The iPhone 7 is a device that, whether you like it or not, generates more debate than the debate of the candidates for the presidency of the United States.
The new generation was not such a breakthrough as the iPhone 6 once, in two versions of which the traditionally tiny screen diagonal has unexpectedly grown.
But for Apple, the iPhone 7 is still a breakthrough ( ). I'll try to take a look at the latest Apple device from the point of view of an Android user and highlight the reasons for a smartphone from Cupertino, as well as describe in detail those moments that can discourage me from buying this device. I'll start with the negative and list five reasons why an Android user will spit on the iPhone 7.
"Cons" 1. Screen
Despite the fact that the screen in every generation of Apple smartphones is getting better in terms of brightness, color rendering and many other parameters, its resolution has not changed for three seasons.
I'm not saying the screen is bad. It is sufficient for most users. Until you start looking at fonts and icons. And ... see pixelation. Yes, I find fault. And I have every right to do so, given the cost of the device.
But that's not the point. The key to Apple screens is that they are very easy to break. Regular mineral glass does not survive drops as well as, for example, the latest generation of Gorilla Glass or the shatterproof screen of Motorola flagships. In the new generation, this flaw persisted - at least Apple did not say that they had solved the problem of the fragile screen in the "seven".
"Cons" 2. The headphone jack is gone ...
Lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Until you come across this feature of the iPhone 7, don't think how inconvenient it is. Yes, there are headphones with Lightning included. Yes, there is an adapter. And here the "buts" begin.
The adapter is the first candidate to be lost. Plus, the appearance of the beautiful iPhone 7 with this cheap "layer" between the device and the headphones for $ 200-300 loses much in the integrity of perception. I would definitely leave the adapter in the box and forget about it.
Complete headphones are not a solution for me: EarPods have such a design that does not allow them to stay in my ears for more than three steps, and after 30 minutes of listening to music without moving in space, my ears begin to hurt. Not mine.
There is only one way out - buy wireless headphones or headphones with Lightning. And these are additional costs, and not the smallest ones. Good wireless "ears", for example, do not cost 3 or 4 thousand rubles. I don't like it when my possibilities are artificially limited.
Cons 3. Sizes and tradeoffs
The size of the current iPhone lineup is the main compromise of these devices. It would seem that you still need to be happy: a very small iPhone SE with 4 inches, iPhone 7 with a diagonal of 4.7 and a "shovel" 7 Plus with 5.5 inches.
But a person accustomed to Android has a problem. If he is unlikely to look towards the iPhone SE due to its microscopic size, then the iPhone 7 may interest him. And then the following thing happens. The standard diagonal of screens on Android is a range from 5 to 5.7 inches. Most handy smartphones fall in the 5-5.2-inch range (e.g. Galaxy S7, HTC 10, Sony Xperia XZ). After similar devices, the screen on the iPhone 7 is clearly small.
"But there is 7 Plus!" - you tell me. Right. Only he is such a shovel that it is even larger in size than the hot in every sense new product from Samsung, where the screen diagonal is larger than in the 7 Plus. And from this, the choice in favor of the "plus", I would also call a compromise: you have to sacrifice convenience and compactness for the sake of a large screen, which, as other manufacturers show, is not always necessary.
And one more thing - Wireless. Apple at the presentation talked for a long time about the rejection of wires and the transition to the era of "Wireless", that is, wireless. My legitimate question is, where did the wireless charging get lost? It's time to add to the iPhone, 2016 is in the yard.
"Cons" 4. Notification indicator
A trifle, you tell me. The iPhone can turn on the screen when you take it off the table. Yes, a trifle, yes, he can. But that doesn't diminish the importance of the notification indicator in the least.
I always know which notification came to my Samsung: a missed call - the indicator blinks blue, a message in Facebook Messenger - green, someone wrote in WhatsApp - yellow. Even without picking up the phone, you understand who could call or write you. It is very convenient, but it is not available for iPhone users, which is a pity.
Against 5. Price
Android smartphones have long ceased to be "cheap iPhone style". The price tag for the flagships of Samsung or Sony, and recently even for my beloved Chinese Huawei, is as close as possible to the cost of the iPhone 7. But I'm used to looking at what the manufacturer is asking for that kind of money.
In the case of the same Samsung, I understand the pricing for 100% - maximum performance on the most modern and technological hardware, the best screens (and even curved in a fashionable way), excellent ergonomics.
In the iPhone, you pay for something else - for the bull's eye on the back and the overall balance of the device, which works great despite its mediocre performance by 2016 standards.
