iPhone 7's secret weapon: The new Taptic Engine

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

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

iMessage Lasers

iMessage Lasers (Image credit: Rene Ritchie)

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.

Get More iPhone

 (opens in new tab)
Apple iPhone


○ iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Deals
○ iPhone 12 Pro/Max FAQ
○ iPhone 12/Mini FAQ
○ Best iPhone 12 Pro Cases
○ Best iPhone 12 Cases
○ Best iPhone 12 mini Cases
○ Best iPhone 12 Chargers
○ Best iPhone 12 Pro Screen Protectors
○ Best iPhone 12 Screen Protectors

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

85 Comments
  • So this gimmick is what caused the phone jack removal...? And before anyone comments, waterproofing has nothing to do with either.
  • keey the haptic, give me back my headphone jack! i can't stand the adapter falling out all the time.
  • IF you really wanted the headphone jack why would you buy a phone without one?
  • He is right...the 6S is more than capable of doing most of what 7 can do...it has the same MP camera and runs ios 10. it has 2 GB ram and other than the 16/32 GB difference, you could have just got last years phone. that's a YOU problem!
  • 6S has Taptic Engine as well. This is just an updated version, and it's not better enough to justify losing that useful port. If this is the killer feature of these phones, excuse me while I cackle.
  • I don't see how the headphone jack is a useful port, all it can do is provide audio, whereas the Lightning port can do many more things in combination with audio, as well as providing higher audio fidelity
  • you both make a valid point, my reasoning was that the battery life of my 6s that i had before was horrid, i was less than 30% by early evening on most days with little to no use.
  • My 6s also sucks, terrible battery life. So Iam switching to the 7 and getting the plus also. Hoping to get decent battery life.
  • The 7 has a better camera, a better CPU, a better GPU, more RAM, a home button that won't break, stereo speakers, water resistance, faster LTE. The 6S certainly can't do as much as the 7
  • Because people don't think. I want an headphone jack. I kept my 6.
  • Why do you want to cling onto old technology so much? The headphone jack isn't coming back and it will soon be gone from other phones as well. Motorola have removed it from the Moto Z, Intel are going to remove it, the only thing that happens from here is that others will follow
  • Perhaps you should stop driving. The automobile is over a hundred years old! And don't get me started on how old the wheel is! So outdated... we need to eliminate it.
  • Ah yes, except what is on the horizon? Cars that remove you from driving. In 50 years we will look back on cords connecting to phones and think how stupid they are. Like Apple did to contactless payments, they will do to headphones. I won't lie, I love a good pair of wired headphones. So much. But what I have never enjoyed are the cords. Walking my dogs when it is raining, while simultaneously listening to music with my wired headphones is an exercise in true, deep misery. I cannot count the times that things have gotten tangled up. That goes with anything. A bag? Sucks. Backpack? Sucks. Accidentally forgetting you are wearing wired headphones then standing up and either flinging your phone off the table or ripping your headphones out of your ears... oh and don't get me started on door handles and stuff. Ugh. Simply put, Bluetooth audio isn't perfect. It sucks that the money I've put out on wired headsets has relegated them to the "emergency pair" department, however this is a step that will help push the industry forward into BETTER wireless specs. Seriously, do you really WANT to deal with wires? I sure as **** don't. And while I don't like cables for charging, it's not like I'm magically putting my phone in my pocket where it will charge, no I'm laying it FLAT on a charger anyway, so who cares if there's a cable in my phone? I want to be unencumbered in my day to day, and I truly believe that the future will bring wireless audio to another level. No one taking the step will mean that the spec just sits. It works, sure, but why not try and build something BETTER that doesn't get tangled up.
