Chromium is the open-source project that forms the basis for Google Chrome. Because it’s completely open source, Chromium is available in many Linux distributions’ software repositories for easier installation.
The Chromium web browser is also available for other platforms. You could run it on Windows or Mac — in theory. Similarly, “Chromium OS” is the name of the open-source project that forms the basis of Google’s Chrome OS.
Getting Chromium or Chrome
On Linux, Chromium can often be installed directly from your Linux distribution’s software repositories. On Ubuntu Linux, for example, it can be installed by opening the Ubuntu Software Center, searching for Chromium, and clicking Install. It will be updated with security updates from your Linux distribution’s software repositories.
On Windows and Mac, actually using Chromium is tougher. Official Chromium builds are available, but they’re bleeding-edge-only and won’t automatically update. The updater is a closed-source part of Google Chrome. You could get third-party builds from someone, but they wouldn’t automatically update either and you’d have to trust the third-party distributer. You could compile Chromium yourself, but would you really want to do that every time an update is available? Ouch.
On Linux, getting Google Chrome involves visiting the Google Chrome download page and installing a package. It will generally configure an official Google software repository so updates for Chrome will appear in your Linux distribution’s package updater. It includes closed-source bits, so that’s why it’s not available in your software repositories.
On Windows and Mac, Chrome can also be installed directly from Google’s download page.
What Chrome Has and Chromium Doesn’t
Chrome includes a variety of closed-source bits that Chromium lacks:
AAC, H.264, and MP3 Support: Chrome includes licensed codecs for these proprietary media formats, giving you acess to a wider variety of media content — particularly sites using HTML5 video to stream H.264 videos. Both browsers include the basic, free codecs: Opus, Theora, Vorbis, VP8, VP9, and WAV.
Adobe Flash (PPAPI): Chrome includes a sandboxed Pepper API (PPAPI) Flash plug-in that Google automatically updates along with Chrome. This is the only way to get the most modern version of Flash on Linux. Even on Windows and Mac, you’re better off with the sandboxed PPAPI Flash plugin from Chrome than the older NPAPI Flash plug-in available from Adobe’s website. (You can actually get a Pepper Flash plug-in from Chrome and then install it and use it in Chromium, if you like.)
Google Update: Windows and Mac get a program that automatically keeps Chrome up-to-date. Linux users use their standard software management tools.
Security Sandbox (?): Google also notes that some Linux distributions may disable Chromium’s security sandbox, so you’ll want to navigate to about:sandbox in Chromium to ensure the sandbox is enabled and functioning by default. This is one of Chromium (and Chrome’s) best features.
While it’s not Google-branded, Chromium is still very Google-centric. It contains the same sync features found in Chrome, allowing you to log in with a Google account and sync your data.
What About the “Spyware?” (It’s Not Actually Spyware)
Google Chrome includes crash reporting features not found in Chromium. If you choose to enable crash reporting in Chrome, information about crashes will be sent to Google. If you use Chromium, this crash reporter isn’t present and you’ll have to get a bug trace the old-fashioned way. Linux distributions may also modify Chromium’s code before giving it to you. If you’re trying to pin down some Chrome bug, you’re probably better off using Chrome instead of Chromium.
Chromium also lacks the usage-tracking or “user metrics” feature found in Chrome. This is an optional feature that sends information about how you use the different parts of the browser to Google, giving them data they can use to base decisions on. (This was the sort of data Microsoft claimed they used when they said they removed the Start menu because no one used it, soperhaps geeks should leave such features on.)
In the past, users were worried that each Chrome browser shipped with a unique “client ID” and noted that Chromium did not. Google stopped doing this back in 2010.
However, Chromium includes many features that depend on Google’s servers, and they’re enabled by default. You’ll see these features listed on the Settings page. They include a web service that helps fix mistyped web addresses, a prediction service, Google’s anti-phishing feature, and more.
Chromium is nice because it allows Linux distributions that require open-source software to package up a web browser that’s almost identical to Chrome and ship it to their users. Such Linux distributions could even use Chromium as their default web browser instead of Firefox, if they liked — and some do.
If you’re into open-source software and try to avoid any closed-source bits, Chromium is a good option for you.
However, many Linux users who aren’t so passionate about open-source software might want to install Chrome. Installing Chrome gets you a better Flash player if you’re using Flash and unlocks a larger amount of media content online. For example, Google Chrome on Linux can now stream Netflix videos. This requires H.264 support for HTML5 video.
