The iPhone 7 is coming, that much we know. While spy shots are always fun, we sourced our own dummy unit to take photos for you, our dear readers.
Below you’ll see an iPhone 7 dummy unit next to the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and iPhone SE. We didn’t bother with the iPhone 6 as it’s essentially the same dimensions as the 6S. The 6S Plus is just a size upgrade, but we took images anyway.
We’ll remind you this is a dummy unit, and isn’t operational. It’s meant for third-party manufacturers to use as a model for creating cases and accessories.
While it’s essentially the same as an iPhone 6S, I was struck by the camera. The aluminum of the case now rises to meet the camera flush, which seems like something Apple should have done with the iPhone 6. I’ve never been confident the camera hardware would hold up if dropped; now I am.
As it compares to the SE — I like the increased size, but those who are fans of the smaller iPhone probably won’t find a lot of reasons to upgrade.
We’ve also heard the iPhone 7 would be shorter and chubbier . In the hand, there’s no discernible difference from the iPhone 6S. The differences were always rumored to be slight, much as the change from the iPhone 6 to the 6S was.
The real champion of the iPhone 7 will be the software. We’re also looking to the iPhone 7 Plus to have dual cameras , which will be enticing for mobile photographers. The camera on our iPhone 7 dummy is a bit larger than the hardware on the iPhone 6S, which could mean an upgrade is in the works for both models.
We obviously can’t recommend the hardware alone — as experienced on this dummy unit — is cause for an upgrade. It’s a much nicer phone because of some finishes, but ultimately not the big change we saw with the iPhone 6.
I’m also wondering if stereo speakers are worth the removal of an audio jack, but that’s a wait-and-see thing as well. Anyway, here you go!
iPhone 7 (dummy) compared to the iPhone SE :
iPhone 7 (dummy) compared to the iPhone 6S :
iPhone 7 (dummy) compared to the iPhone 6S Plus :
The Amazon Echo finally lets you shop with just your voice (sort of)
Given that the Amazon Echo voice-controlled assistant is made by, well, Amazon, it’s not too much of a stretch to assume you’d be able to use it to do some shopping, but so far that has not been possible.
A firmware update pushed out today changes that by helping you reorder items you’ve previously purchased according to SlashGear . Simply say “Alexa, reorder _____.”
Though you can’t browse through the full catalog, if you search for something Amazon hasn’t previously shipped to you, the Echo will throw out its best guess for the item and a price. If that doesn’t work for you, Amazon will add the item to your shopping list for when you’re on a device with a browser.
There are some caveats: you need to be an Amazon Prime member (or at least on a trial subscription), and the items you’re ordering have to be Prime-eligible. Still, it’s a nifty addition that could come in handy for reordering regular household items. Check out Amazon’s support page for more details.
Read next: This is Amazon Dash, a voice-enabled scanner for creating AmazonFresh shopping lists
➤ Amazon Echo is finally becoming your shopping assistant [SlashGear]
You can now preorder the Amazon Fire TV Stick in the UK for £35 or £19 if you’ve got Prime
The Amazon Fire TV Stick , the company’s Chromecast competitor, has been available in the US for five months now and it’s finally coming to the UK.
You can preorder the device for £35 or £19 if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber and strike in the next two days.
If you haven’t already signed up to Prime, you can nab the device for an even lower price – if you sign up and pay for an annual subscription, you’ll get the £19 deal and a £12 refund bringing the price down to £7.
Amazon says it’ll start shipping Fire TV Sticks to UK customers on April 15.
➤ Fire TV Stick [Amazon]
Image credit: Amazon