Sweet & Sour Apple 7

By
Ashley Sutherland-Winch

ItÂ’s that exciting time of year when Apple reveals a new iPhone. Last week, like clockwork, the tech giant announced the release of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The world went wild with excitement over the new features but some changes are going to be harder to navigate.
The positives are better cameras, longer battery life, water-resistance, and sleek new colour options but the greatest negative has really thrown some Apple-lovers off balance. Apple removed the headphone jack on the new units. ItÂ’s a clever move to force consumers to purchase the new wireless ear buds called AirPods at US$159 a unit, but for those who donÂ’t want to make the switch to wireless itÂ’s a difficult choice that must be made. It will not be possible to charge the phone while using traditional headphones.
Just before I moved to Macau last September I entered an Apple store in Las Vegas. I was presented with a purchase option called Apple Upgrade. If I purchased a new iPhone under this plan, I would pay a monthly fee in lieu of purchasing the phone outright but whenever a new iPhone was released on the market, I could trade my old model in for the new. This plan is a great option for consumers that always want the new cool gadget right away but the downside is a recurring monthly fee.
I decided to try the plan and when iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were announced last week, I knew that I would have one soon. Unfortunately, Apple Upgrade does not exist in Macau. Macau does not have access to Pokémon Go or Apple Upgrade? It’s hard not to feel shortedchanged when our international city is being overlooked by some technology companies. Sure, Apple offers us other enticing programmes in Macau but I look forward to the time when Macau is on the top of tech lists to receive technology along with the United States and Europe.
Luckily, IÂ’m returning to the States for an event soon and while there I can take advantage of the U.S.-based Apple Upgrade plan but itÂ’s unfortunate that my fellow Macau community must wait longer than the rest of the world. If we have learned anything in the past decade, it is Apple is innovative and always has great ideas so the Macau release will not be far away – but in the meantime we should start practicing how to keep small wireless AirPods in our ears whilst mobile.