or @imoregram on Instagram!

I've been talking about Apple's silicon advantage for a few years now but it still doesn't get the recognition is really deserves. Johny Sjrouji's hardware technology team has brought Apple from nowhere to become the best chip designers in mobile — and arguably beyond — and there's no sign of them slowing down. If anything, Apple is spending the money to let them run as fast as they possibly can. Look no further than iPhone 7's HURRICANE.zephyr.

From the Linley Group:

That's the advantage of the big.LITTLE design. With the standard design, when performance improves to a certain point, you lose efficiency on the low end. Hurricane can go high because Zephyr's there to fill in the low.

In other words, Qualcomm has to sell its chips, which is a limiting factor. Apple doesn't. Apple also doesn't have to support multiple architectures or vendors. They can build exactly what they need and match the atoms to the bits.

Barron's report adds:

ARM-based Macs have been rumored for years. What I'm really curious about, though, is to see where Apple takes the silicon next. The possibilities are intriguing to say the least.

Of course, they're running low on wind-inspired codenames. On behalf of Canada, I'd like to offer BLIZZARD.flurry.

There are a few stories going around, some grossly sensationalized, some genuinely curious, about the 32 GB iPhone 7 exhibiting slower storage speeds when compared to the 128 GB or 256 GB iPhone 7. Some of the stories, and many of the re-blogs, actually include at least a partial reason as to why that's to be expected, but they also bury it as far away from the attention-grabbing headline as possible. That's good for business but terrible for readers.

I do not think that means what you think it means

iPhone storage is solid state. There's no tiny hard drive inside, like on old-school iPods. There are NAND Flash chips, the same as what you'd find in an SSD drive. With NAND Flash ships, there are two ways to add capacity: Increase the amount of chips, or increase the density of the chips.

Apple doubled the density to go from iPhone 6s and 16/64/128 GB to iPhone 7 and 32/128/256 GB. To go from 32 GB to 128 GB, and from 128 GB to 256 GB, though, Apple used more chips.

When you add more chips, they don't work sequentially, they work in parallel. In other words, the more chips you add, the faster the performance becomes.

That's not just true of iPhone, of course. It's true of any device that uses direct storage. It's something that's so well known by anyone and everyone involved in storage architecture that it's a miracle we haven't seen this pop up, and get debunked, sooner. But, iPhone. So, headlines.

It's not my fault I'm the biggest and the strongest, I don't even exercise!

To make an incredibly crude analogy, if you have to transport 8 people, two 4-seater cars are "faster" than one 4-seater car because you can move all 8 people in a single trip, rather than having to make two trips. Likewise, if you can take two bites out of a cookie at one time, even though the speed of the bites don't change, the cookie will still be eaten twice as fast.

Now, there are a lot of other factors that can affect overall speed, including the type of NAND Flash used. Synthetic tests can also produce wacky results, depending on how, what, and when they draw their data.

When Apple sets performance targets for iPhone, though, they're set for all models of iPhone. That means every model, with every capacity, has to hit those targets.

That the higher capacities can exceed the targets by virtue of having more chips working in parallel is simply a benefit of how storage works. (And a good one, given higher capacities have more space to fill.)

Update: To the pain

I've asked several experts in the field and they all shook their heads that this "issue" has risen to this level of attention. To address some others concerns raised though, specifically around why some tests are showing what they're showing, here's my understanding:

Cache likely scales proportionally with the capacity, so 128 GB and 256 GB benefit from more SLC cache. Most benchmarks don't account for this, using a fixed sized load for testing. So, if that load fits in the bigger cache of the bigger capacity, but not the cache of the smaller capacity, they'll show a large degradation in performance.

Apple has also used different mixes of TLC and MLC (twin-layer and multi-layer) NANA in past versions of the iPhone, and the same could hold true here. Those would also show different characteristics in some situations.

These are all implementation details though. They can and will vary all the time. What won't vary is that every single SKU has to meet Apple's performance levels — including with the 32 GB.

The cliffs of insanity!

Bottom line, if you see or hear anyone stressing about their 32 GB iPhone 7 being slow, please put their mind at ease. Their 32 GB iPhone 7 is as fast as the technology Apple's currently using allows.

About the only thing that could improve it would be Apple bring that ultra-fast USB 3-speed storage controller from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to the rest of the iOS line. Here's hoping that happens in the near future.

The popular press has a weird relationship with Apple. They tend to be massive users of Apple's products, even as they take any excuse, real or imagined, to stick Apple in doomsday headlines. It makes sense — Apple has terrifically usable products, and those headlines garner huge amounts of negative attention. As long as you're willing to swallow the contradiction, it's win/win. Well, for everyone but readers and consumers. And never has that been clearer than with the Google Pixel.

Last year Apple launched iPhone 6s which, despite being completely rebuilt from 7000 series aluminum, got dinged for being the same old design, with the same old "ugly" antenna lines on the back. Some competitors had been shipping features like stereo speakers and water resistance, and Apple, apparently, couldn't even fit optical image stabilization (OIS) into the regular-sized iPhone 6s. Also: Expensive! And don't even get them started about those big-forehead-and-chin bezels!

Some of this year's criticism was even worse, with Apple adding stereo speakers, water resistance, and optical image stabilization to the regular-sized iPhone 7, but daring to keep the same design, at the same starting price, and with the same still not-deleted bezels.

Then Google announced the Pixel and Pixel XL.

They were segmented like iPhones, priced like iPhones, and they even looked like iPhones — roughly the same shape, with the same "ugly" antenna lines, and the same big-chin-and-forehead bezels. (Despite not having a Home button on the bottom front.)

Google made a point of how they controlled the hardware this time, from design to features. Google could have made the Pixel look like anything — like a Galaxy S7 Edge, like an LG G5, like a Moto X, or like something completely new and refreshing. Google carefully, deliberately, chose to make it look like an iPhone 6s, though. And that means they get to own that choice. As do we.

So, everyone who'd been criticizing Apple and iPhone design immediately called Google out for aping it?

Not so much.

Well, at least they called Google and Pixel out for the same things they called Apple and iPhone out for?

Again, not so much.

Surely they drew the line at Google's 2016 flagship missing optical image stabilization — not just in the regular-size, but in the Plus XL model as well — stereo speakers, and water resistance — things that were pointed to last year as indicators Apple was falling behind?

Turns out, not deal-breakers either.

It's almost like the Pixel is being graded on a curve. And that's terrible for consumers. "You slagged iPhone for XYZ, but now that Google has XYZ, but is missing ABC, it's the greatest thing ever? Um…. close browser, delete bookmark!"

Don't get me wrong: I love that Google is getting serious about phones. I even ordered a Pixel XL, just like I ordered a Nexus One, Nexus 4, and Nexus 5. I'm just not sure copying Apple in 2016 will be any better a strategy than copying BlackBerry or Windows Mobile would have been in 2006.

Especially not for the company who spent so much time and effort positioning Android as "be together, not the same". (A line Google's device partners must be reading between clenched teeth as of late.)

And no, sadly, a new Artificial Intelligence (AI )Assistant, when it requires ongoing payment in the form of exorbitant quantities of personal data above and beyond the already premium price of the phone itself, isn't enough to give everything else a pass.

But none of that is the point. Google's smart. They were smart enough then to react faster to iPhone than any other competitor, and they're smart enough now to react to Samsung.

As a designer, I'd prefer to see more differentiation in the market, and my eyes do bleed more than a little at seeing iPhone 4, 5, and 6 cues piled all on top of each other, but none of that is the point either.

I'm fine with Apple continuing to use rounded rectangles because my hand continues to be hand-shaped, and if Google wants to go with convention rather then challenge it, I'm fine with that too. Hell, I agree with my colleague, Serenity Caldwell, Google's even added several features Apple should strongly consider matching as well, especially "unlimited" photo storage.

Design is also freaking hard. It's all about compromise. It took Apple until this year to have the design they wanted along with water resistance, OIS on the regular-sized model, stereo speakers, minimized antenna lines, etc. Matching that, straight out of the gate, would be nearly miraculous.

I even get the reception we're seeing. After years in the Google desert, we're finally being thrown a cracker, and so we're so hungry for it, we're telling ourselves it tastes like a Ritz. Meanwhile, we're taking Apple's year-over-year crackers for granted, and looking at them like they're just regular old saltines. The human brain is a real jerk that way. It only takes perspective when you force it to.

