I think the iPhone 7 is a fantastic phone but this did made me lol. The design has changed in a "meaningful way" as it goes into Year 3 because the antenna lines were moved and the headphone jack removed?
I reference his Note 7 review as Samsung's glass and phone design enters Year 1.5 with actual physical and dimensional changes yet...
"The Galaxy S6 was a massive leap forward for Samsung, and as we approach the end of year two for this design I think it’s time for Samsung to move forward once again. There are only so many ways to make a slightly rounded rectangle, but something other than the same curved glass and aluminum frame with physical home button would go a very long way towards refreshing the design."
Do you not consider a wide-gamut screen change a "meaningful" change? It may not be an obvious aspect of the "design", but it IS a meaningful aspect of what the naive users see when they look at the device. Likewise for stereo speakers.
So, just to get this straight, it's the Android people who claim Apple is a "fashion" company who are upset about the "lack of change in design" while the actual BUYERS of the product seem perfectly happy with the FUNCTIONAL changes?
And this is supposed to be an insult to the APPLE fans?
No one is complaining about what Apple's doing with their internal hardware. Let's leave fanboyism and the generalization game out the window for God's sake.
I said this several times. I LOVE what they're doing here, and I'm envious they can still get away with some design decisions, that otherwise would be hugely criticized if other OEMs ever remotely think of doing the same. Samsung, for example, has to be two generations ahead in particular features, or in some people's minds, "it's unimpressive".
My problem is with the tech community. My problem is with so called "journalists". People who slaughter Samsung, LG, HTC and others left and right for making meaningful compromises and so openly give Apple a pass.
You read what Josh had to say about the design of the latest Galaxies. Who in their right might would call that design boring??? Yet look at the way he's praising Apple for almost NO VISUAL CHANGE IN DESIGN AT ALL. A camera hump and the plastic stripes on the back??? Really?
--"while the actual BUYERS of the product seem perfectly happy with the FUNCTIONAL changes" The exact same can be said about recent Galaxies...
Please, just PLEASE, let's enjoy technology for technology's sake. Let's give credit where credit is due, and let's reasonably weigh and criticize the tradeoff decisions of these products. If people were the least bit rational, all of us will win. Apple are a company just like any other; they're worried about their sales and profits. If customers want better devices and sales data reflect that, THEY'LL MAKE BETTER PRODUCTS.
Clearly what is being referred to here is the design and the double standard for tech sites reporting on it. The S6 and S7 were the same basic design and 1 year apart and got knocked for it. The iPhone 6, 6s and 7 are the same basic design for 3 models in a row and get a pass. It's just kind of funny how that goes.
The iPhone 7 is a noticeable ID change to the extent that it's difficult to confuse it for an iPhone 6/6s. The same is not true of the S6 edge+, S7 edge, and Note7. The Note7 is fine for now, but the concern there is that it feels increasingly derivative. For the S8 I would be concerned the phone doesn't have any differentiating ID or material changes.
So exact same materials, completely visually identical from the front, a different type of camera hump, different antenna lines, and no headphone jack? Seems to me that unless you specifically look while close up for these cues, the phone looks and more importantly feels exactly the same as an iPhone 6 and 6S.
For the Samsung phones you mention over 18 months, you have a modified frame design, different frame colors, different back glass curve, smaller camera hump, different accent colors - seems as "meaningful".
Or more accurately, all these phones couldn't be distinguished from each other via the front and only look and feel different upon close examination.
Yet one is noticeable, even though it'll solider on for a full 3rd year while the other is derivative over 18 months.
in what way can the ID of a cell phone be changed? it's still going to be a rectangle (well until Samsung releases its clamshell version :) ). it's still going to have a cap touch screen. it's still going to have an antenna. and so forth. go back to hardkey keyboard? go back to flip phone (Samsung?)? a different set of case colors? or case material?
none of that matters much. once the innterTubes were added to the cellphone by iPhone, that spelled the end of discrete functions supplied on the platform. ever since its been some bit of lipstick and hair bows. otherwise called, "good enough". and, no, professional photographers aren't going to down their Nikons, Canons, and Leicas for this thing.