For a lot of money from the iPhone, you get the best ecosystem on the market - your MacBook and iPad Pro always work in conjunction with your iPhone, everything is synchronized, everywhere the shared content is convenient. But sometimes it's too intrusive. And some things (like binding to iTunes, and now also to Lightning / Bluetooth headphones) are annoying.
The price tag on the iPhone in Russia personally raises questions for me. Another thing is in the United States: if you compare prices with ours, the residents of America will get a device cheaper by one-fifth or even a quarter (depending on the state tax) - that's already a conversation!
Now let's move on to those points that speak in favor of the iPhone 7.
"For" 1. Device "all at once"
Moisture protection, one of the best cameras on the smartphone market, excellent performance, games guaranteed without brakes - the iPhone has everything you need from a modern smartphone. All this is enclosed in a perfectly assembled, pleasant and stylish body, and in the case of the "just" seven, it is also ergonomically close to ideal.
"For" 2. Camera
When you buy any fresh iPhone, you can be sure that the camera is the gold standard for the mobile category.
The iPhone 7 is no exception, and the Plus version also comes with a cool feature - a dual camera. And Apple has done a really unique thing. For the roar of Android smartphones, the dual camera is nothing new: take the Huawei P9 or LG G5, for example.
But for the first time in the industry, a second camera is used for portrait photography (available later with a software update) and hardware support for 2x optical zoom. In my opinion, this is a much more applied story than the black and white module in the P9, which improves color reproduction.
The wide-angle camera implementation in the LG G5 is also very interesting in terms of the final result, but the feature proposed by Apple seems to me potentially more in demand. Looking forward to an influx of cool Instagram portraits.
"For" 3. Battery
I do not like to live in the constant feeling that the smartphone is about to run out. For me personally, this feeling is internally similar to a situation when you are late for an important meeting - such an unpleasant sensation that is slightly unnerving and unbalanced. Almost any Android smartphone is capable of putting me in such a nervous state.
But the iPhone 7, and even more so the 7 Plus, is unlikely to succeed - since the days of the 6S Plus, which I, the battery showed its best side - after a whole day of active use, almost half of the charge remained. The promised increase in battery life from a single charge (+2 hours for the 7-ki and +1 for the 7 Plus) should make the iPhone 7 one of the best "long-livers" on a single charge on the market, and it's worth a lot.
"For" 4. Music
I love listening to music. Almost any modern smartphone is capable of adequately reproducing the tracks of my favorite artists. But not everyone is able to do this so that I nod with pleasure when I hear clear sound with honest juicy bass and high level of detail in my favorite headphones.
iPhone has always been good in terms of sound with headphones, and without them too. Even one speaker 6S Plus played pretty well, and the stereo sound of the “seven” speakers will override last year's flagship.
There are "music" smartphones on the market with special chips responsible for the music component, capable of satisfying even the most discerning listener. But none of them can be called a truly mainstream smartphone for one and all. And the iPhone can be - a good choice for those who need good sound (albeit overshadowed by the lack of a standard 3.5mm jack in the new products).
Pros 5. Applications and games
Optimization, optimization and optimization again. Launching even the heaviest toys and apps instantly is about the iPhone. Developers still make money mainly on iOS applications (Android is much less profitable) - that's why they pay so much attention to the platform and products for it.
It is here that most of the exclusives live (albeit even for a short period of time) - often it is iPhone users who are the first to receive new applications and games (the same MSQRD or the one promised to us at the Mario presentation).
You do not need to go into details and think about whether your device will start a game with maximum graphics settings or not - absolutely everything that is available in the App Store will work on the new (and many old) iPhones. And that's great.
conclusions
What do we have at the output? For me, as a person who has been changing one Android flagship to another once a year for many years, one thing is clear: the Android platform is more flexible, the variety of manufacturers and models of smartphones gives customers a choice.
Do you want a simplicity of the interface? Please - here's the new flagship from Huawei. Appreciate an operating system without add-ons? The top smartphone from Google (formerly Nexus, and soon, most likely, Pixel) is already waiting for you on the store shelf. Want the ultimate performance and the best functionality on your device? Look towards Samsung's Galaxy Note or Galaxy S lineup. It is also important that you always have the opportunity to switch to a smartphone from another manufacturer, if, for example, the interpretation of Android from LG or Meizu is boring to you.
With the iPhone, the situation is different - you always have a choice of one or several devices with a familiar interface, which can only be refreshed with a new wallpaper or expanded with a cool new application.
Is it bad? Not at all. With the iPhone, you buy the confidence that you will get the most stable and nimble device that will be relevant for at least 1-2 seasons. And then you'll be waiting for the new iPhone again.
And there will be a new wave of heated discussions and activation of two camps: Android vs. iPhone. This battle will drag on for years. Whose side are you on?