On Windows and Mac, the choice is clear — Chromium is too finicky to actually use as you can’t get official stable builds that will update themselves. The real choice here is for Linux users.
ung said last Friday that 35 of its Galaxy Note 7 phones had experienced battery malfunctions and all Note 7s were being recalled, but not everyone may have got the message.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, for example, Fox 13 reports that a man was charging his Note 7 in his Jeep Grand Cherokee on Labor Day when the phone suffered flaming conniptions.
Nathan Dornacher says he left the
Note 7 charging in the center console while he and his wife unloaded their car.
As their daughter and dog prepared to get back into the car, the dog noticed that something was amiss.
The Note had allegedly caught fire and the flames were spreading through the car.
Dornacher's souped-up Jeep was soon a smoldering wreck. He posted several pictures of the scene to Facebook.
"It was very surprising to me how quick the dash caught on fire," he told Fox 13.
He said that he'd never have imagined that something as simple as a phone could cause such damage. He said he didn't know about Samsung's recall.
Consumer Reports has criticized Samsung for not working with US authorities in order to make the recall official. This would have made any sale of the Note 7 illegal and may have increased the publicity surrounding the recall.
Dornacher didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Samsung spokeswoman, however, told me: "We are aware of the incident and we are working with Mr. Dornacher to investigate his case and ensure we do everything we can for him."
It will be interesting to see what may (or may not) have happened.
On Facebook, Dornacher confirmed that Samsung was sending out an investigator.
"Yes we had insurance but very minimum and nothing to cover any of the recent work done no ones fault but our own," he said. "We are not and have not asked for anything, we are not getting a lawyer, we will replace in time when we can afford it."
Dornacher told Fox that he switched from Apple when the first Notes came out.
"I don't think I'm going to let another Samsung product in my house," he said.
This isn't the first case this week of a customer saying that a Note 7 had exploded and damaged property. In Australia, a man said he had his Note charging by his hotel bedwhen it combusted. The damage to the hotel was said to be $1,400.
Such incidents have come at the worst possible time for Samsung, as the company released the Note 7 ahead of Wednesday's iPhone 7 launch.
As it replaces all Note 7s, Samsung has to hope that there are no more reports of such incidents relating to this extremely well-reviewed and beautifully designed phone.
A Romanian man has been arrested and charged with conspiracy relating to his involvement in a prolific ATM malware campaign.
Emanual Leahu, 30, was arrested in the western city of Bacău, Romania by the London Regional Fraud Team (LRFT) London police run by the City of London Police on Tuesday 20 September, extradited to the United Kingdom last week.
Leahu is believed to be a member of a European ATM hacking gang that stole more than £1.5 Million ($2 Million) from cash machines across the UK in 2014 using ATM malware to bypass security controls.
The gang physically broke into ATMs to directly load malware onto the machines, allowing it to withdraw"large amounts of cash." The malware was good enough to erase itself to hide its tracks, making it difficult to identify the culprit.
Three out of Five Gang Members Arrested
Luckily, due to the gang's carelessness, one of its members was recorded by a hidden ATM surveillance camera, which allowed the police to identify and arrest him.
The gang hit 51 ATMs in standalone public places across the UK, including London, Portsmouth, Bognor Regis, Brighton and Liverpool over the 2014 May Bank Holiday weekend.
This is the third arrest in the case after Grigore Paladi and Teofil Bortos, who were arrested and sentenced in 2014 and 2015 to 5 and 7 years in jail for their roles in robbing vulnerable ATMs.
According to the UK authorities, the gang has five members, with the other two suspects still remain at large in Romania. European arrest warrants have already been issued in their names as well.
Police also ensured bank customers that they are not affected by the theft as the gang's malware only tricked the bank ATMs to release cash, not from customers' accounts.
Global Campaigns to Bust ATM fraudsters
UK Police has recently risen to help international crime fighting efforts dedicated to anti-fraud and cracking down ATM hackers.
"Operating across borders has its challenges, but overseas law enforcement has been extremely co-operative, especially in Romania," LRFT head, detective inspector Matthew Mountford said. "Working together we will continue to ensure that organised criminal gang members have nowhere to hide."
Earlier this year, European police arrested eight members of an international ATM hacking gang who robbed ATMs across Europe and beyond using Tyupkin malware that made them the made millions in cash.
ATM fraudsters have risen in past few years. Just over a month back, the Central Bank of Thailand (BoT) issued a warning to all commercial banks about security flaws in their ATMs that made hackers over 12.29 Million Thailand Baht (over US$346,000).
A few months ago, ATM fraudsters managed to steal ¥1.4 Billion (approx. US$12.7 Million) from some 1,400 ATMs placed in small convenience stores across Japan.
