Apple iPhone 7 review: This phone still sets the benchmarks

The Apple iPhone 7 didn’t have a lot of surprises when it was launched earlier this month. Over the years leaks about new iPhones have been on the rise, a cumulation of all of which gives you an accurate image of what the new phone will be like. This time we all knew there would be muted antenna bands, no 3.5mm headphone jack while it was understood that features like the processor, camera and battery life will improve.

Watch our video review of the Apple iPhone 7 

Specifications of iPhone 7: 4.7-inch Retina HD Display with 3D Touch | A-10 Fusion quad-core processor | 2GB RAM + 128GB Storage | 12-MP camera with f/1.8 and OIS + 7MP front camera | 1960 mAh battery | iOS 10

Price: 60,000 onwards; Rs 70,000 for 128GB version

What is good?

I have to start by talking about the overall performance of this phone. Running iOS 10 and powered by the new Apple A10 Fusion processor, this phone is among the smoothest you will use. It is also pretty fast, faster in loading apps, faster in multi-tasking and faster in processing videos. Graphics performance on the phone will leave most gamers happy, while you can easily do some serious video editing using it. If you take benchmarks seriously, then this is right there at the top.

Apple iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display.

The review unit we had was the new Black, which is actually one of the most stylish smartphones around. There is nothing unique or revolutionary here, just a plain composite black slab that you would love holding any time. And the black version has just enough matte finish to give you a good grip on the phone. Simple design has its wins.

The iPhone 7 has one of the best cameras in a smartphone. It is way brighter than the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus thanks to the f1.8 aperture, but I missed some of the subtlety those cameras brought into low-light photography. In contrast, all low-light photos come out bright and clear with this camera. And with regular light, don’t be surprised if you end up with some real stunners.

Sample photo from iPhone 7. (Image resized for web)

Sample photo from iPhone 7. (Image resized for web)

Sample photo from iPhone 7. (Image resized for web)

One of the new features in the phone is the taptic feedback on the home button. This is an interesting feature, but we will need to wait and see if this actually ends up offering more to the user than just the response.

The iPhone 7 has taken the speakers to a new level. This is one good thing that has emerged from the removal of the 3.5mm jack, which I don’t think is a big deal. The audio is sharp and loud, though you will feel a bit of the vibes on the rear panel.

What is not that good?

I felt the phone was getting warm at times, especially when it was being charged. It also showed some heating while we put it through the benchmark tests and did multi-tab browsing.

The battery life, Apple claims, has improved. But it is still not really enough to keep a user tension-free and his portable power bank at home. On a good day you might get up to 12 hours, but that is not good enough for most of us.

Also read: Apple iPhone 7 review blog: Processing power is no issue, but there was a surprise

Verdict

The iPhone 7 is a good upgrade for those on the iPhone 6 or something older. If you have an iPhone 6s the upgrade might seem more incremental. That said, there is no doubt that this is among the top phones for the next few months. I just suggest that it is better to buy the 128GB as the price difference from the 32GB version is Rs 10,000 for a 3x storage jump. There is, of course, competition in the Samsung Galaxy S7, but this phone is going to give it a tough fight.