iPhone X
Generally, people have understandably been fine with that. Stability is good for consumers. We now see our phones as practical tools,
not as anything extraordinary—not anything that opens up exciting and relevant new possibilities in our professional and personal lives like those earliest iPhone and Android phones did.
Some enthusiasts have nevertheless lamented that this is no longer the Apple whose products, once perceived as truly groundbreaking, excited them. But even more so than usual, Apple wants buyers to see this new phone, the most expensive iPhone yet released, as revolutionary. It has positioned iPhone X as a blueprint for all handsets to come.
But is the iPhone X that significant? Is the future actually here—for real this time, after that marketing suggestion has been thrown around so much that we’ve tuned it out? And even if it is, is it worth the potential pains of early adoption for newer technologies like Face ID and OLED?
The iPhone X is the biggest overhaul of Apple’s phone since the original, a decade ago. It boasts a corner-to-corner screen that leaves no room for home button, and thus no fingerprint scanner.
The iPhone X is a step up in build quality from every iPhone that precedes it. Even the glass-backed iPhone 8 isn’t as nice to hold as it lacks the premium stainless steel rim of the X. Cool to the touch, it’s a grippy texture that will no doubt pick up some scratches, and harks back to the design of the iPhone 3G.
The glass of the iPhone X is the same reinforced glass as on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and while we usually like the space grey models of iPhones, the silver version is very attractive, with a shinier rim and white back. You can’t avoid seeing the notch, but certain wallpapers and menus seek to not hide it but let it blend in, and we didn’t think it was much of an eye sore.
The notch isn't there just to annoy us, though, its presence is due to all the technology that goes into Face ID. A closer look will reveal an infrared camera, flood illuminator, and dot projector, as seen here: The position of this front camera also means the rear cameras are aligned vertically instead of horizontally, which does look a bit odd.
The glass back allows for wireless charging using the Qi standard. This doesn't mean that the iPhone X will magically charge over the air, you will need to buy a Qi compatible charging pad to lay it on. We’ll talk more about wireless charging later.
The first thing you’ll notice about the new iPhone is hard to miss: the new screen blazes into your eyes the second you pick up the handset.
The iPhone X’s screen measures 5.8 inches corner to corner, bigger not only than the normal-sized iPhones of recent years but also than the 5.5-inch Plus phones. But hold it in your hand, and it’s much closer to the smaller iPhone than the Plus, albeit a touch wider and taller. The big borders on the old iPhones have been almost entirely removed, so only a thin black margin separates the screen and the edge.
The 5.8-inch screen has a 2,436 x 1,125-pixel resolution (458 pixels per inch), and it’s razor sharp. Colors are vibrant, blacks are finally as pitch-dark as many other OLED Android phones, and it was easy to read in direct sunlight. You’ll have a hard time pulling your eyes away from this screen.
One of the biggest changes in the iPhone X is the lack of a home button. Apple is using gestures to help navigate without the Home button and has replaced the fingerprint scanner with FaceID. The new FaceID feature, which uses the TrueDepth camera to read your face, can also be used to make App Store purchases and to auto-fill forms on Safari. The FaceID setup process is simple and once this is done you realise who fast and convenient FaceID is. As soon as you face the phone it is unlocked for you to swipe and reach the home page. I would have loved the unlock to take you directly to the homepage.
But for me the best use of the FaceID is where it auto fills passwords on most of the apps I have logged into before. This is so convenient for someone like me who struggles to remember passwords. Also, FaceID does not need you to be a well-lit area to unlock the phone and works most of the time. For me, FaceID has worked almost always and is a good enough reason to pick up this phone.
The 12Mp cameras in the iPhone X (and that in the iPhone 8 Plus) has a new Portrait Lighting feature, with five different lighting styles to enhance your photos taken in Portrait Mode. Superbly, these features also work on the front facing camera although the technology used here is different.
As with the 7 Plus and 8 Plus, the portrait photo bokeh effect is made possible by the fact that there are two lenses, but the telephoto lens has a faster aperture in the newer models. With a ƒ/2.4 aperture joining the wide-angle ƒ/1.8 aperture, rather than the ƒ/2.8 aperture of the previous generation. Unlike the 8 Plus, the iPhone X's lenses both have optical image stabilisation, meaning this is the best equipped iPhone camera set up available.
The main distinction between the cameras in the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 Plus is the front facing camera in the X. It is a 7Mp TrueDepth camera which offers its own Portrait Mode along with the Portrait Lighting feature. So you will be able to take spectacular selfies, as long as you are looking spectacular.
But it's the improved image and video stablisation we welcome most, with the iPhone X and iPhone 8 cameras all offering 4K up to 60fps (rather than last generation's 30fps). And there's 1080p slo-mo up to 240fps.