Over on VentureBeat, serial leaker Mr Evan Blass has posted an image of the device we’re all expecting Google to announce during their October 4th event.
It’s thought that the “Nexus” brand will be cast aside in favour of the new “Pixel” name, and this HTC-built device is expected to sit next to a “Pixel XL”, which will have a 5.5″ QHD 2560×1440 pixel screen, Snapdragon 820 CPU, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, a 13 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front. This, the Pixel, should have a slightly smaller 5″ 1080p display with an unknown quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bitCPU and 4GB of RAM. It too will have 32GB of storage but there’ll be a 12 megapixel rear camera (although I’m of the opinion that it’ll be the same 13 megapixel one). The same 8 megapixel front cam is expected.
A fingerprint scanner is on the rear and there’s going to be a USB-C power port.
In the follow-up to their superb new 2016 SUHD HDR 4K TVs, which replaced the 2015 SUHD models as the brand’s premium 4K TVs, Samsung has now also put up a whole but slightly limited series of 4K UHD TVs as a replacement to the 2015 JU-Series 4KK models. These are the 2016 KU-Series models and consist of the KU7500, KU7000, KU6500 and KU6300. With the KU TVs, Samsung has created a line of slightly more conservative 4K UHD models with limited HDR support which doesn’t match what’s on offer with their SUHD cousins for this year or last year. On the other hand, these TVs do still offer some great display specs, smart TV features and other key benefits that we’ve liked in nearly every 2015 and 2016 Samsung 4K TV we’ve reviewed so far.
The KU7000 is itself almost identical to the KU7500 we’ve already reviewed but lacks the same screen curvature of its pricier twin and as such can’t quite be called the “top-shelf” model among the KU-Series televisions. Despite this, the KU7000 actually provides superior value to that of its 7500 cousin due to its more reasonable price and what are essentially the same display specs as its pricier curved brother TV. Also comparable to the 2015 JU7100 4K UHD TV, the KU7000 comes with very similar levels of contrast, color accuracy and other key aspects of display quality. Furthermore, because this TV includes the 2016 Tizen smart TV platform and Samsung’s typically excellent content upscaling engine, there’s plenty of high quality to be found here. On the other hand, a lack of the top-shelf high dynamic range specs of the SUHD KS-Series 2016 4K TVs does spoil the KU7000’s high dynamic range technology, which might be of most interest to potential buyers.
Note: This particular review of the KU7500 is not based on hands-on revision of this TV and is more of a preliminary overview based on everything we could find about the TV. We will however be updating it robustly with specific details once we had a chance to look at the TV in live detail.
THE GOOD
First and foremost in our opinion, the KU7000 comes with the same superb new 2016 version of the Tizen smart TV platform with SmartHub that has been included in all of this year’s 4K TVs from the company. This is one very positive aspect of the KU7000 that we can’t help but appreciate. Tizen 2016 comes with all the same benefits and usability of its 2015 predecessor but with the further refinement of some new aspects. These include an even better level of user friendliness, access to a wider range of 4K and other streaming media apps and a few new key user interface and content access options that definitely simplify things.
Some of the improvements to Tizen 2016 include an easier level of game handling without the need for a console and a simplified mechanism for connectivity between KU7000 and external streaming content sources like set-top boxes, cloud storage systems and mobile devices most of all. In 2015 we considered Tizen to be the second best smart TV platform of the year and our opinion remains the same in 2016.
Next along, the overall picture quality in the KU7000 is for the most part superb. While the TV lacks the more robust UHD Alliance-certified high dynamic range specs of SUHD cousins such as the KS9000 2016 HDR TV model , it does still deliver very robust black levels, a high level of peak luminosity and some very solid (but not HDR-level) color accuracy and range. Furthermore, the quality of the KU7000’s motion control technologies is good for the most part. On top of this, the 4K UHD upscaling engine in the KU7000 is as good as anything you’ll see in any other 2016 Samsung 4K model, so this is a worry-free bonus to have available.
Finally, in physical terms, the KU7000 shares the same lovely aesthetic appeal of its other 2016 4K TV cousins. Samsung is particularly good at putting together 4K TVs with a very handsome physical design and the KU7000 is no exception to this, with an elegant nearly bezel-free display, a minimalist but sturdy supporting stand and a very good looking silver-grey tone throughout its body and base. What we also like about this model is its lack of display curvature. Samsung designed the KU7500 with this feature and despite that model and the KU7000 having essentially identical display specs, the KU7500 costs a couple hundred dollars more, due almost entirely to its curved screen. Thus, with the KU7000, you can cut this pointless expense out of the picture (literally in part) and without worry about display quality, since as we’ve carefully explained before, curved displays are little more than a gimmick with little or no practical value to offer.