Eh I didn't mean to belabor this upon reflection. I was just having a bit of fun regarding perception. I see the same sort of minor tweaks to both phones and honestly find it all a bit dull. I normally upgrade my wife's iPhone every year but she's pretty uninterested in the 7 over her 6S. A new, less masculine color like a type of piano white would have gotten more buzz from her over everything else announced.
Well, the S6 and 7 were the same basic design and 1 year apart. The iPhone 6, 6s and 7 are the same basic design for 3 years running and get a pass... Yup, par for the course for Apple leaning sites. It's just like old Note 4 "to large to handle" reviews, then the iPhone went 5.5 inches and was even larger than the Note 4, but was not to large to handle. /shrugs.
This made my day. I'm surprised you did not mention the drastic ID differences between the 7 and 7 plus as well! No one would confuse the 7 plus as a larger iphone 7.
The loss of the headphone jack really is a huge compromise for me. I want the better camera for this upgrade cycle, but I also want to listen to music on my high end headphones.
That's a huge issue. The instant you lose your dongle you have to pay for a new one. Lightning to 3.5 isn't standard. If Apple had just gone with USB C I might've just said "to hell with it" but keeping a proprietary port is retarded.
There are no lightning headphones, either, which means that you can't avoid using a dongle if you have a high quality headset (Bluetooth sucks at this point).
Otherwise they can't charge you huge amount of money. They need to keep beats in business you know.
Also back in 2014, EU made a regulation that Apple needs to use micro-usb as charging port by 2017. We have USB-C now, so I don't know how this would end up. Maybe they'll include, lightning to usb-c charging cable or EU might end up having usb-c as their charging port.
I agree, if they had went USB-C I wouldn't really have a problem with it and I guess would sorta be pioneering... but Lightning is proprietary so who in their right mind would buy headphones with that jack? Is there a Lightning to 3.5 adapter so you can use Lightning headphones on other devices? Dongles suck as they tend to get lost or left behind *right* when you need them, and IME Apples stock cables suck and deteriorate quickly at their jack's stress relief. Not sure if I am going to go with the 7 or just stick with a 6S for another cycle, by now they are good enough to last a few years instead of "needing" a new one every year. Heck, I just upgraded from an iPad 3... It's kinda like the PC market now where the upgrade cycle has gotten way longer as the demands on hardware has flattened.
I count two mentions of the HTC 10 in there. Hint hint ;)
Anyway, an evolutionary upgrade from the iPhone 6 then, and the additional dust and waterproofing is definitely welcome. Not sure about the loss of the headphone jack though. Hopefully someone comes up with a phone-powered external DAC and amp that uses the Lightning jack.
Yet they have some of the best battery life of any competing device - certainly amongst high-end phones. I am guessing that for you "enough" = "slightly more than the best iPhone currently has"?
At least it is finally smoothed out and the chassis meets it instead of just sticking straight out. That was my only aesthetic complaint about the 6 series - it just seems amateur and not what I would expect from Apple in ID. Also, can I have my rotation lock back on my iPad please?
I wonder if the gloss black finish is more grippy than the brushed one. The smooth finish on the iPhone was certainly way less slippery than the iPhone 6.
"rather than maintaining the same industrial design that we saw with the iPhone 6s instead we’re looking at a new, more refined design."
Non. I'd say the design language is identical to its predecessor, the execution has been varied slightly. Notice how all Mercedes look the same now? Same ID across the range.
I doubt most members of the public, if challenges, could tell the iPhone 6 and 7 apart. It's pretty disappointing in that respect; it looks like a Samsung.