  • We have cars that remove you from driving, they are called cabs. Or Uber. Or buses, or trains. But we still have cars you can drive if you want to. "Seriously, do you really WANT to deal with wires?" What I want is the option, I guess. Has wireless networking come very far in the last decade? Sure. But I still plug an Ethernet cable into my computer when I can because it's still much faster and arguably more reliable. I wouldn't drag an Ethernet cable all over creation with me of course, but for a device that is, even temporarily, just sitting there it's often the better option. Key word "option". Which is why I'm very glad for upcoming cases like the Daptr and the Fuze, which give you back both an analog headphone jack and a lightning port. One thing that will make me absolutely lose my mind is if Apple removes the headphone jack from the MacBook or especially the MacBook Pro at this week's event. I can think of absolutely no reasonable excuse for that.
  • Maybe iMore will be doing a video soon showing you how to insert the plug fully into the adapter. It's actually pretty simple.
  • i'm pretty confident that you are the only one that thinks that's funny. i have to use tape to keep the adapter in and it's getting old. i'm now shopping for bluetooth hearing protection which is going to cost me out the wazoo.
  • Sounds like you have a problem with your adapter rather than the loss of old technology. Ask the people at the Apple Store or buy a different adapter, there are some manufacturers that make better adapters/connectors than Apple's own ones
  • No one thing is the reason for the headphone port removal. It isn't like https://atap.google.com/ara/ where you have to remove one thing to add another. The phone is the sum of all of its parts and in order to fit EVERYTHING together, they use every bit of space. And removing the headphone jack gave them extra space.
  • +1
  • I believe it has more to do with futureproofing than waterproofing
  • I'm mixed about the Taptic engine on the Watch and the iPhone. I just think it's really big and takes up valuable space that could be used for other things I value more - especially on the watch. I'm curious on the size and battery consumption difference between the traditional Vibrator and the Taptic Engine. If there is a big difference in size in power, I don't feel the tradeoff is worth it. The question is, if the Apple Watch had a traditional vibrator instead of a Taptic engine, does that mean it could have had 50% more battery life and a cellular chip? If the answer is yes, I'd rather not have the Taptic Engine. If the answer is no, then I'd rather have the Taptic engine than the traditional vibrator. I'd like to add, as far as I'm concerned, 3D touch so far has been a gimmick. I tried to make use of it but it's rarely useful in practice. I also feel uneasy about the idea of pressing down on a beautiful screen. It just feels aweful. I'm hoping I'm wrong about both these things and that history goes to prove the usefulness of 3D Touch and the Taptic Engine. I don't see too much value in each of these for current generation devices.
  • I agree about the taptic engine. I do like the fact that it makes it possible to synthesize a home button for the rumoured full screen iPhone, but I hope that it can also be useful for other stuff. The teardowns of the iPhone 7 showed it to be massive so, as you say about the watch, it needs to be very useful to justify the space. There was a taptic engine in the 6S but it was much smaller and still cannot be controlled by the developer (for reasons I do not understand). We can control the new taptic engine in the iPhone 7 but there aren’t many things that we can do with it yet. That will undoubtedly change over time, and I'm sure that developers will find creative ways to use what is available. In this respect I think it is similar to 3D Touch. It was first used for simple stuff, but more creative uses have appeared since it was released a year ago. For example (and please excuse the plug) my app uses it to allow users to pan across maps by temporarily zooming out according to how hard they press the screen. And with the new taptic engine I can now add feedback like on peek/pop operations (although I can’t afford an iPhone 7 so I hope that I have used the right feedback!)
  • Yeah, Like more battery!
  • How hard do you press the screen man? Set the 3D sensitivity to low... As to the poster below regarding the delay... I don't have an iPhone 7 yet but on my 6S the vibration only occurs once the press not the touch has been initiated.
  • 3D touch is amazing once you allow yourself to try something new. It's a new way to get to menus and you should already know by this time next year all phones will be their version of 3D touch and it will become the new way to access menus and extra options.
