Apple announces iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus units at media event

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets hit today.

And that may be why you see your neighbors gathering torches and pitchforks regarding the removal of the headphone jack today.

The new handsets boast a 64-bit four-core A10 Fusion processor, stereo speakers positioned on opposite ends of the device, a flush Force-sensitive home button with a Taptic Engine for haptic feedback, and IP67-standard water and dust resistance. As rumored, the headphone jack has been removed and Apple is offering a wired Lightning in-ear EarPod headphones and a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter are included in the box. Apple is offering Siri-enabled wireless earbuds called AirPods as a separate accessory, available for $159 in late October.

The new iPhone features a faster, more energy efficient 12-megapizel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization, six-element f/1.8 aperture lens, an artificial light compensating flicker sensor, Quad-LED True Tone flash, and enhanced tone mapping. The device also has a 7-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera with wide color capture and auto-image stabilization.

The iPhone 7 Plus model incorporates a dual-lens 12-megapixel camera complete with an advanced wide-angle lens and a separate telephoto lens that can create a 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. The ISP dual-lens camera is also capable of producing live shallow depth of field shots and “bokeh” effects in preview mode.

The handsets are constructed from anodized aluminum and now arrive in a new glossy jet black color, black, silver, gold and rose gold. The antenna bands are aligned along the edges of the handsets, instead of across the rear like on the previous models, and the volume buttons are positioned directly on the side of the handset (as opposed to inside a recess as per the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus).

The units feature a 25 percent brighter “cinema standard” Retina HD display with wider color gamut, improved color management and 3D Touch features. The audio has been improved via new speakers, which pump out increased volume and a better dynamic range.

Where the processor is concerned, the A10 Fusion four-core unit offers 40 percent CPU performance and 50 percent faster graphics performance compared to the A9 processor powering the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus handsets. The units boast improved battery life, faster wireless, and the improved water resistance means the iPhones stand up to splashing and even short periods of immersion in water.

Pre-orders begin this Friday, September 9th, and the devices themselves will be available in more than 25 countries come September 16th. The iPhone 7 starts at $649 and comes in 32GB/128GB/256GB capacities. The iPhone 7 Plus starts at $769, also in 32GB/128GB/256GB capacities. All come pre-installed with iOS 10, which is also available for download on September 13.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are also available through the iPhone Upgrade Program, which begins at $32/month and $37/month in the United States. Apple has also cited that the iPhone Upgrade Program will be expanding to the United Kingdom and China, but did not offer a timeline as to when this would happen.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via MacRumors