I used to be an android fan boy, but since the "cyclone" in 2013 I'm finding it increasingly harder to defend. 1.No true flagships (s7e/ note 7 beat by huawei mate in cpu but lead in gpu). 2.all androids beat by corresponding generation iphone in cpu and gpu. 3.better (NVMe) and more nand (256GB) than flagships. 4. Better colour (wide gamut with ACCURACY via colour management). 5. Better ISP -- they had much smaller sensors but COMPARABLE image quality. What keeps me stuck to my note 3 till it dies? Three things 1. Stylus in a pocketable form factor-- sorry the ipad pro does not for even in a apron/ scrubs. 2. Interoperability -- usb 3 -- standard usb cables and connectors -- ability to mount on any windows as a storage device. 3.THE OBSCENE PRICE premium. It is 50% costlier than the US prices.
Why are they not viable outside China? I have a Xiaomi Note 3 Pro in NZ with no difficulty. Bought from Hong Kong via eBay.
It was a pretty good alternative for me, the Snapdragon 650 manages to out perform the Galaxy S6 for $170. AT did a review, and it outperforms any of the iPhones for less than $700.
Joshua, thanks for the writeup! Do you know whether it's possible to turn off the haptic feedback in the home button entirely? As an Android user who's thinking about switching, I have zero problem with a back button that's purely touch-activated -- seems like a much more comfortable experience than a strange vibration.
You can set it to be quite faint but turning it completely off would be confusing because you have to use pressure to activate the home button, you can't just touch it and accidentally activate it.
"As you might expect from a phone like this, rather than maintaining the same industrial design that we saw with the iPhone 6s instead we’re looking at a new, more refined design."
Erm a nice dull looking workaday phone I guess. Interesting to see year after year the Tech press trying really hard to get excited to find many amazing positives to say about the iPhone. Especially when a lot of the features have been discussed at some Android launch the year before when they would be classed as 'interesting but hardly essential'.
Can someone please explain the 4 trillion ops number that Apple is touting for their isp (presumably with supporting dsps as well)? I just did a quick calculation of the latest hexagon and came up with a value that is (supposing optimal packing and scheduling) about 1/4 of Apple's value. That's a rather spectacular difference so i have to assume they are using a different definition of operations than I've managed to come up with.
Apple designs their own ISP so there's no direct comparison with Hexagon. Presumably they're accelerating operations with dedicated hard blocks than just pure DSP.
DSP's trend to perform well with image processing even when compared to asics (for one, due to their arch but also the isa can provide hardware acceleration instructions). That aside, the snapdragon's isp (spectra) may include some asics. Finding detailed information about it is not easy. Regardless, that 4 TOps value seems pretty outrageous and I'd love to know how they came by it.
When the last generation year old iPhone is quicker than the latest Android flagships, you got to ask did the evolution stopped? While OS is a personal choice and understandably so, the lead Apple's having when it comes to system speed is not even challenged, let alone surpassed. Given the pace of technology and the talent, it is even more impressive.
That must be the most retarded post wrt this article. I get to use many many different brands of smartphones and for almost 2 years I have yet to come across a high end smartphone that lags or gives an unpleasant UI experience irrespective of platform. You are clutching at straws mate and come across as shallow as they come.
Really? You've NEVER seen "lag" or dropped frames on any high end phone in the last two years?
Are you sure you know what those things look like? Not everyone is as sensitive to these things. For me, I've yet to see a device, from anyone, that doesn't drop frames occasionally (honestly, that's not surprising as the only way to guarantee no dropped frames is to seriously overprovision the hardware and/or run a real-time multitasking OS --- that alone is no small thing) or where there isn't perceptible latency between touch actions and screen response.
I am actually looking forward to the iPhone 7. However, I am actually very disappointed with Apple for the minimal change to the outlook of the phone. The 2 years cycle for some reason got extended to a 3rd year not sure if its purely for the sake of preparing a 10 year anniversary version. Honestly, apart from the 2 camera setup on the phone, there is pretty much not much of a wow factor.
