Apple has unveiled the new iPhones and the updated Apple Watch with water resistant designs and with one less headphone jack. But there have also been lots of questions from our readers that Tech Guide is going to answer for you.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were revealed with a slightly tweaked design and better camera, longer battery life and with a water resistant IP67 rating.
But what has got a lot of people worked up was the fact that Apple killed the headphone jack – that 3.5mm hole on the bottom of the device.
A few iPhone updates ago one of the features Apple mentioned was the fact they’d moved the headphone jack from the top to the bottom.
But anyway, after yesterday’s event the questions were flying – and here’s the top 10 we were asked.
1. The iPhone 7 is water resistant – can I take it for a swim?
The iPhone 7 has an IP67 rating which means it has an Ingress Protection 6 (the first number) dust rating and 7 (the second number) water rating.
A 6 dust rating is protection from entry of dust and 7 water rating means the device can be immersed in up to a metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
So this rating means you can accidentally dunk your phone and it’s OK.
So if you spill a drink on it or drop it in the toilet you’ll be OK. But if you’re swimming – maybe leave the iPhone 7 with your towel.
The Samsung and Sony phones that are water resistant have a slightly better IP68 rating with the difference being they can go half a metre deeper than the iPhone 7 for the same 30 minutes.
2. But I can swim the Apple Watch Series 2, right?
Yes, you most certainly can. The Apple Watch is rated water resistant to a depth of 50 metres under ISO standard 22810:2010 s you can swim in a pool or ocean but don’t take it scuba diving or waterskiing or anything involving high velocity water.
3. Where the hell did the iPhone 7 headphone jack go?
Apple decided to delete the headphone jack because it feels it is old technology. A decision Apple said took a lot of courage. Whether you believe them or not, the bottom line is you can’t plug in a regular pair of headphone directly into the iPhone 7.
4. So how can I listen to my music with the iPhone 7?
Actually there are several ways you can listen to your music with the iPhone 7.
The first way is wirelessly by pairing Bluetooth earphones/headphones or a Bluetooth speaker to the iPhone 7.
Apple unveiled a pair of AirPods – wireless and wirefree – that can link to the iPhone 7 and the other devices connect to the same iCloud account.
With the iPhone 7 is a pair of earphones that can connect to the Lightning port instead of to a 3.5mm jack.
There are already a number of Lightning earphones on the market including the 3SIXT Lightning Buds and the JBL Reflect Aware.
But there will also be a Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor so you will still be able to plug your regular headphones into the iPhone 7.
5. So can I charge my iPhone 7 and listen to my music at the same time?
Yes, you can, but you’ll have to spend a little extra for an adaptor that provides two Lightning ports so one can be used for charging and one for listening. Belkin is launching one next week.
Apple’s current Lighting Dock has a Lightning adaptor on top – a Lighting port on the back to attach the cable and also a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug in your regular headphones.
The other way is go wireless and leave the Lightning port for your charging.
6. The Apple AirPods are great but what happens if I lose one?
Readers responded positively to Apple’s new AirPods but were worried that they might lose one now they’re not connected to each other with a cable.
You need to be extra careful of course but in the event you lose one of the AirPods you will buy another one.
Apple will sell a single AirPod if you lose one so you won’t be forced to buy a new pair.
Pricing for a single AirPod has not been announced.
7. How does the AirPod pricing compare to other wireless earphones?
At $229, Apple’s AirPods are actually cheaper than competitor devices.
Samsung’s Gear IconX are wirefree earbuds with a charging case and are priced at $279 but they are also a fitness tracker and onboard memory for your music.
Jabra Elite Spirts and are wirefree earbuds that are also fitness trackers and are priced at $US250 which is about $AU320.
Even Bluetooth earphones with a cable between the earbuds are more expensive including the Jaybird Freedom buds ($249) and the Bose SoundSport ($249) and Bose SoundSport Plus ($299).
8. How does the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus pricing compare to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus?
The iPhone 7 pricing and iPhone 6S pricing when it was first released are identical at $1079, $1,229 and $1,379.
But for the same price you’re getting double the memory capacity – the entry level 16GB model has become 32GB, the middle model went from 64GB to 128GB and the top of the line 128GB model went up to 256GB.
The iPhone 7 Plus pricing compared to the iPhone 6S Plus when it was first released is $40 more expensive for each model – $1,269 (32GB) up from $1,229 (16GB), $1,419 (128GB) up from $1,379 (64GB) and $1,569 (256GB) up from $1,529 (128GB).
But for that extra $40 you’re getting double the memory.
But if you take the 128GB iPhone Plus models – the iPhone 7 Plus 128GB model ($1,419) is actually $110 cheaper than the iPhone 6S Plus 128GB ($1,529).
Same deal for the iPhone 7 128GB ($1,229) is $150 cheaper than the iPhone 6S 128GB ($1,379) when it was first released.
9. Does the built-in GPS means I can run and look at maps with the Apple Watch Series 2 without my iPhone?
Yes, it does. The previous Apple Watch required the iPhone to gather GPS information and use it with the Apple Watch fitness apps.
But now GPS is built on to Apple Watch Series 2 so the satellites can locate you without having your iPhone nearby.
And having that GPS connection means you can get super accurate distances, speeds and average speeds and also see a route of your run on a map.
Same thing goes for Maps. You can access Maps and get accurate location information.
10. Why is the new iPhone 7’s design almost identical to the iPhone 6S?
The iPhone 7 design has only had a slight tweak and people expected more from a totally new model iPhone.
As we’ve seen in the past, whenever a new number iPhone is released there is a noticeably new design.
And then when the S version comes out a year later the design stays the same and there are new internal features.
But this time the iPhone 7 hasn’t changed all that much. Apple, and its legion of Apple fans, will probably say you can’t improve on perfection.
Well, here’s our theory.
Next year, 2017, will be the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and Apple will save the big design change for that occasion and maybe even call the iPhone by a name rather than a number.
We’ll know the answer to that question in 12 months.
