Apple Pay iPhone 7 Plus Doesn’t Work

Updating the iPhone line this year has been weird. We told you in detail about the iPhone 7 Plus, where we described the situation with the disappeared headset jack, the appearance of the second rear camera, and the new color of the case. The younger model as a whole has a similar situation, however, to ignore it would be completely wrong. Usually we test both new models almost simultaneously, but this time it turned out that it was the iPhone 7 that was in short supply. And recently, we were able to get a copy for a fairly long time, allowing you to carefully study all aspects of this gadget.

Apple Pay iPhone 7 Plus Doesn't Work

Take a look at the characteristics of the device.

Technical specifications Apple iPhone 7

  • SoC Apple A10 Fusion (4 cores, 2 of which operate at 2.34 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture)
  • GPU Apple A10 Fusion
  • Apple M10 motion coprocessor including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
  • RAM 2 GB
  • 32/128/256 GB flash memory
  • No memory card support
  • IOS 10 operating system
  • Touchscreen IPS, 4.7 ″, 1334 × 750 (326 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch, support for 3D Touch technology and response Taptic Engine
  • Cameras: front (7 megapixels, 1080p 30 fps, 720p 240 fps) and rear (12 megapixels, recording 4K 30 fps and 60 fps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
  • Cellular communication: 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, support for LTE Advanced
  • Bluetooth 4.2 A2DP LE
  • Fingerprint scanner Touch ID third version
  • NFC (Apple Pay only)
  • Universal Lightning Connector
  • 1960 mAh non-removable lithium polymer battery
  • GPS / A-GPS, Glonass
  • Dimensions 138 × 67 × 7.1 mm
  • Weight 138 g (our measurement)

For clarity, we compare the characteristics of the new items with the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 6s.

As we can see, the differences between the characteristics of the iPhone 7 from the iPhone 7 Plus are minimal. In addition to the obvious (dimensions and size / resolution of the display), this is less RAM (2 GB instead of three for the iPhone 7 Plus), as well as lower battery capacity and the absence of a second lens on the camera. At the same time, compared with the immediate predecessor. iPhone 6s. the new product has slightly less weight (with the same dimensions) and more battery power.

Let’s get acquainted with the smartphone live and understand how these features affect the user qualities of the model.

Packaging and equipment

Box and equipment iPhone 7 is similar to the older model.

Recall that the main thing here is the new headphones (with a Lightning connector instead of a 3.5 mm Mini-jack) and an adapter from Lightning to mini-jack. Thanks to this adapter, you can use the iPhone with traditional headphones or speakers.

The rest is the same as before: leaflets, a charger (5 V 1 A), a Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the cradle of the SIM card.

Design

Externally, the new iPhone, like its older brother, is very similar to its predecessor. Dimensions and basic design elements remained unchanged. We had a golden version for testing, and in this version the iPhone 7 is even more difficult to distinguish from the iPhone 6 / 6s than in the case of the new colors “black” and “black onyx”.

By the way, the “black onyx” option, which is especially scarce in the first days of sales, can now be purchased without problems, but it has its drawbacks, which we wrote about in the article about the iPhone 7 Plus, so this is an amateur solution. Golden. not everyone likes it, but it is more practical and familiar.

In general, the design of the iPhone 7 is identical to the iPhone 7 Plus. The location of the connectors, the shape of the case, moisture resistance, the new Home button (touch, not physical) are all the same. Therefore, here we will focus on comparing the iPhone 7 with the iPhone 6, in order to notice some unobvious changes.

Firstly, plastic inserts are now placed differently. They pass only along the edges, without climbing onto the back surface. However, we note that in the case of the golden version, they are still too striking. And in this regard, silver and black versions seem more successful to us.

Secondly, the rear camera is now larger and more convex. But, unlike the iPhone 7 Plus, it is only one. And finally, the third difference is the second row of holes on the bottom face. However, do not think that there is another speaker! Most likely, there is a microphone.

In general, in terms of appearance, the differences between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 6s are minimal. However, despite this, Apple did not ensure the compatibility of protective accessories. Cases for the iPhone 6s will not fit the iPhone 7 due to the changed camera eye. This, of course, is a very strange and offensive decision. But for the iPhone 7, new color options for leather cases are available: almond, “stormy sky” and “blue sea”. The last of them we were able to evaluate live.

It combines with a golden color rather strange, but you can’t refuse this shade in a certain charm. It seems to be not blue, but at the same time not blue, but something in between. However, here we note the traditional problem of Apple leather cases: they quickly become scratched and lose their presentable appearance. Therefore, if you perceive the case as an element of style, and not just as simply protecting your smartphone, you should handle it carefully.

Summarizing our impressions of the design, we can simply repeat what was said earlier about the iPhone 7 Plus and wish that in the next version of the iPhone the functional features of the current generation are preserved (moisture protection, first of all), and the appearance is still updated more significantly.

Screen

The screen parameters of the iPhone 7 do not differ from those of the iPhone 6s: 4.7 inches diagonal, IPS-matrix with a resolution of 1134 × 750. By modern standards. average parameters.