Agreed. I almost think Apple purposely kept the same design for this cycle in order to build enthusiasm for next year's release. The iPhone still sells very well but design-wise it is definitely hitting singles now, not home runs. I just hope Apple finally shrinks the giant bezels when the 8 finally arrives. Android hardware designs are light years ahead and if Android OS wasn't such a giant turd I'd think about switching.
in your review , I would appreciate if you shared whether the "water-proofing" explanation for the 3.5mm jack removal is a valid one. Particularly given that Samsung achieved a higher rating while retaining the same jack. Thanks.
It is mind blowing how Apple can get away with such a lack of innovation. The biggest change happened with the launch of iPhone 6 (larger screen and stylish design), and they were already lagging behind the industry by 3 yrs. Their exceptionaly efficient IOS SW and broad app ecosystem still fools people into buying 3yr old technology.
Apple is dying, slowly but surely, tablet sales nose dived, their phones no longer excite people anymore... And their car is still nowhere to be seen...
They should completely outsource HW design to the likes of OnePlus and focus all R&D on SW and new vertical markets.
I do have Apple stock, but would dead worried if I had.
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zeeBomb - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Now onto the review 🙌 Apple came thru nicely this year...but that price on the Air PodsByte - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Hurry for Apple to have the courage to introduce "Piano Black" so that we can once again can look like we have iPhone 3Gs!zeeBomb - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - link
And be completely tolerable to scratches, subsequently forcing you to buy a case!dawheat - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
I think the iPhone 7 is a fantastic phone but this did made me lol. The design has changed in a "meaningful way" as it goes into Year 3 because the antenna lines were moved and the headphone jack removed?I reference his Note 7 review as Samsung's glass and phone design enters Year 1.5 with actual physical and dimensional changes yet...
"The Galaxy S6 was a massive leap forward for Samsung, and as we approach the end of year two for this design I think it’s time for Samsung to move forward once again. There are only so many ways to make a slightly rounded rectangle, but something other than the same curved glass and aluminum frame with physical home button would go a very long way towards refreshing the design."
zeeBomb - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
I wonder if Apple low-key implemented a Sapphire glass screen? Prob not.Geranium - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Just regular Gorrila Glass with fancy name.lilmoe - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
You gotta give the man some props. He skillfully transformed a carbon copy design into something completely new and "meaningful". Just, bravo.Kind of tells you what to expect in the future.
name99 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Do you not consider a wide-gamut screen change a "meaningful" change?It may not be an obvious aspect of the "design", but it IS a meaningful aspect of what the naive users see when they look at the device.
Likewise for stereo speakers.
Meteor2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
As you correctly state, that's not part of the ID, so not what's being discussed here.name99 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
So, just to get this straight, it's the Android people who claim Apple is a "fashion" company who are upset about the "lack of change in design" while the actual BUYERS of the product seem perfectly happy with the FUNCTIONAL changes?And this is supposed to be an insult to the APPLE fans?
lilmoe - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
No one is complaining about what Apple's doing with their internal hardware. Let's leave fanboyism and the generalization game out the window for God's sake.I said this several times. I LOVE what they're doing here, and I'm envious they can still get away with some design decisions, that otherwise would be hugely criticized if other OEMs ever remotely think of doing the same. Samsung, for example, has to be two generations ahead in particular features, or in some people's minds, "it's unimpressive".
My problem is with the tech community. My problem is with so called "journalists". People who slaughter Samsung, LG, HTC and others left and right for making meaningful compromises and so openly give Apple a pass.
You read what Josh had to say about the design of the latest Galaxies. Who in their right might would call that design boring??? Yet look at the way he's praising Apple for almost NO VISUAL CHANGE IN DESIGN AT ALL. A camera hump and the plastic stripes on the back??? Really?
--"while the actual BUYERS of the product seem perfectly happy with the FUNCTIONAL changes"
The exact same can be said about recent Galaxies...
