IPhone 7 Review: A Step Forward, A Step Back And Some Technical Details

The novelty from Apple is perceived ambiguously. Someone considers it the best smartphone in the world, someone recommends waiting for the next version

We bought, tested and will try to tell about it as objectively as possible.

ATTENTION. The review was written by a person who uses Android in ordinary life (according to objective circumstances). In the event that you do not agree with the opinion of the author - reply with a comment, I will be glad to correct the opinion and the text.
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Appearance, set of delivery

If you collect all the articles on the appearance of the Iphone 7, probably, their volume will exceed the “War and Peace”. Box, manual, smartphone, charger, headset and adapter.

Nothing extraordinary, although beautiful.

In the off state, the smartphone seems to be a solid piece of black glass or obsidian.

Compared to the iPhone 6s, there are no external changes. "Seven" is not in black can be distinguished only from the bottom end due to the lack of analog audio output. But black is excellently dirty. And the metal case is scratched.

The convenience of use

Perhaps the basic version of the iPhone 7 is one of the most convenient and small-sized smartphones on the market. The same effect in the hands gives OnePlus 3 - thin, comfortable. Excellent lies in the palm, provides a strong hold. So the device can be freely recommended for both male and female palm.

As an Android gadget, it's hard for me to find a suitable alternative. Perhaps the closest will be the new CD from Sony, but I have not had time to test it yet. Solutions in cases similar to the iPhone (Meizu M3s and analogs) are larger.

All fun spoils the button. Yes, in the system, you can customize the behavior of the engine for every taste and make the button vibrate differently for each response option. But this will have to get used to. And the presence of a fingerprint scanner button complicates perception even more. By the way, it is more pleasant to press a mechanical key - and its behavior is more familiar and understandable.

Display

Turning on the display enlivens the picture, and turns a piece of volcanic glass into a smartphone.

Let me remind you that the screen resolution is 1334 x 750 and is close to HD. Perhaps today it is almost the minimum value for 4.7 inches. The colors are juicy, pleasant. Live looks very good. But the photos take her to clean water. Despite 326 ppi, the grid is visible.

The image is bright enough for sunny weather - the text is legible. Auto Brightness works instantly. The touch is quite responsive, but without diligence - random clicks can not be afraid. Pumped up only the frame - very large for 2016.

Hardware capabilities

At the presentation, Apple promised improved performance of the iPhone 7 processor. Unfortunately, at the moment, a raw operating system does not allow to feel processor performance. The interface works the same as on 6s, there is no improvement yet. The same applies to the application.

The functionality of iOS 10 is already devoted to a number of reviews, so we will not dwell on its description.

Yes, the device received moisture protection standard IP67 - but Apple warned about the failure to repair in the event that damage caused by water. The slightest mistake in production - and in the hands of a brick. In addition, it is not yet clear how this will be determined, and what indicators of moisture ingress are used.

The refusal of the usual 3.5-millimeter connector is justified: the developer can offer a ready-made audiophile solution without regard for the smartphone manufacturer. Directly in the headphones, you can install everything you need, because the output is a clean data stream.

There is also an increased USB 3.0 transfer rate, the ability to simultaneously transfer data and charge using a hub (the controller seems to have migrated from the iPad Pro). But today, in the absence of accessories, such a decision looks a bit strange, and more like a desire to make money by selling accessories. (Yes, USB-C specifications are more suitable for the universal data connector of a portable device).

Sound

Speakers - two. But stereo only works in landscape orientation. Although one is enough for ringtones or speakerphone.

The sound was tested in three scenarios: using a new wired headset, using old EarPods via an adapter and using AKG-IM50. We listened to Therion 2001, Haggard 1998, The Doors 1976, Drudkh 2003, Motograter 2003. The results, albeit subjective, were compared with the sound of the iPhone 6s with the old EarPods and AKG, respectively.

