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Iphone Apple Hardware

Apple Launches the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus; Feature Water-Resistance, Lack Headphone Jack (www.bgr.in) 551

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its new flagship smartphones: the iPhone 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus. Both the iPhones look similar to the last year's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, but offer a range of new features. Chief among those features are water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, improved cameras (the iPhone 7 Plus has a pair of 12MP cameras that are able to take SLR-quality images. It offers bokeh capability). And yes, the new iPhones indeed lack the headphone jack. "it's the best iPhone we have ever created," Apple CEO Tim Cook said. The home button is getting taptic feedback, similar to that of the MacBook.

So why is Apple removing the headphone jack? Apple's SVP Phil Schiller said, "courage."The company also announced AirPods wireless earphones. A pair of these will be priced at $169. The iPhones will go on sales starting September 16 in several regions including the United States In places like India, however, it will be available starting October 7.
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Apple Launches the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus; Feature Water-Resistance, Lack Headphone Jack

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  • DRM ahoy :( (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Ann O'Nymous-Coward ( 460094 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:23PM (#52841955)
    Here's hoping the rest of the market doesn't make like apple-obsessed sheep for once and make the 3.5mm headphone jack obsolete.
    • Re:DRM ahoy :( (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Killall -9 Bash ( 622952 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:34PM (#52842047)
      WTF is "SLR-quality" supposed to mean? (Question being asked by someone who knows what SLR is).
      • Re:DRM ahoy :( (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Wowsers ( 1151731 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:45PM (#52842145) Journal

        It's meaningless marketing. How does anyone think they will ever get the same kind of photograph a 35mm sensor does, as a pin head sensor on a mobile phone has?

      • Re:DRM ahoy :( (Score:5, Informative)

        by David_Hart ( 1184661 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:00PM (#52842271)

        WTF is "SLR-quality" supposed to mean? (Question being asked by someone who knows what SLR is).

        The actual claim by Apple is that it provides "DSLR-like depth" by adding a "bokeh effect" feature. This is achieved through using a two camera system built-into the phone. There is no claim of SLR Quality. The Slashdot article summary is incorrect in this regard...

        • The new iPhone having a 12 MP camera is a significant upgrade over the prior 8 MP camera.

          An entry level DSLR cameras would likely be a 12MP camera. Of course, they come up to 24 MP (last time I checked them, and perhaps beyond), but 12MP is realistically more than anyone needs unless you plan to make very large prints.

          DSLR is not "meaningless marketing", as someone above has said. Apple is saying the resolution is similar to what is offered by DSLR cameras, which is true for what today is an entry level DSL

          • Re:DRM ahoy :( (Score:5, Insightful)

            by msauve ( 701917 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:20PM (#52842485)
            "DSLR" is marketing. Regardless of the number of pixels (oh, look, shiny!), without the light collection abilities of the large glass which can be put on a DSLR, and the photon collection abilities which come with the larger pixel sensors which DSLRs have, a phone will never come close.
        • They apparently accomplish a simulated bokeh effect through digital manipulation by somehow calculating a depth map to apply the blur. Therefore it is 'DSLR-like' by mimicking an effect that you would need a DSLR to accomplish ordinarily. We won't really know until it is released to know where the effect falls on the line between gimmick and useful tool.

    • by al0ha ( 1262684 )
      The iPhone 7 comes packaged with Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter

      !whining now please
    • The phone ships with an adaptor that gives you back the audio jack you could copy from if you wished... no more DRM than before.

      It just ALSO gives you an improved audio path that provides power to headphones.

      What is wrong with having an improved set of choices? More importantly what the FUCK is wrong with people like you who should be embracing technology, being steadfastly against any change?

  • Timeliness (Score:2, Interesting)

    by alvinrod ( 889928 )
    People tend to criticize this site for being late with stories, but Apple announcements are one instance where Slashdot seems to trot them out before the paint even dries. They're still talking about features in the presentation right now and even the linked article mentions that there's still more to come. Why not wait for the dust to settle a little before rushing this story out?
    • by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      Why not wait for the dust to settle a little before rushing this story out?

      Because unlike our posts the summaries can be updated. Hell, most news websites do the same thing for running current events: get the story started then update it as more information is released.

      • That seems especially pointless for a site dedicated to the discussion of news. A lot of the posts are going to be speculative or outright wrong, which could be prevented simply by waiting another 30 minutes until the announcement is finished and all of the details (at least the ones that were part of the presentation) are out.

        It's also weird, because Slashdot doesn't seem to do this with any other type of story, at least not that I'm aware of as almost any other event or announcement eventually gets a p
        • by Khyber ( 864651 )

          " A lot of the posts are going to be speculative or outright wrong, which could be prevented simply by waiting another 30 minutes until the announcement is finished and all of the details (at least the ones that were part of the presentation) are out. "

          And people will still post incorrect information, because they've likely NOT WATCHED THE PRESENTATION.

