Photos in low light conditions. Opinion: iPhone XS camera is a compromise
The iPhone 7 Plus was considered one of the best camera phones. Most users were very happy with it for taking photos and videos. And of course main role The dual camera system was in play here. Now that the iPhone 8 Plus has been released, many will want to give preference to it, especially since the dual camera has received a number of additional bells and whistles. Everyone is wondering how much better the iPhone 8 Plus camera is than the iPhone 7 Plus. The comparison test was filmed - watch and evaluate the results!
Comparison of iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus camera
Bloggers from AllApplePro decided to answer this question - whose camera is better? They took the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus side by side and started shooting videos and taking photos in the most different conditions environment. All this was eventually recorded on video, so to speak, for convenient demonstration.
Something to note... The iPhone 8 Plus performed brilliantly during the portrait mode test. Unfortunately, the iPhone 7 Plus cannot take such spectacular shots. Also disappointing is the well-known iPhone problem 7 Plus with a camera shutter that causes judder when transitioning from a dark scene to a brighter one, which still persists on the iPhone 8 Plus. You can see all other results in the 12-minute video.
Don't forget that it will soon be available with a new front camera TrueDepth. We are confident that this flagship will show a more significant lead...
Advantages
Vibrant display with natural colors
Extremely fast processor
IP 67
Durable battery...
Flaws
... but long charging times
Poor value for money
Test results for Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
- Price-quality ratio
Average
- Price/quality ratio: 47
- Performance and Control (35%): 100
- Equipment (25%): 72.1
- Battery (15%): 87.3
- Display (15%): 91.8
- Camera (10%): 89.7
Editorial rating
User rating
You have already rated
New XXL phone from Apple
Apple offers the iPhone 7 Plus in three different storage sizes: 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB.
Thus, the manufacturer has finally said goodbye to the 16 GB version, which due to the lack of a card slot MicroSD memory no longer meets the requirements of modern times.
The device we tested is the version with the smallest memory capacity (32 GB) and is priced at 68,000 rubles. In appearance, as in the case of the iPhone 7, there is practically nothing to complain about: the body is made of glass and metal, the transitions are very clean, the antenna lines on the rear surface have migrated to the edges. Like its predecessor, the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.
The new XXL-format iPhone is equipped with an Apple A10 processor, which is allocated as much as 3 GB random access memory. We've already admired the speed and responsiveness of the iPhone 7, and the XXL version can score a few extra points in the corresponding test category: the system is extremely fast and outperforms all previously tested devices in our rating.
The 5.5-inch display shows remarkable results in the testing laboratory. For example, with its 570 cd/m2, it turns out to be even slightly brighter than the screen of the iPhone 7. We noticed shortcomings in the black point settings: this color in the model with the word “Plus” in the name does not appear as dark as expected, which leads to reducing the image contrast level.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus visited the Chip testing laboratory
Big fan of saving
In terms of battery capacity Apple company clearly set a course for saving. In particular, the iPhone 7 comes with a 1960 mAh battery. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a 3,000mAh battery. But these numbers alone, even for a rough estimate of the duration battery life not enough. And indeed: the Galaxy S7 battery lasts only 8 hours 43 minutes, and the iPhone 7 can last a good 9 hours 1 minute.
Now about the iPhone 7 Plus: it is equipped with a 2900 mAh battery and works without recharging for 9 hours 33 minutes. However, there is a problem: to charge a battery with a slightly larger capacity, it will take a little more time - in in this case The smartphone needs to stay connected to the outlet for a full 3.5 hours. There is no Quick Charge technology on board Apple devices.
iPhone 7 Plus launches with latest version operating system iOS 10.0.2. According to Apple, it is free of minor bugs and there are no noticeable innovations compared to iOS 10. 32 GB iPhone version 7 Plus missed some rating points during testing.
We have not yet tested an option comparable in other technical characteristics, but equipped with 128 GB of built-in memory. This has so far deprived the iPhone 7 Plus of the opportunity to take a higher place in our rating, since the size of the built-in memory is an extremely important criterion when assessing equipment, and with such a high level of smartphone manufacturing, the results are approximately equal. With more storage, the phone we tested would likely score slightly higher than the recently tested iPhone 7 (128GB).
On the back of the iPhone 7 Plus is Apple's dual camera Dual camera for better results?
Apple installs its new dual camera exclusively on iPhone 7 Plus. In this case, one lens serves as a wide-angle lens (28 mm), the second acts as a telephoto lens (57 mm). As a result, subjects can be zoomed in as if using optical zoom. The transition between “lenses” is very conveniently carried out in the application with just one swipe of a finger.