But that's the job, and grading Pixel on a curve doesn't help anybody, even and especially Google.

So here's my advice: If you want an iPhone, accept no substitutes and get an iPhone 7. Making something that looks like an iPhone is easy, building out Apple's support infrastructure — including all the Apple Stores you can go to and AppleCare reps you can call when you have a problem — is impossible short-term. If you really want an Android phone, though, especially if you don't want one made by Samsung, and you're okay without OIS, water-resistance, and stereo speakers, and with Google data-harvesting, get a Pixel and enjoy.

One month ago, people waited in line at the Apple Store or at home for the UPS truck, eager to be among the first to get their hands on iPhone 7. Now, having lived with either the regular sized iPhone 7 or the larger iPhone 7 Plus for four weeks, we've had a real chance to test out the new cameras, see if we could survive without the 3.5 mm headphone jack, experiment with water resistance, get used to the force touch Home button, put the new battery through its paces, and see if the wide gamut screen and A10 Fusion processor really made a difference.

So, how's iPhone 7 worked out?

Read our original iPhone 7 review

Design: Happy it stayed the same or sad it didn't change?

Serenity

I wish the iPhone 7 Plus weren't quite so massive in my hands, but otherwise, I love it. The Jet Black iPhone is the first I've used caseless in years, and it's a little bit exhilarating. Thanks to the stickier finish, I haven't dropped it yet (though I suppose there's still time, knock on wood), and it feels a million times better in my hand than the iPhone 6s Plus.

Also, the secret unsung hero of the new-old design: water resistance. I ended up accidentally walking into a torrential rainstorm over the weekend with my iPhone in hand, and initially let out an expletive — followed by the realization that I didn't have to worry about my electronics shorting. It's a welcome development.

Mikah

Look, the thing is beautiful. Expected, but beautiful. I'm sure Apple has some interesting looks and materials in the works, but I'm happy with my aluminum and glass iPhone. And hey, I went Rose Gold this time, so it's quite a change for me!

Lory

Since I've been solidly on the four-inch screen track leading up to the iPhone 7, to me, the design is a lot different. I am, however, happy with the design of the iPhone 7 Plus, which is the model I've been using for the past month. It looks good, is easy to handle, and other than its large size, is a nearly perfect phone.

Bader

Best. iPhone. Ever. Obviously. But I was more taken aback by the Jet Black iPhone than I thought: Even a month later, it stuns me — when I'm not looking for microabrasions, of which there are more than a few. Still, the iPhone 7 is a great piece of hardware, buoyed by the solid state home button, which I love, and the water resistance, which is essential. And the cameras, which I'll touch on more in a moment, are enormous improvements.

Rene

It's a rounded rectangle. It's been a rounded rectangle since 2007. It's gone to 4-inches, 4.7-inches, and 5.5-inches, it's gone to 7000 series aluminum, and gained water resistance. Maybe one day it'll be edge-to-edge screen and float, but my guess is it still won't become a triangle or go donut shaped.

Like I said in the review, human hands don't change much one year to the next, so the shapes that work best in them, once achieved, shouldn't change much either.

3.5 mm headphone jack: Disaster or non-issue?

Serenity

I put my headphone jack adapter into the wash within a week of owning my iPhone 7 Plus because I'd left it in a pocket so it wouldn't get lost and never used it. Still never had the need to use one. Bluetooth works for me 99% of the time, and the speakers are great for the other 1%.

Mikah

I had my first "Oh no! I don't have my dongle" event a couple days ago. I was riding in a friend's vehicle and I wanted them to listen to an album I was recommending. They had the AUX cord, so I thought I was set … until I remembered what phone I was carrying. The funny part is, my friend was not interested in hearing the album I was trying to play, so it worked out in the end.

For the most part, I'm fine without the jack. I have a dongle in my car, a dongle on my favorite headphones, and use bluetooth headphones or speakers in all other settings and situations.

Lory

So far, I've not had any issues with not having a 3.5 mm headphone jack. I keep my Lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter with me wherever I go, so I've been able to easily adapt to the change without any problems. I'm sure I'll accidentally leave the adapter behind at some point, but hopefully, by then I'll have a set of AirPods and it won't matter anyway.

Bader

It's been annoying on the rare days I've left the house with the adapter plugged into the rough pair of earbuds, or left unceremoniously on the floor of my office, but that's only happened a couple of times. I thoroughly dislike the design of the EarPods, which don't fit in my ears at all, so the adapter has just become a way of life; I have a pair of great B&O earbuds to which the adapter stays semi-permanently connected. I plan to buy a couple more. I dunno, it's mainly been fine.

Rene

What's a 3.5 mm headphone jack?

Kidding. Kinda. I'm sure one day, like when I'm on a plane and go to plug in my noise cancelling headphones, and realize I've forgotten the adapter, it'll bite me in the ass. And then I'll curse the turbulence of transition.

So far, though, I've been using Bluetooth — both AirPods and Bose Q35s — and it's be fine. Great, even. The lack of cords is so liberating any time I have to go back something screams deep inside my freedom soul.

Stereo speakers: Have they made a difference?

Serenity

Absolutely. I find myself using them a lot more than previously, in part to play clips for others where I would have otherwise asked them to hook up headphones. Also of note: calls over speaker sound much better than they used to, and receiving audio from an iPhone 7 on speaker also is significantly improved.

Mikah

Holy crap! Twice now I've been tricked into thinking someone's trying to call me or send me a blast of messages by the super-impressive speakers in my iPhone. They're loud, they're stereo, and they really pack a punch.

That said, they're not going to win any audio awards. They're still tinny (yes, tinny — not tiny [though they are tiny, too]) and flat compared to some really nice bookshelf speakers or even a good pair of headphones. But for what they are, they're pretty damn good.

Lory

Absolutely! Music piping from an iPhone still sounds like it is coming out of a tin can, but having stereo speakers has significantly improved what I hear. Movies and TV shows, for example, are much easier to hear and I don't have to pump the volume up to full. When playing video games on my iPhone 7 Plus, I can hear a lot of the subtle sound effects much clearer than with the iPhone SE. Some things I had never heard before, which makes for a pleasant surprise when playing a game you've played every single day for a year.

Bader

Yeah, I used to have to hook up the phone to a Bluetooth speaker to hear it in the shower (I listen to podcasts in the shower, you wanna fight about it?) and now I don't have to. That the phone is also waterproof, which lets me leave it closer to the shower itself, also doesn't hurt. There have been more than a few times that I shared a video with friends in a loud-ish room and felt the satisfaction of knowing the iPhone 7 Plus in my hand was loud enough for all of them to hear it. Those kinds of situations alone justify the removal of the headphone jack, in my opinion.

Rene

Only a lot. I watch more video and listen to more podcasts on my iPhone speakers than should legally be allowed by audiophile law, so any improvement to me is welcome. A major improvement, like having louder sound coming out of both ends is more than welcome.

Now when I watch Saturday Night Live or John Oliver explain American politics to me, or listen to the latest security discoveries or screenwriting tips, it all comes in loud and clear. And yeah, that includes Arrow and Beats 1. I am, after all, only human.

Cameras: Worth the upgrade?

Serenity

They're the reason to buy an iPhone 7 Plus. No, the telephoto lens doesn't have optical image stabilization and isn't the best in low light, but despite that limitation, it's still an incredible tool for mobile photographers. I've been blown away by early tests of Portrait mode and zoom shots, and the former isn't even out of public beta yet.

Mikah

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. My colleague Ren can attest to the NECESSITY of the iPhone 7 Plus camera for pet photography. My dogs have never looked more adorable than they do in Portrait Mode (or Puptrait Mode as Serenity calls it).

There are some who've lambasted Portrait Mode because it doesn't quite live up to the shallow depth of field on a DSLR, but I'm so impressed with it. Oh, and normal photos (i.e. those not using Portrait Mode) will also make your eyes drool … that's a good thing in this case.

Lory

I could honestly suggest that the camera advancements are the singular reason to upgrade to an iPhone 7 Plus from an iPhone SE. I can't believe how much better it is. I love using the 2 X zoom when I'm trying to get a live shot from a little too far away. I can get closer without seeing the grainy mess that happens when using digital zoom.

