Since the iPhone 3G, Apple has followed a two-year update cycle for its most popular product. In the first phase, the company introduces a fresh design and the most important functional innovations, which in past years included a larger screen, additional communication capabilities, etc. The launch of the next model, with the “s” index, is focused on honing the existing functions. However, Apple usually strives to add something new in the intermediate phase (like the Touch ID or 3D Touch functions that appeared in the iPhone 5s and 6s). And, of course, every year a new system-on-chip and an improved main camera appear in the iPhone.
The iPhone 7 deviated from this rule to some extent. This time, the design of the case clearly continues the direction laid down by the iPhone 6 (while iPhones 4, 5 and 6 were radically different from previous iterations). Hardware functions, in turn, have changed more quantitatively than qualitatively (which, however, cannot be said about the iPhone 7 Plus with its dual camera). What Apple has done in the year since the release of the iPhone 6s is best viewed as a deep and comprehensive revision of a familiar device. However, in this case it is quite appropriate to recall the old thesis about the transition from quantity to quality.
| Apple iPhone 6s | Apple iPhone 7 | |
| Display | 4.7 inches, 1334 × 750, IPS, sRGB | 4.7 inches, 1334 × 750, IPS, DCI-P3 |
| Touch screen | Capacitive, pressure sensitive | Capacitive, pressure sensitive |
| Air gap | No | No |
| Oleophobic coating | Eat | Eat |
| Polarizing filter | Eat | Eat |
| CPU | Apple A9: two Apple Twister cores (ARMv8 A32/A64); frequency 1.85 GHz; FinFET 14/16 nm process technology; integrated Apple M9 coprocessor | Apple A10: four cores (ARMv8 A32/A64); frequency 2.34 GHz; FinFET 16 nm process technology; integrated Apple M10 coprocessor |
| GPU | Imagination Technologies PowerVR GT7600 (450 MHz) | ND |
| RAM | 2 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM | 2 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM |
| ROM | 16/64/128 GB | 32/128/256 GB |
| Connectors | 1× Lightning | 1× Lightning |
| 1 × 3.5mm headset jack | 1 × Nano-SIM | |
| 1 × Nano-SIM | ||
| cellular | Qualcomm MDM9635M discrete modem, Qualcomm WTR3925 transceiver: 2G: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; 3G: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (84 Mbit/s) 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz; 4G: LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbit/s), support for Russian frequencies, except Band 31, in all versions | Qualcomm MDM9635M discrete modem, Qualcomm WTR3925 transceiver: 2G: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (84 Mbit/s) 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz 4G : LTE Cat. 10 (450 Mbit/s), support for Russian frequencies, except Band 31, in all versions |
| WiFi | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz, 2x2 MIMO (866 Mbps) | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz, 2x2 MIMO (866 Mbps) |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| IR port | No | No |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| Sensors | Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer/Gyroscope, Magnetometer (Digital Compass), Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor | Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer/Gyroscope, Magnetometer (Digital Compass), Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor |
| Main camera | 12 MP (4032 × 3024), f/2.2 | 12 MP (4032 × 3024), f/1.8 |
| Autofocus, dual LED flash | Autofocus, quad flash, optical image stabilizer | |
| Front-camera | 5 MP (2592 × 1944), f/2.2 | 7 MP (3088 × 2320), f/2.2 |
| Nutrition | Non-removable battery | Non-removable battery |
| 6.55 Wh (1715 mAh, 3.82 V) | 7.45 Wh (1960 mAh, 3.82 V) | |
| Overall dimensions, mm | 138,3 × 67,1 × 7,1 | 138,3 × 67,1 × 7,1 |
| Weight, g | 143 | 138 |
| Water and dust protection | Yes (unofficial) | IP67 |
| operating system | iOS 10 | iOS 10 |
| Official price | $549/649 (for models with 32 and 128 GB of ROM) | $649/749/849 |
⇡#SoC, RAM
Apple, as usual, has revealed the absolute minimum information about the components of the new iPhone. Independent research will shed light on the details over time, but in such a short period of time since the devices went on sale, many questions have not yet received answers.
The key innovation of the iPhone 7 is a system-on-chip called the Apple A10 Fusion. Since the iPhone first used an Apple-designed SoC (A4), the company has not seen the need to equip its chips with more than two ARM cores. The goal of the creators of the A-series SoC was and remains the most efficient extraction of parallelism from a single instruction stream. In all iPhone generations over the years, this approach has proven its effectiveness, allowing Apple processors to at least compete equally with mobile SoCs with four or more cores (both ARM-licensed designs and those based on original IPs), in resource-intensive and typical smartphone tasks such as web surfing and 3D games.
However, if in terms of performance, four- to eight-core CPUs are not the only and, one might conclude, not the most successful solution, the top-tier SoCs competing with Apple chips have one advantage that the engineers of the Californian company have been in no hurry to adopt for the time being. Back in 2011, ARM proposed the Big.LITTLE architecture, which involves placing two clusters of cores on a chip - high-performance and energy-efficient. The load is distributed in one way or another in accordance with the purpose of the clusters, which ultimately allows for increased performance per watt of power consumed by the SoC.
In a narrow sense, the term Big.LITTLE refers to select combinations of cores developed by ARM, but the principle is just as successfully used in products such as the Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, equipped with original core designs. Having released the Apple A10 Fusion, the company from Cupertino also followed the beaten path.
Here are a few facts that are currently known about the heterogeneous architecture of the Apple A10 Fusion. The SoC includes two dual-core clusters and a hardware controller that migrates tasks between the latter. The word "migration" with a high probability means that the high-performance and energy-efficient clusters are never running at the same time, and when one of the clusters is turned off, it transfers data to the second through a shared L2 cache.
Apple A10 Fusion chip shot (ChipWorks)
The available image from ChipWorks allowed us to localize a high-performance cluster of ARM cores occupying an area of 16 mm2 - compared to 13 mm2 in the Apple A9. The increase in area against the backdrop of an overall increase in chip density (which will be discussed below) can be interpreted to mean that the two smaller cores are located in one of the other possible positions, and the main cluster has been enlarged. However, another hypothesis seems more plausible: an energy-efficient and high-performance cluster are integrated with each other. The latter method of organization may have something to do with such characteristics of the chip as the efficient use of the transistor budget and the way the load is migrated between clusters. And, by the way, the word Fusion in the name of the SoC may indicate exactly this.
The question remains whether there are any differences in the core ARM core pipeline compared to the Twister architecture used in the A9. Judging by the stated performance (and assuming that two A10 Fusion clusters are not actually running at the same time), the answer to this question is yes. The high-performance A10 Fusion cluster runs at a 27% higher frequency than the CPU in the Apple A9 (2.34 versus 1.85 GHz), but should be 40% faster.