The sound of the new version of the headset is almost the same as the old one connected to the standard minijack. When listening to MP3 320, encoded by Feng Shui with the corresponding lame, the new headset shows a slightly lower volume, but a slightly more dry sound. No tricks, squeaks and rustles are missing.

When listening to FLAC, the sound quality improves noticeably - despite the lower volume, it becomes richer than the iPhone 6s. But, nevertheless, the compositions of the EarPods are not yet fully capable. Unfortunately, as before, EarPods cannot be called reference headphones in its price category. But there are not so many competitors with the Lightning connector yet, and the buyer will be forced to use Apple products (or its fakes) - due to the greater distribution and, all the same, low prices.

Adapter - uncomfortable, but not scary. Judging by the quality of the braid, it is not designed for a long life. But the sound does not degrade, and the test results correspond to the previous ones.
Here everything is ambiguous. FLAC at 24 bit / 48 kHz is played, and is perfectly revealed by headphones via a Lightning connector. At the same time, the sound through the 3.5mm iPhone 6s connector is flatter, but it sounds cleaner and louder.

In headphones and the adapter hides a digital-to-analog converter of the middle class . Why was to fuss - not very clear. In the processors from Quallomm similar solutions are part of the platform, there is enough space.

Carrying out the DAC to the headphones on the one hand, makes it possible to create interesting audio devices without Apple. On the other hand, buying a headset with Lightning in the future via the Internet, we can expect significant problems, of which the poor sound quality will be the least.

Testing with the iPhone 7 wireless headphones, in my opinion, does not make much sense. They do not fit all genres, and not all ears. The choice of such a device is too subjective. Transmission of an uncompressed audio stream via Bluetooth is only possible using the aptX Losseless protocol, which is supported in very few headsets. The audio material used allows you to hear the difference even with untrained hearing.

A photo

The camera stands - again! Apparently, the manufacturers would never learn to hide her window.

But the flash was interesting - there are two warm and cold LEDs in it each.

Optical stabilizer works. Phase autofocus allows you to focus almost instantly.

Improved photo quality is noticeable to the naked eye. For comparison - the gallery. On the right - the pictures taken using the iPhone 6, on the left - the device of the seventh generation:


The conclusions are obvious. Nothing to comment.

Battery life

When testing the battery life of the iPhone 7, serious differences from all previous Apple smartphones have become noticeable. The battery increased slightly, until 1960 mAh - but the smartphone works much better.

Battery consumption was nonlinear. Watching video in native screen resolution using LTE networks ate 5% in 36 minutes and 10% in 54 minutes.
General data when connecting to fourth-generation networks are:

• 3D games - 3 hours;
• surfing - 10 hours;
• reading books - 21 hours.

If you use Wi-Fi, the running time increases by 7-10 percent. Airplane mode slightly improves the numbers.

In real life scenarios, iPhone 7 uses about 16-18 hours: using instant messengers, listening to music, 4-5 calls and other necessities.

Results

The new Apple smartphone, of course, turned out very good. High-quality screen, successful camera and well-developed software, optimized power consumption and thoughtful form and placement of controls.

On the other end of the scale is marketing. A controversial guarantee in the presence of water resistance, the lack of the necessary Lightning-accessories, an attempt to transplant users to Bluetooth headsets without any data on the supported transfer protocols ... Another strange button.

An unequivocal verdict can only be given by the buyer - it is up to him to decide whether to give the hard-earned money or not. Subjective differences from the iPhone 6s are not so great as to overpay. In addition, the cost of the previous version has decreased , and has become much more attractive. And there are still officially restored devices .

Perhaps, if you ask about personal opinion, the answer should be:

• If you have an iPhone 6s, you should wait a bit. A new generation of devices, or at least the mass appearance of accessories (and it is not far off).
• If there is no iPhone 6s - you can think about buying. And, again - if you do not chase the image, you can stop at the sixth generation, and wait for the eighth - there is still a reserve of hardware resources.
• If you want exactly the "seven" from Apple, but confuses the price - you can buy in the US, saving up to $ 200 .