While the KU7000 is definitely a great piece of home entertainment technology, it’s also not without its imperfections. Thus, a few key things keep this 4K TV from being as good as it could have been with a bit of price and specs tweaking.
First of all, there is the simple fact that the KU7000 and all the rest of the KU-Series TVs don’t come with the full package of UHD Alliance-certified specs for Ultra HD Premium levels of dynamic range. The KU7000 does come with what Samsung calls HDR Premium technology but this isn’t the same as the superior brightness, black levels and color of HDR1000 that are found in the SUHD TVs. In other words, for viewing the latest high dynamic range content from sources like 4K Blu-ray and Netflix, the KU7000 and other KU TVs won’t deliver quite the impressive quality we’ve seen in the KS TVs in the 2016 SUHD lineup. Because of this, considering the price of this 49 inch and 55 inch 4K TV, the KU7000 actually offers slightly less overall value than a similarly priced model like the 2016 P-Series from Vizio, which does indeed come with Wide Color Gamut and exceptional brightness specs while being slightly more affordable.
Going into more detail on the KU7000’s visual deficiencies and lower-caliber HDR, the major sticking point is the lack of wide Color Gamut in this model. The KU7000 does come with what Samsung calls Active Crystal Color, which is as far as we can tell the same technology as Quantum Dot Color in the 2016 SUHD TVs but this in itself isn’t the same as the further robustness of HDR Wide Color Gamut specs.
Finally, in terms of connectivity specs, the KU7000 and the rest of the 2016 KU-Series 4K TVs are all oddly deficient on the number of key connectivity ports they have. In this model and the rest of the KU-Series lineup, we get only a total of 3 HDMI 2.0a ports and 2 USB ports. This is in contrast to the 4 HDMI and 3 USB ports of the 2016 SUHD TVs, the 2015 SUHD TVs and even the otherwise comparable 2015 JU-Series 4K TVs from Samsung. This was a bit of an odd decision on Samsung’s part to say the least.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, the Samsung KU7000 offers a superior value to the company’s KU7500 curved but otherwise nearly identical 4K TV for 2016. Because of this, we recommend this model even more and consider its display specs to be quite good for the most part. Furthermore, the Tizen smart platform and UHD Upscaling engine in the KU7000 are as good as they are in almost any other major Samsung 4K TV. On the other hand, if you want even better value for your money,go for Vizio’s 2016 P-series 4K TVs with many even better specs and a slightly better price .
SPECS
• Screen size: 54.6 diagonal inches - UN55KU7000 and 49 diagonal inches - UN48KU7000 • Smart TV: Tizen OS, Smart Hub, Smart TV with Apps and Full Web Browser • HEVC (H.265) Included: Yes • VP9 Included. Yes • HD to UHD upscaling: Yes • HDCP 2.2 Compliance: Yes • Refresh Rate: 60Hz native refresh rate (Motion Rate 120Hz) • Screen Lighting: Edge-lit LED backlighting with UHD Dimming • Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 pixels UHD • Wireless Connectivity: Yes, includes both built-in WiFi and Ethernet port • Remotes: Samsung smart button remote • Connectivity: 3 HDMI 2.0a ports, 2 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Component, 1 composite, 1 Audio Out, 1 Digital Audio Out • Sound: 60W (20W x 2, Woofer 10W x 2) Down Firing Down Firing w/Tweeter (4.1CH) speakers with Dolby Digital Plus • Contrast Ratio: 3,600:1 • Other Display Features: Curved display, Auto Depth Enhancer and Ultra Clear Panel technology • Processor: Quad-core • Weight: 43.4 pounds (55 inch model) • Dimensions: 48.6" x 31" x 13.1" (55 inch model, with stand)
HIGHLIGHTS
Active Crystal Color: While the KU7000 doesn’t include the Wide Color Gamut of the 2016 SUHD 4K TVs, it does come with Samsung’s Active Crystal Color technology and this is a useful addition to its overall display output quality. This technology, which is essentially the same thing as Quantum Dot Color in the SUHD TVs as far as we can tell, uses filter screens of nanocrystal particles which are then polarized into displaying certain primary colors as the light from the backlight LEDs passes through them. In turn, the colored light mixes with the color capacity of the TVs pixels to create a more broadly mixed palette of colors for broader vibrancy and greater display realism that’s definitely superior to what we’ve seen in a majority of non-HDR 4K TVs for this year and last year.