Even less is known about the GPU included in the A10 Fusion. Apple says it's a six-core GPU. So, if the developer continues to license the IP from Imagination Technologies, we are dealing with either an overclocked variant of the PowerVR GT7600 that was used in the Apple A9, or a representative of the new PowerVR Series7XT introduced by Imagination earlier this year. Claimed GPU performance exceeds that of the Apple A9 by 50%.
The Apple A10 Fusion is manufactured at TSMC's facilities using 16nm FinFET technology and has an area of 125 mm2, which is 20.5 mm2 larger than the area of the A9, also manufactured by TSMC. Based on an independent estimate of the number of transistors in both SoCs (more than 2 billion and 3.3 billion, respectively), then the A10 Fusion achieves a significantly higher component density compared to Apple’s first experience using the 16 nm FinFET process.
X-ray of Apple A10 Fusion chip (ChipWorks)
There is no evidence yet that Apple has engaged a second contractor, Samsung, to produce the SoC in parallel with TSMC, as happened with the Apple A9. Apparently, TSMC's exclusive position was brought about by a new method of packaging microcircuits - InFO-WLP (Integrated Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging). The essence of the technology is that the chip is mounted directly on a printed circuit board without an organic substrate. To do this, areas of the crystal area are reserved that are not occupied by transistor logic, but only by metal conductors, which end with solder balls on the surface. The allocated area allows you to make the balls large enough for soldering onto the board. In contrast, a typical packaging method involves two layers of beads: small beads connecting the chip to the organic substrate, and large beads on the bottom surface of the substrate.
The use of InFO-WLP gives the chip several advantages: the package height is reduced, cooling is improved, and finally, shorter wires help increase clock speeds.
In the iPhone 7, the SoC chip is located in one case under the Samsung K3RG1G10CM-YGCH RAM chip assembly. Chips with a total capacity of 2 GB are placed in one plane, which also made the case a little thinner. By the way, the iPhone 7 Plus, unlike the standard-size model, has 3 GB of RAM.
Is it possible to increase the capacity of the phone
If the capacity of iPhones is guaranteed to decrease during operation, then it is almost impossible to increase this indicator. The manufacturer has developed and installed a battery in the device that has the longest possible operating time.
This limitation is due, first of all, to the size of the gadget and the compartment where the battery is installed. If the phone's operating time has decreased, then the only option to restore the gadget's performance to its previous level is to purchase and install a new battery.
⇡#SSD, wireless
In the iPhone 6s, Apple first used a drive with an interface based on PCI-Express and the NVMe protocol. There is no reason to believe that the iPhone 7 has taken a step back to the eMMC interface in this regard. The smartphone lineup includes three positions with Flash memory capacities of 32, 128 and 256 GB. Thus, the base iPhone models with 16GB of storage are finally a thing of the past, and the capacity of all three models has been doubled.
In terms of wireless communications, iPhone 7 takes a step forward with the LTE-Advanced Category 10 modem, which provides throughput of 450 and 100 Mbps for reception and transmission, respectively. The CDMA-compatible versions of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (A1660 and A1661) are equipped with a Qualcomm MDM9645M baseband chip, which actually supports LTE-A Category 12 at 600/150 Mbps, but is limited to Cat. 10 to match the modem capabilities of two other models - Intel PMB9943 (A1778, A1784).
The latter do not support CDMA, and they are the ones released on the Russian market. LTE Bands 7, 20 and 38, which are relevant for Russian networks, are supported by both modems (minus Band 31, which is used by the Skylink network from Tele2).
The capabilities of the Wi-Fi adapter in iPhone 7 have not changed compared to its predecessor: it supports the IEEE 802.11ac protocol in a MIMO 2x2 configuration, which provides throughput up to 866 Mbps.
Release date and distribution
When did iPhone 7 come out? Pre-order for the device in the countries of the so-called “first wave” took place on September 9, 2016. Then all the features and technical characteristics of the new gadget were revealed.
When the iPhone 7 went on sale, there was great demand for it. In the above countries, it arrived in stores on September 16. At the same time, Russia belonged to the “second wave” countries, so on this date the smartphone could only be ordered via the Internet from abroad.
When was iPhone 7 released in Russia? The devices were officially announced to be available in stores on September 23. The announcement stated that it looks almost identical to the 2014 iPhone 6S and 2015 6S.
⇡#Display, camera, sound
One of the main advantages of the iPhone 7 is its display with an expanded color gamut. Starting with the iMac and iPad Pro, Apple has been steadily introducing support for the DCI-P3 standard into its devices. Connoisseurs of professional monitors associate extended color gamut with another space - Adobe RGB. However, DCI-P3 has better prospects for distribution in consumer technology due to the fact that it is the DCI-P3 standard that is used by the US film industry, and it is expected that it will be adopted by TV manufacturers in the near future, while Adobe RGB has always been and will remain relevant only in the field of graphic design.
DCI-P3 covers 25% more colors in the visible spectrum compared to the sRGB standard and is approximately the same coverage area as Adobe RGB. However, while Adobe RGB provides more saturated colors in the green part of the spectrum, DCI-P3 is strong in red shades. iOS has a built-in global color correction system: all images are displayed in accordance with the marking of their color profile. As a result, content designed for a wide color gamut takes full advantage of the screen's capabilities, while at the same time standard sRGB images do not become oversaturated. The color temperature correction for background lighting, introduced in the iPad Pro, is unfortunately missing in the iPhone 7.
The iPhone 7 screen is also 25% brighter than the previous generation. The specifications for brightness and contrast are 625 cd/m2 and 1400:1. The resolution and screen dimensions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus remain the same as their predecessors.
The updated main camera of the device also shoots in the DCI-P3 color space and is improved in other respects compared to the iPhone 6s camera. Now not only the Plus iPhone, but also the standard-sized model is equipped with an optical image stabilizer. The camera resolution (12 megapixels) has not been increased, but the new matrix from Sony, according to official data, provides 60% faster autofocus and consumes 30% less energy. There's a new six-lens optics design with an f/1.8 aperture (as opposed to the iPhone 6s' f/2.2) and a 50% brighter quad-LED Tru Tone flash.
The resolution of the front camera was increased from 5 to 7 megapixels, which made it possible to shoot video in 1080p format.
iPhone 7 has a specialized ISP that performs image processing. In particular, the chip will be used to emulate the bokeh effect in the iPhone 7 Plus, which has a dual main camera with wide-angle and telephoto lenses. But we'll save the details about that for our iPhone 7 Plus review.
The earpiece at the top of the case is now a full-fledged loudspeaker, which, in combination with the bottom speaker, operates in stereo mode. And, as everyone already knows, the iPhone 7 no longer has a mini-jack connector for outputting sound to external speakers. Instead, Apple suggests using a wireless interface as the main method of connecting audio equipment. According to Apple, the mini-jack connector had to be “killed”, not least to free up additional space in the case - in particular, for the battery, the capacity of which was increased by 14% (from 1715 to 1960 mAh), and larger Taptic Engine.
iPhone 7 (left) and iPhone 6 (right)
iPhone 7 comes with EarPods with a Lightning connector and a mini-jack to Lightning adapter. This accessory is not as simple as it seems. The adapter contains a DAC inside. However, the iPhone 7 itself contains three audio amplifiers: two are apparently for stereo speakers, but the purpose of the latter is unknown. A possible answer to the riddle is that the Lightning port in the iPhone 7 learned to pass analog sound, but to make the adapter compatible with older Apple technology, it was equipped with a DAC.
