JACK-A-LACKIN: iPHONE 7 REVIEW

Students walk slowly through the halls, their backpacks and purses slung over their backs and the gentle glow of a cell phone illuminating their faces. Mobile phones have become an important part of a student’s daily life, and out of all the phones on the market, I think the iPhone reigns supreme.

Starting at $649, Apple released the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7, one year after the release of the iPhone 6s. Students purchasing the phone can enjoy new features like water resistance, a jet-black finish, and a 12-megapixel camera.

Made of aluminum, the iPhone comes in both 4.7 and 5.5 inch models, available in matte black, rose-gold, silver, gold and the brand new glossy black finish. Apple has chosen not to revive the old, more colorful options for the iPhone, leaving many users reminiscing for the iPhone 5C.

One new, long-awaited feature is this iPhone’s water-resistance. This improvement is due to a new enclosure that can protect from spills, splashes and dust. One user showed me the extent of the water resistance of the iPhone by dropping his device into a bowl of water and leaving it submerged for a minute or two, only to pull the phone out, unscathed. I was amazed by the phone’s resistance and durability and considered purchasing it just for this new feature.

Another new feature is the redesigned home button. It is reinforced to be more durable, responsive and pressure sensitive. Although this redesign may sound like an improvement, many iPhone users are not as happy with this change.

Senior Nina Belloni, a dedicated iPhone user, feels that the home button is too different from the old versions.

“My brother has the new iPhone and I hate the home button because it doesn’t push down when you press it,” Belloni said. “I press it down, but it just feels like it doesn’t go anywhere; it’s not like the old phones.”

The new iPhone has a 12-megapixel camera and a 7-megapixel facetime camera so you can not only take pictures, but chat with friends in amazing quality. I, for one, am very excited for this improvement.

The iPhone has been steadily improving its camera quality, making it the go-to photo taking device for many people. The company prides itself on its devices’ sharp images and clear display, saying that the iPhone is the “Only camera you’ll ever need.” The phone’s camera takes stunningly clear pictures, making photography a breeze, a definite upgrade from the previous iPhones.

While these features are exciting, the new iPhone created more headlines for what it lacked: the traditional headphone jack. The company has removed the jack to create a slimmer, thinner look and feel to the phone. This has angered some buyers due to the fact that they now must buy a special cord that plugs into the charging outlet in order to attach headphones and listen to music. Users are intimidated by the idea of buying a new set of plugs and cords.

“It’s so annoying. You can’t charge your phone and listen to music at the same time,” Belloni said.

An alternative to using the charger outlet for headphones is to buy the new AirPods, wireless headphones that come out late October. These headphones connect to your phone to play music and can sense when they’re in your ears, so they pause the music when you take them out. However, these new wireless headphones cost a whopping $159 dollars, making them an unattractive option for many users.

Apple’s modifications to the iPhone are new and exciting, but could prove to be too much change for most users, and may not be worth the upgrade.