Social Media Scoop: Apple iPhone 7

Apple’s iPhone 7 dropped on Friday, so by now you’ve seen the media reports and video of crazed iPhone enthusiasts in Pikachu pajamas and lawn chairs waiting outside Apple stores for the release. In fact, a New Zealand phone carrier purchased a small army of small robots to stand in line for customers who had reserved their iPhone 7s in advance.

So, despite some serious troubles for Apple in the past several weeks — a multi-billion-dollar tax bill owed in Ireland, hardware issues causing a fatal flaw in iPhone 6s called “Touch Disease,” and a “bricking” issue caused by the iOS 10 update — all the happy Apple people are rejoicing upon the arrival of their newest “phablet.” Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook even showed up at the Palo Alto, California, Apple Store on Friday morning to take selfies with customers.

La-la-la, Apple is super-awesome, but let’s get to the part that’s important to cam models: the phone’s CAMera. Here’s the deal:

• The iPhone 7+ sports dual cameras, which enable the standard wide angle lenses but also will allow users to capture images in zoom and a “novel mode for capturing dramatic portraits.”
• The iPhone 7 also features some enhanced photo tools, like higher resolution on the front-facing FaceTime camera, as well as larger aperture and 12px size. The company says those upgrades will improve the quality of photos taken in poor lighting.

For users who do a lot of FaceTiming, take tons of images and videos (especially in low light conditions, uh, like we don’t know. Cam models?) and need a smartphone with legendary Apple quality, the iPhone 7+ is almost a no-brainer. The 7+ is the size of a Cadillac luxury ride with that 5.5″ screen, in 32GB to 256GB, and starting at the luxurious price of $769.

There are other cool features, too. Corded headphones are history, as far as Apple is concerned, unless you want to use the adapter dongle and corded ear buds that come with new phones. If you want to experience your audio through Bluetooth™ like Apple wants, you’ll have to purchase AirPods ($159), lampooned here by Conan O’Brien and #TeamCoco.

For the record, Cook told Good Morning America the AirPods won’t pop out, even if you’re doing something vigorous like dancing.

The new iPhones are water resistant, so no more worries about dropping it in the toilet at a nightclub (except for how you’re going to fish that sucker out). Audio is now in stereo; battery lasts longer; increased speed for gamers and heavy users. Apple, for the first time, added black and jet-black color options to the lineup. Because, black. #duh.

Smart idea, as black was the first model to sell out, followed by the 7+, leaving some Apple fanatics unhappy they were unable to get their hands on the phones on release day. Apple, of course, expects consumers to be Zen like the 7s packaging as they wait to get theirs. But, for users who have to wait for Apple to restock the black and 7+ models, maybe it’s not so bad to wait and see what bugs may be lurking.

Like exploding bugs from Hell. Samsung is currently living that nightmare, in contrast to Apple’s a la mode ice cream dreams. If you’re one of the million lucky U.S. owners of the recently recalled Galaxy Note 7, you’re having a different kind of week entirely.