Detailed technical specifications
Make and model
Make and model of the device, and alternative names (if any).
| Brand Device manufacturer company. | Apple |
| Model Device name. | iPhone 7 |
| Alternative names Other model names, if available. Sometimes the model is called differently, depending on the country or because of popular nicknames. | A1660 A1778 A1779 A1780 |
Design
Appearance of the device including dimensions, weight, volume, colors and materials.
| Width The horizontal side of the device when used in standard orientation. | 67.1 mm (millimeters) |
| Height The vertical side of the device when used in standard orientation. | 138.3 mm (millimeters) |
| Thickness The cross-sectional size of the device. | 7.1 mm (millimeters) |
| Weight How much does the device weigh excluding the case, SIM and memory cards and other additional elements. | 138 g (grams) |
| Volume Approximate value calculated using the formula: length times width times height. | 65.89 cm³ (cubic centimeters) |
| Colors What colors is the device available in? | Black Silver Rose Gold Golden Red |
| Housing materials What materials is the body made of? | Aluminium alloy |
System on a Chip (SoC)
A system on a chip, a single-chip system (System on a Chip, SoC) is when several systems performing different device functions are connected on one chip.
| System on a Chip (SoC) A single-chip system that contains components such as a processor, graphics accelerator, memory units, communication interfaces, etc., as well as software for the operation of the system. | Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24 |
Central processing unit (CPU)
| Technical process What technological process is used to make the chip? The smaller the process technology, the better - the chips consume less power and generate less heat. | 16 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor size Processor capacity is a parameter that indicates how many bits of data a processor register processes in 1 clock cycle. This is usually 32 or 64 bits. | 64 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instruction set architecture (ISA) is a programmable part of the microprocessor core used by software to control the operation of the processor. | ARMv8-A |
| Number of processor cores The processor can be either single-core or multi-core. The performance of the processor depends on the number of cores (threads). The more cores working simultaneously, the higher the power consumption, so in mobile devices all cores are used only under high load. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed Clock speed is the number of operations per second that a processor or its core can achieve. The higher the frequency, the higher the overall performance of the device, but performance also depends on the processor architecture and the number of cores. | 2370 MHz (megahertz) |
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The graphics processing unit (GPU) is used to process and display graphics - 3D effects, games, interfaces and other visual elements. Due to the pipeline architecture, the GPU is many times more efficient in graphics processing than the processor. | PowerVR |
| Number of GPU cores Similar to a processor, a GPU can have one core or several. The number of cores (threads) determines the performance and amount of information processed. The more cores, the better. | 6 |
Random access memory (RAM)
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) RAM (Random Access Memory, RAM, RAM) is temporary memory (works only while the device is running), which stores data and code for the operational operation of programs and applications. The more RAM, the more programs you can run simultaneously without loss of performance (there will be fewer “brakes”). | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of RAM used by the device. | LPDDR4—- M10 motion coprocessor |
Built-in memory
Most mobile devices have built-in Flash memory, which is used as a storage for system data, the operating system, as well as user data - photos, videos, recordings and much more.
| Built-in memory capacity The higher the amount of built-in memory, the more games, programs, music, videos and your other files will fit in the device, especially the amount of memory is important when the device does not support memory cards. | 32 GB (gigabytes) 128 GB (gigabytes) 256 GB (gigabytes) |
Operating system
A mobile operating system (OS) is pre-installed software with a well-thought-out interface for user control of device functions.
| Operating system (OS) The operating system installed by default by the device manufacturer, as well as its version. | iOS 10 iOS 11.4 |
Battery
To operate autonomously, a mobile device requires a battery that powers all its components.
| Battery capacity The main characteristic of a battery is its maximum capacity, that is, the charge it can store. Capacity is measured in mAh (mAh, milliamp-hour). The higher the capacity, the longer the mobile device can work. | 1960 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Battery type Many types of batteries have been used in portable devices, but NiCd (nickel-cadmium), NiMH (nickel-metal hydride), and even more so SLA (lead-acid) batteries are already considered obsolete. Instead, modern mobile devices use Li-Ion (lithium-ion) and Li-Pol, Li-Poly (lithium-polymer) batteries. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| Call duration on 2G network (GSM, CDMA) Approximately how long will it take for a fully charged battery to discharge when talking in 2G mode. Approximate, because this time is influenced by many factors, such as the operator, signal strength, active applications, and so on. | 12 h (hours) 720 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| Waiting time on 2G network (GSM, CDMA) Approximately how long will it take for a fully charged battery to discharge if the mobile device is not used and is connected in 2G mode. | 240 h (hours) 14400 min (minutes) 10 days |
| Call duration on 3G network (WCDMA, UMTS, CDMA2000) About how long a fully charged battery will be discharged during a call on third generation networks. Approximate time because it is influenced by various factors, including ambient temperature. | 12 h (hours) 720 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| Waiting time on 3G network (WCDMA, UMTS, CDMA2000) About how long a fully charged battery will be discharged if the mobile device is in standby mode and connected to third generation networks. | 240 h (hours) 14400 min (minutes) 10 days |
Screen
The screen (display) is the main element for displaying graphic information.
| Technology The technology used to make the screen. There are many types of display manufacturing with their pros and cons. | IPS |
| Diagonal The screen diagonal of a device is measured in inches (inch, in or simply ″), and 1″ is equal to 2.54 cm. | 4.7 in (inches) 119.38 mm (millimeters) 11.94 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 58.51 mm (millimeters) 5.85 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 104.06 mm (millimeters) 10.41 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio Aspect ratio is the ratio of the shorter side of the screen, which is considered to be 1, to the longer side, which is denoted by a decimal fraction indicating the ratio to the short side. | 1.779:1 |
| Screen resolution Screen resolution is the number of horizontal pixels (dots) multiplied by the number of vertical pixels. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image will be. | 750 x 1334 pixels |
| Pixel Density The number of pixels per inch or PPI (pixels per inch) indicates the density of pixels per 1 inch (2.54 cm) of the screen. The higher the PPI, the sharper the image, and the less visible or even invisible “squares and dots” (pixels). | 326 ppi (pixels per inch) 128 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Color depth means how many bits are used in 1 pixel to display color (bits per pixel). | 24 bit 16777216 colors |
| Screen area Approximate usable area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. The higher the percentage, the narrower the frames around the display or the smaller the “chin with bangs.” | 65.82% (percent) |
| Touch screen A touch screen is a device that usually covers the display and is a touch input tool. In fact, in mobile devices, the touchscreen is a replacement for the keyboard and mouse. | Yes |
| Touch screen type There are many types of touch screens, with their pros and cons. Mobile devices often use capacitive touchscreens, but technology does not stand still and new types of sensors are appearing. | Capacitive |
| Multi-touch Touch screen support for two or more touches. For example, zooming photos with two fingers. | Yes |
| Impact-resistant protective glass of the display The screen and touchscreen of a mobile device are usually covered with protective tempered glass (sometimes plastic or film is used instead of glass) to protect the display from impacts and scratches. Many companies are engaged in the production of such protection, but the most famous are Corning - Gorilla Glass and Asahi - Dragontrail. | Yes |
| Display Contrast Ratio Contrast ratio is the ratio of display brightness in the white area to the black area. For example, 1000:1 means that white is 1000 times brighter than black. The higher the ratio, the deeper the blacks and the overall better image. | 1400:1 |
| Brightness Screen brightness is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2, cd/m2). The higher this indicator, the brighter the screen luminosity will be and the less it will be affected by ambient lighting. Comfortable brightness for videos and games is considered to be 300 cd/m2 or more. | 625 cd/m² |
Main camera
The main camera, usually built into the rear of the device, is designed for creating photo and video content.