In addition, there is also a digital zoom, with which the image can be smoothly scaled up to tenfold magnification. However, it should be noted that only the frame size increases.
Overall, in practice, the iPhone 7 Plus takes noticeably more detailed photos than regular smartphones. Both lenses are equipped with optical image stabilization. The main camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels; first of all, those pictures taken in daylight look clear. In general, photos from the wide-angle camera resemble those from the iPhone 6S Plus, while the telephoto lens produces images of the same quality - but the frame is narrower.
Rare Apple
Although the iPhone 7 Plus is officially available, finding a new device from Apple in the market is not so easy. First of all, due to problems with delivery at the start of sales, the products are not available everywhere. For 32 GB Apple version requires 68,000 rubles, euros, for the version with a storage capacity of 128 GB you will have to pay 77,000 rubles, and the version with 256 GB will cost 86,000 rubles. All three modifications are available in the following colors: black, gold, silver and " pink gold" Onyx black color is also available, but only for models with 128 or 256 GB of memory.
Alternatives
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (128 GB)
Anyone who already owns does not have to upgrade to the iPhone 7 Plus. Although the new product works a little faster and smoother, it’s too early to write off the hardware of the 6S Plus. Currently, the previous model is available for 57,000 rubles (32 GB) or 66,000 rubles (128 GB).
Apple iPhone 7 (128 GB)
Although with its 4.7-inch screen it is slightly smaller than its older XXL brother, its standard version is cheaper. While for the iPhone 7 Plus with 32 GB you will have to pay 68,000 rubles, the 128 GB version of the iPhone 7 will cost you only 66,000 rubles.
| TEST RESULTS | |
Productivity and management (35%) |
|
Equipment (25%) |
|
Battery (15%) |
|
Display (15%) |
|
Camera (10%) |
|
| CONCLUSION iPhone 7 Plus offers a little more in every way than the iPhone 7: a brighter display, longer battery life and dual cameras. Additionally, you can highlight the extremely fast processor. In this case, you can find fault with the long charging time and the small amount of built-in memory (in the case of the 32 GB model). | 88.9% OVERALL RESULT |
Characteristics and test results of Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32GByte)
| Price-quality ratio | 47 |
| OS during testing | iOS 10 |
| Current OS | iOS 10.0.2 |
| Is there an OS update planned? | no data |
| App Store | Apple App Store |
| Weight | 188 |
| Length x Width | 158 x 78 mm |
| Thickness | 9 mm |
| Expert design review | Great |
| Expert assessment of work speed | Very good |
| Download speed: PDF 800 KB via WLAN | 0.9 s |
| Download speed: main chip.de via WLAN | 0.1 s |
| Download speed: chip.de test chart via WLAN | 1.4 s |
| Sound quality (speakerphone) | Very good |
| CPU | Apple A10 |
| Processor architecture | 64 Bit |
| CPU frequency | - |
| Number of CPU cores | 4 |
| RAM capacity | 3.0 GB |
| Battery: capacity | 2,900 mAh |
| Battery: easy to remove | - |
| Battery: surfing time | 9:33 h:min |
| Battery: charging time | 3:34 h:min |
| Function fast charging | - |
| Charger and fast charging cable included | - |
| Battery: discharging time/charging time | 2,7 |
| Wireless charging function | - |
| WLAN | 802.11n, ac |
| Voice over LTE | Yes |
| LTE: frequencies | 800, 1.800, 2.600 MHz |
| LTE: Cat. 4 | up to 150 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 6 | up to 300 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 9 | up to 450 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 12 | - |
| Screen: type | LCD |
| Screen: diagonal | 5.5 inches |
| Screen: size in mm | 69 x 122 mm |
| Screen: resolution | 1.080 x 1.920 pixels |
| Screen: Dot Density | 400 ppi |
| Screen: max. brightness in a dark room | 559.8 cd/m² |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a bright room | 53:1 |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a dark room | 135:1 |
| Camera: resolution | 12.2 megapixels |
| Camera: measured resolution | 1,499 line pairs |
| Camera: expert assessment of image quality | Fine |
| Camera: VN1 noise | 1.7 VN1 |
| Camera: minimum focal length | 4.0 mm |
| Camera: minimum shooting distance | 8 cm |
| Camera: Shutter Time with Autofocus | 0.79 s |
| Camera: optical stabilizer | Yes |
| Camera: autofocus | Yes |
| Camera: flash | Double LED |
| Video resolution | 3.840 x 2.160 pixels |
| Front camera: resolution | 7.2 megapixels |
| LED indicator | yes (monochrome) |
| Radio | - |
| SIM card type | Nano-SIM |
| Dual SIM | - |
| Protection against dust and moisture (IP certificate) | IP67 |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Yes |
| User accessible memory | 27.1 GB |
| Memory card slot | - |
| USB connector | Lightning |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 |
| NFC | - |
| Headphone output | - |
| HD Voice | Yes |
| SAR | 1.24 W/kg |
| Firmware version during testing | 10.0.2 (14A456) |
| Test date | 2016-10-06 |
I recently bought myself a film camera - large, heavy and incredibly beautiful. Having tested it in action, I noticed a curious phenomenon: standing on the street and photographing strangers, I suddenly noticed that passers-by no longer perceived a person with a camera as a photographer. No one covers their face, no one walks around me so as not to ruin the shot, no one even pays attention to the thing in my hands. And then I took out my phone and began filming people in the same way as I had filmed before. The reaction was completely different. Some smiled, others turned away, others walked around me in a circle, trying not to spoil the shot - in general, they behaved in a completely natural way towards a street photographer.
