If you believe everything you read, Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are going to be “boring.” Dozens of tech blogs have been harping on the idea that Apple’s new iPhone models are going to be boring ever since details first began leaking months ago. Are they crazy? Are they intentionally being obtuse? Or are they correct that Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be the most boring new iPhones the company has ever made?
Look, there’s little doubt that the design of Apple’s upcoming refreshed iPhones is going to be strikingly similar to the current iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus design (you can see a leaked video of the new iPhone 7 in action right here). And that design, as we all know, is identical to Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from all the way back in 2014. But if you think that means the new iPhones are going to be boring, you’ve almost certainly got another think coming.
MUST SEE: This is our best look yet at the gold iPhone 7
First, our standard reminder that no information regarding Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has been confirmed at this point. In fact, we don’t even know if the new models will indeed be named “iPhone 7” and “iPhone 7 Plus.” There have been dozens upon dozens of leaks from sources that have proven reliable in the past though, so much of what we’ve seen reported thus far will likely pan out next month when Apple finally unveils its next-generation flagship smartphones.
Will they be as boring as people have been saying?
Whiny bloggers have fixated on the design of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Apple has conditioned us to expect a fresh new iPhone design every other year, but in 2016 it appears as though the design of its updated iPhones won’t be fresh or new at all. For the most part, they’ll look exactly like the iPhones that came before them, which looked exactly like the iPhones that came before them.
Three years is indeed a long time to ride the same design, especially in the increasingly competitive smartphone market. This isn’t a car we’re talking about here, it’s a cell phone. And in top-tier markets like the United States, people upgrade their smartphones quite frequently. Tech fans upgrade every two years at most, while more enthusiastic users upgrade every single year.
Compounding matters is the fact that wireless carriers’ new installment plans make upgrading your phone every year pain-free. Pick up your new phone, send back your old phone, and your monthly payments don’t even change.
From everything we’ve heard, Apple has a big redesign planned for next year’s new iPhones to mark the tenth anniversary of the original iPhone’s release. With that in mind, the company had to either release big visual redesigns in two consecutive years or hold on to the iPhone 6 design for one more year and then (hopefully) blow everyone’s minds in 2017. It chose the latter option.
And so tech bloggers have immediately judged this book by its cover. Forget the fact that we have absolutely no idea how much better the new iPhones’ cameras are going to be in a year where Samsung made no advancements at all in the camera on its new Note 7 as compared to the Galaxy S7 it unveiled back in February. Also, forget the fact that we have absolutely no idea what the new iPhones’ spotlight features are going to be. The iPhone 7 is boring. Period.
Good luck with that.
I penned a post about a month ago in which I reminded readers just how exciting the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are shaping up to be; let’s not forget that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus mark the biggest and most impressive iPhone updates Apple has ever released, and yet they looked exactly like their predecessors.
A lot has happened over the past month as far as iPhone 7 leaks are concerned, so it’s time once again to take a look at what we can expect from Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:
- Faster, more powerful next-generation Apple processor
- Thinner housings
- More attractive antenna lines
- New 3D Touch home button with haptic feedback
- At least one new color (recent leaks make it look like it’ll be Space Black)
- Higher resolution displays (possibly 1080p on the iPhone 7 and 2K on the iPhone 7 Plus/Pro)
- New 12-megapixel camera on the iPhone 7
- New dual camera setup on the iPhone 7 Plus/Pro
- Smart Connector for accessories on iPhone 7 Plus/Pro
- Double the storage, with 32GB, 128GB and 256GB options
- Improved water- and dust-resistance
That’s just what we think we know at this point and doesn’t include any of the new features Apple has in store. I asked before and now I’ll ask again: Do those really sound like a boring smartphones to you?
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus during a press conference on September 7th. For a recap of everything we think we know so far including the likely iPhone 7 release date and pricing, be sure to check out our earlier iPhone 7 roundup.
