iPhone 7

Following an earlier ad to build launch day hype for the new iPhone 7, Apple today has released a pair of new ads for its latest smartphone, as well as a new ad for the Apple Watch Series 2.  For the iPhone 7, the two new TV advertisements focus on the water-resistant capabilities of the device, as well as the camera’s improved low-light functionality. The new Apple Wath Series 2 ad continues Apple’s fitness push…

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Earlier today, we shared a pair of durability tests performed with the new iPhone 7. These tests showed that Apple has improved the endurance of the new device compared to the iPhone 6s. Now, EverythingApplePro has conducted a deep water test to see just how far the new iPhone 7 can be submerged in water before it bites the dust, while another video shows the device being dropped from a helicopter. And the results are impressive…

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As with most new iPhone models, there are bound to be a few launch day issues that emerge, most of which end up being minor in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, it’s still interesting to note the various annoyances. Today, some iPhone 7 users have noticed an odd hissing sound coming from their device while putting the new A10 Fusion processor to the test.

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Apple appears to have improved the durability of the iPhone 7 compared to the iPhone 6s, as highlighted by a new drop test video by EverythingApplePro. The iPhone 7 does very well in this specific test, sustaining ten foot face-down and side drops without cracking the screen. In contrast, the iPhone 6s was completely shattered at drops of five-feet. The iPhone 7’s rear sapphire cover glass (the camera bump) was damaged but the person could still take photos.

Apple makes no claims about drop or shatter performance of course; the waterproofness of the iPhone 7 has already been shown to be of a high-standard.

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Yesterday was the official release day for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and some of us were fortunate enough to be able to pick up our units early on Friday morning. For those of you who plan on getting an iPhone 7, or for those of you who still might be on the fence, have a look at our top features hands-on commentary. Not only do we discuss numerous top iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus features, but we also touch on a few of the hardware’s disappointing areas as well.
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One of the changes with the iPhone 7 that has earned mixed reactions thus far is the new Home button. No longer is the iPhone’s Home button an actual moving button. Instead, a Taptic Engine beneath the display provides the illusion that you’re pressing the button, even though there is no physical part being moved.

Adding fuel to people’s argument that the new “solid state” Home button is a move in the wrong direction, Myke Hurley made the discovery that the new Home button requires physical contact with your skin or a capacitive surface in order to function…

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Subject to availability, the world is getting their hands on their brand new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units today. This includes the fleet of YouTube accounts who buy phones just to destroy them … there are now dozens of iPhone 7 waterproofing tests ready to watch.

Apple only promises the iPhone 7 can withstand 1 meter of submersion – all the test iPhones in the YouTube videos we’ve seen easily exceed its advertised waterproofness rating. The video from infohut, embedded below, subjects the iPhone 7 in water, fizzy orange and coffee. The iPhone 7 survives in perfect working order; the video then takes the phone apart to show that no liquid residue at all breached the chassis.

Watch the video after the jump …

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While Apple has warned that the high-gloss surface of the Jet Black iPhone 7 is easily scratched, we’ve heard nothing yet about the scratch-resistance of the matte black finish. YouTuber JerryRigEverything set out to correct that by putting an iPhone through a series of torture tests.

The tests revealed a mix of good news and bad. All four surfaces tested – back, screen, Home key and camera lens – resisted scratches from both coins and keys, suggesting that the iPhone should be reasonably safe in a pocket. Not that we’d recommend conducting your own practical tests.

But scratch tests of the camera lens raised questions about Apple’s claims for the device …

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Pre-order data shows that more people have ordered the iPhone 7 Plus than the smaller 4.7-inch model. It’s the first time that the larger model has proven more popular than the regular one, with the dual camera the most likely explanation.

Apple never reveals the breakdown of iPhone models ordered, but Slice Intelligence has a huge panel of U.S. shoppers who agree to allow the company to roboscan their emails for purchase receipts and report the data. Analysis of almost 32,000 pre-order receipt emails reveals that the breakdown was 55% Plus, 45% regular. This contrasts with just 35% ordering the iPhone 6 Plus and 41% opting for the 6s Plus.

The company also collected data on the colors and storage tiers ordered …

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As it does every year, device repair site iFixit is putting all of Apple’s new devices through the teardown process. This year, the site is tearing down the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch 2. As usual, Apple leaves some details regarding the internals of its new devices a secret, but iFixit is able to figure out some of those secrets with its teardowns…

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As the clock begins to turn to Friday, September 16th around the world, people are slowly getting their hands on Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. As is usually the case with product releases, customers in Australia and New Zealand are first to receive their preordered Apple products and images have slowly been trickling in…

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Ahead of Apple’s retail launch of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus tomorrow, many customers that pre-ordered the device are reporting that Apple is moving up shipping estimates as it expects to deliver many orders earlier than previously expected.

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In comparing the iPhone 7‘s Geekbench scores to a variety of flagship Android handsets, John Gruber noted that it tops the rankings in multi-core performance and leaves everything else for dust when it comes to single-core. The iPhone’s single-core score of 3,450 is almost twice as fast as the second-ranked phone, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 (see below).

He also made a couple of other interesting comparisons, comparing the iPhone 7 against MacBook Air models and the 2013 MacBook Pro …

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If you’re sold on the idea of a black iPhone 7 but are still wavering between Jet Black and matte black, an unboxing video that shows the two side-by-side may help you make up your mind.

The matte black model is the larger 7 Plus, but it still gives you a good sense of how the two finishes compare. Another interesting point to note is step during the setup process where you get to choose the degree of haptic feedback offered by the touch-sensitive Home button …

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Apple has issued a statement advising that it has completely sold out of the Jet Black iPhone 7 and all versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, thanks to pre-orders. It adds that ‘limited quantities’ of other finishes of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 will be available to walk-in customers tomorrow.

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Following complaints regarding iPhone 7 availability through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple has started informing customers that it’s making more reservations times available to pick-up the device at Apple Stores this Friday. Additionally, 9to5Mac has learned that most Apple Stores will have limited or no stock of iPhone 7 units for walk-in customers on launch day. 

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The iPhone 7 goes on sale this Friday, September 16. Apple is starting up its marketing machine ahead of the launch of the new phone with a teaser TV commercial, embedded after the jump. The ad is atmospheric, featuring vague disparate shots of lightning bolts, owls and deer … as well as some subtle imagery of the phone itself.

There are som quick shots of the iPhone 7 chassis behind rain drops, teasing its IPX7 waterproofing rating. The iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera system is also briefly visible. Watch the 30 second spot in full below …

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Adobe’s Lightroom app continues to live on the edge of what’s possible with Apple’s various platforms, and the latest version of the photo editing app for iOS is no exception. Lightroom for iOS now lets you shoot in raw using the built-in camera so you can capture exactly what the sensor sees without iOS processing over it artificially.

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T-Mobile has reported that pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have shattered sales records, with orders four times higher than the iPhone 6.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are a home run at T-Mobile. Pre-orders for Apple’s latest have already shattered sales records in the first four days – up more than 4x over the smash-hit iPhone 6. And Friday set a single day sales record for any smartphone ever in T-Mobile US history.

Sprint is also reporting almost four times as many orders for the iPhone 7 this year, though its comparison was against the 6s …

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