While we were figuring out which is better - Nikon or Canon, more than one generation of people has grown up in the world who perceive photography only as a function of a smartphone. Compact cameras have long been consigned to the dustbin of history, and this does not sadden me at all, but the change in the perception of photography as a process makes me think. On the other hand, some things still remain the same. People still argue about which is better (Sony or LG? Galaxy or iPhone?), and there is still no clear answer to this question. So today we'll compare six flagship smartphones to find out which one still shoots better.
⇡ Input data
A number of smartphones today have two cameras at once, and the very logic of having a second lens and sensor is different. Other smartphones still use a single-camera module. Some fellow journalists rightly believe that best result In the survey they show exactly single modules.
Phone camera ranking:
1. U11
2. Pixel
3.GS8Never known Apple to be this far behind, but guess this is the price of dual-camera focus.
— Vlad Savov (@vladsavov) July 28, 2017
So, for the purity of the experiment, the second cameras did not participate in the comparison at all - today we will only talk about normal mode shooting. Fashionable portrait mode The iPhone 7 Plus was not used, nor was the wide-angle camera in the LG G6 or the simulated shallow depth of field in the Huawei P10 Plus.
⇡ Testing
We'll evaluate results based on different criteria in different tests, but the key factors will be sharpness and detail. In addition, the result is affected by the correct exposure setting and white balance. In each test, a smartphone can score 0, 1 or 2 points. The smartphone with the most points will be named the best. Go.
⇡ Shooting through glass
No one, of course, will admit it, but this is one of the most popular genres of shooting. View from the hotel window, landscape through Windshield cars, the view from an airplane - we shoot this often. At first glance, nothing complicated, but since the windows are often tinted, this pretty much confuses the automatic white balance. So in the first test, in addition to the overall picture quality, we will also evaluate the correct color temperature setting.
Same scene in full size from cameras , And
This is quite a difficult scene to mobile cameras. Shooting against the sun (which, however, is in the haze and does not fall into the frame) in this case could give three different results. In the first, the sky was exposed correctly, but all the objects in the lower half of the frame were too dark. In the second, the bottom half of the frame is well-developed, but the top half looks too light. Well, the third option is the average between the first two.
The most correct white balance is produced by the Sony Xperia XZ Premium and iPhone 7 Plus, but according to subjective feelings, the photo from the Samsung Galaxy S8+ looks best. The result of Huawei P10 Plus also looks good, but the white balance is incorrect. Things are much worse for HTC U11 and LG G6. The latter excessively increases the contrast during software processing of the image after shooting. Probably, the company believes that the end user likes contrasting pictures more, but the technique itself is rather stupid. Let's change the shooting point and look at the result in more “correct” lighting.
There is plenty of light, there is a shadow in the frame, by which you can evaluate the breadth of the dynamic range. The only difficulty lies in the presence of tinted glass, which often confuses the algorithm for automatically determining color temperature.
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ produces an excellent picture with no gaps in the shadows and highlights on the aircraft fuselage and in the sky, but the white balance is far from correct. The HTC U11 performed best here, and if we talk about the overall sharpness and detail of the picture, then there will be two leaders - these are Samsung and HTC devices. More a high resolution The camera in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium does not add any sharpness or detail, and the LG G6 again overdid it with contrast.
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus - 1 point,
- HTC U11 - 1 point,
- Samsung Galaxy S8+ - 2 points,
- LG G6 - 0 points,
- Huawei P10 Plus - 1 point,
⇡ Macro photography
Smartphone manufacturers rarely specify a minimum focusing distance in the specifications of built-in cameras, so here I had to start close to the subject and then gradually move the smartphone back to the point where it could focus. Final result turned out to be approximately the same, but to be on the safe side, I shot two scenes: flowers in a well-lit room and coffee beans in a home environment with daylight from a window in cloudy weather.