Please, just PLEASE, let's enjoy technology for technology's sake. Let's give credit where credit is due, and let's reasonably weigh and criticize the tradeoff decisions of these products. If people were the least bit rational, all of us will win. Apple are a company just like any other; they're worried about their sales and profits. If customers want better devices and sales data reflect that, THEY'LL MAKE BETTER PRODUCTS.
dborod - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Yes! Excellent perspective.goatfajitas - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Clearly what is being referred to here is the design and the double standard for tech sites reporting on it. The S6 and S7 were the same basic design and 1 year apart and got knocked for it. The iPhone 6, 6s and 7 are the same basic design for 3 models in a row and get a pass. It's just kind of funny how that goes.at80eighty - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
I'd like to hear Joshua's take on thisJoshHo - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
The iPhone 7 is a noticeable ID change to the extent that it's difficult to confuse it for an iPhone 6/6s. The same is not true of the S6 edge+, S7 edge, and Note7. The Note7 is fine for now, but the concern there is that it feels increasingly derivative. For the S8 I would be concerned the phone doesn't have any differentiating ID or material changes.dawheat - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
So exact same materials, completely visually identical from the front, a different type of camera hump, different antenna lines, and no headphone jack? Seems to me that unless you specifically look while close up for these cues, the phone looks and more importantly feels exactly the same as an iPhone 6 and 6S.For the Samsung phones you mention over 18 months, you have a modified frame design, different frame colors, different back glass curve, smaller camera hump, different accent colors - seems as "meaningful".
Or more accurately, all these phones couldn't be distinguished from each other via the front and only look and feel different upon close examination.
Yet one is noticeable, even though it'll solider on for a full 3rd year while the other is derivative over 18 months.
FunBunny2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
OK, so the question:in what way can the ID of a cell phone be changed? it's still going to be a rectangle (well until Samsung releases its clamshell version :) ). it's still going to have a cap touch screen. it's still going to have an antenna. and so forth. go back to hardkey keyboard? go back to flip phone (Samsung?)? a different set of case colors? or case material?
none of that matters much. once the innterTubes were added to the cellphone by iPhone, that spelled the end of discrete functions supplied on the platform. ever since its been some bit of lipstick and hair bows. otherwise called, "good enough". and, no, professional photographers aren't going to down their Nikons, Canons, and Leicas for this thing.
dawheat - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Eh I didn't mean to belabor this upon reflection. I was just having a bit of fun regarding perception. I see the same sort of minor tweaks to both phones and honestly find it all a bit dull. I normally upgrade my wife's iPhone every year but she's pretty uninterested in the 7 over her 6S. A new, less masculine color like a type of piano white would have gotten more buzz from her over everything else announced.Meteor2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Crap, Joshua. How is S6/S7 any different than iPhone 6/6S? As you say, the Note7 is noticeably different -- much more than the 6S to the 7.goatfajitas - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Well, the S6 and 7 were the same basic design and 1 year apart. The iPhone 6, 6s and 7 are the same basic design for 3 years running and get a pass... Yup, par for the course for Apple leaning sites. It's just like old Note 4 "to large to handle" reviews, then the iPhone went 5.5 inches and was even larger than the Note 4, but was not to large to handle. /shrugs.jlabelle2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
And Josh doubles down on this. Well, that is even more "courageous" than Apple's drop of phone jack...AppleFansiteWriter - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
This made my day. I'm surprised you did not mention the drastic ID differences between the 7 and 7 plus as well! No one would confuse the 7 plus as a larger iphone 7.zeeBomb - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
How did you bold/italicsarayoflight - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
I think the standard html should work. Let me try:<b>This text should be bold</b>. Normal text here.
milkod2001 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
<strong> bold text here </strong>p1esk - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
*bold text here*p1esk - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
<span>I'd like to hear <b>Joshua</b>'s take on this</span>zeeBomb - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - link
**Did I do it?**Klug4Pres - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Maybe the new antenna lines will finally make a difference to iPhone RF performance - http://www.pts.se/upload/Rapporter/Tele/2016/Mobil...zepi - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Any idea if the display reflectivity or such things have gotten better?LeftSide - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
The loss of the headphone jack really is a huge compromise for me. I want the better camera for this upgrade cycle, but I also want to listen to music on my high end headphones.Deelron - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
And you can with the included dongle. Now if that's a problem for some reason, then you have an issue.inighthawki - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Batteries running a bit low, lemme just cha... oh wait...negusp - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
That's a huge issue. The instant you lose your dongle you have to pay for a new one. Lightning to 3.5 isn't standard. If Apple had just gone with USB C I might've just said "to hell with it" but keeping a proprietary port is retarded.There are no lightning headphones, either, which means that you can't avoid using a dongle if you have a high quality headset (Bluetooth sucks at this point).
