iPhone 7 is Best Version Yet

Eddie Zarndt, Staff Reporter

I was one of the many that pre-ordered there iPhone 7 and got it on launch day. I have been using it for the better part of a month, and I can say that this is my most pleasing iPhone experience yet. The best part about this phone is that there is not much that is new. You don’t have to worry about learning how to use anything new. I restored mine from an iTunes backup and my phone was back the way I left it.

I instantly fell in love with how fast the phone was and how familiar it was. The camera is the best camera I have seen on an iPhone yet, and its quality can rival that of the Galaxy S7. The home button is kind of weird seeing as it does not actually click; it uses Apple’s taptic engine to mimic a click, but it is entirely software based now. Apps will now be able to take part in the functionality of the new home button. And that also means your home button is less likely to stop working.

On the hardware side of things, there is nothing new here. All that has been changed is that there is a more clean antenna band setup for those that hated them on the iPhone 6/6s. The camera has a bigger cut out (and camera hump) for that f 1.8 Aperture 12 megapixel isight camera sensor that shoots beautiful 4k images and videos, as well as a 7 megapixel front “selfie Camera”.  The iPhone sports stereo speakers for the first time. One on the bottom and one in the ear piece. They deliver crisp and very pleasing audio, and man, this phone gets loud–like very loud.

  The headphone jack is dead. Apple has done the deed and killed it. Instead, Apple would like you to shell out $159 for the Apple AirPods or some Beats wireless earphones. But for those that love their current headphones, Apple does bundle and adapter to fit your old 3.5mm headphones or you can use the included Lighting EarPods in the box. Honestly, though, I don’t really miss the headphone jack all that much. I rarely used it seeing I use bluetooth headphones as is. But a big issue right now is that it’s just hard to find good quality bluetooth headphones for a decent price.

   At the end of the day, the iPhone 7 is not the new killer device you would expect from Apple this time around. It’s definitely an upgrade for those using an iPhone 6 or lower. But if you are using an iPhone 6s and you don’t need the bells and whistles of the iPhone 7, you will be able to get by. I honestly could not recommend a 6s/6s Plus owner the iPhone 7 unless they really want it. If you really want a 7, you’ll want the plus model. The iPhone 7 Plus this time around is a bit different. It does have a dual lense camera and is indeed better than the standard iPhone 7. But it doesn’t do much now aside from costing $150 dollars. Apple has said it will add more features later. But for the most part, the iPhone 7 is nothing new; it has a few new tricks and surprises here and there. And that is okay. It’s not trying to be the next big thing. It has improved from the 6s and it shines bright as Apple’s flagship smartphone. And that is what makes it strong.

  I can also promise you that it will not blow up on your night stand. However, if you are looking for big iPhone changes and can wait a while, the iPhone’s 10 year anniversary is next year and Apple is expected to bring out the big guns for next years model.