This seemingly simple scene caused difficulties for several smartphones at once. It seemed that there was enough light in the room, but when the “look” of the lens was directed at one small point, it turned out that the lighting for macro photography was insufficient.
Some photos (HTC U11 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium) show slight noise. Color reproduction is good for all, but the G6 again increases the contrast. In terms of sharpness, the Galaxy S8+ is again in the lead, LG has the second result, pictures from the iPhone 7 Plus and HTC U11 look a little worse, the outsiders are Huawei P10 Plus and Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
Large smartphones. Their price is higher, and the advantages are sometimes very controversial. And today I have just such a gadget: big and for big money.
Of course, I'm talking about the iPhone 7 plus, the price tag for which is truly inhumane. Sometimes one gets the impression that each copy should be accompanied by personal security, so that such a significant monetary acquisition is not blocked. Therefore, for safety, big, strong, bearded Dima (our subscriber) will be with me.
I won’t talk about the fact that there is a large display, protection from water and dust according to the IP 67 standard (with it you can dive shallowly into the pool for a minute or wash it with dishes).
I won’t say that it does complete chaos in terms of performance, because of which I downloaded half of the AppStore and disappeared for a week without leaving home.
Why does a smartphone need two cameras?
In fact, there are even three of them, there is also a 7 MP front one, which now shoots honest FullHD. Happiness for bloggers, but only 30 fps. Do you want 25 or 24? - use a third party application (I installed Filmic Pro).
Let's move on to the main cameras.
One camera received a wide-angle lens with an aperture ratio of 1.8. It is high time! In fact, this gives us a cleaner picture in low light. Otherwise, the iPhone always gave us good quality photos with natural colors without artificially enhancing saturation and contrast as in many other smartphones.
 |
 |
The focal length is still approximately 28 mm. And even better stabilization. You can safely shoot a smooth video, but keep in mind that stabilization, of course, will not save you with very crooked legs :). In addition to great photos, the camera allows you to shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps.
Well, now the main thing is what kind of neighbor does the main camera have?
And this is a telephoto with a focal length of 56 mm and an aperture ratio of 2.8, without stabilization. Indeed, why is there stabilization here, because we all know: the smaller the angle, the less noticeable the shaking.
What do we actually get? On this moment The camera has a “Portrait” mode, where Apple has installed a beta version of software for creating bokeh, which tries to blur your background, but does it so clumsily that it’s easier to just take a photo and then blur the background in the application.
Due to the small aperture, this mode only requires good light, really good light. Even in the soft lighting of the cafe, it was difficult to “blur” the lamps in the background.
Of course, all this will be completed in the future and, perhaps, the mode will be very nimble, but at the moment it only causes tears. Especially if you remember the price of this gadget.
Another funny thing: in normal lighting and “Photo” mode, there is a button to switch to 2x (double zoom), by clicking on it, the camera switches to telephoto automatically. This, of course, is correct, but in poor lighting there is simply electronic zoom, and sometimes during the day. And you won’t understand whether a switch has occurred unless you stupidly cover one of the lenses with your finger. The smartphone will not inform you about this in any way!
Conclusions.
If you are a fan of the brand and know about things like “cashback”, “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”, which allow you to save on purchases, then this smartphone is probably worth purchasing for you, if only because of the cool applications, many of which are only available for iOS. I'm talking about video and photography apps now. The smartphone is fast and convenient, but our poor brother in difficult times of crisis needs to think twice before taking it, and the built-in telephoto lens shouldn’t even be in the top ten arguments for a purchase, it’s just a bonus.
The release of the next iPhone in the fall is already a tradition, as well as information leaking out from everywhere (mostly true) about what will be new in this iPhone. The iPhone 7/7 Plus was no exception. However, if the previous generation iPhone had nothing truly revolutionary (only good evolutionary improvements), then in the “seven” we see truly significant innovations. Which, however, does not mean an unambiguously positive assessment of them.
Let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.