HDR: Once again, the KU7000 doesn’t offer the same full range of 4K high dynamic technology as its 2016 SUHD cousins with their compatibility to HDR10 standards. This means that the TV doesn’t deliver the peak luminance of 1100 nits or more and same Wide Color Gamut as those top-shelf 4K HDR TV models do. Furthermore, its color coverage doesn’t offer quite the same realistic richness we’ve seen in models like the KS9500 2016 HDR television. However, the KU7000, like the KU7500, does come with HDR Premium capacity and this does offer up a level of dynamic range that’s at least comparable to high dynamic range as we’ve seen it in some 2015 4K TV models with this technology. It’s not the best in HDR that you’ll find in the KU7000 but the TV still delivers a range of contrast that’s better than what you’ll find in any SDR 4K TV.
Tizen & Smart Hub: Tizen in the 2016 4K TVs of all types from Samsung is even better than it was in 2015. Last year we called this the second best smart TV platform on the market and we stand by that view in 2016. The new additions in Tizen and Smart Hub for this year definitely work to the platforms favor, with console-free gaming, the ability to access games from a cloud server and simplified access to streaming media from external mobile devices and content sources in the TV itself. The Tizen user interface is also wonderfully clean and user-friendly.
Smart Remote: Samsung’s smart remote could have used still further improvements in 2016 and we think that LG’s smart remote control is definitely superior in its overall design and functionality but Samsung has at least made a remote which for 2016 offers an easy to use touchpad for smart TV manipulation, voice command and a comfortable design overall. Furthermore, this year’s model is extremely flexible when it comes to connectivity with other home theater devices, letting you broad amount of control with the comfort of a single control device.
In terms of visual specs, the KU7000 doesn’t quite match the truly impressive display quality we’ve seen in several different 2016 HDR 4K TV models, including Samsung’s own KS-Series SUHD TVs, Sony’s X930D model and even Vizio’s P-Series 4K HDR models for this year. However, this TV does deliver what is a definitely solid display quality by the standards of any name brand mid-range 4K TV today. Contrast looks rich and varied, colors are robust and reasonably accurate and technologies like Ultra Clear Panel, Auto Depth Enhancer and Active Crystal Color all do their part to deliver a high quality of realism and vibrancy to the KU7000’s screen in almost any lighting conditions.
The black levels aren’t OLED-perfect and don’t even quite match the black levels we like in the KS-Series premium Samsung TVs but unless you put the two kinds of TVs side by side for a direct comparison, you’re not likely to notice much of a quality decrease here. Furthermore, peak brightness is still good, even if it doesn’t come close to matching the 1400 nits that the KS9000 or KS9500 are capable of.
Furthermore, the KU7000 comes with a Vertical Alignment panel technology which allows for contrast levels to be delivered to their maximum potential even if VA display does also spoil viewing angles to some degree. In the case of the KU7000 and other KU-Series TVs, watching the TV from more than about 65 degrees off dead center will create a notable decrease in contrast and color quality.
Now, to go into this TV’s HDR specs in further detail, the lack of HDR1000 specs like those in the SUHD cousins of the KU7000 means that this TV can’t manage the profoundly bright peak luminance of the top-shelf 4K TVs for 2016. Thus, instead of delivering 10% window brightness of more than 1200 nits, this model offers something closer to 500 nits and while its black level is fairly close to that of the SUHD models, overall contrast sits at around 3,600:1 instead of the more than 6000:1 we saw in the KS8500 or the KS9500 TVs.
Furthermore, the KU7000 doesn’t come with HDR Wide Color Gamut and thus does not manage the same smooth 10-bit color gradient of true HDR 4K TVs we’ve seen in 2016. This means no 92%+ DCI-P3 color space coverage. This is an important distinction in the KU-Series 4K TVs because this level of DCI-P3 color space inclusion is key to being able to deliver the level of HDR quality that has been standardized in standards such as Dolby Vision from Dolby Labs and Ultra HD Premium from the UHD Alliance. Without this key spec, the KU7000 may still deliver some excellent picture quality but it won’t match the stunning realism we’ve seen in a number of major 2016 HDR TVs like the X940D from Sony .
Finally, in terms of motion control and upscaling technologies, the KU7000 performs mostly well on the first of these and superbly on the second, non-4K content upscaling. Specs for judder control, motion blur control and motion interpolation in the form of Motion Rate 120 technology are solid performers and the KU7000’s upscaling engine does a great job of cleaning up and refining Full HD content in particular while also deliver high quality 480p and 720P upscaling for well formatted content sources.
