Apple Unveils iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2

• By Richard Chang
• 09/07/16

Apple unveiled its latest iPhone Wednesday, returning to the market after a year with a new version of its signature product. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus couldn’t come at a better time for the world’s tech behemoth, as sales have been slumping on its iPhone and other products since the beginning of the year.

Apple also announced the upcoming release of the Apple Watch Series 2, which will use a new operating system, WatchOS3, will be “swim-proof,” and will feature GPS.

Here are 11 new features that come with the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which will start shipping Sept. 16:

1. Wireless earphones are coming, with no headphone jack on the phone. They can be charged with a Lightning port. An analog adapter will be included in every box for those still tied to the old, wired earbuds. 
2. Apple AirPods are coming in October. They will each contain a W1 chip and essentially be powered with Bluetooth technology. The sound is purported to be significantly better. Cost: $159.
3. The iPhone 7 will come in jet black, with a high gloss finish, and regular black with an anodized matte appearance. It will still come in gold, silver and rose gold, with integrated antennas.
4. The home button has been re-engineered. It’s force sensitive with a Taptic engine inside. Different pressures and number of taps elicit different functions.
5. Water and dust resistant, to an IP67 protection standard.
6. New camera system, with an optical image stabilizer. The lens will be wider, with greater aperture a new flash that creates 50 percent more light. The 7 Plus will have two 12 megapixel cameras with a zoom feature and telephoto lens that can multiply a faraway image by 10 times the size.
7. A new retina HD display that’s 25 percent brighter. The color gamut will be wider, providing richer, more vibrant colors.
8. Stereo speakers that can hit twice the volume of the 6S or 6S Plus.
9. Apple Pay is coming to Japan in late October.
10.  A new generation chip called the A10 Fusion will be 40 percent faster than the A9 (in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus). Two high-efficiency cores will operate at 1/5 the power of the older edition to prolong battery life. Apple CEO Tim Cook calls it the “longest battery life ever in an iPhone.”
11.  The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will come with iOS 10, which will feature updates to Messages, a more advanced Siri, more applications of 3D touch and redesigned maps, Apple Music, news and a home app.

The iPhone 7 with 32 GB will cost $649, and the iPhone 7 Plus with 32 GB will cost $769. The iPhones will be available with 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. The new jet black model will only come with 128 GB or 256 GB.

Apple is accepting orders starting Friday, and the phones should be in stores beginning Sept. 16.

As for the Apple Watch 2, it will contain a dual-core processor that will be 50 percent faster than the original. Graphics processing will be twice as powerful, and the display will be twice as bright.

The popular game Pokémon Go is also coming to Apple Watch.

Apple will create a Hermès version and a Nike Plus version for running enthusiasts. There will also be a ceramic version. The Apple Watch 2 will be $369. The Nike Plus version will be the same price. The original Apple Watch (with a dual-core processor) will start at $269.

As with the new iPhone 7, Apple will accept orders starting Friday, and the Apple Watch 2 will be available Sept. 16.