Bader

Oh yeah. The low-light photography chops alone are enough to warrant an iPhone 7 purchase, but the true master here is the 7 Plus's second lens, which has given me a new outlet for both portrait and landscape photography. I love finding new ways to use the 56mm lens outdoors, and the Portrait mode has really engaged a creative part of my photography brain. I'm excited for people to try it, though the beginning is going to be a crap-show of Instagram experiments.

I also appreciate the fact that the smaller iPhone, despite the lack of a second camera, is no longer hobbled by a lack of optical image stabilization — pound-for-pound both phones can now grab the exact same photos from the main sensor.

Rene

In broad daylight, you can get a great shot from any of the last few generations of iPhone — most modern phones in general as well. But to me, the biggest advantage of iPhone 7 is the shots I couldn't have gotten before. That includes the better low-light, where friends and family now show up at night or in restaurants where all I would have gotten before was a muddy, noisy, mess.

It also includes the 2x optical zoom on iPhone 7 Plus that lets me get closer and more personal, without getting too close or too personal. It allows for a naturalness I could never get before.

Then there's Portrait Mode, coming with iOS 10.1 to iPhone 7 Plus. It's not perfect, but it creates a feeling I've never gotten with anything but a big, expensive DLSR lens before. From the shadows to the grain, it just looks "right". And feeling is ultimately what portrait photography is about.

Wide gamut screen: Do you even notice?

Serenity

Largely when I'm watching video or editing images, but it's much like True Tone: If you don't notice, the screen is doing its job. The difference is starkest when swapping between working on an iPhone 7 and a 6s: When you compare images between the two phones — especially where reds and oranges are concerned — it's a bold improvement.

Mikah

Hmm, if I'm being honest, no — not really. I'm sure the display is far more colorful than any other display I have (save for my baby Pro), but I don't notice it. I mean, I spend most of my time on my iPhone reading walls of text. I don't open my iPhone to look longingly at photos … maybe it'll be more noticeable to me when Instagram rolls out full, wide gamut support.

Lory

The what now? Nah. Just kidding. I notice. Colors look brighter and more vivid than they ever have on any electronic screen I've spent time with. I remember the first week after upgrading to the iPhone 7 Plus, I started seeing the real world more clearly. It was as though I was noticing colors better. I know, it sounds corny, but I really did feel like the world around me became more colorful.

Bader

I have to admit, it hasn't really crossed my mind. Sure, the iPhones' screens are vivid, but because I go between using an iPhone and an Android device, usually with an AMOLED display, I'm used to saturation — just not necessarily accuracy. I appreciate that the iPhone 7 is technically more accurate, but I'm more attuned to notice when colors are off or wrong, which is more often the case on a poorly-calibrated mid-range Android phone — and there are plenty of those in my office.

Rene

Those reds. Those oranges. That magenta! It sounds trite but it's true — once you go experience wide color, you notice when it's not there. What makes iPhone 7 especially great is that it can both capture and display in DCI-P3, and iOS and macOS both manage color from end-to-end.

Dolby showed me a demo comparing 4K in sRGB to 1080p in DCI-P3. It wasn't even close. Where we are today, deep color beats dense pixels, and I can't wait for it to be everywhere.

Battery life and performance: Better, badder, or same?

Serenity

I'm killing my iPhone 7 Plus faster than I ever killed the 6s Plus, but I'm also taking an excessive amount of mobile photography thanks to the 7 Plus's camera. (Camera often takes up 30% — or more — of my battery screen.) So I'm not shocked.

Mikah

Seems to be the same for me. I will always, always, always wish I had more battery life, but my iPhone 7 Plus does a pretty good job of keeping me safe from battery anxiety. If I didn't end up having to plug it in early in the night as often as I do right now, I'd be pleased. That said, I'm just happy we're keeping things relatively the same and not losing battery life!

Lory

I can't answer this question with experience, since I'm coming from the iPhone SE. I can, however, say that I've been happy with the battery life of my iPhone 7 Plus. I've been out-and-about all day, taking pictures, playing Pokemon Go, and using Google Maps to get around and still have about 40 percent of battery power at the end of a user-heavy day. I've even accidentally forgot to charge my iPhone overnight and been able to use it for a decent amount of time the next day before needing to charge it.

Bader

Performance is appreciably snappier on the iPhone 7 Plus than it was on the iPhone 6s Plus, mainly in the areas of app start times and reloading of cached content. The 7 Plus's extra gigabyte of RAM also makes a pretty big difference in the number of tabs Safari can keep in memory. Overall, though, the performance improvements appear to be more substantial on paper than in practice.

I am still figuring out battery life: On the iPhone 7, I get about 13 hours, which is pretty much aligned with my 6s experience; on the 7 Plus, I easily get a full day with around 20% left in the tank by the time I go to sleep, which is also around the same as the 6s Plus. Maybe I'm just using the phone more, or there's an errant app sucking up battery in the background, but I'm not realizing the extra uptime promised at the keynote.

Rene

My views are skewed because the iOS 10 beta was brutal on my iPhone 6s Plus. Well, the iOS 10 beta combined with Pokemon Go and Snapchat. But that, rather than the tamer email and web browsing, is how people use phones these days.

I used to be in Low Power mode all day, every day. So much so, people made fun of me. Now I'm back to running in normal mode without a problem. I do kill Snapchat, like Facebook, the moment I leave it now, but either way I'm doing more and going longer than ever before, and that really matters to me.

Water-resistance: Has it made a splash?

Serenity

Underwater 4K photography is my secret joy when it comes to the iPhone 7's water resistance, even though it's not officially supported. I've taken some incredible water photographs and video, and it makes me long for the days when all cameras are completely waterproof and submersible.

As I mentioned above, though, the true peace of mind is being able to get your iPhone wet in the rain, or wash it off after an accidental cooking mess, and not stress out about hurting your device.

Mikah

I'm way too friggin' careful with my devices to even know whether this lives up to expectations, and I plan to keep it that way. That said, I bring my phone into the bathroom with me when I shower and on the few occasions where I've had to step out and interact with my phone for a few seconds (mom, why do you always call me when I'm showering?), I've been a little less worried about getting drops of water on the screen.

Lory

I haven't even tried to use it near water yet. I honestly don't think I ever will. I've gotten used to going out of my way to avoid bringing my phones near water that I don't know if I could bring myself to just start holding it over the toilet or carrying it in my pocket while playing in the waves at the beach.

Bader

Yes: I took the iPhone 7 Plus on a kayak trip and kept it in my pocket playing music the whole time, and have the lake must have splashed onto without a problem. It was the perfect test case, and a fairly common situation (for a Canadian, anyway).

Rene

To be crystal clear, Apple doesn't cover water damage under the standard warranty. So, iPhone 7 water resistance is meant for accidental exposure, not for steady shark diving.

That said, while testing it out, I've exposed iPhone 7 to splashes, sprays, dunks, and water drops, multiple times and it's just kept on going and going and going and… you get the idea.

I love to walk in the rain, so to be able to do that without a care in the world has been great.

New home button: Improved or wrecked?

Serenity

Long live the new Home button. I understand where the old button folks are coming from, but to me, the 6s's Home button now feels far too squishy — and vulnerable, quite frankly. The new Taptic buzz is a delightful hint of the future, though I do wish it was a little bit more pronounced when the iPhone sits flat on a table.

Mikah

The Home button on my old iPhone 6s is so mushy and gross! It took me a few days to get used to the haptic feedback of the Home button, but now I wouldn't have it any other way!

I have my Home button set to the second setting and it feels great! I think the longer adjustment period has been me trying not to forget how to reset my phone on the rare occasions when that comes up.

Lory

It's one of the features I like to show people the most. I think it is incredible how Apple made a home button that isn't actually a button. It seems kind of like magic! I love putting a piece of cloth across the Home button and asking my friends to press it. They always look at me funny, but I'm super impressed. I can't wait to see what's in store for the future of the Home button. I just know Apple is getting us ready for something big that has to do with getting rid of the Home button entirely, or something just as outrageous.

Bader

It's probably my favorite aspect of the new phones, and it's very clear that the new iOS 10 lock screen behavior was designed with the iPhones 7 in mind. My mind took a day or so to adapt, and now I can't go back; the buttons are responsive, clever and satisfying, and that Taptic engine powering it is put to good use elsewhere in iOS 10. I can't wait for more apps to take advantage of it.