Technical specifications of Apple iPhone 7 Plus
- SoC Apple A10 Fusion (4 cores, 2 of which operate at 2.34 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture)
- Apple A10 Fusion GPU
- Coprocessor Apple movements M10 including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
- RAM 3 GB
- Flash memory 32 / 128 / 256 GB
- No memory card support
- operating system iOS 10
- Touchscreen IPS, 5.5″, 1920×1080 (401 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch, support for 3D Touch technologies and Taptic Engine response
- Cameras: front (7 MP, video 1080p 30 fps, 720p 240 fps) and rear with two lenses (12 MP, optical zoom 2x, video shooting 4K 30 fps and 60 fps)
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
- Cellular: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, LTE Advanced support
- Bluetooth 4.2 A2DP LE
- Fingerprint scanner finger touch Third version ID
- NFC (Apple Pay only)
- Universal Lightning Connector
- Lithium polymer battery 2900 mAh, non-removable
- GPS / A-GPS, Glonass
- Dimensions 158×78×7.3 mm
- Weight 189 g (our measurement)
| Apple iPhone 6s Plus | Samsung Galaxy Note7 | ||
| Screen | 5.5″, IPS, 1920×1080, 401 ppi | 5.7″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 515 ppi | |
| SoC (processor) | Apple A10 Fusion (4 cores, 2 of which operate at 2.34 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) | Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture) | Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4 Mongoose cores @2.6 GHz + 4 Cortex-A53 cores @1.6) |
| GPU | Apple A10 Fusion | Apple A9 | Mali-T880 |
| Flash memory | 32/128/256 GB | 16/64/128 GB | 64 GB |
| Connectors | universal lightning connector | Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack | USB Type-C(With OTG support), 3.5 mm headset jack, stylus hole |
| Memory card support | No | No | microSD (up to 256 GB) |
| RAM | 3 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Cameras | main (12 MP; 4K video) with two lenses and front (7 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video) | main (12 MP; 4K video) and front (5 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video) | main (12 MP; 4K video) and front (5 MP, shooting and transmitting Full HD video) |
| User identification sensors | Fingerprint's scanner | Fingerprint's scanner | fingerprint scanner, iris scanner |
| Housing protection | IP67 (water and dust protection) | No | IP68 (water and dust protection) |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 2900 | 2750 | 3500 |
| operating system | Apple iOS 10 | Apple iOS 9 (upgrade to iOS 10 available) | Google Android 6.0.1 |
| Dimensions (mm)* | 158×78×7.3 | 158×78×7.3 | 154×74×7.9 |
| Weight (g)** | 189 | 189 | 169 |
| Average price (for version with minimum flash memory) | T-14206637 | T-12858631 | T-14123351 |
| iPhone 7 Plus (32GB) Retail Deals | L-14206637-10 | ||
| iPhone 7 Plus (128GB) Retail Deals | L-14206711-10 | ||
| iPhone 7 Plus (256GB) Retail Deals | L-14206712-10 | ||
*according to manufacturer information
** our measurement
The table clearly shows the key iPhone features The 7 Plus features water resistance, a first for the line, the disappearance of the 3.5mm headphone jack, and a dual-lens camera that offers 2x optical zoom capability.
Of course, in addition to this, there is a new SoC (we will definitely evaluate its performance) and an increased amount of memory (both RAM and permanent memory). It is significant that the dimensions of the device have remained the same - this is atypical for an iPhone without the letter “s” in the name.
Well, let's get acquainted with the smartphone live.
Packaging and equipment
The packaging of the iPhone 7 Plus is traditional for Apple smartphones and is practically no different from the packaging of the previous generation smartphone. But in the new glossy black version (Jet Black), the stylish black design of the box attracts attention.
As for the configuration, at first glance, everything here is also traditional, but there is one important surprise. So, the kit includes EarPods with a Lightning connector, mounted on a cardboard holder (it’s a pity that they abandoned the plastic box with a transparent lid, as was the case before! - according to Apple, for environmental reasons), leaflets, charger (5 V 1 A ), lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM card cradle, as well as an adapter from Lightning to a 3.5 mm minijack.
It is this adapter that is that surprise. As we said, the new iPhone doesn't have a traditional headphone jack. Therefore, to use wired headphones from third-party manufacturers with iPhone you will need an adapter. The big plus is that it is free and very compact.
Design
Externally, the new iPhone is very similar to its predecessor. Dimensions and basic design elements remain unchanged. The feeling of novelty is, of course, introduced by color solutions that were previously unavailable: “black onyx” and “black”.
In the first days of sales, there was a huge excitement around the “black onyx” option, which is quite logical. Here, not only the color is new, but also the coating is glossy, not matte aluminum, like other options and previous generations of iPhone. We tested exactly this one, “black onyx”, and I must say, it leaves mixed impressions.
The fact is that outwardly it looks very similar to plastic. It’s as if the smartphone just has a black plastic body. But if you take it in your hand, you feel the coolness and heaviness typical of metal. Well, if you knock on it, then all doubts about the type of material will disappear: it is metal, not plastic. However, during use, you will very quickly encounter a problem that is typical of glossy plastic devices - contamination of the case with fingerprints. Miracles don’t happen, and that’s true here too.