  • We've been trying something new since last year. It's awful. Glass isn't a physical button and doesn't react like one. There's no way I can get accustomed to this with 4/5 of my touchscreen devices not using it. This functionality was more intuitive when it was attached to S Pen hovers and button clicks on my Note 3. It has to feel tactile to feel natural, and Taptic Engine will never provide that. Our brains know they're nothing but dumb vibrations and they don't replace the feeling of pressing a physical button, which 3D Touch has failed to replicate.
  • Agree about 3D Touch. The sensitivity on my 6S+ is so earful for the lock screen notifications that I fee like in trying to break my screen to use it. Same deal in many other places (generally related to the "new" stuff in iOS 10). It feels aweful and has ruined usability for me. I'm willing to give it up entirely if it means not being forced to use it anywhere. That Note 7 is looking better than ever to me. (And don't bother trolling me. Should know better by now.) Also, not having a simple toggle for RAW+JPEG, among other things. Does Apple think digging in setting for the most trivial things is a seamless UX? Video resolution settings? There is still no badge in Safari to tell you how many tabs are Open. No way to change what search engine Siri uses... Ugh. No ODF support in iWork. We are to collaborate with whom, exactly?
  • I'm not so sure how this enhances my experience with my 7 Plus. Of all the things I could say I enjoy...this probably wouldn't even make the bottom of the list. I honestly didn't think about it until I read this article.
  • I'm the opposite..... I went from 6 to a 7plus and I'm really enjoying the physical responses to certain actions...Especially the thump when I bring down the notification screen.
  • I am not a huge fan at all of the new home button on my 7 Plus and taptic engine. Not sure if it is iOS 10 or the taptic engine, but the delay between button press and the vibration is noticeable. It feels off, almost like watching a movie and the soundtrack isn't in sync. Very noticeable especially when you open the multi-task. Based on other reviewers feedback, I don't think this "new" home button has gone over well. I especially agree with previous posts; the taptic engine on the Watch is annoying at best.
  • Timing/sync seemed good to me when I played with the 7 at the Apple Store. Not that I don't believe you; unlocking my iPhone 6 took as long as 10 seconds no less than 3 seconds when on the iOS 10 PB. This issue persisted with the GM release, I had to do a restore - set up as new in order for it to perform as expected.
    So I have to ask, did you restore your 7 from a backup? Maybe try setting it up as a new phone.
  • I'm seeing zero delay on my home button. I am kind of surprised at how convincing it is. The new home button was one of the things I was really excited about. I've had too many iPhones in the past with broken home buttons. I know Apple worked that out from the 5S on. But going solid state is even better. But unlike the Android devices the haptic engine makes it eerily real feeling.
  • I was ambivalent towards the new button, but having read an article by a disabled iPhone owner over at El Reg has made me question whether Apple were doing this because they could or because they should, especially as Apple led the way with accessibility. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/23/apple_iphone_story/ Posted via the iMore App
  • People like you will find anything negative in a positive. The new Home button means that the Home button won't break. Finally one of the biggest annoyances with the iPhone has been fixed yet you still find a negative with it…
  • Did you even read their reply? They didn't care one way or another and then read an article which helped understand another reason Apple may have moved to the tapic engine and home button. People are allowed to dislike things, but in this situation they weren't even being negative, so unless you replied to the wrong person, your attitude is not justified here.
  • I disagree. Perhaps the haptics are better than other people have done, but they are not "delightful" (Apple marketing word alert). The truth is, they don't feel real at all because no matter what level of haptic you feel, you feel it on the back of the phone. So when you are ticking through a time picker, the thump you feel is not on the finger or thumb you are using, but on the fingers you are holding the phone with. It's weird. (I would also note that the thump is delayed in the time picker.) if you put the phone on a solid surface, the thumps tend to feel better. But holding the phone in your hand, like most of us do, it just feels weird. Even after a week of using the haptic Home Button, I still don't like it. I would rather be allowed to turn off the haptic engine and just use it without any thump, just like I do with Reachability.
