Yesterday (September 7, 2016), Apple made several announcements about the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2. They also announced significant updates to various operating systems and substantially increased baseline storage on many mobile devices.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are incremental upgrades to the iPhone 6S/iPhone 6S Plus product line—both are the same size as their predecessors but are slightly lighter. The most notable change is the removal of the 1/8 inch audio jack. All audio will now be passed via Lightning connector, Bluetooth, or WiFi. A Lightning to 1/8 inch dongle is included in the box for now, but it is uncertain whether or not Apple will continue this practice with future models. Apple will make additional Lightning to 1/8 inch dongles available for $9.
Some other new features shared between each model include:
- A10 Fusion processor with M9 coprocessor built-in
- 2nd generation Touch ID is two times faster, and the home button is clickless
- Substantially enhanced 12 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization
- 7MP front camera
- Enhanced splash and dust resistance, though not up to Sony or Samsung levels
The iPhone 7 Plus has two 12 MP rear cameras—a camera with a wide angle lenses and a camera with a telephoto lens.
Online ordering for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus begins on Friday, September 9th, with product available in retail Apple Stores on September 16th.
Increased storage for iOS devices
One of the least glamorous, but most important, changes was a doubling of storage for the latest iPhone, moving from the previous 16 GB/64 GB/128 GB to 32 GB/128 GB/256 GB. Storage options on the previous-generation iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are now 32 GB and 128 GB. Later in the day yesterday, it became obvious that Apple had also moved to a minimum of 32 GB for both the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4.
Apple Watch Series 2
The Apple Watch Series 2 remains the same size, but adds a GPS sensor, a faster processor, and a brighter screen. A ceramic case is newly available in the high end “Edition” model. The original Apple Watch remains in production as the Apple Watch Series 1, but will be enhanced with the faster processor of the Series 2.
Online ordering for the Apple Watch Series 2 begins on Friday, September 9th, with product available in retail Apple Stores on September 16th.
iOS 10 and watch OS 3
Both iOS 10 and a watch OS 3 will be available on September 13th. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) will have more information available on iOS 10 when it releases—testing of the current beta reveals few issues for University-centric apps and services.
macOS 10.12 Sierra
macOS 10.12 Sierra (Apple has moved on from the OS X designation) will be available on September 20th. ISC will have more information available on Sierra when it releases—testing of the current beta reveals some issues for University-centric applications and services.