Of course, the cover saves you from this, but it gets up logical question: Why chase a new color if it won’t be visible under the case anyway? True, you can alternate using your smartphone with and without a case, fortunately Apple has released it for the new iPhone new line covers - very nice. This is what a branded one looks like Leather Case for iPhone 7 in “stormy sky” color (it is not included in the package, must be purchased separately for 4100 ).
It looks nicer in person and feels very nice in the hand. Although, let's add a fly in the ointment, the surface of the case quickly becomes covered with scratches and abrasions. This can be seen even in the photo above, although before the shooting we used this case for just a few days. And one more thing: despite the preserved dimensions and shape, you cannot use cases for the iPhone 6s Plus with the new iPhone - the changed camera eye is in the way.
Returning to the design of the iPhone itself, we note four key innovations that greatly affect the use of the device, although they are not noticeable from the outside. First of all, it is moisture protection. How long have we waited for her! How often have there been stories about iPhone falling in the toilet, getting caught in heavy rain, problems after using it in winter during snowfall... Now all this is in the past. Yes, Apple representatives emphasize that you cannot swim with an iPhone (unlike the Apple Watch Series 2). But it will survive a short-term immersion in water (like falling into a toilet).
The second aspect, which follows directly from the issue of moisture protection, is the replacement of the round Home button with a touch zone. In fact, in terms of revolution, this change may well be comparable to the abandonment of the 3.5 mm jack, and it will certainly irritate many Apple fans. After all, this button has long become almost a symbol of the iPhone! The key design element that competitors did not dare to copy (by at least, exactly in this form). And now Apple itself is abandoning it.
It is clear that he refuses not out of some whim, but precisely because of the desire to make the smartphone waterproof. And yet, the move is bold. However, Apple employs very inventive people. They rightly decided that in the end, the most important thing for users is not the fact of pressing the button, but the feeling that a person experiences while doing so. And if so, then why not imitate this feeling? After all, Apple has Taptic Engine technology. And an amazing thing happened: when we touch the touch zone, we really feel about the same as when we press physical button. Miracles! The author gave the device to several people, and those of them who did not know about this innovation in advance, but had experience using the iPhone, could not believe that there really was no button and this was an illusion.
The third innovation is the appearance of stereo speakers. Now the sound comes from both below, where there are slots, and from above, where there are no slots. This is, of course, good for watching videos and playing games, although such use cases are less convenient on a smartphone than on a tablet (remember that all iPad Pro models have stereo speakers). But they won’t make things worse, that’s for sure.
And finally, let us remind you once again about the disappearance of the standard headphone jack. Please note that the top edge of the smartphone is now devoid of any connectors or slots, while the location of the remaining controls and slots has not changed.
On the right is the power button and slot for Nano-SIM cards. On the left are volume buttons and a lever to switch the smartphone to silent mode. And at the bottom there is a single Lightning connector and speaker grilles.
Well, Apple did not radically change the appearance of the smartphone (as, for example, it was in the previous “numbered” generations - iPhone 4, 5, 6), but made revolutionary adjustments to functional features design. And if the appearance of moisture protection is a definite plus, then other innovations are more controversial. Not everyone to whom I showed the new iPhone 7 Plus “black onyx” liked it; not everyone was ready to give up such a familiar Home button and headphone jack. Time will tell whether the innovations will take root (we are almost sure that yes, they will). However, in any case, one cannot fail to note the ingenuity and grace with which Apple engineers and designers solved the problems assigned to them.
Screen
The screen parameters of the iPhone 7 Plus are no different from those of the iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5-inch diagonal, IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080. By modern standards, these are not record parameters, but, however, they look like a golden mean. True, with the spread of VR headsets, it became clear that even a resolution of 2560x1440 in smartphones is not enough, but Apple still sticks to 1920x1080, apparently not considering the use case described above to be widespread enough to sacrifice other parameters for the sake of ultra-high resolution.
The editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections will tell you about the quality of the display. Alexey Kudryavtsev.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Apple iPhone 7 Plus, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 109 versus 116 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, much like the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.
When manually controlling brightness and when displaying a white field in full screen maximum value brightness was about 550 cd/m², the minimum was 2 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In stock automatic adjustment brightness by light sensor. In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - with it the user sets the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If you don’t change anything, then in complete darkness the brightness drops to 2 cd/m² (very dark), in illuminated conditions artificial light office (about 550 lux) the screen brightness is set to 130 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) rises to 630 cd/m² (even higher than with manual adjustment). We were not entirely satisfied with the result, so in the dark we slightly moved the brightness slider to the right, and for the three conditions indicated above we got 16, 110-130 and 630 cd/m² (ideal). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately, and it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to suit the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.
