iPhone 7 contracts on EE, O2, Vodafone and Three: which is best?
For many smartphone fans, today is Christmas morning. Apple unwrapped the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus earlier this week and now, they’re available to pre-order. Both smartphones are an upgrade over their 6s predecessors, boasting better cameras, processors and water-resistant shells. The lack of a headphone jack is…divisive to say the least, but hey, at least you get an adapter and some Lightning headphones in the box. If you’re ready to take the plunge with one of the new models, here are your best options.
Apple
First and foremost, there’s the Cupertino company itself. Apple is selling both models with three storage options: 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.
| Price | £599 | £699 | £799 | £719 | £819 | £919 |
If these prices seem a little steep, it’s worth considering Apple’s new iPhone upgrade programme. You’ll be signing up for a long-term plan with (sort of) low monthly payments — they start at £33.45 per month, with a £49 upfront fee, for the iPhone 7 with 32GB of storage. Just be aware that the phone doesn’t come with a SIM card or any kind of cellular plan, so you’ll need to pick one up elsewhere. The scheme does grant you instant upgrades to the latest model, however, so if you’re the type that buys a new iPhone every year, this is one way to fund an expensive habit.
Contracts
Prefer to deal with your carrier? It’s a minefield out there. Networks are always tweaking their plans and it’s notoriously hard to compare them. You have to consider the phone, the upfront cost and the monthly instalments, as well as the number of calls, texts and megabytes you’ll be getting each month. To help you out, we’ve broken down the plans that will put the smallest dent in your bank account each month. As a consequence, however, you will be forking out more up front.
| Vodafone | £28pm, £400 up front | £32pm, £400 up front | £37pm, £500 up front | £32pm, £400 up front | £37pm, £400 up front | £42pm, £500 up front |
| O2 | £38pm, £180 up front | £43pm, £180 up front | £48pm, £170 up front | £43pm, £190 up front | £48pm, £190 up front | £53pm, £180 up front |
| EE | £46pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £100 up front | £56pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £130 up front | £61om, £130 up front | £66pm, £130 up front |
| Three | £36pm, £149 up front | £43pm, £149 up front | £50pm, £149 up front | £44pm, £149 up front | £51pm, £149 up front | £58pm, £149 up front |
| BT | £44pm, £120 up front | £44pm, £240 up front | £44pm, £290 up front | £44pm, £240 up front | £44pm, £290 up front | £44pm, £380 up front |
| iD | £42.50pm, £340 up front | £42.50pm, £440 up front | £42.50pm, £540 up front | £42.50pm, £440 up front | £42.50pm, £540 up front | £42.50pm, £640 up front |
| Carphone Warehouse | £33.49pm, £230 up front | £33.49pm, £330 up front | £33.49pm, £430 up front | £33.50pm, £320 up front | £33.50pm, £420 up front | £33.50pm, £520 up front |
If you’re tight on cash right now and would prefer to spend a little more each month, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve listed some of the cheapest plans if you want to spend the absolute minimum up front.
| Vodafone | £53pm, £30 up front | £58pm, £50 up front | £68pm, £50 up front | £63pm, £50 up front | £68pm, £50 up front | £73pm, £90 up front |
| O2 | £43pm, £60 up front | £48pm, £60 up front | £53pm, £50 up front | £48pm, £70 up front | £53pm, £70 up front | £58pm, £60 up front |
| EE | £46pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £100 up front | £56pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £130 up front | £61pm, £130 up front | £66pm, £130 up front |
| Three | £72pm, no upfront cost | £79pm, no upfront cost | £86pm, no upfront cost | £72pm, no upfront cost | £79pm, No upfront cost | £86pm, no upfront cost |
| BT | £59om, £90 upfront cost | £59pm, £120 up front | £59pm, £170 up front | £59pm, £90 up front | £59pm, £120 up front | £59pm, £170 up front |
| iD | £49.50om, £120 up front | £49.50pm, £220 up front | £49.50pm, £320 up front | £49.50pm, £220 up front | £49.50pm, £320 up front | £49.50pm, £420 up front |
| Carphone Warehouse | £57pm, No upfront cost | £85pm, £10 up front | £90pm, £40 up front | £85pm, £10 up front | £90pm, £40 up front | £90pm, £140 up front |
The iPhone 7 Plus packs 3GB of RAM for extreme multitasking
Besides that extra camera lens, the iPhone 7 Plus is packing additional hardware. Specifically, an extra gigabyte of RAM according to 9to5Mac. That brings the total amount up to 3GB if you’re keeping track at home. More than that, this is the iPhone with the most RAM yet which should make multitasking with a bunch of resource intensive apps a much smoother experience. It’s just 1GB shy of what’s available in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Now all you have to do is wait until midnight tonight to decide if that extra memory is worth the up-charge.