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 resistant to scratches. 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, we present a photo on which the white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is the Nexus 7, on the right is the Apple iPhone 7, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen on the Apple iPhone 7 is a bit darker (brightness in photos 110 versus 118 for Nexus 7). The doubling of the reflected objects in the screen of the Apple iPhone 7 is very weak, which 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 (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but repairing them in the case of a cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease repellent) coating (effective, similar to that of Nexus 7), therefore fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and when displaying a white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 560 cd / m², the minimum. 4.8 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 lowered to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by light sensor (it is located above the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when the 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. the user sets the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If you do not change anything, then in complete darkness the brightness drops to 2.6 cd / m² (very dark), in an office lit by artificial light (about 550 lux) the screen brightness is set to 120 cd / m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment (Corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight. 20,000 lux or a little more) rises to 650 cd / m² (even higher than with manual adjustment). The result didn’t quite suit us, so in the dark we slightly moved the brightness slider to the right, and for the three conditions indicated above we got 16, 100-170 and 650 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 the user’s requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant modulation of the backlight, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS type matrix. Microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

Traditionally for the iPhone, a lot of dust particles are found in the layer of glue-filler between the outer glass and the matrix, we will not even demonstrate this.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting colors. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Apple iPhone 7 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd / m² (full-screen white field), and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K Perpendicular to the screens a white field:

We note a good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And the test picture:

The color balance varies slightly, the color saturation is normal. Recall that the photograph can not serve as a reliable source of information about the color rendering quality and is provided only for conditional visual illustration. In this case, apparently due to the characteristics of the radiation spectrum of the screen, the color balance and the brightness of the colors on the photos of the screen of the Apple iPhone 7 is slightly different from what is visible with the eye and is determined by a spectrophotometer.

Now at an angle of about 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.

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 4 times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Apple iPhone 7, the brightness drop is less. The black field with a diagonal deviation is highlighted to a moderate degree and acquires a purple hue. The photos 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 a different angle:

With a perpendicular view, black field uniformity is good, although imperfect:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high. about 1375: 1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 23 ms (12 ms on. 11 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and vice versa in total takes 30 ms. Constructed at 32 points with an equal interval in the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal a blockage in either highlights or shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 1.76, which is below the standard value of 2.2, so the image is slightly highlighted. In this case, the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power law:

Color gamut equal to sRGB:

We look at the spectra:

Such spectra are found in top-end mobile devices from Sony and other manufacturers. Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and a green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which in combination with special matrix filters allows you to get a wide color gamut. Yes, and in the red phosphor, apparently, the so-called quantum dots are used. For a consumer device, wide color gamut is not an advantage, but a significant drawback, since as a result, the colors of images. drawings, photographs and films. oriented to the sRGB space (and such the vast majority) have unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. But unlike many famous and not so companies at Apple, they know what color gamut should be, and therefore they carefully adjust it to the borders of sRGB. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

This applies to those images in which the sRGB profile is registered or no profile is registered at all. However, the color space is native to modern Apple devices (at least for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Pro 9.7, and MacBook Pro) Display p3 with slightly more saturated green and red colors. Space Display p3 based on the SMPTE DCI-P3, but has a white D65 point and gamma curve with a score of approximately 2.2. In addition, the manufacturer claims that starting with iOS 9.3, color management is supported at the system level, this makes it easier for iOS applications to correctly display images with a prescribed color profile. Indeed, supplementing the test images (JPG and PNG files) with the Display P3 profile, we got a color gamut wider than sRGB (output in Safari):

Note that the coordinates of the primary colors almost exactly coincided with those prescribed for the DCI-P3 standard. This coverage differs from Adobe RGB, red in Display p3 slightly more saturated, and green can be considered less saturated:

We look at the spectra in the case of test images with a profile Display p3:

It can be seen that in this case no cross-mixing of the components occurs, that is, this color space is native to the screen of the Apple iPhone 7. The most important question is whether the support Display p3 at least some significant advantage, and doubts are associated primarily with the fact that there is practically no content with coverage wider than sRGB, and when it appears, it is not a fact that it will be exactly Display p3, and all current devices by that time hopelessly out of date. However, you need to start somewhere, and the wide coverage of the screens, as well as the color management built into the OS, contribute to this. In the meantime, the content itself can be created by the user, since a profile is specified in photos from iPhone 7/7 Plus cameras Display p3 (however, we don’t know about the real color gamut of these cameras).

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 spectrum of the black body (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. In this case, the color temperature and ΔE vary little from shade to shade. this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. The nature of the change in values ​​from hue to hue indirectly indicates that software color correction is used. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Like the iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch display and the iPhone SE, this Apple device has a feature Night shift, which makes the picture warmer at night (how much warmer the user indicates). A description of why such a correction may be useful is given in the above article about the iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a tablet or smartphone at night, it’s better to lower the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow Night shift.

To summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a summer sunny day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is acceptable to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, good black stability to deviation of gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen, high contrast, as well as support for sRGB color gamut (with the participation of the OS) and good color balance. There are no significant shortcomings. At the moment, this is perhaps one of the best displays among all smartphones.

Performance

iPhone 7, like the iPhone 7 Plus, runs on the new Apple A10 Fusion SoC (we talked about it in detail in the iPhone 7 Plus review, so we won’t repeat it). However, the amount of RAM in the younger model is less. Let’s see how this affected performance!

Let’s start with the browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark and Kraken Benchmark. We also add to our standard set JetStream. a new browser benchmark recommended by the creators of SunSpider as a replacement for it. The browser used was Safari.