Once we have done full testing, we will report on how the phone performs.
iPhone X Animojis
Apple has showcased the AR potential of the TrueDepth sensor array by adding a feature called Animojis to Messages. It’s exactly what it sounds like; they’re 3D emojis that animate and move based on your own facial expressions.
You can record a 10-second animoji with your voice included and send it to a friend or family member. They're sent as video files, so friends who have other phones can view them.
They’re cute, and a few third-party apps like Snapchat are already offering other things like this. I’ll admit I had a blast recording goofy messages for my fiancée with this, but it’s a frivolous glimpse at something that could be applied in far more impactful ways in the future.
iPhone X Gestures
The phone can cleary handle the day-to-day stuff. But then the A11 chip is made for much more. So the dual camera processing is much faster than it was on the iPhone 7 Plus, for instance. Also, if you use the FaceID in the middle of the night and it unlocks in a flash, you know there is something this phone is doing right. Also when you use Apple’s fun new Animojis, the processor is working over time to convert you facial movement into animation using the TrueDepth camera and it does not so much as break a sweat.
Now, you swipe up from the bottom of the phone to go back or exit an app. Swipe up and hold your finger in position to bring up the app switching interface. Whether or not the average iPhone owner will be happy to re-learn this fundamental navigation process is debateable, even if Apple says it’s more natural and intuitive. We assume it’s something you’ll get used to sooner or later.
The notch at the top also brings changes: you now swipe down on the left-hand side to see notifications and on the right to find Control Centre. The latter is likely to be the most jarring, since on all other iPhones, you swipe up from the bottom to get to those shortcuts. Doing that on the iPhone X will mean you inadvertently leave the app you’re using and go to the home screen.
Turn the phone sideways, and you relocate the issues to the side of your app. When viewing websites on the iPhone X, you’ll see white bars at the sides but photos and videos simply extend right into the corners, making it feel like you’re missing out on a few details.
Battery life on the iPhone X has been fairly average. We’ve been getting through most work days with 30 percent remaining, and that’s with medium to high use. That includes taking photos, streaming music, watching videos, browsing the web, and responding to notifications. There was one particular day where we took a lot of photos, had the brightness on full, and in general played around with various aspects of the phone to find it hit 12 percent by 4:30.
When left off the charger overnight, the iPhone X went from 100 percent to 65 percent after about 8 hours of sitting idle, which isn’t bad, but we’ve seen better on older iPhones.
Our favorite feature, first introduced in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, is the glass back which makes the iPhone X compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard. Just plop your phone down on a charging pad and you’re juicing it up — no cables needed.
All three new iPhones support fast charging, but you’ll need to buy a $25 USB-C to Lightning cable separately, which is a silly decision. It should be included. We plugged our iPhone X in to charge with 25 percent remaining, and it was able to go back to 100 percent by an hour and 40 minutes. We used a Belkin dock to charge it up, though, so it will take a little longer than the cable and adapter included in the box.
iPhone X Price, Availability, and Warranty
Whether this is the iPhone of your dreams depends on a lot of things. If you wanted a big screen but you were put off by the size of the iPhone Plus then this is going to be the answer to your prayers.
At the end of the day, here's what you've got to remember: this isn't just an expensive, ambitious offshoot of the classic iPhone lineage. It's the future of the iPhone itself. And to be clear, Apple didn't get absolutely everything right. The notch is weird.
The iPhone to Buy This Year
A lot has changed in the decade since Apple shared its first iPhone with the world, but most people's relationships to their smartphones have not changed for a while. After an explosion of innovation, we’ve mostly seen incremental updates to processing power, security features, screen size, cameras, and software in recent years. These have added up over time, but the progress has rarely revolutionized this product area or its users' experience.
Generally, people have understandably been fine with that. Stability is good for consumers. We now see our phones as practical tools,
Some enthusiasts have nevertheless lamented that this is no longer the Apple whose products, once perceived as truly groundbreaking, excited them. But even more so than usual, Apple wants buyers to see this new phone, the most expensive iPhone yet released, as revolutionary. It has positioned iPhone X as a blueprint for all handsets to come.
The iPhone X is the biggest overhaul of Apple’s phone since the original, a decade ago. It boasts a corner-to-corner screen that leaves no room for home button, and thus no fingerprint scanner.
Well, we didn't need to worry. The iPhone X is finally here, and while it's not perfect, it's proof that the old ways aren't the only ways.
iPhone X Design
The glass of the iPhone X is the same reinforced glass as on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and while we usually like the space grey models of iPhones, the silver version is very attractive, with a shinier rim and white back. You can’t avoid seeing the notch, but certain wallpapers and menus seek to not hide it but let it blend in, and we didn’t think it was much of an eye sore.
The notch isn't there just to annoy us, though, its presence is due to all the technology that goes into Face ID. A closer look will reveal an infrared camera, flood illuminator, and dot projector, as seen here: The position of this front camera also means the rear cameras are aligned vertically instead of horizontally, which does look a bit odd.