  • Interesting. I thought it as a just me as I shut all vibrations off on any phone I buy. I tried this in the store last week and it felt really odd in that it felt like it was hammering the back of the phone. Not a feeling I liked at all and really feel that there was far more Apple could do with this device with better utilization of the space.
    I only tried it in the store but can it be disabled completely? I know it can be set to different levels but not sure if you can shut it off completely? Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • I think this taptic engine could be a nice feature, but I'm not giving up my headphone jack for it, and I refuse to complicate my life with unnecessary dongle's or the need to charge my headphones. Every night I charge my iPhone and my Apple Watch, and that's enough. As far as water resistance goes, Apple can make any jack waterproof. In fact, it's easier to make the headphone jack waterproof than it is to make the button and dial on the Apple Watch waterproof. So what this really comes down to is Apple trying to force me to buy things I shouldn't need to buy. Apple claims it takes courage to remove the headphone jack. What they really mean is it takes courage to alienate millions of their otherwise loyal customers.
  • Forcing you? That's beyond laughable. No one is forcing you to buy anything. You don't like it, then go elsewhere. Problem solved. Sent from the iMore App
  • The benefit of Taptic isn't even coming close to the vacinitybof being worth giving up the headphone jack or foregoing the use of larger batteries. This is a bad deal, IMO. Why are you so **** defensive, anyways?
  • The headphone jack needed to go, regardless of space-saving, waterproofing or anything, it's old technology that's limited to audio-only. The Lightning port provides much more functionality for headphones
  • That's bull. It didn't NEED to go for any reason. They just wanted to get rid of it.
    Space? The Note 7 is smaller, larger display, larger battery, holds an S-pen and has a headphone jack.
    Waterproofing? There are phones with better waterproofing and they have a headphone jack.
    More functionality for headphones? For some headphones, maybe. So, why not both then? Use higher functioning headphones with the lightning port and regular old accessories that most people have with the regular old jack.
  • Stop making sense..it confuses the fanboys
  • You're the fanboy here, except you're a troll as well
  • You can't have both because people will stick to what they're used to. It has to be removed to push people onto the new technology, otherwise if we kept everything old then we've have computers with floppy drives on them "just so you can have the choice"
  • Sounds like Apple has really "complicated your life," so I am here to help. Next time you have two seconds, take that free two inch adapter and insert your headphone jack into it. Never need to worry about it again. Or, if you are like most people and just use the included lightning Earbuds you just saved yourself the two seconds. Or, if you want, you could use AirPods and since you get 24 hrs with each charge of the case, you will probably charge them about once a week. Now you can relax. All is good.
  • Just like Apple forced you to move from floppy disks when they remove the floppy drive. Ever think that this is just technology moving forward? You can stay in the past if you want but I'd like to use the latest and greatest stuff
  • terrible analogy as always. Floppy drive was removed and replaced with CD drive...CD drive did everything floppy drive did but 100 times better, it didn't introduced any shortcomings and it didn't need any adaptors or dongles. Not the case with bluetooth headphones which are still severely restricted by their battery longevity, constant need of charging and increased phone battery consumption
  • Don't show your ignorance by claiming the CD-ROM reader did everything the floppy drive did but 100 time better. Please explain how could it read from and write to floppies, or even write to CDs, as CD-ROM drives could only read CDs, not write to them. Since anyone not new to Apple computers with the first iMac had tens if not hundreds of floppies, we had to buy an external USB floppy drive, and if we did want to save to a CD, then a CD writer as well.
  • You don't comprehend. By 100 times better i mean in terms of speed and capacity and it wasn't crippled by a few hours of battery life like current mainstream bluetooth headphones are. The improvement of CD over floppy is not comparable to what bluetooth headphone offers over a traditional headphone. Any by the way when you mac users were fiddling with your floppy discs, PCs were already offering CD ROM writers (though they were expensive). There is a reason back in the goold days of MAC, PC was so dominant until mac finally caught up.
