iPhone 7: When can I buy one and what's new?

The new iPhone has had a mixed reception, but waiting list suggests strong demand

 

 

Apple's newest smartphone – the iPhone 7 – is due to launch this week. Again, Apple has made two versions of its latest device, with a standard-sized iPhone 7 handset set to be sold alongside a larger plus-sized device.
Pre-orders were open last weekend and some of the earliest buyers will be getting their handsets as early as this week – the iPhone 7 officially launches on Friday 16 September. 
While some believe that the iPhone has now peaked as a product, it's still sure to be a hugely successful launch. The Mirror reports that just like every September, long queues are already forming outside Apple stores, even though there are five days to go until the handset's official launch.
Here are the major new features of Apple's iPhone 7:

Design

The new devices are the exact same size as their predecessors in every dimension, meaning that the iPhone 7 is 7.1mm thick and the 7 Plus is a slightly fatter 7.3mm.
Five colors are available. Alongside gold, rose gold, and silver are two shades of black – a standard black and a polished jet black that's only available on higher spec iPhone 7 models.
The same aluminum casing with rounded edges and corners is used on the new phones, though it's been slightly altered. Both devices have tidier, re-positioned antenna bands that neatly tuck into the top and bottom edges, plus reworked camera housings for the new hardware that lurks beneath.
There are two key differences. As expected, the iPhone 7 has no headphone jack and the home button underneath the display is no longer a physical, moving part.

No headphone jack

The absence of a headphone jack was one of the most persistent and controversial rumors in the run-up to the iPhone 7's launch and it's one that's come true – the iPhone 7 doesn't have a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.
The omission is sure to irk many people and though it's easy to be cynical about Apple's motivations, the company has tried hard to justify why the iPhone 7 doesn't need one. It has included two extras in the box with the phone in order to make the transition away from the port as smooth as possible.
The 3.5mm port is a very old connector and takes up a lot of space inside the device, so doubling up the Lightning Port's duties to charging and audio output not only means more space for new features, but better quality audio overall.
From now on, you'll be using wireless headphones or Lightning Port ready ones. Apple has bundled a pair of its white Ear Pods with a Lightning connector in the box. If you've got an expensive pair of headphones with a 3.5mm connector salvation is at hand – the company will be bundling a small Lightning to 3.5mm adapter with every iPhone 7 as well. Just don't lose it.

New Home Button

The home button change is less dramatic but you'll feel its impact every time you use the phone – quite literally. It's a non-moving part but is pressure sensitive and kitted out with the latest Force Touch technology – hap tic feedback that means it'll feel like it's clicking, even when it isn't.
This isn't just a gimmick. Combined with the loss of the headphone jack, it goes some way to explaining one of the iPhone 7's best new features – IP67 rated water and dust resistance. The iPhone still isn't as water resistant as Samsung's smartphones, but it has been tested to withstand immersion in water one meter deep for half an hour.
Liquid damage isn't under warranty though, so while it should be able to hold up against accidental dips in swimming pools and sinks, MacRumors recommends being just as careful with your next iPhone as you may be with your current one.

New cameras

Apple has introduced new cameras on their latest devices and Alphr says that they're "noticeably better" performers.
The standard phone has a 12 megapixel camera that's said to be 60 per cent faster and 30 per cent more energy efficient than the one on the iPhone 6S. It looks larger on the handset because of a wider lens that lets in 50 per cent more light. In theory, the snaps you take at night time and in dark spots should be far better on the new iPhone. Optical Image Stabilization now features, so even if your hands are jerky you should be able to take excellent photos.
Apple has fitted a slightly different camera system to its iPhone 7 Plus, though. As expected, it’s a dual sensor set up. Alongside the same 12 megapixel wide angle lens you'll find on the smaller device is a telephoto lens. It means the iPhone 7 Plus has optical zoom and you can shoot in 2x zoom without losing any detail to fuzz like you would with the digital zoom you'll find on most smartphones. It isn't perfect – pictures will drop in quality beyond 2x as the system reverts back to a digital zoom.
Both cameras can record video in 4K quality and are designed to take advantage of the display's new wide color gamut – this allows brighter, even more vibrant, color capture. A quad LED flash sits alongside each camera and the front facing selfie camera has been bumped up from 5mp to 7mp.

Performance and battery life

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be powered by the new A10 Fusion chipset mated to 2GB RAM. In practical terms, Apple promises 40 per cent faster processing speeds compared to the A9 chip found in the 6S. It also promises a 50 per cent improvement for those upgrading from 2014's iPhone 6.
Even better news is the improved battery life. Apple claims that the iPhone 7 is the longest lasting iPhone yet. Those upgrading from the iPhone 6S set will receive an extra two hours per charge with the new phone.

Anything else?

The iPhone 7's speakers are much improved – it's a stereo setup now, with a speaker at both the top and bottom ends of the device. The sound should be louder and clearer – "great for movies and gaming", says TechRadar.
The display remains the same LCD setup with 3D Touch, sized 4.7ins on the regular phone and 5.5ins on the iPhone 7 Plus. However, Apple says it's 25 per cent brighter and the new wide colour gamut means that tones are more vibrant.

Price

Pre-orders for the phone have been open over the weekend and the first buyers will be getting their phones this Friday when it officially goes on sale.
The £599 starting price makes the iPhone 7 more expensive than the iPhone 6S was when it went on sale last September. However, you'll get new and improved storage options for your money.
The entry level 16GB handset is no more. You'll be able to buy the phone in 32GB guise as standard, with 128GB and 256GB options above it.
The larger iPhone 7 Plus, with its exclusive dual camera setup, will be priced from £719. Again the same storage choices are offered.
If you like the look of Apple's new jet black phone, you'll have to fork out a bit more – it's only available on 128GB phones upwards, meaning a £699 outlay for the 4.7ins device, and £819 if you want it plus sized. The official UK release date is Friday 16 September.
In response to the iPhone 7's arrival, Apple has curtailed the iPhone 6 from its range, but the iPhone 6S will remain on sale for at least another year. Its starting price has now dropped to £499 and you can buy the phone in 32GB and 128GB configurations.

How long will I have to wait?

Early birds will get their phones at the end of this week, but many will wait a little longer.
Much like the launch of the iPhone 6 – for which 4 million pre-orders were placed within 24 hours – demand for the iPhone 7 appears to be high enough to push delivery dates back for many prospective buyers. MacRumors reports that placing a pre-order for certain iPhone 7 models and configurations could mean waiting until November.
A browse on the UK Apple Store reveals that buyers will have to wait until November to snap up a jet black iPhone 7 Plus if an order is placed now. The jet black phones with their high gloss, shiny finishes seem to be the most popular. It's a three to four week delay for the smaller, 4.7ins version as well. 
The hold-up for the rest of the range varies, so it's worth checking the precise phone and colour you want to buy on the Apple store. All iPhone 7 Plus handsets will take at least 2-3 weeks.
iPhones are Apple's most profitable products. At the launch of the iPhone 7, the company boasted that it had now sold over a billion units of its popular smartphone since the launch of the very first one  in 2007.