          Simple logic.

  • dear slashdot editors.

    please don't link to apples site about iphone 7.

  • by known_coward_69 ( 4151743 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:26PM (#52841991)

    the most shocking announcement this afternoon. i really thought it would be $29.99

  • Courage? To profit. (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    So they take away the 3.5 jack, give us an easy-to-lose adapter, and want to sell us their proprietary wireless one-size-fits-none earphones. And they call it courage? Really?
    Oh, but they have licensed out the wireless tech for a whopping 3 alternative headsets. I suppose that is supposed to appease us.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      Exactly my point, the applefan boys will argue, but you've nailed it 100%, we used to point to apple as the definition of "planned obsolescence" but this.... this is just obscene. This is too much. This is beyond bullshit and every single braindead apple moron thinks its GREAT! YAY! static and bullshit for all, continually disconnecting earbuds for EVERYONE.. But don't you dare attach this to a non apple device, no sir, we're going to tax you for that buy licensing the pretend better bluetooth tech at r
      • by MachineShedFred ( 621896 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:36PM (#52842645) Journal

        So don't buy their headphones if they don't meet your needs? It's not like they're removing Bluetooth or something.

        What is it about Apple making accessories for their products that enrages people? Just don't buy the fucking thing.

        • What if you don't have Bluetooth headphones? The audio jack worked perfectly and was not broken or dysfunctional. It worked across most models of phone and other devices trivially. There is no new advantage to the consumer to the new Apple method.

          So if they removed all USB adapters from a mac book, would you say that's ok because everyone can just buy thunderbolt adapters instead or store the data in the cloud?

  • by crweb ( 178418 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:36PM (#52842067)

    Yay, you can no longer listen to headphones at your desk and have your phone charging. Listen all day at the office, phone is dead for the walk home. GREAT Idea.

  • I'll be sticking with my iPhone 6S for years to come. Remember kids, never update your iOS past the next major revision after it was released. This ensures a long life and usability. I will stop at 10.0 to ensure slowness and battery draining doesn't kill my hardware prematurely.

    • My 5S is still going working well with strong Battery life and I am beta testing 10. Had the phone for 3 years now and for the most part Battery hasn't been even a slight problem except when I accidentally leave the phone on and active and forget about it.

      Otherwise not really a hitch with it. I expect another couple of years will be fine as well.
      Still have a 3GS that works fine as well. At least for me, hardware has never been the problem. Accidents have been... but then screen replacements and connector re

  • OK 2017 will be the year of iPhone photos with bokeh effect. In all photos in all circumstances in all social media :)

  • Obligatory (Score:4, Funny)

    by paiute ( 550198 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:39PM (#52842099)
    It's wireless. Less space than Azure. Lame.
  • Until sunk. Then IP00.
  • by dstyle5 ( 702493 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:40PM (#52842109)
    "it's the best iPhone we have ever created," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

    Amazing, I think I will now purchase an Apple iPhone 7 device due to this declaration by none other than the CEO of Apple. I was content with my Nexus 6P, but that has all changed now. Thanks slashdot for letting me know about this statement in particular, time for the trip behind the woodshed 6P.
    • It's the best iPhone in the world! :)

    • by DaHat ( 247651 )

      How is this any different from any other Apple event where they announce the new device to be the fastest, thinnest, stylish, etc they've ever built?

      • Not really any different.
        Every generation is the fastest.
        I would think Tim Cook would weary of that line.

        • Just like every version of Windows has been "The best version of Windows yet!" since Windows 95. You know it's true, because every single installer has told you so after you've [allegedly] already purchased it.

          I like to call it "customer purchase reassurance".

    • Right? I mean, the iPhone 6s Plus is a fine device (not my cup of tea, but my wife sure seems to like hers), why would Cook denigrate it by saying this new dreck is better?
      • by zlives ( 2009072 )

        because he is marketing to a previous apple buyer i.e. your wife
        look shiny!! i think is what he meant in plainspeak

    • That's just like being the "Best piece of shit in the world!"

  • by the_skywise ( 189793 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:43PM (#52842131)

    Nothing says performance like that!

  • BS on the bokeh (Score:5, Informative)

    by Solandri ( 704621 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:47PM (#52842157)

    iPhone 7 Plus has a pair of 12MP cameras that are able to take SLR-quality images. It offers bokeh capability

    Bokeh [wikipedia.org] is a function of the lens diameter relative to the subject distance (and distance of other objects from the focal plane). For a given scene, cannot be created any other way other than a physically bigger lens. You know the penumbra during an eclipse (the area experiencing a partial eclipse during a solar eclipse)? That corresponds to bokeh. There is nothing you can do on the ground to enlarge this area. It is purely a function of geometry. (Mathematically, it's the point distribution function of the lens.)