CONNECTIVITY
Samsung’s 4K TVs come with either the One Connect or One Connect Mini external connectivity box for better future-proofing and expanded connectivity options as needed. That said, the number of built in connectivity options in this and other KU-Series TVs is rather limited with only 3 HDMI 2.0a ports and just 2 USB ports. On the other hand, this TV does offer full Ethernet connectivity, built-in WiFi and a full web browser as well as all the 4K and non-4K digital media apps you could expect from any major name brand 4K TV for 2016.
Samsung’s KU7000 comes in four sizes for the time being. These are the 43 inch, 49 inch range, 55 inch and the 65 inch range, with retail prices on Amazon.com of $921.15 for the 43 inch, $1,099.99 for the 49 inch, $1,399.99 for the 55 inch and $2,277.82 for the 65 inch model TV.
To summarize briefly, we dislike the following aspects of the KU7000 4K “HDR” TV: It lacks a wider array of HDMI and USB ports, it offers somewhat limited viewing angles due to its VA panel technology and it doesn’t offer the full HDR of other major 2016 4K TVs with the particularly notable absence of Wide Color Gamut being a major weakness in this model and the other KU-Series 4K TVs for 2016.
POSITIVES
• Tizen smart OS is even better than in 2015 • Great screen brightness • Samsung’s great upscaling engine • Robust contrast • Beautiful physical design • Decent price
NEGATIVES
• no full HDR • no Wide Color Gamut • fewer HDMI, USB ports than other TVs • contrast could improve
EDITOR RATING
FEATURES
B+
QUALITY
A
USER FRIENDLINESS
A
CONNECTIVITY
A+
PRICE
A
TOTAL SCORE
A-
HOVER TO RATE
USER RATING
FEATURES
B
QUALITY
B+
USER FRIENDLINESS
B+
CONNECTIVITY
B+
PRICE
B+
USER SCORE
139 RATINGS
B+
BOTTOM LINE
We like the KU7000 despite the lack of some select HDR and color specs that the 2016 SUHD TVs come with and we think the 55 inch model in this series offers better value than its KU7500 cousin, mainly because the flat screen means a reduced and much more reasonable price for the specs you’re getting with this particular 4K TV. However, the Vizio 2016 P-Series TVs do offer better value still.
Let's get right down to it: if Apple had launched the iPhone 7 in place of the iPhone 6S last year, it would probably have been the phone of the year.
We're used to the S variants of the iPhone being minimal upgrades – just the right amount of change to encourage a purchase by those with ageing handsets – and if the myriad changes on this new iPhone had arrived in 2015, it would have been fantastic.
Instead of the iPhone 6S, with just a 3D Touch screen in the way of new features and a few power boosts here and there, we'd have had a waterproof handset with dual speakers, a brighter and more colorful screen and a boosted 12MP camera that took better pictures than the one on the iPhone 6.
Changing the home button from a clickable entity to something that responds to pressure – and possibly even the loss of the headphone jack – would have been seen as innovative and alternative in a sea of identikit handsets.
And if Apple had thrown in the new Jet Black finish with a top-end 256GB storage model… well, that would have been a real challenger, a chance for the brand to cast off the 'tick-tock' mentality of keeping the smaller upgrades confined to the S variants, and remind us that it just makes great phones.
But that didn't happen, and now the metronomic quality of Apple's upgrades seems to have come to a halt – or the pendulum is stuck.
Because with the iPhone 7 we've got another 'tock'. The initial reaction of dubbing this an iPhone 6SS is unfair, as it's more than just an S upgrade – but it's not as much of a push forward as many would have expected given the large changes on the iPhone 4 and 6 in particular.
Although maybe there's a second pattern emerging here – the odd-numbered iPhones keeping things incremental before the big changes on the even-numbered models. Either way, the iPhone 7 is another very good, but not great, handset from Apple.
Short on time? Then check out our video review of the iPhone 7
iPhone 7 price and release date
Launched September 16
Launch price: 32GB – $649 (£599, AU$1,079)
The iPhone 7 price starts at $649 (£599, AU$1,079) for the 32GB model. If you fancy upping your storage to 128GB you'll need to shell out $749 (£699, AU$1,229) – which is the same cost as the 64GB iPhone 6S when it launched.
Power users, meanwhile, will want to check out the $849 (£799, AU$1,379) iPhone 7 with an iPhone-first 256GB of storage, giving you masses of storage space.