  • But it is comparable to what the Lightning port offers over the audio-only headphone jack. Headphones could read and send all sorts of data with the Lightning port, but with the headphone jack all you can do is audio, that's it, nothing more. Plus the Lightning port offers higher audio fidelity as well as all the other benefits
  • I used the adapter from the box with my old Apple earbuds and my new 7 while at the gym today. So far, no problems at all. I'm not overly worried about loosing it or it falling off. I suppose this gives me an excuse to finally buy a nice pair of Bluetooth headphones. As for the new button; it was super weird at first. After a day or two, I'm comfortable. I understand where people are coming from, it's an adjustment. Hopefully we have more options moving forwards.
  • Not sure what you mean by more options, with the home button? The main reason for the new "button" is that now it won't break after too much usage, one of the biggest annoyances with the iPhone of all time
  • I'd like the ability to turn vibration off altogether. I own a Moto G4 plus and when I rest my finger on the sensor, there is no vibration. I don't know anybody that has broken their iPhone home button, though I can imagine it's happened to some people somewhere. So far, I'm loving the new button! Thanks for commenting, have a great day!
  • I just like the idea of a home button that won't wear out. But the vibrator in my Apple Watch is already failing just after a year. So not worth giving up the headphone jack. I don't play those stupid games, I've survived 9 years without haptic feedback on my keyboard, and I don't give a f if my calendar date wheel vibrates. That sounds annoying af, worse than the bs ticking sound I can't f'n turn off without turning off notification sounds. (There should be a way to turn off all "System Sounds" without silencing notifications & phone calls)
  • We lived a long time without haptics, and it feels like a novelty. They dumped the skeumorphism because they said we didn't need it, yet they bring little haptic thumps into the date pickers? Silly. The one good thing about the Home button is that when you double click it, you don't get the feeling it will wear out. BUT, that's not worth it. I'd rather have my headphone jack. They tried to explain the headphone jack away by saying it was 140 years old. That's the beauty of it. I wonder if we should all throw our pens away because they've been around too long. The headphone jack is a "dumb" plug that just works and I predict it isn't going anywhere. Other devices will still use it. The only things I like about the iPhone 7 is the faster processor and improved camera. Everything else just doesn't feel right. SIDEBAR: Has anyone else noticed that Apple has become a nightmare of connectors and dongles. I used to live with MagSafe for my Macs, and 30-pin for my iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Then they decided they needed to make the computers thinner so they created MagSafe 2. Then they wanted the phone thinner so they created Lightning to replace the previously named "future proof" 30-pin. Then they dumped MagSafe 2 for USB-C. I still have variety of devices so now I have to have MagSafe 1 & 2, USB-C, Lightning, and 30-pin, and now I need the headphone jack dongle. What a nightmare.
  • I agree with you. Every Windows-based PC and laptop I've ever owned, I could just connect peripherals to it. When I switched to a MacBook and later bought the 5K iMac, I continuously have to go purchase a connector or dongle to connect peripherals to my Macs. It is so annoying. But I'm fully vested now into the ecosystem. So I have to "ADAPT." Adaptor after adaptor after adaptor. But the popular response nowadays is, "no one is forcing you, spend you money elsewhere." OK, right.
  • Which is why Apple had the opportunity with USB C to have "one connector to rule them all". Alas, we're stuck with having to use both USB C and Lightning, even though the rest of the mobile world is moving towards the former.
  • Either you are plugging a load of weird stuff into your iMac or you are full of ****.
  • Ok. I'm full of ****? Shut yo *** up! I get so sick and tired of Apple apologists, like y'all are on the payroll. When I wanted I to hook a 2nd monitor up to my MacBook, I had to go buy a VGA to thunderbolt dongle adapter. Previously, I could connect to my Windows laptop because it had a VGA connector on it. When I wanted to connect a camcorder to my iMac, I had to buy a FireWire 400 to 800 adapter. Then I had to buy a FireWire to thunderbolt cable. Previously, my laptop had a FireWire port. You think you know everything, but you are the one full of ****.
