How much will the iPhone 7 cost and when can you preorder?
The 32GB capacity iPhone 7 starts at $649 full retail, which converts to £487 and AU$846. You're looking at starting at $32.41 per month with the iPhone Upgrade Program for the base model. We'll update with more pricing details soon.
iPhone 7 prices
COMPARISON SHOPPING
| Model | Size | US | UK | AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 7 | 32GB | $649 | £599 | AU$1,079 |
| 128GB | $749 | £699 | AU$1,229 | |
| 256GB | $849 | £799 | AU$1,379 | |
| iPhone 7 Plus | 32GB | $769 | £719 | AU$1,269 |
| 128GB | $869 | £819 | AU$1,419 | |
| 256GB | $969 | £919 | AU$1,569 |
If you signed up for the iPhone Upgrade plan, you're eligible for the new phone as part of the program. Good news for people living in the UK and China: you'll now be able to sign up, too (it was previously US-only).
You can preorder both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this Friday, September 9, and phones will be available September 16. (iOS 10 becomes available on September 13 for everyone else who's ready to upgrade).
Tell me more about that new camera
Although Apple keeps the megapixel size steady at 12, the increased aperture (now f1.8) lens promises to let in 50 percent more light through the six-element lens. That's better for all photos, and also low-light photography, which Apple emphasized. Low-light is one of the most important battlegrounds for mobile photography, especially as phone owners increasingly take to social networks like Instagram to post pictures from every environment.
Add to this a new image processing chip and faster photo-taking will help Apple step up to high-end Samsung, Sony, LG and Huawei phones that boast brighter low-light photos and much more manual control. Apple's camera app seems to retain its more pared-down design.
Optical image stabilization, or OIS, is also huge here. Last year's iPhone 6S Plus was the only phone to have it. This time Apple blesses the iPhone 7 with OIS, which should make for crisper images even if your hands jiggle a bit while you're taking it.
Finally, a new quad-LED flash (up from a dual-LED flash) will make flash brighter, but hopefully with more natural tones that don't blow out the scene. The iPhone 7 still supports Live Photos (basically a 3-second video clip) and introduces RAW image support (thanks, iOS 10).
These are all welcome upgrades. Just keep in mind that the iPhone 7 Plus has another camera trick up its sleeve with dual lenses enabling better zoom and depth of field effects.
Enough to upgrade?
Who knows yet. Hands-on, the 7 feels a lot like the 6S (and the 6). But the key updates to battery, faster performance, water resistance and camera could make a difference.
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