Rene

I don't mind the new Home button at all. It feels crisper to me on iPhone 7 than iPhone 7 Plus, but it works fine and is far more flexible than the old mechanical button ever was. I also love the new Taptic engine, which seems far more accurate and focused at placing haptic feedback into the app interface. I don't just see what's happening now — I feel it.

The only downside for me is that the Taptic Engine still isn't as loud as the old vibration motor, which means I have to remember to switch the ringer back on if I'm away from my iPhone and don't want to miss any calls or messages.

That said, I think the Taptic Engine will end up being the best feature that flew under the radar at launch.

Bottom line: How's iPhone 7, one month later?

Serenity

It's my first iPhone where having the Plus size feels justified. The camera improvements alone would sell me on the device, but the wide color screen, Jet black finish, and Taptic engine round out the package in a magnificent way. The phone isn't perfect: The size is still too big overall for my hands, the battery could definitely last longer, and I miss the iPad's True Tone screen improvements. But it's probably the best iPhone I've ever owned, and a great roadmap for the future of Apple's smartphone.

Mikah

Look, I was going to be upgrading to the iPhone 7 Plus no matter what … I upgrade every year, because I'm a ridiculous tech lover. That said, this phone was totally worth the upgrade for the camera alone. Add to that the speed of the phone, the sound of the speakers, and all the fun new haptic touches, and you've got a damn good iPhone and a superb smartphone. I love this phone — no headphone jack and all!

Lory

I have mixed feelings about how I feel about the iPhone 7 Plus. On the one hand, it is a huge hardware upgrade over the iPhone SE. On the other hand, it's just huge. I'm having a lot of fun playing with the super-duper camera and I love how clear and bright the large screen is, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep it as my main device for much longer.

Bader

It's a fantastic set of phones, and an essential upgrade for someone coming from the iPhone 5s or 6. I don't think it's a huge departure from the still-great iPhone 6s, but the little updates add up to a big, unified improvement. I'm glad the headphone debacle has quieted, and we can look forward to Apple's hardware innovations revealing themselves more thoroughly in software updates, like Portrait Mode on the 7 Plus, and the new Haptics API that developers are surely already experimenting with.

Rene

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus — I've been alternating between them but favoring the Plus — are phenomenal phones. The camera alone continues to delight me daily, and the Taptic Engine is something I think will be appreciated more and more as clever software that takes advantage of it begins to ship.

The screen resolution remains low, though, and focused on battery life rather than pixel count or density, and some people just won't be able to get over the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

If you already have an iPhone 6s, I'm still convinced you only need to upgrade if the camera or water resistance are must haves for you. But if you love iPhone, you're really going to love iPhone 7.

One reason I will remember the iPhone 7, however, is for its increased emphasis on haptic feedback.

I've written before about why haptic feedback has the potential to be a powerful tool for accessibility. In broad strokes: The big gain for people with disabilities comes down to augmenting the experience. Where Dynamic Type augments the user interface by enlarging text, so too can haptic feedback augment the UI by giving users another signal (beyond visuals) that something is happening with the device. These secondary cues — however subtle — can play a crucial role in shaping one's experience.

This can apply to anyone using an iPhone, but is especially true for people with disabilities.

Here's a great example of Apple's prior haptic success: me and phone calls. I have some congenital hearing loss in both ears due to being born prematurely. I still talk on the phone quite a bit — yes, I'm old — and, as such, the Phone app has long been a fixture on my Home screen. In addition to hearing an audible ring when a call comes in, I also have the Vibrate on Ring option enabled (Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Vibrate). What this does is give me tactile feedback that someone's calling in addition to hearing the ringer. That added signal is important: I may not always hear my phone ringing, but I certainly can feel it buzzing in my pocket. Thus, this bimodal experience is a real boon for accessibility — for me, at least. (There's even a third cue: my Apple Watch, which is set to ring and vibrate for the same reason.)

I've been using the Vibrate on Ring feature for years, and while it isn't true haptic feedback, it nonetheless adheres to the principle that the sensory output from a "tactile" interface can make the iPhone more accessible. With the iPhone 6s and especially the iPhone 7, Apple has further utilized its Taptic Engine in various ways across iOS that make using the device an even more pleasant and enriching experience.

How haptics shape the iPhone 7

The iPhone 6s last year introduced 3D Touch. With Quick Actions and Peek & Pop, users could use their favorite apps more quickly and efficiently, all with a subtle buzz from the Taptic Engine. But 3D Touch also was interesting from an accessibility point of view as well: Not only is 3D Touch convenient, it can save users from eye strain and/or muscle fatigue due to excessive searching and tapping. I've found this to be true in my experience using 3D Touch, and I enjoy it.

With the iPhone 7 and iOS 10, Apple has expanded both 3D Touch's scope and how haptic feedback responds throughout the operating system. You can now use 3D Touch on certain icons in Control Center, as well as manage the status of downloading apps. On the iPhone 6s and 7, you feel Control Center or Notification Center being invoked with a quick thud as you slide the pane up or down; on the iPhone 7, the date picker in the Clock app registers bits of feedback as you move through time. Even enabling or disabling setting toggles now include a physical tick.

The effects of the iPhone 7's Taptic Engine are pervasive and add another layer of interaction. This can bring complexity, yes — but for many people with disabilities, being able to literally feel your way through the OS means a lot. To see the green "on" indicator for iOS 10's settings switches is one thing; to see green and feel the status change as you slide it over is a horse of a different color. If you, like me, can't see so well, that literal feeling of reassurance makes all the difference.

It isn't just Apple's internal apps, either: The Taptic Engine API for iPhone 7 gives third-party developers the power to enhance their apps to make them even more engaging and accessible than they already are.

The Home button (in name only)

No discussion of the iPhone 7 and haptic feedback is complete without mention of another of its banner features: the solid state Home button.

The Home button really is a "button" in name only: Unlike the physical buttons of yore, the iPhone 7's Home button no longer works mechanically. Instead, Apple uses its Taptic Engine to render "clicks" of varying degrees. (Users can determine which degree they prefer — 1, 2, or 3 — in a way similar to how 3D Touch is configured.) It reminds me a lot of the Force Touch trackpads on the 12-inch MacBook and the MacBook Pros.

Although it does take some getting used to, and there are reasonable arguments for keeping the old mechanism, the new Home button does have real advantages when it comes to accessibility. For one thing, not having to physically press the button should make life easier on users with limited range of motion and/or low muscle tone in their fingers. This is exactly why motor-centric accessibility features like AssistiveTouch or Switch Control exist; for many people, it's easier to tap and touch than it is to press with even the tiniest bit of force. What's more, the granularity Apple provides for adjusting the Home button's sensitivity should go a long way in helping users figure out which setting works best for them. (I'm still figuring this out myself.)

Another advantage is the haptic feedback: When you press the button to go back to Springboard, invoke Siri, or whatever else, it "buzzes." Again, it's all about multi-sensory output: Not only do users see the UI switching back to, say, the Home screen, they also feel a little buzz that lets them know the action (returning Home) has been triggered. That extra cue is a huge win for accessibility and key to the bimodal experience. If you can't see well, the Taptic Engine is still there for you, saying "Yes, you pushed the button. Something will happen now."

Feeling the future

It should be noted that, because needs and tolerances vary widely, not everyone with a disability will reap benefit from haptic feedback. Someone with autism who may be sensitive in terms of sensory motor development likely won't appreciate the iPhone 7's ticks and buzzes. But that's why you can disable System Haptics: You can configure the best experience for your needs.

Still, in my brief time with an iPhone 7 Plus, I'm very much enjoying the use of haptic feedback throughout the device. As with Apple Watch, the Taptic Engine gives me a more immersive, enjoyable, and — most importantly — accessible experience. There are areas where it can improve; I'd love to get feedback when I tap a Back button, for instance. But overall, I'm bullish on Apple's and developers' future plans for this technology.

I've been saying for a few years now just how impressive Johny Sjrouji's hardware technologies team at Apple is, but it's still something that gets lost in the spec comparison charts cut-and-pasted across the shallower parts of the internet. For anyone who really knows silicon, though, what Apple's doing with iPhone 7, the A10 Fusion chipset is beyond exciting. That doesn't just include the new "Hurricane" high-performance cores, but the entire package.

