New iPhone 7: Jet black is the new black, but you may not want it

Early yesterday morning, the latest iPhone was unveiled.

Viewers of the livestream of the Apple event were either pleasantly surprised, or furious at some of the new features introduced in the new iPhone 7.

We take you through the features we feel you're going to love, and the ones you're going to hate.

4 THINGS YOU WILL LOVE

1. iPhone has a new black

The iPhone 7 will be sold in two new shades of black.

The "jet black" phone promises to be a highly glossy colour available only in the two largest storage sizes (128GB and 256GB).

The other black colour features the usual matte finish you're already familiar with since the iPhone 6 launch.

2. An even better camera

The iPhone 7 Plus will have two lenses on its back-facing camera.

The lenses have different specifications and promise to give users an even better zoom in photos.

Also, cameras on both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will feature optical image stabilisation, a feature previously available only on the iPhone 6s Plus.

Read also: The iPhone 7's powerful camera could take virtual reality mainstream

3. Battery boost

Two hours of extra battery life means you can throw your powerbank aside when you're out catching Pokemon.

4. iPhone goes swimming

The iPhone 7 is resistant to water up to a depth of 1m, for up to 30 minutes.

So you can now take pictures of Joseph Schooling underwater. If you ever meet him, that is.

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4 THINGS YOU WILL HATE

1. No more headphone jack

The hole that you use to plug in your headphones will not be there.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will require you to use a provided adapter to connect headphones to its lightning port.

That also means you can't charge your phone and listen to music at the same time.

2. It looks the same

The new iPhone does not have a revolutionary new design.

You probably would not be able to tell the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S apart if you just glanced.

Well, other than the missing headphone jack, of course.

3. Jet black prone to scratches

Those eyeing the jet black iPhone won't be able to buy it with a plan from a telco. It is available only on the Apple.com website.

Apple also warns that the jet black's high-gloss finish makes it more prone to showing up scratches, and suggests using a case to protect it.

Which sort of defeats the purpose of buying it.

4. New wireless earphones

Apple will release Apple Pods, wireless earphones that you can connect via Bluetooth, with the iPhone 7.

But that means you will have to charge your earphones before you leave the house, too.

The pods themselves look like deformed Apple earphones and the round tip at the end looks somewhat uncomfortable for users.

Both phones will be available in several colours, with prices starting at $1,048. Pre-orders commence tomorrow in Singapore and official availability begins next Friday.

Read also: Some Chinese greet arrival of iPhone 7 with a shrug

This article was first published on September 09, 2016.
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