| Photomatrix model An image sensor (matrix) is a light-sensitive sensor that converts an optical image into electrical signals that the device can subsequently process. | Sony Exmor RS |
| Maximum image resolution This is the maximum number of pixels (dots) horizontally and vertically. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image will be. Resolution can also be indicated in megapixels - this is the total number of pixels that can be in the image, calculated by the formula: vertical pixels multiplied by the number of horizontal pixels and divide the resulting amount by 1 million. | 4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP (megapixels) |
| Matrix type There are two main types of photomatrix, CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). Mobile devices mainly use a CMOS matrix - it requires less space, has low power consumption and heating. Recently, new types of sensors have begun to appear, for example PureCel from OmniVision. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Focal length Focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the image sensor. | 3.99 mm (millimeters) |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number, f) is used to control the light flux passing through the lens. The aperture is indicated by a fraction, and the smaller the fractional number, the higher the aperture passing through the lens. The more light that passes through the lens, the better overall, less noise in your photos and better night photography. | f/1.8 |
| Maximum video resolution This is the maximum number of pixels (dots) horizontally and vertically. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image will be. | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
| FPS video recording at maximum resolution FPS (Frames per Second, frame rate) is the number of frames that changes in 1 second. The higher the number of frames per second, the smoother the image will be. In this case, we mean the number of frames that the camera can achieve at its maximum resolution; the lower the resolution, the higher the FPS can be. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
| Presence of flash Incorporating a flash into a mobile device allows you to take pictures in low light conditions. Creates the necessary lighting and compensates for the lack of natural light. | Yes |
| Digital zoom With digital zoom (zoom, enlargement), the subject is brought closer due to software image algorithms. The higher the magnification with digital zoom, the worse the image quality (noise, blur) will be compared to a non-zoomed one. | Yes |
| Number of lenses in the lens This is the number of optical elements (lenses) that are contained in the optical circuit of a camera lens. | 6 |
| Focus on face Function of auto-detection of living objects and autofocus on their face or head. | Yes |
| Panoramic shooting mode Panoramic photography is a series of frames where each subsequent frame is a continuation of the previous one; at the end of the shooting, all frames are stitched together at the software level to create a panoramic photograph. Frames can be shot both vertically and horizontally, and their width can be up to 360 degrees. This type of shooting is used when the camera's viewing angle is not enough to capture the entire scene. | Yes |
| HDR shooting mode HDR photography takes a quick series of shots with highlights, midtones, and shadows, then combines them into a single frame with high dynamic range. | Yes |
| White balance White balance is a setting that helps ensure the correct color reproduction in an image by determining the color temperature of the light source in the frame. The balance can be set either automatically or manually. | Yes |
| ISO Setting ISO is the level of light sensitivity. The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the camera's light sensor and the smoother the image with less noise. The higher the ISO, the higher the light sensitivity, but more noise, graininess, or decreased sharpness. | Yes |
| Additional Information Additional information about the functions and characteristics of cameras. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Optical image stabilization Geo-tagging Touch focusing Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene select mode RAW macro mode |
Front-camera
The front camera of a mobile device (selfie camera, rear camera) is a camera on the front part, which is usually used for video communication, recognition of gestures or faces, and selfie photographs.
| Photo resolution The maximum image resolution that the camera can produce. As resolution increases, image detail increases. Resolution can also be indicated in megapixels (the total number of pixels that an image can consist of) - these are vertical pixels multiplied by horizontal pixels and divided by 1 million. | 3088 x 2320 pixels 7.16 MP (megapixels) |
| Matrix type There are not many types of matrices, the main ones are CCD, PureCel and the most popular in mobile devices due to low power consumption and compact size - CMOS. | CMOS BSI (backside illumination) |
| Diaphragm An aperture (or aperture) is essentially an adjustable baffle to control the amount of light passing through the lens. The aperture is indicated by a fraction, and the smaller it is, the more light passes through the lens, which has a positive effect on photographs - there will be less noise and better night photography. While the main cameras also come with an adjustable aperture, most front cameras have a fixed aperture. | f/2.2 |
| Video resolution This is the maximum resolution the camera can record video at. The higher the resolution, the better. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Frame rate (FPS) of video shooting This is talking about FPS at maximum video resolution; at lower resolutions, the frame rate per second can be higher. FPS determines the smoothness of the video, as well as the ability to speed up or slow down it. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
| Camera focal length Focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the sensor. The focal length determines the viewing angle, scale and degree of blur. | 2.87 mm (millimeters) |
SIM card
Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) used in mobile devices to identify subscribers in cellular networks.