Source: 9to5Mac
Relive Apple’s iPhone 7 event right here
If you were busy at work yesterday and couldn’t watch Apple’s iPhone 7 stream unfold live, you can fix that. As is tradition, the Cupertino company has uploaded the whole shebang to YouTube so you can relive seeing Shigeru Miyamoto introduce Super Mario Run, VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller saying that removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 took “courage” and Sia’s end-of-show performance depressing the hell out of (almost) everyone. Don’t have two hours? Well, you could always watch our 15 minute version.
Source: Apple (YouTube)
Google Maps adds Lyft and Gett to its ride hailing options
Users searching for directions from Point A to Point B in Google Maps just got a few more options for getting there. According to the official Google Maps blog, both the iOS and Android versions now include estimated fares and wait times for ridesharing services Lyft and Gett when searching in cities in the United States.
Google Maps actually rolled out the feature for Uber way back in 2014 and other competing ridesharing services were added outside the US earlier this year, alongside Gett in New York City. With today’s addition of Lyft, Google Maps now offers options from nine different ridesharing services in 60 different countries. (Of course, which options are available to you will depend on which city and country you’re in.)
The ride hailing feature works exactly as you might expect: a “ride services” tab with a taxi icon now shows up alongside the driving, transit and walking directions. Switching to the tab brings up a list of available ridesharing services and the various ride types, such as Lyft Line or UberX, offered by each. Lyft estimates should start showing up for users wherever Lyft is available, but Gett is still limited to New York City for now.
Source: Google Maps
Those new AirPods will work with non-Apple devices
Despite listing software requirements to the contrary in yesterday’s press release, The Verge reports that Apple’s new AirPods will work with devices other than its own. By doing so, you’ll forfeit the proximity pairing feature that using the wireless earbuds with an iPhone affords and you won’t be able to use Siri. During yesterday’s announcement, the official PR for the audio accessories listed software requirements of iOS 10, watchOS 3 or macOS Sierra. However, it seems that’s only the case if you want to employ all the tools AirPods have to offer.
Apple says that using the AirPods with a device from another manufacturer is pretty dull. The company explained to The Verge that the in-ears “just lose the magic when not used with an Apple device.” Of course, that “magic” is the quick connection, a virtual assistant and the ability to move easily between devices without having to re-pair them. It sounds like the earbuds will function as basic Bluetooth headphones if you connect them to a non-Apple gadget. The AirPods go on sale next month for $159 so you won’t have to wait long to see how little “magic” there is when you use them with an Android device.
We’ve reached out to Apple for more information on the matter and we’ll update this post when/if we hear back.
Source: The Verge
Google Photos will compensate for your shaky-cam Live Photos
The latest update for Google Photos brings some of the same features introduced in the standalone Motion Stills app into the main product, making it easier to edit, stabilize and share Live Photos taken on an iPhone. Like Motion Stills, Google Photos uses advanced stabilization to create moving images with frozen backgrounds or wide, sweeping pan shots.
Once you’ve edited those wobbly Live Photos into something a little more stable, Google Photos now allows you to export the finished product as a video file to your camera roll — meaning you can actually share them with friends on Android devices. In addition to the new stabilization feature, the latest update also adds some new photo organizational features like the ability to sort photos in albums chronologically and choose new thumbnails for your friends’ faces in People.
The update is available now in the App Store and will be coming next to Google Photos for Android and the web. Google also updated the Motion Stills app today, adding a feature that allows users to superimpose text over videos made from Live Photos.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google
FAA officially warns against using Galaxy Note 7 on airplanes
Samsung’s slightly explosive new phone is drawing more critical attention, this time from the FAA. The government agency has apparently heard about the Galaxy Note 7 recall, and after some consideration issued a statement. The FAA “strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage.” According to Gizmodo, the FAA will update its statement as more info becomes available, so even this might not be the end of things.