The iPhone 7 inherits the same pricing structure as the iPhone 6S when it launched back in September 2015 – at least in the US and Australia it does; for those in the UK the aftershocks of Brexit are being felt, with a £60 price hike for the iPhone 7 over the 6S.
In terms of contracts, we're not looking at a cheap phone here. In the UK, the iPhone 7 starts at £43 per month with no upfront cost - that'll give you 4GB of data and the lowest-spec model - that's £9 per month more than the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on the same deal.
Design
Water resistance brings confidence in robustness of device
Same design as previous two years
Headphone jack removal is inconvenient
The two big design changes on the iPhone 7 are big talking points: it can now survive plunges into a swimming pool, thanks to the water-resistant chassis, and the headphone jack on the bottom of the phone is no longer there.
The iPhone 7 (black, below) loses the headphone jack and adds in an aesthetic grille instead
Let's start with the biggest of those changes: the omission of the headphone jack. It's a bold move from Apple – although calling it 'courageous' during the launch event was a bit much, and has led to some warranted memes – and one that could shake up the headphone industry.
The loss of this port will impact users in varying degrees: for some people it'll be no more than a shrug before they get on with their day, because they only use the EarPods in the iPhone box – and those are still there, just with a Lightning connector.
For others, though, it'll be an inconvenience, as they'll need to attach the short white dongle to the 3.5mm jack on the end of their headphones in order to plug them into the Lightning port.
In a survey conducted over three commutes, we noticed that out of 60 people wearing headphones, 34 were using the bundled EarPods that Apple offers – given than many of those people might not have been using an iPhone, that's a higher number than expected.
Losing the headphone jack also severely limits those wanting to buy a new pair of headphones for use with their iPhone, given how much we all listen to tunes or watch films on our phones these days.
Sure, you can buy regular 3.5mm headphones, but then you'll have to connect the adaptor. If you want to get something directly compatible you'll either need to go Bluetooth or Lightning-ready – and there are fewer decent models available to buy in that latter category.
AirPods
You could, of course, try the new Apple AirPods, which have been developed on a new wireless standard. A quick Public Service Announcement: you DO NOT need to buy these to get audio on the iPhone 7.
Three separate people have told us that that's what they thought was the case when Apple launched them – that's something the brand needs to clarify soon.
There's also another reason not to buy them: they're incredibly expensive at $159 / £159 / AU$229, and all they really do is cut the wire from the EarPods you get in the box.
The sound quality doesn't feel like it's much better, and while the ability to tap one pod to activate Siri, or remove a Pod and have the sound instantly stop, is cool, it's not really worth the cash.
Plus, there's also the fact that they don't look the most elegant in the ears – and if you struggle with the fit of the EarPods, these things are going to fall out all the time.
They do have a lot of charge, come with a cool magnetic carry case (which also adds 24 hours of charge, to the point where we've not even come close to running ours down during the review) and free you from the wires… but these feel more like reference designs for future wireless Apple devices than the must-have iPhone accessory.
The overall design of the iPhone 7 is actually rather impressive when you consider some of the changes that have taken place. The waterproofing always add thickness, as the seals will need some space within the device.
The new dual speakers, which fire out of the earpiece and the bottom of the phone, also needed somewhere to go, which starts to explain why the iPhone 7 is 7.1mm thick… the same as the iPhone 6S, and 0.2mm more than the iPhone 6.
Perhaps it's something to do with the fact that these features aren't the first of their kind to market, but there's something unexciting about the iPhone 7 being waterproof. It's been done already by Sony on the Xperia Z and Samsung on theGalaxy S7, and those phones combined impressive design with the reassurance that you could sling them in a lake and still have a working phone.
It's a really nice feature to have, and to iPhone users it'll be a complete novelty – although they'll be aware that many Android-toting pals will have had the feature for a while. But it's a necessary move from Apple, and it's good to see.
The home button, that iconic design from Apple that's endured throughout the years, has changed dramatically too: it's no longer a clickable, physical entity, but a sunken point on the front of the phone that responds to the force of your touch.
Initially, it seemed terrible, something that would be impossible to get used to; the loss of the dependable, pressable button was awful, and we kept getting no response when trying to get back to the home screen from within an app.
But then, suddenly, it clicked (well, not physically), and it felt like a completely natural motion. After a while we forgot what was happening, and when you remember that nothing is moving beneath your finger it's quite an odd sensation.
Despite the same / slightly higher prices (UK readers can thank Brexit for that one), Apple has doubled the storage sizes on offer with the new iPhone, with 32GB, 128GB and 256GB options. While it's nice to be able to move files on and off your phone, these new capacities kind of put the debate over why the iPhone doesn't have a microSD slot to bed – it's not needed any more.