IN this smartphone matrix is used IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
Traditionally, for iPhones, many dust particles are found in the layer of filler adhesive between the outer glass and the matrix:
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which Apple screens iPhone 7 Plus and Nexus 7 display the same images, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forced to switch to 6500 K. The white field is perpendicular to the screens:
We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone white field.
And a test picture:
Color balance varies slightly, color saturation is normal.
Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens and the contrast remained at a high level.
And a white field:
The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (by at least 4 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus the drop in brightness is less. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened to a medium degree and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, although not ideal:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1300:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 22 ms (12 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 30 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 1.99, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power-law dependence:
Color gamut is sRGB:
Let's look at the spectra:
Such spectra (unfortunately) are found in top mobile phones Sony devices and other manufacturers. Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Yes, and in red phosphor, apparently, so-called quantum dots. For a consumer device, a wide color gamut is not an advantage, but a significant disadvantage, since as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. However, unlike many famous and not so famous companies, Apple knows what the color gamut should be, and therefore carefully adjusts it to the sRGB boundaries (apparently, in software). As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.
The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. The nature of the change in values from hue to hue indirectly shows that software color correction is used. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Like the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE, this Apple device has a feature Night Shift , which makes the picture warmer at night (the user specifies how much warmer).
A description of why such a correction can be useful is given in the specified article about the iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a tablet or smartphone at night, it is better to reduce the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and only then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow with the setting Night Shift.
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device special problems Can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flickering, good black stability to deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane, high contrast, as well as the sRGB color gamut and good color balance. There are no significant shortcomings. On this moment this is probably one of the best displays among all smartphones.
Performance
iPhone 7 Plus runs on the new Apple A10 Fusion SoC. For the first time, the company is using a quad-core CPU, the peculiarity of which is the presence of two cores operating at a reduced frequency. They are used when high performance is not required. The idea, of course, is not new, and we have seen something similar from competitors for a long time - and in a 4+4 configuration, not 2+2. Yes, and three gigabytes of RAM will not surprise anyone today - flagship models competitors have 4 GB, or even 6 GB. But, as we have long understood, comparing the performance of iPhone with Android models, focusing solely on the number of cores, gigabytes and gigahertz, is incorrect and pointless. So let's move on to the tests, which will show how much the new product is superior to or inferior to its competitors, as well as what performance increase there is compared to the iPhone 6s Plus. We emphasize that we carried out all the tests again on the iPhone 6s Plus, since it is logical to compare models on the same OS version, that is, on iOS 10, and our first testing of the iPhone 6s Plus was carried out on iOS 9.
Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark and Kraken Benchmark. We will also add to our standard set- a new browser benchmark recommended by the creators of SunSpider as a replacement. On iOS devices we used Safari browser, on Samsung Galaxy Note7 - Chrome.
The picture is clear: the new product is about one and a half times faster than its predecessor, and more than twice as fast as its main competitor.
Now let's see how the iPhone 7 Plus performs in the comprehensive AnTuTu benchmark (we've recently been using it on iOS) and Geekbench 3, which measures CPU and RAM performance.
The layout is generally similar, although here the gap from the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is not so great, and the iPhone 6s Plus looks better. However, the leadership of the iPhone 7 Plus is still undeniable.
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench, as well as Basemark Metal Pro, created specifically for devices with Metal technology. In the case of the iPhone, GFXBench Metal was used (a benchmark option optimized for Metal devices), on the Samsung Galaxy Note7 - regular version GFXBench 3.
Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests mean displaying a picture in the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.
(Apple A10) |
Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Apple A9) |
Samsung Galaxy Note7 (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
|
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (Onscreen) | 47.0 fps | 40.3 fps | 25 fps |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan (1080p Offscreen) | 41.0 fps | 41.8 fps | 38 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen) | 57.8 fps | 58.6 fps | 51 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen) | 106.91 fps | 82.8 fps | 81 fps |
Despite some oddities in the results (almost identical iPhone indicators 6s Plus and iPhone 7 Plus in Manhattan Offscreen mode, but at the same time the iPhone 7 is a confident winner in Onscreen mode, but the opposite picture is in the T-Rex scene), the distribution of places remains the same: iPhone 7 is ahead, last year's iPhone is next, and in third place - Samsung flagship.
Once again, the iPhone 7 Plus is in the lead.
Finally - Basemark Metal Pro. Since this benchmark is made specifically for Apple devices, Samsung smartphone not in the table.
Well, one and a half times superiority - that’s approximately what Apple promised us.