    You can fake it in software [slrlounge.com]. I've been saying for over a decade that two small lenses with some lateral separation should allow an algorithm to estimate distance and blur the parts of the picture outside the focal plane appropriately to simulate bokeh. But it's not real bokeh, it's a digital manipulation.

    • And yet, everyone and their brother will be slavishly attempting to copy the effect on other devices within months...

      Tilt/shift is another physical effect that has been recreated with software to decent effect... For those of us who don't have the budget for extreme glass, software is easily good enough.
    • Re:BS on the bokeh (Score:4, Informative)

      by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:25PM (#52842513) Homepage

      You can fake it in software. I've been saying for over a decade that two small lenses with some lateral separation should allow an algorithm to estimate distance and blur the parts of the picture outside the focal plane appropriately to simulate bokeh. But it's not real bokeh, it's a digital manipulation.

      Not sure I care. Reality is as my eyes see it, either way you're trying to manipulate reality except one limits you to physical effects and the other uses both physical and digital effects. Particularly if you are measuring focused light and simulate the out of focus effect you could have had with a different lens, I think it's more in the direction towards adjusting color/contrast/white balance and not photoshopping in Gollum. I suppose if you're in some kind of nature photography competition or news reporting where accuracy to reality is paramount this might be off limits, but for average people who'll just as easily use snapchat and instagram filters this is about a 1/10 on the photo manipulation scale.

    • I've been saying for over a decade that two small lenses with some lateral separation should allow an algorithm to estimate distance and blur the parts of the picture outside the focal plane appropriately to simulate bokeh.

      It seems to work well enough for the human visual system, which takes input from two "cameras" at about 17mm focal length and f/8 (outdoors on a sunny day), separated by about 65mm, and synthesizes it into the equivalent of a single 17mm f/0.25 image path -- not for total light-gathering capacity or resolution, but for depth-of-field control and the ability to "see around" extreme foreground objects.

      I don't care about "3D cameras" that take viewmaster-style image pairs. I want the kind of image processing t

  • by Bob the Super Hamste ( 1152367 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:52PM (#52842203) Homepage

    the iPhone 7 Plus has a pair of 12MP cameras that are able to take SLR-quality images

    Don't lie to me.

    It has a tiny little sensor [photoseek.com] that assuming has perfect glass is just providing false magnification as the lens is a f/1.8 with a pixel edge size of about 1.2um (assuming the same size sensor as in the Apple iPhone 5S) but the diameter of the airy disk [cambridgeincolour.com] would be 3.7um. So the smallest item resolvable would fill about a 3x3 grid. Granted software can get rid of some of that but it isn't going to magically make it deliver results like a full frame SLR with good lenses.

    While it is probably a better camera than most other cellphones (seriously these cameras are shit) don't say it holds a candle to an older full frame DSLR or even my 40+ year old film SLR that has some really nice lenses with good film.

    • Hear, Hear!

      MegaPixels plus near pinhole camera lens does not "SLR Quality" make.. Granted, as you say it's probably a nice (for a smartphone) camera, but no, optics and physics say it's not going to be anywhere near DSLR quality.

    • by Arkh89 ( 2870391 )

      What matters is not the diameter of the PSF itself, but the MTF (its Fourier's transform). The optical cut-off frequency is at 1/(lambda*F#) \approx 1010 lpmm (line pairs per mm) at 550nm (green color). The sensor cut-off is at 1/pitch \approx 833lpmm and the Nyquist frequency is at half that (416lpmm). So there is still a bit of information to suck still. Then it really depends on the shape of the PSF and how it lowers the MTF profile. These restrictions are physical and, thus, the same than for a DSLR.

      I a

  • I'm glad to see that they are improving the color spaces that can be displayed on their screens. Maybe someday we'll be able to have a true orange on our monitors.
  • Courage my fat fucking ass. They removed the headphone jack to SCREW every customer into needing to either replace ALL of their sound equipment, or purchase expensive ass proprietary dongles. That is the 1 and only reason, no, the headphone jack is NOT the reason your phone isn't a millimeter thick, it's because fucking technology has not got there yet, forcing all of my stereo equipment into obsolesce is not courageous. It's clearly a desperate move from a company that's losing marketshare everytime the
    • by imgod2u ( 812837 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:05PM (#52842327) Homepage

      They include the dongle with the phone...

      • by farble1670 ( 803356 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:27PM (#52842545)

        They include the dongle with the phone...

