Later today, executives from Apple are going to stand on stage and announce new things. From the sounds of it there isn’t going to be much going on in the hardware department this year, and the company will focus almost entirely on software. Which makes sense, considering it’s a developers conference. Still, new hardware, like a super-thin MacBook Pro with an OLED touch bar, would be a pretty cool surprise.
We already know that Apple’s going to announce and showcase a new version of iOS, simply because that’s what the company has done for years leading up to today. iOS 10, or iOS X, or whatever Apple decides to call it will show off how the software will work on both the iPhone and the iPad, all the while not giving anything away when it comes to the new iPhone(s) it will launch later this year.
That device is being called the iPhone 7, and it’s probably going to be paired up with the iPhone 7 Plus, which will not only have a bigger screen but also a few more specific feature additions. The Plus models in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus weren’t much different from the smaller variants, but there were some key differences.
And it sounds like this year won’t be different from the ones prior, in terms of having features that differentiate the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
One would think that Apple could use the difference in screen size as enough of a differentiator, considering people either want a smartphone with a big(ger) display or they don’t, but that’s not good enough. In the previous models the Plus unit came with optical image stabilization (OIS), and for folks who take a lot of photos with their phone, that might be a pretty big benefit to the bigger phone.
I wasn’t a fan of OIS being left out of the smaller unit, that’s for sure, but I imagine it’s going to be offered in the iPhone 7 this year. Why? Because Apple is rumored to be offering something else to make the iPhone 7 Plus really stand out: A dual-camera system. It’s been rumored that the iPhone 7 won’t get this feature just as often as it’s been rumored that the iPhone 7 Plus will, so expectations this year are pretty clear: The iPhone 7 Plus will have the more interesting camera, and Apple is probably going to work pretty hard on selling those features, too.
The iPhone 7 will probably see other camera improvements, but it’s not hard to see that Apple is giving a ton of love to its larger iPhone, while the smaller variant just waits to get the hand-me-downs.
One other thing here that’s been bandied about quite a bit is the idea that Apple’s design of the iPhone 7 isn’t going to be much different from the iPhone 6s, which looks exactly like the iPhone 6. That would be a distinct change of pace for the Cupertino-based company, but there’s probably a good reason for it, if it’s true at all: the iPhone 8. For anyone that’s been keeping tabs on Apple rumors, the iPhone 8, set to launch in 2017, is the 10 year anniversary for the iPhone lineup, so it would make sense to make some big changes for that particular handset.
Which is why Apple might be taking a slower upgrade tick with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Honestly, I can’t even fault Apple for this maneuver, if it is indeed what’s going to happen, because the 10 year anniversary deserves something special. A full redesign, with a ton of new features, would make sense.
But it probably also means I’ll be skipping the iPhone 7, and just waiting another year for the bigger upgrade.
The iPhone 7 is going to have camera upgrades — even if I know I won’t get a dual-camera experience. The iPhone 7 is going to have a faster processor, potentially a bit more RAM, and I’m sure the experience will be great. iOS 10 will be great, probably, and there may even be features tied to the software that can only be accessed with the newer handsets. But unless those features are ridiculously awesome, I doubt it’s going to be enough for me to upgrade this year.
But what about you? Do you plan on upgrading to the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus this year? If so, is it because you’re genuinely excited for the new handsets based on the rumors, or simply because you’ve got a tradition of upgrading every year? And if you don’t plan on upgrading, why not?