Eidigean - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Replacement dongle is $9 (that's nine dollars). Honestly, just leave the dongle attached to your headphones.Calista - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
I guess having to bring a dongle just in case bugs people a lot more than the actual cost of said dongle.dborod - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
This is an excellent use of duct tape.WorldWithoutMadness - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Otherwise they can't charge you huge amount of money. They need to keep beats in business you know.Also back in 2014, EU made a regulation that Apple needs to use micro-usb as charging port by 2017. We have USB-C now, so I don't know how this would end up. Maybe they'll include, lightning to usb-c charging cable or EU might end up having usb-c as their charging port.
Glaurung - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
"There are no lightning headphones, either,"They exist. Expect a lot more to become available in the near future.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/136466-best-lightn...
Spunjji - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Why does it ever have to come off the end of your headphone cable? Yeesh. Stop digging for problems.Icehawk - Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - link
I agree, if they had went USB-C I wouldn't really have a problem with it and I guess would sorta be pioneering... but Lightning is proprietary so who in their right mind would buy headphones with that jack? Is there a Lightning to 3.5 adapter so you can use Lightning headphones on other devices? Dongles suck as they tend to get lost or left behind *right* when you need them, and IME Apples stock cables suck and deteriorate quickly at their jack's stress relief. Not sure if I am going to go with the 7 or just stick with a 6S for another cycle, by now they are good enough to last a few years instead of "needing" a new one every year. Heck, I just upgraded from an iPad 3... It's kinda like the PC market now where the upgrade cycle has gotten way longer as the demands on hardware has flattened.AppleFansiteWriter - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Apple: Making devices smaller by adding often-used ports as extra accessories to carry.goatfajitas - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
"The loss of the headphone jack really is a huge compromise for me."Not seeing the courage? /s
serendip - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
I count two mentions of the HTC 10 in there. Hint hint ;)Anyway, an evolutionary upgrade from the iPhone 6 then, and the additional dust and waterproofing is definitely welcome. Not sure about the loss of the headphone jack though. Hopefully someone comes up with a phone-powered external DAC and amp that uses the Lightning jack.
Bluetooth - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
It comes with lightning headphones in the boxnegusp - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Yeah, and those headphones are trash, sorry. Adapters for everyone!... oh wait, everyone lost theirs and have to shell out $30 for a new one.Deelron - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
They're $9.Spunjji - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Facts not required for meaningless bleating ;)fanta666 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Hopefully HTC 10 review is coming at any point now.ACM.1899 - Monday, September 19, 2016 - link
is it?hopefully
Cygni - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Camera hump is a deal breaker for me. Really disappointing.shabby - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
And if they would of made it thicker you'd say its too thick and ugly, you can't have it all you know.Eidigean - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Nope, I would have given them a standing ovation if they made it thicker again. Loved the size of the 4 and 5.drajitshnew - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
And I would be standing in line for the 1st time for an apple device--because of the increased battery capacity.Spunjji - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Yet they have some of the best battery life of any competing device - certainly amongst high-end phones. I am guessing that for you "enough" = "slightly more than the best iPhone currently has"?Meteor2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Every time I see the camera hump I imagine Jobs turning in his grave. He would never have let that out the door.Icehawk - Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - link
At least it is finally smoothed out and the chassis meets it instead of just sticking straight out. That was my only aesthetic complaint about the 6 series - it just seems amateur and not what I would expect from Apple in ID. Also, can I have my rotation lock back on my iPad please?amdwilliam1985 - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
Apple kept a 3 years design -> amazingly refinedSamsung kept a 2 years design -> boring!