Anandtech:

Web is also interesting, according to Anandtech

The whole review is well worth a read.

There's a YouTube video going around showing tests conducted on the sapphire lens of the iPhone 7 that's raised some internet controversy about whether or not the lens is actually sapphire. Here's what Apple told iMore in a statement:

So what's going on? The video is fine for what it is, but it doesn't include the necessary controls and contains enough theories throughout that the ultimate conclusion it reaches might escape people who don't understand the subject or don't watch it closely.

Let's break it down.

Is Apple using sapphire glass?

Apple is absolutely using sapphire glass. Read the comment above, refer to Apple.com:

See Phil Schiller's tweet:

Or simply watch the YouTube video:

So why is it scratching?

It's not. The lower hardness tools aren't scratching the lens. They're fracturing it.

The scratching of the watch vs. the fracturing of the lens is clearly stated in the video and shown under the microscope.

Fracturing — as opposed to scratching — is what happens when you have something so incredibly thin — unlike the much thicker watch used for comparison — and you apply pressure with no level of control.

You'd have to precisely apply the same level of force, likely to the same thickness of material, to properly do that test.

So is Apple just using a thin veneer of sapphire over glass and calling it sapphire?

The video spends a lot of time theorizing that that may be the case, which may confuse people who aren't paying attention, but ultimately says:

The YouTube video theorizes that it's there to "minimize reflection or something minor," and that the "Vast portion of the lens is aluminum oxide [sapphire — Ed.]."

There are coatings on the lens, including a fingerprint-resistant coating, but the material of the lens itself remains sapphire.

Wait, if it's a "non-issue", why am I reading accusations of Apple not using sapphire or using a laminate?

Either they didn't understand the video, the science, or they just want attention.

What about contaminants? Is Apple using lower quality sapphire?

Apple says no, and the video makes it impossible to tell otherwise, since it states the machine could very well contain the contaminants. A test would have to be run on properly cleaned equipment to provide useful information there.

Anything else I need to know?

Apple seems to have been using the same type of sapphire on its lenses since sapphire lenses were introduced with iPhone 5. Even at the anecdotal level, there's been nothing to even remotely suggest the material isn't hard enough for the job it's been given — to protect the camera system under normal conditions.

You don't notice it at first. You're too busy trying out the new, virtual Home button on iPhone 7 to notice anything else. You "click" around, set your preferred level of feedback — I'm a "2"! — and get used to the sensation of pressing something that's not a button and feeling it respond. Basically, you get used to your fingers being liars. Then you move on to the Home screen, and that's where the real lying starts.

You load up a game, tap a blaster, and feel its boom. Then you tap a pistol and feel its rapid-fire pulses. You switch to a music app, dance your fingers across the screen, and feel the keys as you go. Then you get an iMessage and literally feel the unce, unce, unce of its laser effect. And you stop. And you curse. Because you just stumbled across iPhone 7's secret weapon — the new Taptic Engine.

On iPhone 7, the screen taps YOU

Apple's second generation haptic feedback motor for iPhone — the one the headphone jack, in part, gave its life space for — is a substantial improvement over the previous one.

Where before you could press firmly on your iPhone 6s display to trigger 3D Touch and get a reassuring "thump" in response, with iPhone 7 you get a broader, deeper, more sophisticated range of responses.

Some of them are delightfully subtle: Spin through a date or time picker and you can feel a slight "tock" for each number. Thumb across alternate characters on the keyboard and you can feel a little "tick" for each accent.

Others reaffirm the interface. Try to zoom too close or swipe too far, and a small "knock" will inform your finger that you've reached a limit. It's not the "right" feeling and not an exact match to the perfectly visualized rubber banding effect iOS has had since launch, but, in context, you barely notice. The sensory input is in sync, and hence amplified, and you know exactly, unmistakably, what it means.

So, too, iMessage effects. If you've run the iOS 10 beta on a previous iPhone, you've seen the fireworks or lasers. But with iPhone 7, you feel them. The bursts or waves of light sizzle and rumble in your hand.

It's not the sloppy, annoying buzzing other manufacturers have been implementing for years either. And it's not localized to only half the phone, so when you turn it sideways only one of your hands feels anything.

No, Taptic Engine is haptics done right, and the potential is enormous.

This ain't your grandparent's rumble pack

All of that, impressive as it is at first touch, is simply Apple pointing the way to developers and hinting at what the next generation of apps can do. It's those apps that are really mind-blowing ... er, finger-popping?

Feeling the different types of blasters available to you in a game, or the keys of a piano, that's what's so exciting about iPhone 7.

The decades-old research that led to the Taptic Engine glimpsed a future where texture itself could be simulated beneath our fingers. Already, people are experiencing iPhone 7 and imagining fully tactile typing, guitar strumming — everything short of nail filing.

Developers have only just gotten the application programming interfaces (API) to access the new Taptic Engine, but if the previews I mentioned up top are any indication, we're in for an incredibly exciting few months as more and more apps roll them out.

I'm not sure what the new Taptic Engine means yet for accessibility either, but I'm hoping the better and more precise tactile responses will also be a boon to iPhone users with low and no vision, and augment the existing audio interfaces, at least a little.

The potential of the new Taptic engine may be the best-kept secret on iPhone 7 — but it won't be for long.

If you're working on an app that uses the Taptic Engine in a new and interesting way, get in touch.

The iPhone 7 Plus has two camera sensors, one with a 28mm depth of field and the other 56mm, meant to take photos at a "telephoto" format. In reality, the second sensor provides a lot of extra data to the sensor, as proven by the iPhone 7 Plus's Portrait mode, which is available to all larger-iPhone users in iOS 10.1.

But such a Portrait mode, as Apple calls it, is not uncommon. It's been available in some Android phones for years. Specifically, the HTC One M8 added a second 2MP camera sensor for this very purpose, and while it was well-received, it never gained the adoption that HTC wanted to justify its addition to the phone's sequel the following year.

Some phones don't make a big deal over the second camera, utilizing it more for additional resolution than adding features. But there are a couple devices, such as the Honor 8, close cousin to the Huawei P9, that does both: like the iPhone 7 Plus, it uses a second 12MP sensor both to accrue additional data for regular wide-angle photos, and to aide with zoom — and it also uses the separation to measure depth, and apply artificial background blurring to photos.

The Tests

Before we begin the tests, it's worth noting a couple of things: the Honor 8's two 12MP sensors are arrayed very differently to the iPhone 7 Plus's. First, one is color and the other monochrome, which is meant to assist in detail, focus, and exposure accuracy. The other is that the focal lengths of the lenses at identical at 27mm, which means the portrait/background blur feature works quite differently to the iPhone's.

The Honor 8 instructs you stand considerably closer to the subject than the iPhone, and the 27mm field of view is not only wider, but not optimized for portraits. In my testing, I tried to frame the subjects are close to one another as possible, but it was difficult given that I needed to stand in different places. I did not want to crop the photos, as that would alter the resolution.

Finally, the iPhone 7 Plus directs you throughout the shooting experience — stand further back, move closer, get better light — which dramatically improves the overall quality of the shot. This is the most instructive Apple has ever been in its own camera app, and I'm happy to see the change.

iPhone 7 Plus Portrait mode (left) / Honor 8 Portrait mode (right)

You can see from these photos that both phones struggle with fences, selectively blurring only certain parts of the chain that don't have objects obviously behind them. What's interesting is that they both blur the same part of the fence, to the left of the sign, and little else, though the iPhone 7 Plus does a far better job exposing for the available light utilizing HDR to ensure the foreground is as well-lit as the back.

Indoor lighting results in a great shot from both phones. The iPhone looks slightly grainier, since the narrower aperture is letting in less light than its Honor counterpart, but it does a better job gradually blurring the rear of the frame. You can see that in the second row of coffee cups, which have a slightly less severe blur than the true background; indeed, the iPhone implements a much more extreme effect than the Honor, from which it's easier to make out the details. Not sure which one I like better — the Honor saturates the scene more, but the iPhone really emphasizes that foreground.

Here, the iPhone is the clear winner. I mean, it's not even close. And here's what I want to emphasize about Apple's slow-but-steady rollout of this Portrait feature: it's really, really hard to get right. Look at these two photos; the Honor completely screws up the mid-section, blurring the top edges of the red flower, some of the leaves, and what appears like random portions of the foreground. There is no consistency at all.

