New iPhone 7 unveiled with hefty price tag

PanARMENIAN.Net - The new iPhone 7 has finally been unveiled, but buying one's going to cripple your wallet, Digital Spy said.

Despite the handset boasting only minor design differences when compared with last year's iPhone 6S, and having ditched the traditional 3.5mm audio jack, the iPhone 7 will actually cost more than its predecessor. A lot more.

Last time out, the entry level iPhone 6S would hit you for $720. Now, the base model iPhone 7 will kick your wallet in its berries and take you for $800.

Yes, storage has been doubled from 16GB to 32GB, but that's still a major price hike, and things get worse, Digital Spy said.

That $720 fee is just the start. The 128GB and 256GB iPhone 7 will set you back $930 and a whopping $1065 respectively. And that's before you get to the phone's big brother.

The same trio of storage options on the iPhone 7 Plus have been priced at $960, $1090 and a remortgage-requiring $1225. You read that right, that's almost a grand for a smartphone.

Part of the reason the iPhone 7 will cost more than past Apple handset is the increased storage options, because elsewhere the changes are modest, Digital Spy said.

The screen quality has stayed the same on both models, although brightness has increased, and yes a new camera unit has been added, but the traditional 3.5mm audio jack has been killed off.

Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be made available for pre-order this Friday, September 9, with in-store sales starting a week later on September 16.