The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are coming to Canada on September 16, seven days after its pre-order period. If you are hankering for Apple's latest smartphones, here's what you need to know.
How much do they cost?
The iPhone 7 starts at $899 for the 32GB model, increasing to $1029 for the 128GB model and $1159 for the 256GB model. Yes, the base storage sizes have doubled this year.
iPhone 7:
- 32GB: $899
- 128GB: $1029
- 256GB: $1159
The iPhone 7 Plus starts at $1049 for the 32GB model, increasing to $1179 for the 128GB model and $1309 for the 256GB model.
iPhone 7 Plus:
- 32GB: $1049
- 128GB: $1179
- 256GB: $1309
While the iPhone 7 costs the same as last year's iPhone 6s, the iPhone 7 Plus is $20 more for each model, in line with the U.S. market.
Apple will, of course, continue to sell the iPhone 7 unlocked at its retail stores and online.
So they're increasing the base storage?
Yep! That's one of the best pieces of news we heard all day: the iPhone 7 series starts at 32GB and increases to 128GB and 256GB, which is good news for anyone who quickly ran out of space on their previous iPhone.
What colors are available?
You'll be able to buy the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the follow colors:
- Jet Black (128GB, 256GB)
- Black (32GB, 128GB, 256GB)
- Silver (32GB, 128GB, 256GB)
- Gold (32GB, 128GB, 256GB)
- Rose Gold (32GB, 128GB, 256GB)
Which carriers are going to sell the iPhone 7?
Pretty much all of them:
- Rogers
- Bell
- Telus
- Videotron
- Virgin Mobile
- Fido
- Koodo
- MTS
- SaskTel
And based on the carrier pricing of the iPhone 6s, the carriers will likely deduct $500 in exchange for a two-year contract, which leaves the iPhone 7 at $399, and the iPhone 7 Plus at $509 (though this is unconfirmed right now).
Are older iPhones getting a price cut?
Yes, they are! The iPhone 6s now starts at $769, and Apple has boosted the base storage to 32GB! Here's all the details:
- iPhone 6s: $769 (32GB) / $899 (128GB)
- iPhone 6s Plus: $899 (32GB) / $1029 (128GB)
- iPhone SE: $579 (16GB) / $629 (64GB)
I heard there's something new in the wireless bands
You're absolutely right: the iPhone 7 series supports Category 9 LTE, which in Canada means carriers like Bell that support speeds upwards of 300Mbps using triple carrier aggregation will be able to take advantage of it.
Technically, the phone supports speeds of 450Mbps, but no Canadian networks support speed that high.
What else can you tell me?
- The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are 5 grams and 4 grams lighter than their predecessors, respectively, which is nice considering last year's phones were a little heavier than the previous year's.
- The battery on the iPhone 7 is supposed to last two hours longer than the iPhone 6s, while the iPhone 7 Plus should last around an hour longer than the iPhone 7.
- The new haptic, non-mechanical home button is really neat.
- IP67 water resistance is going to be a big deal for Canadian winters, for the next time you drop your phone in a snow bank.
When is the iPhone 7 available?
Pre-orders start September 9, and the phones will be in stores and available at carriers a week later, on September 16.