Samsung got a camera bump -> stupid
Apple got a camera bump -> practical
you get the picture, damn I hate to be Samsung living on earth(Apple World)
fazalmajid - Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - link
I wonder if the gloss black finish is more grippy than the brushed one. The smooth finish on the iPhone was certainly way less slippery than the iPhone 6.Meteor2 - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
"rather than maintaining the same industrial design that we saw with the iPhone 6s instead we’re looking at a new, more refined design."Non. I'd say the design language is identical to its predecessor, the execution has been varied slightly. Notice how all Mercedes look the same now? Same ID across the range.
I doubt most members of the public, if challenges, could tell the iPhone 6 and 7 apart. It's pretty disappointing in that respect; it looks like a Samsung.
Geranium - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Do new Iphones supports aptX code?Danvelopment - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Is it just me or does the glossy version look like a big 5c from those pictures?Danvelopment - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Look familiar?http://img.clubic.com/06671980-photo-iphone5c-2.jp...
drajitshnew - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
I used to be an android fan boy, but since the "cyclone" in 2013 I'm finding it increasingly harder to defend.1.No true flagships (s7e/ note 7 beat by huawei mate in cpu but lead in gpu).
2.all androids beat by corresponding generation iphone in cpu and gpu.
3.better (NVMe) and more nand (256GB) than flagships.
4. Better colour (wide gamut with ACCURACY via colour management).
5. Better ISP -- they had much smaller sensors but COMPARABLE image quality.
What keeps me stuck to my note 3 till it dies? Three things
1. Stylus in a pocketable form factor-- sorry the ipad pro does not for even in a apron/ scrubs.
2. Interoperability
-- usb 3
-- standard usb cables and connectors
-- ability to mount on any windows as a storage device.
3.THE OBSCENE PRICE premium. It is 50% costlier than the US prices.
Danvelopment - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Android or Samsung? Because Huawei makes flagships, you just named one.drajitshnew - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Mate S isA) not really viable outside China
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10309/two-months-wit...
B)IS STILL not available in India.
After all if there was a good alternative apple would not presumably (can't account for fads) be able to charge the said OBSCENE premiums.
Danvelopment - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Why are they not viable outside China? I have a Xiaomi Note 3 Pro in NZ with no difficulty. Bought from Hong Kong via eBay.It was a pretty good alternative for me, the Snapdragon 650 manages to out perform the Galaxy S6 for $170. AT did a review, and it outperforms any of the iPhones for less than $700.
Spunjji - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Good luck getting that serviced if it experiences a fault, though. Pretty sure that's what he means.Chidoro - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - link
You can buy 3 if them and still be saving money.sabinical - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Joshua, thanks for the writeup! Do you know whether it's possible to turn off the haptic feedback in the home button entirely? As an Android user who's thinking about switching, I have zero problem with a back button that's purely touch-activated -- seems like a much more comfortable experience than a strange vibration.JoshHo - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
You can set it to be quite faint but turning it completely off would be confusing because you have to use pressure to activate the home button, you can't just touch it and accidentally activate it.sagarsiddhpura - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
"As you might expect from a phone like this, rather than maintaining the same industrial design that we saw with the iPhone 6s instead we’re looking at a new, more refined design."Author is clearly licking apple's balls..
