iPhone 7 preview: Refining the design rather than ripping it up and starting again

After months of speculation, Apple has announced its new iPhone 7 range that consists of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The new phones, which go on sale on 16 September, will add a number of new features, as the company looks to stay ahead of the competitive smartphone market.

We’ve managed to get a brief hands-on preview with the new iPhone 7 at the Apple Special Event in San Francisco, CA, ahead them being available in the shops.

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iPhone 7 preview: Similar design with some tweaks

The new iPhone might come in a similarly designed chassis to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S models, but it looks vastly different, thanks to the removal of the awkward-looking antenna lines, as well as the addition of new colours: Jet Black and Black.

The first is a very fingerprint-friendly gloss model that is hugely reminiscent of the iPhone 3G. The Jet Black hides the newly designed antenna incredibly well, while the colour also makes the transition from metal to glass almost impossible to see. It is “proper shiny”.

In contrast, the new Black model is more the stealth option to the Jet Black design. The colour, which replaces the Space Grey option, is less likely to be prone to smudges and scratches (those old enough will remember that issue made the iPhone 3G look rather tatty by end of the first year), and it is a much blunter and brutal colour to the whimsical Rose Gold and Gold colours.

It is on those models that the new antenna design is more apparent. It now cuts around the top edge of the phone rather than intersecting top and bottom. It is as noticeable as it isn’t.

New colours aren’t the only design changes. The headphones socket has been dumped and replaced with a speaker grill, while the physical Home button has also been changed from a solid state one to one that doesn’t move (more on both in a bit).

Those changes mean Apple can now waterproof the iPhone to IP67, meaning you’ll be able to get it wet without it being the end of the world. Yep, dropping your phone down the toilet or in the swimming pool isn’t going to be the major headache it once was.

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iPhone 7 preview: New home button

The Home button is one of the most used elements of the design, and upon hearing Apple was ditching the physical element and replacing it with the same technology found in the Apple Watch and MacBook trackpad, we were left worried.

Thankfully, in the flesh, it’s really good. The button is as responsive as you want it to be, still allows you to flawlessly use it for double tapping or Touch ID, and yet gives you a very similar experience to the Apple Watch and the MacBook trackpad. Tap the button, and the Taptic Engine inside the phone vibrates making you believe that the button is moving when in reality it isn’t.

Gushing to say this, but once you try it, you’ll wonder why Apple hadn’t changed it earlier.

iPhone 7 preview: Taptic Engine

The same Taptic Engine that is there to convince you the Home button is physical is also used to greater affect across the iOS 10 interface. While playing Codemaster’s F1 2016 game, we could feel the nuances of the crashing into the barriers or going over bumps throughout the phone. The same goes with other “Taptic”-enabled apps. Feeling your phone is going to be a thing now. But we are looking forward to seeing how much of a difference it will make to everyday use.

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iPhone 7 preview: Stereo sound

Apple has ditched the headphone socket. For those somewhat panicked by that move, an adapter is included in the box if you aren’t going wireless. The space is now replaced with a speaker, and the iPhone 7 features stereo sound from speakers at the top and bottom.

In a very crowded demo room at the event, we were able to hear the speakers in action. It’s much better than the current iPhone 6S, but we are going to reserve judgement on this aspect until we’ve managed to listen to a number of different sounds (music/video) when we get the iPhone 7 for review.

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iPhone 7 preview: Upgraded cameras

The iPhone 7 got a camera update on both the front and back. However, it misses out on the dual-camera offering. That’s saved for the iPhone 7 Plus. Instead, on the iPhone 7, you’ll get a single, but still new, 12-megapixel sensor, as well as an improved lens and improved 7-megapixel front-facing camera. Apple has also added a new flash for better skin tones and plenty of processes in camera to make sure your photos zing.

The camera protrudes the design on the back, and a more circular design means your old cases are unlikely to fit. The protrude is visible, but it’s not enough to warrant any concerns and certainly not enough to make the phone wobble when laid on a desk or table.  

The shots we’ve seen on the phone taken with the camera look good, and a quick play in the demo room proved useful, but again, we are going to reserve judgement until we get a handset to test in various conditions.

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iPhone 7 preview: Speed and performance

A new iPhone means new speed, and the iPhone 7 gets the new Apple A10 Fusion processor that promises to increase the power and performance over previous iPhones. Ultimately, it means your phone will be able to load things faster, process things faster, and generally not be in any way sluggish.

In our quick play with the iPhone 7, it was as zippy as you would expect, loading powerful games and processing video with minimal effort. We look forward to testing this fully in our full review.

The screen also feels a lot brighter and more responsive, but Apple has held back from adding the Tru Display technology found on the iPad Pro 9.7.

First Impressions

It’s not the massive overhaul that Apple usually presents us with every two years, but there is enough here to keep those upgrading from the iPhone 6 happy. This is Apple continuing to refine a design that has worked well for them over the last two years – rather than tear up the blueprints and start again.

For the iPhone 7, it could be seen as a version of the iPhone 6S, with Apple using the new colours to add some polish to what is already a good design. This is Apple updating in a subtle way; one that will benefit those who are upgrading, but on first glance, not one that will hugely draw iPhone 6S fans who might be upset that their phone is now old and needs to be replaced.

That’s not to be sniffed at, though. The technology that Apple has added is great and works toward making the iPhone a state of the art smartphone.

It’s just, for many critics, we suspect a lack of “exciting” and “brand-new” tech will cause some disappointment.