| Type, size of SIM card A regular (mini SIM) card has dimensions of 25x15 mm. Micro SIM - 15x12 mm. Nano SIM - 12.3x8.8 mm. The sizes of SIM cards are different and not interchangeable. There is also an eSIM (virtual, electronic SIM card), it is built into the device and does not take up space. | Nano-SIM (4FF - fourth form factor, since 2012, 12.30 x 8.80 x 0.67 mm) |
| Number of SIM cards How many SIM cards does the device support? | 1 |
Mobile networks
This is a system in which communication and data transfer is carried out between subscribers, the location of one or more of which changes. This section lists the supported mobile communication standards and frequencies.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a standard for digital mobile cellular communications of the second generation 2G with time and frequency division of channels. GSM came to replace analog cellular communications 1G (first generation). | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| CDMA CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) - this mobile communication standard can be classified as a 2.5G network (generation), unlike 2G, CDMA has higher speech quality, higher cellular network capacity and increased data transfer speed. | CDMA 800 MHz (A1660) CDMA 1700/2100 MHz (A1660) CDMA 1900 MHz (A1660) |
| TD-SCDMA TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) is a third generation (3G) mobile communications standard used in China. | TD-SCDMA 1900 MHz (A1660) TD-SCDMA 2000 MHz (A1660) |
| UMTS UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), also called 3GSM, is a third generation (3G) mobile communications standard based on the WCDMA air interface. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long-Term Evolution, often referred to as 4G LTE) is a standard for wireless high-speed data transmission, which, although it belongs to fourth generation networks (4G), is essentially a transitional stage from 3G to 4G, greatly accelerating data transfer speeds. The standard has an improved version, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), which can already be considered a full-fledged 4th generation network. | LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 230 0 MHz ( B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE AWS (B4) LTE 700 MHz (B12) LTE 800 MHz (B18) LTE 800 MHz (B19) LTE 800 MHz (B20) LTE 1900+ MHz (B25) LTE 800 MHz (B26) LTE 800 MHz SMR (B27) LTE 700 MHz APT (B28) LTE 700 MHz de (B29) LTE 2300 MHz (B30) |
| CDMA2000 CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access) is a third generation (3G) mobile communications standard that is based on CDMA to improve it. Compared to CDMA One, it is distinguished by network reliability, data transfer speed and high voice quality. | 1xEV-DO Rev. A (A1661) |
Mobile network data standards
What data transfer standards in cellular networks are supported by the device, as well as their speed.
| Data transmission technologies Technologies for receiving and transmitting data, as well as their maximum speed. | UMTS (384 kbit/s) EDGE GPRS HSPA+ (HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, HSDPA 42 Mbit/s) LTE Cat 9 (51.0 Mbit/s, 452.2 Mbit/s) EV-DO Rev. A (1.8 Mbit/s, 3.1 Mbit/s) TD-SCDMA TD-HSDPA |
WiFi
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is a technology for wireless data transmission over a local network among devices based on IEEE 802.11 standards.
| Wi-Fi Hot-Spot A hotspot is a Wi-Fi access point. In a mobile device, Hot-Spot turns the smartphone into a Wi-Fi access point, essentially turning it into a router capable of distributing the Internet. | Yes |
| Dual-band Wi-Fi DUAL-BAND (dual-band) Wi-Fi is the ability of a device to immediately receive or broadcast wireless signals in two frequency bands 2.4 and 5 GHz. 5GHz is a less congested frequency, due to which the connection will be of better quality. | Yes |
| WiFi MIMO MIMO is a spatial encoding method for a signal that increases the bandwidth of the channel in which data is transmitted and received by systems from multiple antennas. It is usually denoted as number (number of transmitters) x number (number of antennas). For example, 2x2 MIMO means that a WI-FI system consists of 2 transmitters and 2 receive antennas, while 1x1 is a traditional single antenna design. The more systems, the higher the throughput. | Yes |
| WiFi Supported WIFI wireless network standards. | 802.11a (IEEE 802.11a-1999) 802.11b (IEEE 802.11b-1999) 802.11g (IEEE 802.11g-2003) 802.11n (IEEE 802.11n-2009) 802.11n 5GHz 802.11ac (IEEE 802.11ac) —- |
Bluetooth
Bluetooth (BT, bluetooth (z), “blue tooth”) is a short-range wireless network (up to 10, sometimes 100 meters) operating on radio waves to transmit voice and data between devices.
| Bluetooth version Bluetooth technology is actively developing and, since 1998, has been constantly updating versions of the standard. Each subsequent version introduces one or several improvements in data exchange speed, range, facilitates pairing, reduces power consumption, or introduces some new protocols and operating profiles. The higher the Bluetooth version, the better. The technology is also backward compatible, for example, if your mobile device has version 5.0, then it will work with accessories version 4.2 and lower, but the improvements introduced in version 5.0 will not work; they will work only if both the device and accessories are version 5. | 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Bluetooth LE is a low energy BT protocol specification. | Yes |
| A2DP profile The A2DP Bluetooth profile is designed to transmit a high-quality two-channel stereo signal via Bluetooth to wireless headphones, speakers and other acoustics. | Yes |
Sensors
Modern devices have many sensors that help in measurements, trigger functions, and make using the device more pleasant.
| Light sensor The light sensor reacts to the light level and is able to adjust the screen brightness automatically based on this. This is necessary to reduce power consumption and ease of use of the device. | Yes |
| Proximity sensor The proximity sensor reacts to the proximity of the mobile device to some object. For example, the sensor is used when talking on the phone to turn off the screen, which saves energy and prevents you from pressing buttons with your ear or cheek. | Yes |
| Gyroscope Gyroscope (gyroscope, gyro sensor) is a sensor for orientation in space that tracks the angle of inclination of even a stationary device along three coordinate axes. The sensor is mainly used in conjunction with an accelerometer in games and applications. | Yes |
| Accelerometer An accelerometer is a sensor that measures apparent acceleration, that is, it determines the position and distance at which a mobile device moves in space. Based on the data from this sensor, the screen orientation change, pedometer, control using tilts and gestures in games and applications, etc. work. | Yes |
| Barometer A barometer is a sensor capable of measuring atmospheric pressure. Used in weather forecasting, displaying altitude above sea level. | Yes |
| Fingerprint's scanner The scanner is responsible for authorization using a previously saved fingerprint, as a result of which the device is unlocked, payment is made, some action is confirmed - just put your finger on the scanner. Scanners can be either built into the body or built into a button or screen. | Yes |
| Digital compass This is software that displays data from a magnetic sensor or GPS in the form of a compass on the screen of a mobile device. If there are no sensors or GPS, then the digital compass will not work. | Yes |
| Additional sensors |
Audio
Audio - characteristics and capabilities of a mobile device in terms of sound.
| Music speaker There are two types of speakers in mobile devices - auditory and musical. The auditory speaker (speaker) is used for conversation, the music speaker (buzzer) is used to play music and sounds. | Loudspeaker Earphone Stereo Speakers — Cirrus Logic 338S00105 Cirrus Logic 338S00220 HAC (M3/T4) — Hearing Aid Comaptibility |
Radio
The radio in a mobile device can be built-in by the manufacturer (catch local radio channels, no internet required, often works only with headphones (as an antenna), but not always) or installed as an online application (requires internet, but more channels and often better quality) .
| Built-in radio Is a radio tuner integrated into the mobile device? | No |
Navigation and location
The location is determined by satellite navigation systems that track the device's autonomous geospatial location at multiple points. The most common satellite navigation systems are GPS, GLONASS, and the Chinese BeiDou.
| GPS GPS (Global Positioning System) is a global satellite navigation system that can determine the position of a mobile device, build routes and find the desired object on the map with an accuracy of several meters. | Yes |
| A-GPS A-GPS (Assisted GPS) is an assistive technology that will help you quickly find the location of your cellular device without waiting for satellite data, which is especially important in indoors and cities. Location is determined in various ways, for example, Wi-Fi access points, mobile towers, bluetooth and others. | Yes |
| GLONASS GLONASS is a Russian Global Navigation Satellite System, which is similar to GPS and works in tandem with it, increasing the accuracy and speed of navigation. | Yes |
| Additional navigation systems | Wi-Fi Cell ID |
USB connector
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a serial interface for connecting peripherals to computers, smartphones, laptops and much more. The interface allows you to exchange data and power a peripheral device with energy, as well as connect several peripheral devices to one USB connector at once.