The iPhone, while not perfect, tries to understand the layers of the photo. There's the main subject, the red flower, along with leaves at its side and immediately behind it, plus the true background. Every decision made by the ISP makes sense — well, most of them. The plant itself naturally blurs into the background, but there are problems: the purple flower jutting out to the left of the planter floats on its own, its lithe stem blurred with the rest of the background. And the camera has a difficult time deciding which portions of the planter's soil to blur, so it appears to do all of it, even though it shouldn't. But the evenness to which the ISP applies blurring to the wood fence behind is lovely, and far more intelligent than any Android-based implementation I've yet seen.

My apologies for the framing: the white of the sky in the Honor 8 is distracting, but as I said in the intro I needed to be physically closer to the subject so I did the best I could to line them up.

Both phones do pretty well here, since there is a clear foreground subject. Ignore the exposure, because the Honor 8 gets tricked up by the sky, but note how much clearer the iPhone's just-behind leaves are compared to the all-or-nothing approach taken by the Android phone. The iPhone tries to gradually blur the background in a way that appears natural; the Honor 8 identifies the foreground subject and applies a thick brush of gaussian blur to everything else. It's fine but the iPhone is great. This is an example of Apple measuring twice (or twenty times) and cutting once.

Also look at the droplets of water on the leaves in the iPhone shot. They're considerably clearer throughout, since the Honor 8 applies blur to portions of the leaves themselves, perhaps attempting to recreate a DSLR shot, but the application is haphazard and imprecise.

Finally, we get to an actual portrait. Here's my favorite barista at my favorite coffee shop in Toronto, who reluctantly agreed to be a subject for my experiment.

You can see how differently the iPhone frames the photo, since you as a shooter need to be much further back than with the Honor 8 to account for the longer lens. Taking a photo from further back feels much more natural, since your phone physically isn't in the face of the person being photographed — I didn't realize how much of a difference this made until I started taking portraits with the 7 Plus.

Both phones do a good job with this scene, though the 27mm lens on the Honor 8 distorts the person within the scene — he is just one aspect of a wider shot, rather than the main subject.

Again, the iPhone's photo is grainier, given that it is indoors and taken with a lower-aperture lens, but the grain actually works here, since the colors, like his skin tone, are more accurate. The Honor 8 takes a much redder shot.

Conclusion

These five photos contrast the iPhone 7 Plus's Portrait mode to that of another implementation of the same idea. When looking at the framing differences between the iPhone 7 Plus and Honor 8, Apple's decision to add a 56mm lens make a lot more sense, since framing a person is considerably easier and more enjoyable when you're not right in his or her face.

And even though it is currently in beta, the ISP inside the A10 Fusion chip consistently makes better decisions in regards to what to blur, and how gradually to do so, than the Honor 8, which takes an all-or-nothing approach.

What do you think of the comparison? Which phone do you think wins?

iPhone 7 comes in two sizes again, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. It also comes in two hot new colors: glossy Jet Black and matte Black. Yes, blacks really are the new black.

Both are anodized aluminum and glass, with minimized antenna lines and Lightning ports, sans 3.5mm headphone jack. Both also have 7 megapixel from facing camera Dan 12 megapixel f/1.8 wide angle rear-facing lenses. IPhone 7 Plus, though, also has a 12 megapixel f/2.8 telephoto lens as well.

Otherwise you have volume up and down, ringer switch, SIM card slot, better, louder speakers on the bottom — and for the first time, a matching big loud speaker on top for full-on stereo sound.

They're also both powered by Apple's phenomenal A10 Fusion chipset, which intelligently, dynamically switches between two high-efficiency cores and two high-power cores for maximum battery life and maximum performance.

In the box are the usual tips, stickers, AC adapter, Lightning cable, and new this year: Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.

None of that matters, though, when you look at the new iPhones and hold them in your hands. Then the utter singularity of the objects take over.

Some may gripe that the overall shape is the same. Ignore them. IPhone is now in the same category as Porsche, Leica, or Rolex. It's iconic.

And the iPhones 7 are one step closer Apple's Platonic ideal.

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When the iPhone 7 Plus and its dual-camera system launched, it did so missing a key feature: Portrait mode, which uses the Plus's two cameras to create a faux depth-of-field effect with a gaussian blur, simulating the look of higher-end cameras like DSLRs and mirrorless models. On stage, Apple SVP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller even jokingly compared the iPhone's photos to a "DSLR photo" — before revealing the image had, in fact, been taken with an iPhone 7 Plus and a beta of Portrait mode.

• Review: The iPhone 7 Plus and Portrait mode

Portrait mode is now available to everyone with iOS 10.1, and we figured a perfect test of this mode was to actually compare it to an entry-level DSLR — namely, Canon's T4i — with a 40mm f/2.8 lens, just a little bit shallower than the iPhone 7 Plus's second 56mm-equivalent lens.

We ran these tests with a beta of Portrait mode in late September, so I wasn't expecting miracles or for the iPhone 7 Plus to "beat" the Canon (spoiler: it doesn't). But what I do find fascinating is just how close the iPhone comes in certain circumstances to replicating — or, in some case, exceeding — the DSLR look without the heft or the cost of a pro camera setup.

How we tested

Like my other camera tests, the goal for these was to simulate the way an average user might snap images with their iPhone or entry-level DSLR. Both cameras were shot freehand, and though I shot with the DSLR in Manual mode, that was primarily to get a similar ISO and shutter speed to the iPhone's telephoto lens, and I kept the Canon's white balance on auto. Both recorded to JPEG, with no post-processing.

For the DSLR comparison, I used my Canon Rebel T4i with Canon's 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens to match the iPhone 7 Plus's telephoto lens setup as much as possible.

NOTE: Though many (myself included) have argued that this system is closer in comparison to a normal or portrait lens than a true telephoto, I understand Apple's intentions here: Because they're marketing the lens in conjunction with a 2x feature, it may seem more appropriate to call it "tele" than "normal" or "portrait" to the average user — especially considering that Apple has a planned "Portrait" feature coming out that utilizes both lenses later this year. For that reason, I'm referring to the lens as Apple names it — tele, or telephoto — even though I don't necessarily agree with that branding.

People

The iPhone 7 Plus's Portrait mode is designed around taking snapshots of people — it has face and body detection built in to aid with the effect — so it's only fair that its first test actually involve human subjects.

When it comes to shooting outdoors, the two cameras have almost identical picture quality, and the trees are nicely blurred out in the background. Portrait mode seems to struggle a bit right now with getting smooth cuts for faces and bodies against highly blurred backgrounds, however; it's most obvious against my hair in the first shot, and my male subject's face and body when shooting backlit.

The iPhone tends to try and grab more information about the background than the Canon, and as such, the background is a lot darker and has more definition in the trees than the DSLR shots, which blow out the light between the trees for a more stylized effect. (Don't make me call it bokeh.)

Indoors, the Canon's superior sensor offers a lot more detail than the iPhone, which resorts to smoothing pixels a bit to keep the image clear. The depth of field effect is gorgeous on the smartphone, however, providing a nice mid-level blur as well as blurring out the Enceladus poster in the background.

Pets

I tricked a few people on Twitter with the photos below, and for good reason: The iPhone loves outdoor subjects with clear focal areas to measure.

Though the iPhone continues to process images with a slightly warmer coloration and sharpness than the Canon, the depth maps on these images are quite similar. The Canon benefits from some foreground blur, but the iPhone smartly uses the dog's feet in this photo to create a midpoint blur and taper between that and the full background blur, and it looks beautiful. Even with the dog in motion, the iPhone identifies differing blur points and tapers down, though it's not as smooth as the Canon.

I wasn't supposed to be able to get this photo: When I first tried to grab it, Portrait mode insisted I was too close to my subject, and I probably was — I only managed to snap this after moving away, then pushing back in. But boy, am I glad I did. Even in relatively low-light conditions, I got a lot of the detail in our dog's face, and the multi-layered blur separates her paws and ears from the rest of the scene.

Products

I take a lot (a lot) of technology product shots, largely with my DSLR; in the past, the iPhone's lack of depth (save for macro modes) has made it difficult to get good spotlight shots. But I've been toying with shooting iMore heroes on the iPhone 7 Plus, and Portrait mode makes it surprisingly easy — as long as there's good light.