WoodyPWX - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Programmable home button could mean it can behave like a back button using swipe. That would be awesome!jabber - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Erm a nice dull looking workaday phone I guess. Interesting to see year after year the Tech press trying really hard to get excited to find many amazing positives to say about the iPhone. Especially when a lot of the features have been discussed at some Android launch the year before when they would be classed as 'interesting but hardly essential'.Jumangi - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Another new smartphone that gets way to much attention because its Apple...blackcrayon - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Right, the most popular singular line of smartphones in the US shouldn't get any attention. They've only sold a billion of them.Chidoro - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - link
The most valuable company on the planet announces their annual largest revenue generator and it shouldn't get a ton of attention?pbollwerk - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Very happy to see a 256GB version. I will finally be able to fit all my music in lossless format on my phone. =)tuxRoller - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
Can someone please explain the 4 trillion ops number that Apple is touting for their isp (presumably with supporting dsps as well)?I just did a quick calculation of the latest hexagon and came up with a value that is (supposing optimal packing and scheduling) about 1/4 of Apple's value. That's a rather spectacular difference so i have to assume they are using a different definition of operations than I've managed to come up with.
kfishy - Monday, September 12, 2016 - link
Apple designs their own ISP so there's no direct comparison with Hexagon. Presumably they're accelerating operations with dedicated hard blocks than just pure DSP.tuxRoller - Monday, September 12, 2016 - link
DSP's trend to perform well with image processing even when compared to asics (for one, due to their arch but also the isa can provide hardware acceleration instructions). That aside, the snapdragon's isp (spectra) may include some asics. Finding detailed information about it is not easy.Regardless, that 4 TOps value seems pretty outrageous and I'd love to know how they came by it.
Lavkesh - Thursday, September 8, 2016 - link
When the last generation year old iPhone is quicker than the latest Android flagships, you got to ask did the evolution stopped? While OS is a personal choice and understandably so, the lead Apple's having when it comes to system speed is not even challenged, let alone surpassed. Given the pace of technology and the talent, it is even more impressive.Veroxious - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
That must be the most retarded post wrt this article. I get to use many many different brands of smartphones and for almost 2 years I have yet to come across a high end smartphone that lags or gives an unpleasant UI experience irrespective of platform. You are clutching at straws mate and come across as shallow as they come.tuxRoller - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
Really? You've NEVER seen "lag" or dropped frames on any high end phone in the last two years?Are you sure you know what those things look like? Not everyone is as sensitive to these things.
For me, I've yet to see a device, from anyone, that doesn't drop frames occasionally (honestly, that's not surprising as the only way to guarantee no dropped frames is to seriously overprovision the hardware and/or run a real-time multitasking OS --- that alone is no small thing) or where there isn't perceptible latency between touch actions and screen response.
watzupken - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
I am actually looking forward to the iPhone 7. However, I am actually very disappointed with Apple for the minimal change to the outlook of the phone. The 2 years cycle for some reason got extended to a 3rd year not sure if its purely for the sake of preparing a 10 year anniversary version. Honestly, apart from the 2 camera setup on the phone, there is pretty much not much of a wow factor.Donkey2008 - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - link
Agreed. I almost think Apple purposely kept the same design for this cycle in order to build enthusiasm for next year's release. The iPhone still sells very well but design-wise it is definitely hitting singles now, not home runs. I just hope Apple finally shrinks the giant bezels when the 8 finally arrives. Android hardware designs are light years ahead and if Android OS wasn't such a giant turd I'd think about switching.tricku2 - Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - link
Is it really worth spending all that money when it is only faster overall...NaMagic oz
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Lau_Tech - Friday, September 16, 2016 - link
Dear Josh,in your review , I would appreciate if you shared whether the "water-proofing" explanation for the 3.5mm jack removal is a valid one. Particularly given that Samsung achieved a higher rating while retaining the same jack. Thanks.
Vulpy - Saturday, September 24, 2016 - link
It is mind blowing how Apple can get away with such a lack of innovation.The biggest change happened with the launch of iPhone 6 (larger screen and stylish design), and they were already lagging behind the industry by 3 yrs.
Their exceptionaly efficient IOS SW and broad app ecosystem still fools people into buying 3yr old technology.
Apple is dying, slowly but surely, tablet sales nose dived, their phones no longer excite people anymore... And their car is still nowhere to be seen...
They should completely outsource HW design to the likes of OnePlus and focus all R&D on SW and new vertical markets.
I do have Apple stock, but would dead worried if I had.
Bolang - Thursday, December 1, 2016 - link
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