Hello iPhone 7!

Michael de Silva, Staff Writer

Continuing their yearly cycle of improvement, Apple has released its new iPhone 7. This update to the already successful cell phone line makes almost every aspect of the device better than before.

Most noticeably, the iPhone 7 is the thinnest iPhone yet. Its sleek design comes in two sizes, the standard iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, both being available in five different finishes. These finishes are black with matte, high-gloss jet black, silver, gold and rose gold. Despite the improvements of the new design, there is some controversy regarding the phone’s absence of a headphone jack, much to the dismay of current iPhone owners. While headphones can be used in the Lightning port (old sets will need a converter), the existing functionality has been removed, forcing people to change the way they use their phones. Apple also has another solution in their new AirPods, which are Bluetooth earbuds that do not use any wires. These retail at $159.99 though, so they are not an especially cost-effective solution to the change.

But it is not all bad, as Apple has made some many more well-received changes. Their cameras now have higher quality than before, featuring 12 megapixels (MP) for the rear camera and 7MP for the front-facing camera. Some other new features include a screen that is 25% brighter than the iPhone 6, new stereo speakers making audio twice as loud, and the new A10 Fusion chip that means that the iPhone 7 will be two times faster as well.

Overall, the iPhone 7 brings improvements in almost every possible area. Not having a headphone jack will probably take some getting used to, but Apple has made other big changes in the past and people have always adapted.