As a result, we can admit that the iPhone 7 Plus is the most productive smartphone to date. Performance increase compared to iPhone 6s Plus - up to one and a half times, the closest Samsung competitor Galaxy Note7 is also completely destroyed. This also applies to graphic benchmarks, which is most important for games. However, we will repeat what we write every time about the performance of flagship smartphones: at the time of their release, it is almost impossible to feel the difference with its predecessor and with weaker competitors of the same level in real applications. Only after a year and a half do game projects come out that can fully reveal their potential.
Cameras
On iPhone 7 and 7 Plus important updates made for the camera part as well. We will analyze the iPhone 7 camera in a separate article, but here we will focus on the capabilities iPhone cameras 7Plus. So, the main thing: there are now two camera modules. One is wide-angle, the other is with a telephoto lens. Right during shooting, you can choose which of the two cameras to use, and this is done intuitively.
Cameras can be switched even while shooting video. It is reported that 4K video can now be shot at not only 30 fps, but also at 60 fps. However, an option that allows you to set 60 fps when shooting in 4K was not found in the settings. From which we can conclude that either this will be added to the software later, or this option will only be available when using third-party software. Here are examples of 4K videos at 30 fps.
The first video, shot with a wide-angle lens, demonstrates almost flawless quality. In some places you can even see the license plates of passing cars. In the third video we see a very beautiful color and Good work cameras in backlight. By the way, both videos allow you to evaluate optical stabilization.
But videos 2 and 4 already demonstrate some shortcomings. In the second video you can see the switching between the two cameras (it was done manually), and here you can clearly see that the image quality from the telephoto lens is noticeably worse than from the wide-angle. The fourth video attracts attention because the image is very noisy: the camera can no longer cope at dusk, although at the time of shooting (18:48 in early October) it was not yet very dark.
Now let's evaluate the photo capabilities. Below are examples of pictures taken with rear cameras with comments from our expert. Anton Solovyov
Lighting ≈130 lux, flash.
Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка.
As expected, the camera quality in iPhones is no longer moving forward, but it’s not losing ground either. There are some minor problems with software processing, but you could already get used to them over the last two generations - all this will be corrected in the next update. Of course, it’s a little disappointing that there are still damp spots in the production sample, but it’s not that critical. In good lighting, the camera produces a beautiful and fairly clean image, but at the slightest drop in illumination, the noise reduction turns on with all its might, although the shutter speeds are not that long and the photosensitivity values are low.
A camera with a telephoto lens most likely has the same sensor, but the program works a little worse with it. Often there are areas of blur or something like blur, despite fairly short shutter speeds. I don’t want to think badly about optics, because making a telephoto lens in this case is easier than making a wide-angle one. It would be strange if its quality let it down. However, the TV camera is still convenient and useful, despite the current quality of the images.
As a result, the iPhone 7 Plus camera can be safely called good. We just have to wait a little, and then we can consider it excellent.
Autonomous operation and heating
A year ago, we noted that the battery life of the iPhone 6s Plus is one of the main advantages of the device. One and a half to two days of use, a long time of playing games and watching videos - for many devices such results are unattainable. The iPhone 7 Plus does not have any superiority here, but there is no significant loss compared to the iPhone 6s Plus. You can use your smartphone without recharging for the same one and a half to two days (with average active use, the smartphone can be charged once every two nights).
In our traditional test scenarios, the iPhone 7 Plus also performed well, although it was inferior to its predecessor in the duration of playback of a 3D game scene. However, the closest competitor demonstrates almost twice as bad a result in this test.
Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after two consecutive runs (about 10 minutes of work) of the Basemark Metal test:
It can be seen that the heating is highly localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 41 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is not very much.
conclusions
iPhone 7 Plus is a controversial device. It's a definite flagship with a lot going for it, including record-breaking performance, long battery life and low heat when playing 3D games, a traditionally great screen, and an innovative (if flawed) camera. However, the high-profile design innovations that Apple introduced with this generation of iPhone will not be accepted by all users. On the other hand, many may remain disappointed that the appearance of the smartphone has remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous two generations (except, of course, for the new “black onyx” color scheme, which is also very controversial due to its glossy finish).
Still, it's a new iPhone, and that's it. Apple is absolutely in its own style: it doesn’t seem to care about competitors or even fans of the brand, who have difficulty accepting some bold innovations. The company simply does what it sees fit. And in the end, we get devices that (despite the dissatisfied cries of both haters and some fans) are used by everyone. In the case of the iPhone 7 Plus, the situation will be the same. And the triumphant start of sales confirms this.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the iPhone 7 Plus smartphone: