Apple revealed a whole heap of information about the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 models recently. While it was hard to miss the tag lines repeated ad nauseam — "most advanced iPhone ever", "the ultimate device for a healthy life" — it would be understandable if you missed some of the finer points. So here they are.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Performance: The new chip powering the phones is called the A10 Fusion, which is more powerful than the previous chip but also features a new kind of architecture. Like the processors seen in many Android phones, it has separate performance and two efficiency cores. This means that although the battery is the same size you should see better battery life because less power will be used when performing non-taxing tasks like checking your email. On average, Apple says the iPhone 7 will last two hours longer than the iPhone 6s, and the iPhone 7 Plus one hour longer than last year's Plus model.
Camera: The standard iPhone 7 features optical image stabilisation, a 12MP main camera with a bigger aperture, a six-element lens and the ability to capture a wider gamut of colours. The iPhone 7 Plus has this same camera system, as well as a second 12MP telephoto lens that provides an optical 2x zoom. Any digital zoom beyond 2x will also use this lens, meaning less distortion. The cameras can also work together to sense the depth of a scene and apply a blur only to the background for portrait pictures, but that feature won't be available until a software update to come later. The front camera is now 7MP. A new signal processor, which Apple VP Phil Schiller called a "supercomputer for images", processes over 100 billion operations for each single photo. The rear flash is now brighter and photographers can capture images in RAW format.
Design: The iPhone 7's Home button is now powered by a 'taptic engine', like the touchpad on the new MacBook, which means it's a pressure-sensitive panel rather than an actual button. This should make the need for repairs a bit less frequent, and it also helps make the new phones water and dust resistant to the IP67 standard. The 3.5mm headphone jack is gone, meaning audio will come through the new stereo speakers or a headset attached via the Lightning port. The screen on the iPhones is now brighter and displays a wider gamut of colours for "cinema-standard colours". The resolution remains the same.
Finishes: The phones come in the familiar silver, gold and rose gold (pink) finishes, but the usual space grey is nowhere to be found. Instead the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have two versions of black: a matte black and a glossy "jet black". The antenna lines on the back of the phones have been moved to be less obvious.
Pricing: iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will launch in Australia on September 16 from $1079 and $1269 respectively. They will come in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models, although the jet black version will not come in 32GB.
Apple Watch Series 2
Performance: The Apple Watch is powered by the new S2 dual core processor, which is twice as fast as the chip that powered the original device. There's a new GPU for better graphics performance too. Both these upgrades are being brought over to the older watch design, which will be sold as "Series 1". The Series 2 watch has an in-built GPS to measure distance, pace and speed even when you don't take your iPhone with you, but that won't be coming to Series 1.
Design: No longer merely "splash proof", the Apple Watch is now water resistant to 50 metres so you can take it swimming (choose your bands wisely though, they're not all suitable for submersion!). The screen features the brightest display Apple has ever shipped, twice as bright as the original Apple Watch, to make reading information easier in outdoor conditions.
Bands and editions: Series 1 will come in an aluminum case (gold, rose gold, silver or space grey) and a sports band, while Series 2 comes in either aluminum, silver or black stainless steel or white ceramic (this is the new Editon version, replacing the gold models), with one of a wide variety of bands. Special Hermès and Nike+ versions of the Apple Watch Series 2 will also be available. All watches come in either 38mm or 42mm.
Pricing: Both series will be available on September 16, with Series 1 starting at $399 and Series 2 (including Nike+) starting at $529. The ceramic Edition version will start at $1799, while the Hermès version will come later and also start at $1799.
Sydmey Morning Herald