| USB standard The higher the standard, the faster the throughput, or more precisely the data exchange rate. With version 3.0 of the standard, the current was increased to 0.9A, eliminating the need for additional power for some devices. | 2.0 |
| USB Mass Storage Connecting a mobile device via USB as a data storage device. That is, when you enable this mode, your device can be used as a flash drive. | Yes |
| Additional characteristics Additional features of the USB connector, for example, OTG, whether the connection is supported, peripheral devices and additional memory. | Charging via USB Own cable/interface |
Headphone jack
A TRS headphone jack (or jack) is a common standard of connectors used for transmitting audio signals. By diameter there are jack (6.5 mm), mini-jack (3.5 mm) and micro-jack (2.5 mm). In mobile devices, the 3.5mm jack was considered the most popular and widespread, but recently they began to be removed, leaving only USB connectors, through which headphones are connected with a corresponding plug or using adapters.
| 3.5mm headphone jack Does the device have a 3.5 mm audio jack? | No |
Connection and synchronization
Options for synchronizing your mobile device and connecting it to other devices.
| NFC NFC (Near field communication, near contactless communication) is a technology for contactless communication between devices over a short distance. Widely used for contactless payment, in the form of a travel card or pass, and is also used for reading and interacting with NFC tags and for exchanging data between devices. | Yes |
| Connection, synchronization Types of synchronization and connection technologies supported by the device. | Computer sync OTA sync Tethering VoLTE |
Browser
A browser is a browser program for viewing sites and their content on the Internet. Through the browser, you can open websites, search for information, download necessary files, watch streaming videos, play browser games, etc.
| Technologies Markup and programming languages supported by the built-in (standard) browser. For mobile devices, you can install additional browser applications if the standard one does not suit you. | HTML HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support many audio file formats, as well as codecs for playing them.
| Default formats The formats that the mobile device supports out of the box are indicated. But if the device does not support the format you need, then you can try adding support for it. Sometimes support depends on the technical characteristics of the device (“hardware”) and nothing can be added here, but often the ability to process a particular audio format depends on the software part. You can install another audio player or codec set separately. | AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) AAC+ / aacPlus / HE-AAC v1 AMR / AMR-NB / GSM-AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate, .amr, .3ga) AMR-WB (Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband, .awb) eAAC+ / aacPlus v2 / HE-AAC v2 FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec, .flac) MIDI MP3 (MPEG-2 Audio Layer II, .mp3) OGG (.ogg, .ogv, .oga, .ogx, .spx, .opus) WMA (Windows Media Audio, .wma) WAV (Waveform Audio File Format, .wav, .wave) AIFF |
Video file formats/codecs
Video file formats that the device supports and is capable of decoding and playing.
| Default formats Video file formats that the device is capable of playing with standard firmware and a standard (built-in) set of programs. Not all formats are supported by default, but you can install a third-party video player and/or set of codecs. | 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, .3gp) AVI (Audio Video Interleaved, .avi) H.263 H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC video QuickTime (.mov, .qt) MPEG-4 |
⇡#Appearance
In general terms, the design of the iPhone 7 is no different from its two predecessors, it has the same dimensions as the iPhone 6s and almost the same weight. However, the creators of the “seven” brought the principles of aesthetics inherent in the iPhone 6 to perfection. The first thing that catches your eye is that the plastic strips separating the Wi-Fi and cellular antenna areas are shifted to the edges of the case. In two new color options for the iPhone 7 (“black” and “black onyx”), they visually blend with the metal cover - so well that the white and gray stripes in other colors already look like a flaw.
iPhone 7 (left) and iPhone 6 (right)
In addition, the metal surface in both shades of black is treated differently than in silver, gold and pink iPhone. “Black” was smoother to the touch, while “Black Onyx” was polished to a mirror finish (which, of course, makes it vulnerable to scratches and fingerprints). In general, since the plastic spacers run along the edges of the housing and are convex in shape, it is important that the factory polishes them after installation (or, most likely, pouring and then curing in the grooves of the housing) along with the metal surface, ensuring perfect curves and precise mating materials.
iPhone 7 (left) and iPhone 6 (right)
The iPhone 7 also addressed other design flaws of the previous two generations. The main camera lens has become not only larger (due to the increased aperture), but also slightly longer (an additional lens). As a result, it still rises above the case back, but instead of being a separate ring, it is surrounded by a neat raised surface. The eye is moved into the corner formed by the plastic separator, which looks much more harmonious compared to the iPhone 6/6s lens, sandwiched between the separators in a seemingly random position.
By the way, Apple claims that both the main camera lens and the home button sensor are covered with sapphire (that is, corundum) glass. However, if you believe some evidence on the Internet, both glasses are by no means as scratch-resistant as sapphire is supposed to be - unlike the glass in the iPhone 6s. Apple has not yet responded to these reports.
iPhone 6 (left) and iPhone 7 (right)
There's also no more inappropriate shiny pit between the volume buttons. All buttons feel a little more rigid than on the iPhone 6/6s and produce a duller sound. The Lightning port frame on black models and the screw heads around it are also painted black. The speaker holes on the bottom edge are absolutely symmetrical due to the absence of a mini-jack connector.
In the triumph of minimalism that is the iPhone 7, one can only find fault with the thinnest plastic frame between the glass of the screen and the metal of the body, which Apple could well do without, as is done in the Apple Watch. However, it is possible that the frame has a functional purpose: the plastic can distribute impact energy during a fall, which would be especially dangerous in the case of direct contact between metal and glass over a large area.
The home button below the screen is no longer a physical button. Underneath the sapphire crystal disc is a pressure-sensitive Force Touch sensor, and the sensation of pressing is generated by an electromagnetic “hammer” Taptic Engine. To be honest, the “emulation” of a physical button in the iPhone 7 is not as reliable as in the Mac touchpads with Force Touch (absolutely indistinguishable from mechanical ones in feel). However, the effect is pleasant (especially at the maximum impact force, which is adjustable) and at first causes an addiction similar to that of seeds or bubble wrap.
Button presses are registered flawlessly and as frequently as human fingers are capable of. In addition, the sensor only reacts to fingers or objects with similar electrical properties and area.
Force Touch in the home button plays the same role as 3D Touch in the screen. Light pressure unlocks the phone or opens the desktop, stronger pressure calls Siri. However, it would be better if the deep press was accompanied by a second “click” - this is not the case now.
In any case, replacing the physical key with a pressure sensor means that the smartphone has one less mechanical component subject to wear and tear. In addition, a fixed “home” button could be needed for another achievement of the iPhone 7 - protection against dust and moisture of the IP67 standard. The case can withstand immersion in water to a depth of 1 m for 30 minutes.