  • So, not continuously buying then. Just the 3.
  • To be fair, VGA and FireWire are both old now, as is the headphone jack. My 2nd monitor has a HDMI port as do most modern monitors, so I just do HDMI-HDMI, simple. It doesn't make sense for devices to keep old ports. If you want to use old devices with new devices, you're going to need adapters, it does make sense
  • I agree. I was just stating some instances where I had to purchase dongles/adapters. I'm not saying that Apple needs to support VGA in 2016. But it was a 2009 MacBook that I was trying to use the 2nd monitor on. VGA was still widely used in 2009, but the MacBook didn't have a port. That's all I'm saying. In regards to the FireWire, I was trying to digitize VCR recordings for my mother. So I had to connect the VCR to an old DVCAMcorder and use the FireWire out to my iMac. But it needed to be converted to Thunderbolt. I had to buy an adapter and a cable. I was agreeing with @htmanning on the dongle/adapter statement. But then some random tried to tell me I'm lying. I couldn't care less about the headphone jack. I just wish Apple would have put something more useful it its place. I don't really feel like the 3.5 mm jack is obsolete. Digital audio still need to be converted to analog. Plus, there are a bevy of apps that use that port like credit card readers. But hey, everyone will "adapt."
  • Everyone will adapt, it will make sense in the future as to why it was done
  • Yah Because VGA will be around forever too. Oh wait...DP
  • The headphone jack is old, the port can only provide audio. A Lightning/USB-C port can provide many more features to headphones in addition to higher audio-fidelity as well. Apple isn't the only one getting rid of it, the Moto Z got rid of it before Apple, and Intel are going to remove it too
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/17/12519936/intel-usb-type-c-headphone-ja...
  • Apple's implementation of haptic feedback is innovative and like Rene said "haptics done right" Sent from the iMore App
  • What are some of the best apps that currently utilize the new Taptic Engine?
  • It's a pity apple can't fit a headphone jack. It's still convenient for now. I tried using an adapter with my grado that can't fit into my case. It's a bit inconvenient but it works. The new home button is not great but why didn't they do a 2 stage button press light to home press hard to multitask. I can't wait for nougat double tap to previous app, the 3d touch method sounds good but not always easy to pull off. Haven't have any apps to try the new taptic, was hoping the camera will feel like a mechanical shutter but nope. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Apple might be able to still fit in the headphone jack, but main thing remains; it's old and limited. Apple isn't the only one removing the headphone jack, the Lightning port, or USB-C port on other devices gives headphones many more features as well as audio-fidelity
  • I hate taptic feedback. I always turn it off for my keyboard. I'm one in a billion iPhone users, but I'm sure i'm not the only one who was fine with the old taptic feedback and would prefer a LARGER BATTERY. I don't even care about the headphone jack anymore, but the battery life, why doesn't Apple give their consumers what they want. We don't need $99 battery cases to put on a $650-$950 phone. Apple continues its march toward the thinnest phone ever, when the phone is already thin enough. It reminds of a model with an eating disorder. I'm one in a billion iPhone users, but I'm sure most would trade a couple millimeters thickness for a couple hundred mAh.
  • They did put a larger battery in the IPhone 7. The headphone jack remove was not for any one thing. It ended in a new taptic motor, water proofing, and bigger battery.
  • which whne u take those considerations into account, they made their choice. but one does not have a more need than the other.. In this case Apple just covered this up with introducing a new marking Airpods to get users to use the new "thing" they took away... Funny how companies drive u towards this trend almost overnight....