With no home button, the screen extends down and up to eliminate any real bezel. It means the display is the largest ever on an iPhone in a handset physically smaller than the Plus sized iPhones, despite the iPhone being only a shade larger than the regular iPhone 7 or iPhone 8. That screen covers the entire face of the device, with two small ‘ears’ visible either side of the notch. Otherwise the familiar in-hand feel and curved corners remain with silence switch and volume buttons on the left-hand side, and a larger power/lock button on the right above the SIM tray.
The glass back allows for wireless charging using the Qi standard. This doesn't mean that the iPhone X will magically charge over the air, you will need to buy a Qi compatible charging pad to lay it on. We’ll talk more about wireless charging later.
iPhone X Display
The iPhone X’s screen measures 5.8 inches corner to corner, bigger not only than the normal-sized iPhones of recent years but also than the 5.5-inch Plus phones. But hold it in your hand, and it’s much closer to the smaller iPhone than the Plus, albeit a touch wider and taller. The big borders on the old iPhones have been almost entirely removed, so only a thin black margin separates the screen and the edge.
The 5.8-inch screen has a 2,436 x 1,125-pixel resolution (458 pixels per inch), and it’s razor sharp. Colors are vibrant, blacks are finally as pitch-dark as many other OLED Android phones, and it was easy to read in direct sunlight. You’ll have a hard time pulling your eyes away from this screen.
As on the iPhone 8 and iPad, Apple’s True Tone technology detects the lighting condition you’re in, and adjusts the screen’s tint to make it more readable. It works extremely well, and made the screen warmer — and easier on the eyes — in our harsh office lighting.
we’ve always preferred the plus-sized iPhones because of their bigger screens and better battery lives. But for some people's hands, not to mention pockets, they are simply too big. The X manages the best of both worlds - big screen, small form factor.
The X is comfortable in the hand, and it feels remarkable to have so much more screen real estate than a cumbersome “plus-sized” phone.
we’ve always preferred the plus-sized iPhones because of their bigger screens and better battery lives. But for some people's hands, not to mention pockets, they are simply too big. The X manages the best of both worlds - big screen, small form factor.
The X is comfortable in the hand, and it feels remarkable to have so much more screen real estate than a cumbersome “plus-sized” phone.
iPhone X Face ID
But for me the best use of the FaceID is where it auto fills passwords on most of the apps I have logged into before. This is so convenient for someone like me who struggles to remember passwords. Also, FaceID does not need you to be a well-lit area to unlock the phone and works most of the time. For me, FaceID has worked almost always and is a good enough reason to pick up this phone.
iPhone X Camera
The iPhone X camera offers dual 12Mp sensors, just like the camera in the iPhone 7 generation did. However there are some improvements.
The 12Mp cameras in the iPhone X (and that in the iPhone 8 Plus) has a new Portrait Lighting feature, with five different lighting styles to enhance your photos taken in Portrait Mode. Superbly, these features also work on the front facing camera although the technology used here is different.
As with the 7 Plus and 8 Plus, the portrait photo bokeh effect is made possible by the fact that there are two lenses, but the telephoto lens has a faster aperture in the newer models. With a ƒ/2.4 aperture joining the wide-angle ƒ/1.8 aperture, rather than the ƒ/2.8 aperture of the previous generation. Unlike the 8 Plus, the iPhone X's lenses both have optical image stabilisation, meaning this is the best equipped iPhone camera set up available.
But it's the improved image and video stablisation we welcome most, with the iPhone X and iPhone 8 cameras all offering 4K up to 60fps (rather than last generation's 30fps). And there's 1080p slo-mo up to 240fps.
Once we have done full testing, we will report on how the phone performs.
Apple has showcased the AR potential of the TrueDepth sensor array by adding a feature called Animojis to Messages. It’s exactly what it sounds like; they’re 3D emojis that animate and move based on your own facial expressions.
You can record a 10-second animoji with your voice included and send it to a friend or family member. They're sent as video files, so friends who have other phones can view them.
They’re cute, and a few third-party apps like Snapchat are already offering other things like this. I’ll admit I had a blast recording goofy messages for my fiancée with this, but it’s a frivolous glimpse at something that could be applied in far more impactful ways in the future.
So, there’s no home button, but you knew that by now. It is replaced by a combination of on-screen gestures, and the occasional use of the side button. In the time we have spent with the phone so far it was hard to get used to them, but switching apps requires a swipe up and hold to then cycle through those open. We have more on the iPhoen X gestures here: How to use the iPhone X.
It’s very unintuitive at first, simply because it’s such a doddle with a home button. The ever-present horizontal strip at the bottom of the UI on the phone is there to swipe up from to return to the home screen, or swipe sideways to cycle between apps in a different way to the previous gesture. It’ll take you a while as it did us, but if you take plunge it’ll only be a matter of days until you’re accustomed.