        That's only a short-term compromise to avoid pissing off the world too much. In the long term headphone makers will start producing Apple-only lightning headphones. Those headphones will have to license Apple since this new interface can negotiate the connection. They will consequently cost more. Moreover, it's a DRM ploy since regulating which devices can connect will also regulate how the media played through that interface can be copied.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      "a company that flat out refuses to actually innovate"

      That is the crux of Apple's problem. Living off of Steve Jobs' legacy. Tim Cook is a suit, nothing more. He's milking the Apple brand for all it's worth but time is running out. Google and Samsung are already eating Apple's lunch. Heck Microsoft could make a come back. Bye bye Timmy...
  • Terrible headphones (Score:5, Interesting)

    by brantondaveperson ( 1023687 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @01:58PM (#52842249) Homepage
    The existing earpods have a habit of falling from my ears - and now they're not even going to be attached to some wires? Great.
    • The EarPods that ship with the phone are wired, just using the lightning port instead.

      The new wireless EarPods you would have to buy, so if you don't think they will work, don't buy them. Personally I was worried about that also (while running the default pods will slip out of one ear) but the wireless pods may be batter, with the long stems against your cheek it seems like they would stay in better.

  • is Apple marketing speak for, "We will now be able to sell you a whole new set of branded accessories that you wouldn't have otherwise needed."

    Prediction: This version of the iPhone sells significantly worse than the previous two.

  • by Joe_Dragon ( 2206452 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @02:11PM (#52842381)

    They are getting very old and can at least use some price cuts / ram / cpu / disk bumps.

  • Personally I don't get it.
    Loved it on my first generation Sony walkman.
    Not so keen on them in the past 20 or so years.
    Getting rid of it seems like a great idea... especially since so many phone makers already did it and Apple is merely following the trend set by others.

    People need to get over the headphone jack.
    Wires suck.
    Wired headphones suck even more.

  • by ai4px ( 1244212 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @03:21PM (#52843039)
    Nope, they needed the cubic mm inside the case for.... well.... a 3rd camera? Really? I smell a rat. This was to make the headphone connector proprietary and allow them yet another shot at licensing dongles.
  • by Miamicanes ( 730264 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @05:07PM (#52843773)

    Apple is claiming they did it to make the phone waterproof. Apparently, they didn't bother to spend about 12 seconds with Google searching for "ip67 headphone jack", because if they DID, they'd have found countless IP67-rated headphone jacks like this one:

    http://koumay.en.alibaba.com/p... [alibaba.com]

    For those who don't know, the "7" in "IP67" means "waterproof to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes". I didn't have time to search further, but I'd be shocked if there wasn't at least one company that makes IP68 ("waterproof to a depth guaranteed by manufacturer, generally 1-3 meters, for some period of time also guaranteed by the manufacturer"). Note that IP ratings for things like headphone jacks don't guarantee that the jack itself won't end up with gunk in it if you drop it into mud, only that the jack ITSELF won't allow water to pass through to the interior of the phone case.

  • by Whatchamacallit ( 21721 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @06:09PM (#52844091) Homepage

    For $169 using the exact same shape as the normal ear buds but now wireless with a recharging case, means you are going to lose an AirPod in record time. Those suckers fall out of my ears all the damn time to the point I replaced the ear buds with something much better. Not even working out, just walking around or just sitting still and they fall out.

    I'd rather pay a bit more for German headphones than any Beats or Apple EarBud/AirPod... I don't get the popularity of Beats, they make you look like a friggin' moron. Early iPhone adopters were mugged due to the white headphones clearly indicating you had an iPhone...

    • by Nemyst ( 1383049 )
      As much as I agree about Beats... why German? Many of the best IEM and headphone manufacturers are American, actually. Shure, Westone, Grado, V-Moda, Etymotic Research and many more besides are from there and many still manufacture there which is a rare thing. Don't get caught in the brand image of the Sennheiser and B&O of the world, they're far from all there is.
  • by TigerPlish ( 174064 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @06:36PM (#52844247)

    Here's hoping my 5S lasts three more years. I refuse to buy any phone without a 3.5mm jack.

    Are these bluetooth airPods abomination going survive a 4 hour call? The phone does, but I doubt tiny little powered buds will.

    Good thing they still make the SE (the four-inch phone). Everything else in their catalog is just bleh to me.

    Way to fuck it up, Apple!

  • by sethstorm ( 512897 ) on Wednesday September 07, 2016 @08:01PM (#52844683) Homepage

    No phone jack makes it a non-starter.

    Hopefully Android phones have the sanity to keep theirs.

  • by tezbobobo ( 879983 ) on Thursday September 08, 2016 @02:46AM (#52846351) Homepage Journal

    They must have a different meaning of SLR quality from me.

    The entry level Canon is an 18mp camera with interchangeable lenses. It has a significantly larger sensor that would enable a significantly different depth of field, and rang of depths. Further, you can completely manipulate the aperture, shutter and ISO. And you can export RAW for MUCH greater flexibility in editing. And you can mount it easily on tripods, dollys, etc. And by using different lengths you can manipulate the bokeh.

    Hype much?

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