  • If you're trying to say there's a "need" for the headphone jack then there really isn't. It's old and limited, and you can still use your existing headphones because Apple provides an adapter with the phone
  • I'm not saying, "THERE NEEDS TO BE A HEADPHONE JACK." I'm only stating that it's usefulness hasn't expired, and I didn't think it was necessary to remove the jack. It's almost like a brand new video game console came out with no new games to play on it. I am excited to experience all of the enhancements that you tout the lightning cable will provide. But tech reviewers say the lightning earbuds don't sound any better. I'm no audiophile, but I'll let you know my opinion when my iPhone 7 Plus is delivered.
  • I think it's usefulness has expired, it can only do audio, and when you have another port on the phone that can do audio as well as so much more, it's just taking up space. It's not really like a new console with no new games to play on it, because you still have the adapter which allows you to use all of your existing headphones, whilst manufacturers develop Lightning/USB-C headphones or better wireless headphones
  • I'll never buy a phone without a headphone jack. I'll never stick Bluetooth radiation into my ears and I'll never depend on the flimsy iPhone lightening connector to deliver my audio. That's just asking for trouble. I think Apple is forcing people into all kinds of bells and whistles they don't need. The last thing I need is for my phone to tap me.
  • They do give customers want they want... They give them choice weather to buy it or not That's what the 14-day return is for.. It's a blessing i always use. when i can.
  • I agree with this. I have never had an all day phone. I've used Windows phone, iPhone, Nexus, and Samsung. With heavy use none of them lasted a long day. That would be 4am to 11pm for me.
    Now, if Apple could make a phone the size of the Note 7 with the same display size and also put in the same size battery as a Note has, that would probably be a 2 day phone. I might just buy that.
    Maybe next year.
  • Hi Rene. I have a 7, and with lasers I get what feels more like a little speaker vibration than a haptic "unce unce unce". And you've said you felt it with the phone on silent but I don't get that. Just the thump of the message dropping in. And if I turn the ringer up but volume is down on say the "iMore Show" in Control Center, I hear no laser sound at all. I kept testing and eventually the Message up arrow wouldn't open and would only send text. I had to force close the app to get Send with Effect to open again. Other than that haptic seems to be working. I feel the thump when pressing on apps and clicks when setting alarms and timers.
  • Is Apply so busy with the new iPhone 7 that they can't take care of their other customers. I just purchased a new iPad Pro 9.7 with 256 GB. It broke immediately. It has now been a week, the iPad is on back order. They THINK a new one will ship out in two days. Funny how when I ordered it I was able to get one overnight. Is this was other loyal Apple customers are to expect?
  • That's the thing so... If someone is feeling around for a button, they would *know* where it is because it feels clickable..
  • maybe is nice to have haptic feedback or what ever they call it but me as a long time apple user iphone 7 is a joke. design is old and those bezel around the screen. holding a galaxy S7 edge with the same screen feels so much better. smaller and well build. would of get a free iphone from work but next year maybe better so keep my old iphone and a nice galaxy without haptic feedback
  • I don't think the iPhone 7 is a joke, they didn't really change the design because they didn't feel like it really needed to be changed. They moved the badly placed antenna lines on the 6/6S to a much better place on the 7, but yeah the design is still mostly the same because most people like that design. The iPhone 6 Plus felt great to hold for me, so I've no problem with the iPhone 7, it's still a really well built phone
  • Grrrreat article!
    I love my iPhone 7+ and the Taptic is the Haptic!
    There is only one reason to criticize Apple, iPhone, or Apple Watch;
    You are jealous, you are stuck in a contract with your stupid android, or you cannot afford Apple products. OK three reasons.
    Either way I don't care, while my favorite company Apple is stockpiling billions of dollars and making more Apple stuff, you are sitting in your pile of dung.
    Say it don't spray it, get it all out and convince yourself you are right.
    From my real life experience, I buy Apple products knowing that I can take them back if I don't like them but they always win me over with quality. If I lost My Apple Watch, my iPhone, my iPad, or my Mac Mini died… I would replace within an hour.