The overall design of the iPhone isn't anything new really – unless you're looking at the jet black version. This darker version has the antenna bands colored in, a black iPhone logo and a weird shine to the plastic.
It's kind of like an iPhone 5C was given the Pretty Woman treatment, if that makes any sense.
This model does scratch very easily though, so you'll need to sling it in a case the second you get your hands on it… which rather defeats the object of owning it in the first place.
The iPhone's design hasn't changed a great deal from the 6S, with the only significant alterations other than the loss of the headphone socket being the larger and more protruding camera lens, and the two speaker grilles at the bottom of the phone.
These dual grilles are deceptive though – only one actually fires out sound, while the other is entirely aesthetic, perhaps trying to distract us from the lack of the headphone jack.
As it's so similar to the iPhone 6S, it's familiar for most iPhone users. The screen is a little hard to reach with one thumb, but not overly so – and the strong build quality in the volume and silencer switch is still as evident as ever.
Apple knows how to put together a smartphone, and it's done so effortlessly again here.
Screen
25% brightness boost and more colors are hard to spot
Sharpness is still far lower than competitors
Contrast ratio for movie watching could be better
The main change to the screen on the iPhone 7 is the brightness and color, as it's otherwise identical. The same 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 resolution display is on offer here, meaning that if you hold it side by side with something like the Galaxy S7 Edge, you'll notice the lack of sharpness.
However, in day to day use you won't notice much wrong with the screen at all, as even at the HD resolution on offer you've still got a large amount of pixels, so internet browsing and movie watching is still clean, clear and crisp enough.
There's also 3D Touch in the mix again – it's an identical system to that on the iPhone 6S, where the handset can detect the amount of pressure your finger is exerting on the screen. We were promised loads of apps that make use of this, but while most icons will do something when force is exerted, it's not often very useful.
How you view this screen depends on what phone you're coming from on – if it's the iPhone 6 or lower, then you'll love the display, as it's brighter, more colorful and just as crisp as before. If, however, you're moving from something like the LG G4, then you might struggle with the lower res, as side by side there is a drop.
This is where Apple sets out its stall when it comes to its screens: it's not about the sharpness, or the number of nits of brightness – it's how the display looks when it's in your hands that matters.
And to that end, the iPhone 7 is a step forward. The screen is more colorful – not in an overpowering technicolor way, but just in terms of richness, with the depth of color matching that of the cinema screen.
The brightness is also improved in the right way – again, it's not overpowering, but more of an upgrade in the right way, giving you an easier look at the screen when it's as bright as it can go.
The iPhone 7 on the top vs the iPhone 6S on the bottom
The white balance of the display is also improved to a warmer tone – there were rumors that Apple was going to be using the same True Tone display as seen in the iPad 9.7, and it feels like elements of that are true.
One thing Apple badly needs to sort out, though, is its auto brightness feature. The current setup is to blind you if you look at the phone in the dark, where other phones are more adept at dropping right down to the lowest possible brightness to save you from burning out your retinas.
Apple will maintain that it's done enough with the screen to make it a great viewing experience without packing in too many pixels and forcing the battery to work hard unnecessarily.
To a degree that's right, but in truth if this is the best that can be done on battery life then it's something of a problem, as the iPhone 7 isn't stellar in that department.
That's the feeling that comes across when watching movies on the new iPhone: it's fine, but nothing special. The contrast ratios don't feel as clear and crisp as on some other phones, and the size is a little small compared to others.
Perhaps that's an unfair criticism. The size of the screen is precisely what attracts some people, and as such it's presumably acceptable for media.
However, the size of the phone should be able to accommodate a larger display, pushing closer to the edge of the handset rather than the amount of bezel used. Of course, it's terribly naive to just say things like 'make the screen bigger!' 'Put in more battery!' 'Shove in more pixels!' as everything is a trade-off.
But, as other brands seem to have managed it, it seems that thinner bezels are at least possible.
Talking of watching movies, the dual speakers that Apple has popped into the new iPhone are a real upgrade. The location at the top and bottom is a little weird, given that they fire in different directions, but the sound quality is much better than before.
They don't have the impressive sound quality of the speakers on the iPad Pro, but that has extra chambers and four speakers, so that's understandable.
The audio is a little on the tinny side, but for just showing off a YouTube video or watching a movie in a quiet room they're more than fine. It's not a perfect setup for listening to music – there needs to be more bass for that – but Apple has pushed things forward well here.
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