The notch also plays it part here. You can swipe down from the left or just underneath it to bring down iOS 11’s notification shade, but pulling from the right where the battery indicator is gets you to control centre. This replaces swiping up from the bottom of the screen, which is now the gesture for returning to the home screen. Interestingly, this is a carry-over from poor old BlackBerry’s short-lived BB10 OS.
Everything else is how you’d expect iOS 11 to run on an iPhone 6, 7 or 8 from what we can tell. We’ll delve in more when we publish our full review.
It’s very unintuitive at first, simply because it’s such a doddle with a home button. The ever-present horizontal strip at the bottom of the UI on the phone is there to swipe up from to return to the home screen, or swipe sideways to cycle between apps in a different way to the previous gesture. It’ll take you a while as it did us, but if you take plunge it’ll only be a matter of days until you’re accustomed.
The notch also plays it part here. You can swipe down from the left or just underneath it to bring down iOS 11’s notification shade, but pulling from the right where the battery indicator is gets you to control centre. This replaces swiping up from the bottom of the screen, which is now the gesture for returning to the home screen. Interestingly, this is a carry-over from poor old BlackBerry’s short-lived BB10 OS.
Everything else is how you’d expect iOS 11 to run on an iPhone 6, 7 or 8 from what we can tell. We’ll delve in more when we publish our full review.
iPhone X Performance
The iPhone X is one of the most powerful phones you can buy at the moment and that is not about having a 8GB RAM or a graphic processor on coke. The phone’s A11 Bionic chip works really well with the software to offer a smooth experience all the time. Yes, there have been a couple of app crashes in the week I used the phone, but they were not because of the phone couldn’t handle it, but more because the app in question had issues.
The phone can cleary handle the day-to-day stuff. But then the A11 chip is made for much more. So the dual camera processing is much faster than it was on the iPhone 7 Plus, for instance. Also, if you use the FaceID in the middle of the night and it unlocks in a flash, you know there is something this phone is doing right. Also when you use Apple’s fun new Animojis, the processor is working over time to convert you facial movement into animation using the TrueDepth camera and it does not so much as break a sweat.
iPhone X OS
The iPhone X ships with iOS 11. As mentioned already, this is slightly customised to accommodate the absence of a home button.
Now, you swipe up from the bottom of the phone to go back or exit an app. Swipe up and hold your finger in position to bring up the app switching interface. Whether or not the average iPhone owner will be happy to re-learn this fundamental navigation process is debateable, even if Apple says it’s more natural and intuitive. We assume it’s something you’ll get used to sooner or later.
The notch at the top also brings changes: you now swipe down on the left-hand side to see notifications and on the right to find Control Centre. The latter is likely to be the most jarring, since on all other iPhones, you swipe up from the bottom to get to those shortcuts. Doing that on the iPhone X will mean you inadvertently leave the app you’re using and go to the home screen.
Turn the phone sideways, and you relocate the issues to the side of your app. When viewing websites on the iPhone X, you’ll see white bars at the sides but photos and videos simply extend right into the corners, making it feel like you’re missing out on a few details.
iPhone X Battery
Battery life on the iPhone X has been fairly average. We’ve been getting through most work days with 30 percent remaining, and that’s with medium to high use. That includes taking photos, streaming music, watching videos, browsing the web, and responding to notifications. There was one particular day where we took a lot of photos, had the brightness on full, and in general played around with various aspects of the phone to find it hit 12 percent by 4:30.
When left off the charger overnight, the iPhone X went from 100 percent to 65 percent after about 8 hours of sitting idle, which isn’t bad, but we’ve seen better on older iPhones.
Our favorite feature, first introduced in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, is the glass back which makes the iPhone X compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard. Just plop your phone down on a charging pad and you’re juicing it up — no cables needed.
The iPhone X is expensive. The 64GB model starts at $1,000, and the 256GB variant will set you back $1,150. They’re now available for purchase, but you may have to wait a few weeks to nab one — there are some supply shortages.
Verdict
Whether this is the iPhone of your dreams depends on a lot of things. If you wanted a big screen but you were put off by the size of the iPhone Plus then this is going to be the answer to your prayers.
At the end of the day, here's what you've got to remember: this isn't just an expensive, ambitious offshoot of the classic iPhone lineage. It's the future of the iPhone itself. And to be clear, Apple didn't get absolutely everything right. The notch is weird.
The interface needs a little more polish. Unoptimized apps look, and will continue to look, disappointing. Still, the fact that Apple redefined what an iPhone is and got this much right is a big deal. It'll probably be another year or two before the iPhone X's design and software that runs on it will come into its own, and that's alright. After our first taste of the iPhone's future, we're ready to buy in.
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