Subsequent model with plus sign
Many people are surprised to find out what year the iPhone 7 came out. Having been released in 2016, it is still ahead of new devices, even those produced much later. Today it remains one of the frequently purchased and used devices.
At the same time, Apple used the already familiar formula and a little later released another version of the device. It won't wow you with new designs or massive innovation, but the iPhone 7 Plus is a great phone.
It offers everything the Model 7 has - strong performance, water resistance, speakers, great cameras - while adding some smart features that are more important to many users than flashy specs.
When did iPhone 7 Plus come out? Its appearance on the market was noted in September 2022, that is, a year later. At that time, the price for it was more than 60 thousand rubles. Its main advantage and addition is the increased battery life. According to reviews, the device works 6 hours longer without recharging than the iPhone 7, with the same activity of use. Therefore, a smartphone is suitable for active people who use mobile gadgets throughout the day. The only drawback is the lack of fast charging.
⇡#Packaging, delivery set
iPhone 7 comes with the usual set of accessories - paper documentation, a tool to remove the SIM card tray, and EarPods (now with a Lightning connector).
A short adapter from Lightning to mini-jack is also included in the package.
iPhone 7 Plus Camera Features
The iPhone 7 Plus has all of the above features (although it only adds one hour of battery life). But it also has the following additional interesting camera features:
- Dual lens system with two 12MP cameras side by side.
- One camera is identical to the iPhone 7 camera (standard wide-angle lens).
- The other is a 2x telephoto lens.
Not only does the 2x telephoto lens mean you now have 2x optical zoom on your iPhone, the dual lens system means you can now take stunning shallow depth of field photos that you can usually only create with a DSLR.
To understand what these improvements mean, we need to take a closer look at these new and improved iPhone 7 camera features. This will help you understand why this smartphone is still considered one of the best.
⇡#Test participants
For comparison with the iPhone 7 test results, we collected data from previous models, starting with the iPhone 5. The Android universe is represented by products from Apple's main competitor among high-end smartphones, based on Samsung Exynos 8890 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chips.
- Apple iPhone SE;
- Apple iPhone 5;
- Apple iPhone 5s;
- Apple iPhone 6;
- Apple iPhone 6s;
- Apple iPhone 7;
- Google Nexus 6P;
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820);
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (Samsung Exynos 8890);
- Samsung Galaxy S7 (Samsung Exynos 8890).
Dual lens system on iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 Plus' dual-lens camera is one of the biggest upgrades in the brand's history. What does this system mean, and how will it affect your photography?
A dual-lens system means the iPhone has two cameras (rather than one). They are located side by side on the back of the phone.
The first is the same 12-megapixel wide-angle lens that is present in the iPhone 7 model. The second is a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto lens.
The iPhone is known for its wide-angle lens. It's great for taking landscape photos. But the optional 2x telephoto lens means you can now capture high-quality images (allowing you to get closer to your subject without sacrificing quality).
⇡#Test results: performance
In all benchmarks without exception, the iPhone 7 received the highest score. Separately, we note the outstanding results of the new product in the Geekbench single-threaded load test and tests assessing the performance of web applications (Google Octane 2.0, WebXPRT 2015). The “wide” CPU architecture in the Apple SoC is so well suited for such tasks that even the Apple A9 as part of the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE leaves no chance for other systems, but the Apple A10 Fusion continues to move the bar.
The multi-threaded Geekbench test confirms that the high-performance and energy-efficient CPU clusters in the A10 Fusion do not work simultaneously: the score increase relative to the iPhone 6s/SE in single-threaded and multi-threaded tests is the same. It is, however, enough for the iPhone 7 to reach the level of multi-threaded performance found in the Exynos 8890 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.
In graphics benchmarks, iPhone 7 has also significantly improved Apple's position compared to the previous generation of smartphones and is the fastest device in its class.
AnTuTu Benchmark v6.0
Geekbench 4 (64-bit)
Google Octane 2.0
WebXPRT 2015
GFXBench GL (T-Rex)
3DMark (Ice Storm Unlimited)
New A10 Fusion processor
This is the biggest advance in terms of technical parameters. Shortly before the iPhone 7 was released, Apple announced that the A10 Fusion chip has four cores: two high-performance cores for the most intensive tasks and two low-power cores for performing simpler functions while saving power. According to user reviews, when using the device, the speed of its operation is noticeable from the first clicks.
Apps launch quickly, updates install quickly, and the camera is ready to shoot as soon as you turn it on. According to many users, there is absolutely no noticeable difference in performance between resource-intensive apps (like Pixelmator) and lightweight apps (like Mail).
However, despite the A10's power management features, there aren't significant savings in battery life in practice. Once charged in the morning, the iPhone 7 alerts the user in the early evening (usually between 5 and 8 p.m.) that the battery power has been reduced to 20 percent.
⇡#Test results: display
Testing the iPhone 7 screen is initially discouraging: it should be brighter than previous iPhones, but in fact the opposite is true - only 552 cd/m2 was obtained. As it turned out later, maximum brightness is achieved only with automatic adjustment and strong background illumination. In this case, the iPhone 7 surpasses all its predecessors in screen brightness, not to mention devices equipped with AMOLED matrices. Contrast, however, was not as good as in the iPhone 6/6s.
The gamma curves of the primary colors match almost perfectly. Overall, gamma correction works "stronger" than the standard 2.2 setting, providing a slight boost in contrast in midtones and highlights at the expense of detail in dark tones.
For the first time, iPhone color temperature settings are closer to the standard 6500K - a significant achievement for a screen with such high brightness. It is possible that the iPhone 7 is equipped with a GB-LED backlight (similar to an iMac with a DCI-P3 standard screen), the more uniform spectrum of which not only provides an expanded color gamut, but also allows you to achieve high brightness without shifting the color temperature to the cold region.
The color gamut of the screen quite accurately corresponds to the boundaries of the sRGB and DCI-P3 ranges, depending on the space in which the image was created.
Best screen, memory and speakers
Many people have been wondering for a long time when the iPhone 7 will come out. The exact date of release of the device for sale was so interesting to the mass consumer for various reasons, including because the developers promised to present an improved screen of a new generation.
When the smartphone became available, numerous reviews confirmed that the update was indeed present. The screen is brighter, making it easier to read in bright sunlight. It also supports a wider color gamut, giving your photos and videos rich, rich colors.
⇡#Test results: battery life
With constant H.264 video playback, we finally see the Apple A10 Fusion's pair of power-saving cores in action. Supported by a larger battery, the new SoC extends device battery life by 66% compared to the iPhone 6s.
Devices with less bright screens (iPhone 5/5s/SE) or larger batteries (Samsung Galaxy Note 7) still lead in this test, which, however, represents a rather specific usage scenario that does not reflect the true autonomy of the tested devices under typical conditions mixed load.