Though I can't get quite as close as I'd like to when shooting in Portrait mode with the iPhone 7 (the 56mm-equivalent lens has a minimum focus distance of 19 inches), it still nicely highlights the iPhone and blurs out the background, though not with as much light diffusion as the Canon.

Where the iPhone unfortunately falls flat is low-light snaps: Because the iPhone 7 Plus's 56mm-equivalent lens has no optical image stabilization and a smaller sensor, it has real trouble capturing low-light images — especially low-light images that are close up. I went back and forth between the "not enough light" and "back up" error messages for at least two minutes before eventually deciding to just take the snap as-is, without the Portrait mode. It still has some depth of focus to it, but the image isn't nearly as clear or as tapered as the Canon.

This poor Lego.

I really pushed Portrait mode to the limit here, giving it a tiny subject to work with against a grained background, all while trying to shoot as close as humanly possible. The result: A very grainy photo on the iPhone 7 Plus side without a ton of nuance to the background blur, and a closer shot that confused the head of the Stormtrooper for the background. Whoops.

Flowers

Like the Lego example above, flowers are entirely outside Portrait mode's current scope, and given how well you can get decent depth of field shooting macro with the wide-angle, I don't know if I'd use Portrait for this stuff very often.

The flowers and leaves are a bit more blown out than the Canon image, in part due to this snap being in the shade and close to evening time. While there's a nice variegated blur going on at the top of the image with the ferns, the middle of the image (between the flowers) didn't get a blur applied at all, and the wall looks strangely in focus.

Were I going to shoot nature closeups with this mode, I'd probably do something closer to this shot: Macro leaves with the rest of the background out of focus. The only real clue between these two shots, besides the color temperature, is the slight foreground blur on the Canon image.

Drinks

Taking artsy drink shots is a time-honored Instagram tradition, but I'm skeptical as to how well the iPhone's telephoto lens will snap them unless you're outdoors or in a brightly lit area.

Admittedly, I gave the iPhone a stiff challenge in this photo of a whiskey bottle: glass bottle, dark kitchen, mirrored surface, onion in the background. And while it didn't exactly fail this challenge, there's no question about which image looks better. The iPhone struggled with blur areas, getting a nice foreground blur but missing parts of the reflective table and accidentally blurring out words on the bottle. And when it comes to macro, of course, the telephoto can't focus on the bottle at all, ceding the competition to the Canon.

Bottom line

Portrait is getting its start in beta as a fun experiment and a bit of a gimmick — one I have no doubt will take over Instagram as readily as vignetting and tilt-shift did. But I have high hopes for the feature: The iPhone is always going to struggle against something as full-featured as a DSLR given its limited room for sensors and lenses, but the device still puts together an awfully strong showing — and does so without the need of carrying a pro camera setup or fiddling with manual controls.

In some cases during our tests, I was able to get a very similar shot to my DSLR without taking the time to check the exposure meter and adjust my shutter speed accordingly; I needed only to lift the iPhone up to my subject and snap the photo.

The iPhone's Image Signal Processor is working overtime when you snap these shots, which is why you won't see extra bells and whistles just yet — no Flash or low-light images, no zoom, and no official support for snapping photos of objects. But I have no doubt this feature will evolve and transform as more users get their hands on the Public Beta and Apple continues to refine its controls.

For now, it's a fascinatingly fun feature to play with, and I can't wait to give it a more thorough run through its paces over the next few days.

Do you have an iPhone 7 Plus and Portrait mode? Let us know what you think.

I've been using the iPhone 7 for the past week. I've also been using the iPhone 7 Plus. It's complicated.

During that time, what has become increasingly obvious is that one embodies my ideal form of a phone, and the other largely impresses for its function. Sure, the argument can be reduced to sports car versus truck, but in this case it's not as simple.

To be specific, both are fantastic phones, and truly significant updates over their respective 6s counterparts (though it's worth noting that most people upgrading to the 7 will be coming from the iPhone 6 or earlier, which is an even more sizeable upgrade). But after using a Jet Black iPhone 7 for a few days, and then switching to a matte Black iPhone 7 Plus, it's clear that if one intends to make their smartphone a primary computer (as I have in many parts of my life — I'm typing this on my iPhone right now), there are some necessary tradeoffs.

Such is the prevailing opinion of the public, too, judging from early sales statistics from Slice that claim the Plus models are outselling the standard iPhone this year for the first time. That could merely be an acknowledgment of a wider trend towards larger phones, but it also speaks to what I've experienced since the IPhone 6 Plus debuted in 2014: what is desirable is not always what's practical.

The Jet Black iPhone 7 is probably the most interesting and beautiful product Apple has ever made. Its higher-cost manufacturing process alone justified skipping the base 32GB storage model. But in the days since receiving it, I managed to deplete its battery by 3pm each afternoon, and despite heeding Apple's advice to embrace a case, I scratched the heck out of the phone's polished edges. By contrast, the iPhone 7 Plus has been tremendous in assuaging any anxiety about regression: It has easily lasted a whole day of use, and the matte Black coloring has been more resistant to scratching than any model I've previously used. There is a gentle seduction to the matte finish, an appreciation of its inevitable longevity opposed to the Jet Black's immediately arresting charm.

Ultimately, the iPhone 7, like any phone, is a tool. It's going to be smudged and scratched and dropped, probably mishandled and, after a few months, considered just another thing in your life. An important thing, an essential thing — perhaps the most essential — but it is designed to work, and be put to work. But that's just it: the compromise between design and function, or function as a tenet of a product's core design, is what makes the Jet Black iPhone 7 so intriguing. This is a product Apple knew would scratch, for which they encouraged people — prior to it even going on sale! — to buy a case, and yet naked it is the least slippery iPhone since the 3GS. John Gruber at Daring Fireball, in his piece Design as Branding, sums it up well:

A fairly loud part of me knows that the Jet Black iPhone 7 confers no true benefits over the other four colors, and that its size allows me to use it with one hand, an activity I often enjoy to my detriment. I also know that it scratches, and that with those scratches the "hot newsness" of the Jet Black polish diminishes. Couple that with the irony of knowing that the phone is at its most usable when naked, removed from a case, and I am left asking myself whether by investing in it I'm setting myself up for disappointment.

On the iPhone 7, I've yet to experience the extra two hours of battery promised by Apple — or at least, it hasn't made a difference to my intra-day charging routine. Apple dug deep and decided to remove the headphone jack, knowing full well it would piss off a lot of its more loyal users, mainly so it could squeeze extra uptime from the components. But, knowing how I use my phone, the extra hour from the iPhone 7 Plus is a more valuable proposition in the long-term. When I look at the Jet Black iPhone 7, I see a product optimized to be held and marvelled, one that, through use and wear, becomes more the tool that I need.

Which is why I am hedging, turning towards the practical and more familiar matte Black iPhone 7 Plus. For me, it's the keyboard. The size of the Plus keyboard is perfectly suited to long(er) form writing, working with QuickType to correct predictable mistakes. It's the comfort in knowing I can wake up in the morning, leave the house sans battery pack, and likely return in the evening to a quarter tank of gas.

It's the appreciation that, after a year or three, I have derived the most utility from what is ultimately the most important daily tool in my life. For that I'm willing to forgo the bittersweet and fleeting pleasure of owning Apple's most beautiful product.

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Apple touts the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as having its best smartphone camera systems yet, and while I'm not giving any spoilers to our upcoming camera comparison, I've been very impressed by the images I've taken over the last few days. The f/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle camera helps capture great low-light shots and flesh out detail in HDR images, and the iPhone's optically-stabilized 4K video continues to impress. (We shot our entire iPhone 7 review on it, after all — including underwater shots!)

But of all the camera aspects I've looked at over the past few days, I've heard the most clamor over the new zoom features of the iPhone 7 Plus model: Its camera system not only features the iPhone 7's wide-angle lens, but also sports a smaller 56mm-equivalent "telephoto" lens with an f/2.8 aperture for portrait work.

NOTE: Though many (myself included) have argued that this system is closer in comparison to a normal or portrait lens than a true telephoto, I understand Apple's intentions here: Because they're marketing the lens in conjunction with a 2x feature, it may seem more appropriate to call it "tele" than "normal" or "portrait" to the average user — especially considering that Apple has a planned "Portrait" feature coming out that utilizes both lenses later this year. For that reason, I'm referring to the lens as Apple names it — tele, or telephoto — even though I don't necessarily agree with that branding.