FAA Statement on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Devices https://t.co/NADpT5Jma4 pic.twitter.com/e9uJvNmUUq
— The FAA (@FAANews) September 8, 2016
Source: FAA
Microsoft could be unveiling its Surface All-in-One in October
Microsoft may very well be introducing its Surface All-in-One device this October during a special fall hardware launch, according to ZDNet.
The device, reportedly codenamed “Cardinal,” is supposedly a product that can “turn your desk into a studio,” reports ZDNet, which is very likely the previously-rumored All-in-One system, which could be coming in various screen sizes vaand offering the Perceptive Pixel screen tech utilized by Surface Hub.
Unfortunately, Microsoft has kept mum on the specifics, despite the fact that reporters have reached out to inquire about the possibility that the upcoming Surface Cardinal exists or that there’s going to be an event this October.
ZDNet’s report notes that existing Surface models may well feature faster processors and other minor updates as well, but larger product reveals probably won’t make an appearance until spring 2017.
If Microsoft is looking to make a hardware push during the fall, it could also coincide with updates about the gaming side of its regime, but right now details are up in the air. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see what’s going to happen as far as this supposed Cardinal product is concerned.
Via: ZDNet
A $40 dongle lets you use wired headphones and charge your iPhone 7
After Apple got rid of the headphone jack on its new iPhones yesterday you were probably thinking: How am I supposed to charge my phone and use wired headphones? Fear not dear reader, accessory maker Belkin has a solution. With its $40 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter (actual product name), the company provides a way for you to replenish that iPhone 7 or 7 Plus battery while still keeping the music going.
What’s more, Belkin’s new dongle supports 48 kHz 24-bit audio output and if you’re still planning to use 3.5mm headphones, it works with the Lightning adapter that comes with the new iPhones. Remote control and voice cues from Apple’s headphones are also still in play. If you need to pick one up so that you can listen while you recharge, you’ll be able to do so October 10th. Now when you head out of the house you’ll need to remember this dongle, the adapter, your headphones and a charging cable. Or you could just go with one of many wireless options if you desire less clutter.
Via: The Verge
Source: Belkin
The iPhone 7’s best new feature is water resistance
Once again, Apple has dropped a new phone with a whole array of improvements that make it a must-buy. But the iPhone maker buried the lead with its launch by barely touching on the next-gen phones’ actual best feature: water resistance.
I know it’s going to be difficult to justify this. but hear me out. The iPhone 7’s water resistance is awesome because it not only solves an age-old problem for a whole lot of people, but could mean a better future for everyone.
A lot of people will point to the new dual camera (which by the way is only on the pricier Plus) or iOS 10 as better choices. But a lack of emoji, inadequate 3DTouch integration or poorly taken picture hasn’t actually ruined someone’s day or cost anyone money. Those are nice things to have, but not absolutely necessary.
On the other hand, water damage is such a big problem it’s spawned a whole subculture of people that find unique ways to fix wet phones. A 2012 study by device warranty provider SquareTrade found that water damage was the second leading cause of destroyed phones, just behind drops.
While the iPhone 7 probably still isn’t rugged enough to survive a fall down the stairs, its ability to withstand some splashes, specifically up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) of water, will bring some of us klutzes peace of mind. Because let’s be real — who doesn’t bring their phone into the bathroom to while away some throne time?
The water resistance has some other outside-the-loo benefits as well, protecting the new phones from accidental spills at the dinner table or drops into puddles. Plus, built-in water protection means we can say goodbye to bulky waterproof cases that jut out of our pockets. But Apple could also stand to gain.
Pictured above: The water-resistant Galaxy S7 Active.
With their IP67 rating, the iPhone 7s are just slightly less water-friendly than rival Samsung’s latest Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (both rated IP68). The Korean company’s handsets can survive for up to 30 minutes under up to 1.5 meters of water. That’s one aspect in which Samsung has been ahead of Apple for three years now (water resistance made its way to the Galaxy S line on the S4 Active).
Other companies, such as Sony and Motorola, have already acknowledged the importance of the feature, and have implemented it in their flagships for years now. But even though more than a handful of companies have made watertight smartphones, the rest of the industry hasn’t followed suit. And here’s where Apple joining the fray could mean good things for everyone.
The Cupertino company has long pioneered features that are now ubiquitous, such as apps, fingerprint sensors and a home button. But when Apple follows its rivals on something, as it did on NFC implementation for mobile payments and, now, water resistance, the rest of the industry tends to jump wholeheartedly on the bandwagon. This could mean a future where a watertight phone is the norm rather than the exception.
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