Firstly, well done to my network provider – O2 – for getting my new iPhone 7 to me on launch day, September 16th.
Upgrading from an iPhone 6, there’s not that much difference in the actual phone model – except for the lack of a headphone socket of course! Also the Home button is no longer an actual button but still feels very much like a button, as it uses haptic feedback to give feedback you can feel in your digit. Also 3D Touch is a feature that the iPhone 6 didn’t have, which I’m now getting used to.
In the box comes a set of the usual Apple earbuds – but this time with a lightning connector, instead of the usual headphone connector. Also in the box is a small convertor which allows you to connect your standard earbuds/headphones to the lightning connector. This is fine for me and allows me to carry on using my Sennheiser earbuds, just have to make sure I don’t lose the convertor. Anyways, EarPods are definitely never going to be on my shopping list.
Overall, the combination of iPhone 7 and iOS 10 is much faster than my old iPhone 6 and iOS 9. Apps startup very quickly and smoothly, browsing in either Safari or Chrome is also much quicker and the whole user experience seems smooth and fluid.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the Touch ID works much quicker than on my iPhone 6, working almost immediately, which is a nice touch.
Other features of iOS 10 work smoothly, such as Raise to Wake, press Home to unlock and the Siri improvements – it still seems like magic to ask Siri to ‘show me all emails received from Apple’ and then they suddenly appear onscreen.