Both lenses capture data simultaneously when you shoot a picture to provide a seamlessly-blended "hybrid" image with more detail than you'd be able to get with the single wide-angle lens, and this combination system allows Apple to offer an up-to-10x digital zoom and 2x optical enlargement (looking straight through the tele lens) or, in low light and macro situations, a 2x digital zoom.

After I posted this example image on Twitter from our recent trip to New York City, I had several requests to show off more examples of the iPhone 7 Plus's zoom capabilities, and moreover, how they compared to the telephoto-less iPhone 7 — which retains the old pinch-to-zoom 5x gesture.

How we tested

I took both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus out to a park in Providence, RI to shoot a variety of outdoor landscapes, signs, macro detail, and runners. I've also included indoor shots of animals, detail, and sunset landscapes.

All of these shots are straight out of the stock Camera app; the only adjustments made to the photos were the in-camera digital/optical zooms, and the occasional brightness slider adjustment — both iPhone models' digital zooms had a tendency to initially overexpose the scene. (I also took out license plates and other identifying information in a few of the running images.)

I used no equipment save for the iPhones themselves — no tripod or other stabilizing help — with the goal of simulating the use case of the average iPhone user.

The iPhone 7 Plus has a detailed zoom meter: 1x - 10x in .1x increments; we shot images at 1x, 2x, 5x, and 10x. The iPhone 7 is less precise: It retains the old, numberless pinch-to-zoom interface, and only goes from 1x to 5x. We shot images at 1x, "2x" (to simulate the 2x shot, I took photos slightly before the halfway mark on the zoom slider, but there may be some slight variation), and 5x. The final shot is the original photo, cropped to 10x.

Daytime

The majority of our zoom tests were taken in daylight, and for good reason: Digital zooms can't do much when there's not enough light to expose the contents of the image to the camera's sensor(s). We took a look at some long-throw shots over lakes and park grounds, some would-be macro shots, and some artsy attempts at readable signs.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus both have equally-great wide-angle lenses, and the 1x versions of each show that. The optically-stabilized lens and its f/1.8 aperture let in plenty of light — even on this gloomy day — to add definition to the clouds and faraway trees, and the P3 wide color space keeps the trees green and the buoys red. Once we hit 2x, however, you can start to see the telephoto lens coming into play on the Plus side: Though both images have a certain amount of grain to them, you can see more details on the mid-water mooring and in the trees, whereas the iPhone 7 immediately starts to get fuzzy. The 5x/10x shots are the biggest tells: Though neither camera is outputting great images at this point, the Plus's shots are at least readable, especially at social-media-sharing levels.

For these tests, I snapped shots of both straight-on signage and an angled macro image. The first test pits a green biking sign against green trees and a gray sky; it's also responsible for my first exposure troubles. The iPhone 7 frequently tended to overexpose the scene without careful slider guidance, especially at zoomed levels; the iPhone 7 Plus, with assistance from the telephoto lens, did a much better job metering the whole image and capturing the lows and colors present on the playground in the 1x, 2x, and 5x. At 10x, it again isn't much to look at, but does a decent job identifying the pine needles on the tree as separate items, rather than single green blobs. It also captured some of the darker maple leaves in the shadows that the iPhone 7's blown-up 1x failed to capture.

This salmon-pink park barrier was too cool a color to pass up, though both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus had trouble metering exposure when pumping up to 2x, 5x, and 10x (on the Plus). As we zoom in, the telephoto lens helps the iPhone 7 Plus retain some of the more nuanced pockmark wall details where the iPhone 7 blurred them together, but both returned fairly similar imagery overall.

This is where the iPhone 7 Plus's zoom really appears to outshine the iPhone 7: Long-throw photography of humans. While there's a distinct possibility some users will use this feature for less-than-noble means, the 10x zoom can also help capture important memories during graduations, day concerts, sports, marathons, and more. It's all the more impressive that these photos are entirely hand-shot, but still capture the subject clearly — at 1x, you can barely tell that a person is running down the road, let alone who it is, what shirt they're wearing, or what they're holding in their hands. 10x makes that all possible — albeit with fuzzy, blocky, and blown-up edges.

Not going to lie: After taking these photos, I jokingly showed them to my fiancé (my running model), shouting "ENHANCE!" every time I swiped to a new zoom level. Because what fun are camera tests if you can't be a little silly while taking photos?

This was a variation of my runners' test, but done with an unusual stationary object in the frame (R2D2, naturally). Here, the 7 Plus displays greater focus accuracy combined with better detail on both the bench, R2, and the tree leaves.

These zooms on macro-level subjects aren't anything fancy to look at up close, but at social-media sharing level, they look a lot more impressive than they have any right to be. There's something pretty special about being able to capture morning dew on grass with only an iPhone in your pocket.

This is also the first instance of the iPhone 7 Plus's camera shutting off the telephoto lens in favor of the wide-angle: The 56mm-equivalent lens has a much longer minimum focus distance, and as a result, if you get too close to a subject and tap "2x" in the Camera app, your iPhone will default to the wide-angle (which has a fairly short minimum focus distance). It's a primary reason why these grass shots look a whole lot more comparable between models than our previous shots.

Indoors & Nighttime

As mentioned above, I didn't snap a ton of indoors and evening shots — one for stationary objects, one moving, and a sunset — primarily because of the iPhone 7 Plus's tendency to revert to digitally zooming the wide-angle lens in low light. Lacking optical image stabilization and with such a small aperture, it's not surprising that the iPhone 7 Plus's telephoto can't provide adequate light for a good hybrid image, but it still means there's not a ton of information to be gained by comparing the 7 and 7 Plus indoors — at that point, both are essentially shooting (and zooming) with the same lens and sensor — the Plus just has a nicer interface.

Here's an "iPhone 7 Plus is primarily using the wide-angle for its 2x" shot, and it shows: This is the only test where I actually prefer the iPhone 7's blown-up "10x" image over the 7 Plus's naturally-shot 10x image, because the 1x shot was more stable and readable than a shaky low-light 10x.

Despite being in a lower-light situation, here the iPhone 7 Plus's images are snapped with the wide-angle/telephoto hybrid rather than just the wide-angle, with the telephoto at one of its lowest acceptable settings (shutter speed of 1/60 second). In the low light, this means more detail on my dog's (traditionally terrified for cameras) face and in blanket threads, but at the expense of more noise on the image.

These images were taken with the wide-angle on both phones, and they look very similar overall, save for the 10x — whatever little data the iPhone 7 Plus is getting from the telephoto here, the phone uses it to create a decent backdrop of leaves against a sunset.

Final thoughts

Digital zoom isn't a game-changer in mobile photography; at best, it's a placeholder and portent. In some ways, it shows us how far we've come — some of those 10x shots look better than the images my 2005-era smartphone snapped. In others, it shows where smartphone photography can still improve; how we can polish those details, give our camera systems more light, and, if possible, space for longer lenses.

All that said, the iPhone 7 Plus takes a definitive step forward in this arena: its dual-camera system significantly improves images both optically framed and digitally zoomed, and lets us create 12-megapixel images from items that would otherwise be blurs. They may not be truly printable images yet, but most people aren't going to want a printable image from a 10x mobile camera zoom: It's the kind of feature born for social media, letting users show their friends and networks that they were "so close!" to a star at a concert, or that they snapped the perfect shot of a roaring animal at the zoo.

If zoom is something you care about, the iPhone 7 can't compete with its bigger sibling: The vague pinch-to-zoom interface already feels hopelessly out of date after you spend a little time with the Plus's zoom capabilities, and blown up photos suffer somewhat on detail without the secondary lens providing supporting image data.

Apple's "optical zoom" feature also gives users the ability to either shoot directly with the 56mm lens equivalent or capture a crisp 2x digital zoom, and the crop provides a nice, new way to experiment with framing shots. It's a feature I was skeptical about in my first day or two with both phones, but as I've used both devices over the last week, I've grown more attached to shooting photos with the 7 Plus. If nothing else: More tools in the toolbox, right?

We'll have much more on the iPhone 7's cameras — including a complete head-to-head test with all current iPhone models — very soon. In the meantime, what do you folks think of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus's zoom capabilities? Let me know in the comments.