Claimed operating time for iPhone 7 and 7 plus
The declared operating time of the improved version of the mobile device, under various modes of use, will be:
- Waiting time – 380 hours.
- Listening to music – 60 hours.
- Conversation – 18 hours.
- Web surfing – 13.5 hours.
- Video viewing – 7 hours.
The amount of accumulated electricity that can be generated by a standard model is significantly lower, and therefore the operational capabilities are more modest:
- Waiting time – 240 hours.
- Listening to music – 40 hours.
- Conversation – 14 hours.
- Web surfing – 10 hours.
- Video viewing – 5 hours.
The listed characteristics are reliable only for new devices. With prolonged use, the operating time in any of the listed modes can drop to almost zero.
⇡#Test results: camera
The iPhone 7's optical image stabilizer and f/1.8 aperture came in handy. The camera allows you to shoot in low light with ISO within 100 and shutter speeds as long as ¼ s, which has a beneficial effect on the amount of noise in the frame. The appropriate color temperature for both natural and artificial lighting is not determined perfectly, but quite accurately.
iPhone 13 processor
The iPhone 13, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro, Pro Max and mini, uses Apple's 64-bit 6-core ARM A15 Bionic processor, introduced in 2022.
| Specifications Apple A15 Bionic | |
| Cores, clock speeds | 2 high-performance Avalanche cores @ 2990 MHz 4 low-cost Blizzard cores @ 1800 MHz |
| Graphic arts | 4 graphics cores in iPhone 13 / 13 Mini and 5 graphics cores in iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max |
| Neuroprocessor | 16-core Neural Engine |
| Technical process | 5nm TSMC |
| Number of transistors | 15 billion |
| TDP | 6 W |
| Performance | |
| AnTuTu 8 | 800950 |
| GeekBench 5 | 1720 / 4704 |
| 3DMark | 9594 |
⇡#Conclusions
Every iPhone, probably starting with the fifth model, is met with a chorus of cries: “Where is your innovation, Apple?” The iPhone 7 is the most convenient target for such criticism. This time, Apple did not introduce a single technology comparable in impact on the user experience and the direction of the industry development with a high-resolution screen, Touch ID sensor or Siri. The design of the iPhone was also only improved in the “seven”, and not created from scratch, as was the case in the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6. The final touches made the aluminum body of the smartphone visually monolithic (which, unfortunately, only applies to the black versions). And, perhaps, this is the final stop - it is impossible to make anything better from aluminum. Alternative materials, such as ceramics, still have dubious advantages over metal. However, in terms of design, the iPhone still has room for development - for example, getting rid of the plastic frame between glass and metal.
The creators of the iPhone 7 focused on a different task - to enhance the advantages inherent in the previous generation iPhone and compensate for the weaknesses of the 6/6s models. Let's summarize our introduction to the iPhone 7, starting with the most fundamental component - the Apple A10 Fusion system-on-a-chip. While the 10 nm process is not yet ready for mass production of mobile SoCs, Apple has managed to extract additional resources from its existing 16 nm FinFET technology. The A10 Fusion's increased CPU clock speeds, combined with an (apparently) updated core pipeline and GPU, have once again made the iPhone a leader in benchmark tests.
At the same time, an additional cluster of energy-efficient CPU cores (as well as a larger battery) had a very beneficial effect on battery life, which, as we know, was not the strongest quality of previous iPhones.
The iPhone still has probably the best LCD matrix among modern smartphones in terms of brightness and contrast, which, moreover, is finally set to the correct color temperature. As for the extended color gamut, Apple has managed this opportunity better than manufacturers of smartphones with AMOLED screens thanks to the camera, which also has an extended gamut, and the global color correction system borrowed by iOS from Macs. The camera itself, in turn, has acquired optical image stabilization - a rarity for a smartphone with a diagonal of less than 5 inches.
Among other features of the iPhone 7, we can only welcome the waterproof case and double the ROM capacity, especially 32 GB for the younger model. But the rejection of the mini-jack connector for connecting acoustics is certainly a controversial and painful point. Apple's reasoning is quite clear: all consumer electronics strive for unified interfaces, and in general, a large analog connector that performs only one function has no place in a compact gadget. We hope that Apple will be able to start the trend of switching wired audio to “digital” - through the common Lightning and USB Type-C interfaces - and at the same time help make wireless headphones for the masses better and less problematic than they are now. In the meantime, unfortunately, iPhone users will have to put up with some inconveniences. Fortunately, the adapter from Lightning to mini-jack is included and does its job.
iPhone 12 processor
The iPhone 12, as well as the iPhone 12 Pro, Pro Max and mini, uses Apple's 64-bit 6-core ARM A14 Bionic processor, introduced in 2022.
| Specifications Apple A14 Bionic | |
| Cores, clock speeds | 2 high-performance Firestorm cores at 2990 MHz 4 economical Icestorm cores at 1800 MHz |
| Graphic arts | 4 graphics cores (with Metal 2 technology) |
| Neuroprocessor | 16-core Neural Engine |
| Technical process | 5nm TSMC |
| Number of transistors | 11.8 billion |
| TDP | 6 W |
| Performance | |
| AnTuTu 8 | 619016 |
| GeekBench 5 | 1623 / 3912 |
White and yellow difference, improved bokeh effect
Automatic shooting often ruins the quality of photography. The camera only catches cool colors. And the camera in the iPhone 6s shows a more realistic shot with a bokeh effect, but clarity suffers because of this. You can, of course, stand and try to catch the correct white point, but you expect something completely different from a smartphone camera.
When shooting with bokeh, noise is almost always present. The reason for its appearance is unclear. Perhaps this is a feature of the iPhone 6s lens, because this was not noticed on the 7th model. Also, the camera of the newer device perfectly captures white and yellow colors. This effect can be achieved in Photoshop, but a smartphone can do it automatically. Even if the object moves, the iPhone 7 will retain much more detail in it than the iPhone 6s.
The difference between cameras is not always noticeable
In some conditions they shoot exactly the same. But to make photos look similar, you need to take a new photo, looking at what was already taken on a newer device. You also need to be able to catch the white balance and make a higher exposure. The iPhone 7 can take a photo instantly, but the quality will be the same as the photo on the iPhone 6s, which you will struggle with for quite a long time. But the fact is obvious, the cameras have the same photo capabilities.
Shallow depth of field effect
Perhaps even more exciting is that the dual lens system on iPhone 7 Plus allows you to capture images with a shallow depth effect that can usually only be achieved with a DSLR camera.
Shallow depth of field is ideal for portrait photography. When you want faces to be sharp, creating a blurry effect in the background.
To create this effect, iPhone uses both lenses and advanced machine learning to capture an image where the subject is in focus but the background appears blurred—this is called the "bokeh effect." It will be visible in real time, so you can see the expected result before you take the photo.
To create a photo with a shallow depth of field, you simply need to select the Portrait option from the list of shooting modes in the iPhone camera app.
