So the iPhone X is officially out in the wild; though good luck getting one. Yes, although lucky tech journos are getting to grips with the handset and giving it a thorough test drive, consumers are still competing for a very small quantity of iPhone X units up for purchase due to Apple's earlier manufacturing bottleneck woes.
Said bottlenecks are now understood to be resolved, but it's created a bit of an ongoing supply shortage all the same, one that analysts believe won't enter some state of "normality" until we're inside 2018. From then on, it's expected (well, hoped) that you'll be readily able to pick up an iPhone X from Apple's retail.
But every cloud has a silver lining, as they say, in this case the fact that you can't really get an iPhone X for love nor money means you have plenty of time to keep a watchful eye on things; read all the reviews, and see if any glaring problems pop up over the next few months. Really make sure that this is going to be a wise investment of a LOT of money, basically.
So what's the iPhone X like? We haven't had a review unit yet, sadly, but we are able to check out the reviews of other publications and pull together this round-up to give you some idea.
The immediate impression overall is a positive one.
TechRadar gave the iPhone X 4.5 out of 5, summarising it as a huge gamble that "really paid off", while pouring praise on the design, display, and CPU performance.
"Losing the home button and altering the design was a dangerous move, but one that was sorely needed after years of similarity and the premium design, extra power, all-screen front mix together to create - by far - the best iPhone Apple's ever made. It's impossible to give a perfect score to something that costs this much - but this is the closest to smartphone perfection Apple has ever got."
The only negative points were the huge outlay cost of buying the thing, and the fact that the premium design is a little delicate - no change there from previous iPhones though!
Engadget gave it 90 out of 100, talking up the "impeccable build quality" and "great performance", however, the publication's Chris Velazco was a little more cautious in his approval of the iPhone X, describing the camera experience as "good" apart from the selfies, which he said are "hit-or-miss". He also pointed out that full-screen apps are not quite there yet, as well as highlighting the learning curve in the absence of the Home key and that battery life "could be better".
"The iPhone X is the most radical change to the iPhone formula ever, and despite some concerns, Apple has built a seriously impressive machine. We love its build quality and comfortable design, not to mention its expansive screen and great performance," Velazco said.
"The makeover here is drastic, though, and it'll take some time to really get used to Face ID and life without a home button. Stick with it and you'll find that the iPhone X is a surprisingly easy device to live with. Of course, since this is a first-gen device, it has its flaws. Not everyone will love the notch, the interface could use a little more polish, and a bigger battery would've been nice. Suffice to say, the iPhone definitely isn't right for everyone right now -- still, it provides a strong foundation for the iPhones of tomorrow to build on."
CNET's Scott Stein awarded the iPhone X another 4.5 stars out of 5 rating, with the Performance quadrant earning the highest 10/10 rating, ahead of 9's in Design, Camera, and Features.
"A great blend of handheld comfort and a big, gorgeous OLED screen. Rear telephoto camera outshoots the 8 Plus in low light, and the front camera snaps impressive portrait selfies. Face ID generally works fine," Stein said, "New interface and no home button mean major adjustments, and key features such as the Control Center are harder to reach and use. It’ll take time for most apps to be optimized for notched screen. The phone is hella expensive."
"iPhone X is an overdue and winning evolution of the iPhone, but you’ll need to leave your comfort zone to make a jump into the face-recognizing future," he concluded.
Over at The Verge, Nilay Patel gave the phone 9/10 for its "excellent screen" and camera experience, adding that Face ID is "simple and effective". Like others, he pointed out the high cost of the phone, but also reiterated the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack (even though that's been absent from iPhones for a while now). He also highlighted the issue of app optimisation, which will take time to catch up.
"The iPhone X is clearly the best iPhone ever made," Patel said, "It’s thin, it’s powerful, it has ambitious ideas about what cameras on phones can be used for, and it pushes the design language of phones into a strange new place. It is a huge step forward in terms of phone hardware, and it has the notch to show for it. If you’re one of the many people who preordered this thing, I think you’ll be happy, although you’ll be going on the journey of figuring out when and how Face ID works best with everyone else."
"The iPhone X might be a huge step forward in terms of hardware, but iOS 11 runs the same on lots of other iPhones, and you won’t be missing out on anything except Animoji," he added, "Face ID works extremely well, although you should expect to have to move the phone closer to your face from time to time. And until your favorite apps are updated, you won’t be able to make use of that entire beautiful display."
In conclusion, Patel said, "All that adds up to the thing you already know: the iPhone X is a very expensive iPhone. For a lot of people, it’ll be worth it. For a lot of people, it’ll seem ridiculous. But fundamentally, it’s a new iPhone, and that means you probably already know if you want to spend a thousand dollars on one. If you’re a huge iPhone fan and you have the money, you’ll love it. It’s a really nice phone. But if you have any doubts at all, stick with an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. You’ll get most of the same features, and you’ll wait out app developers figuring out how to use this new screen. Eventually every iPhone will look like the iPhone X, after all. The rest of us will just be using Animoji in the meantime."
Writing for The Telegraph, James Titcomb awarded the iPhone X full marks with a 5/5 score. He highlighted the "brilliant" display and actively preferred Face ID to the old Touch ID, welcoming the change with open arms. Titcomb said the replacement features for the Home key work very well.
Like most other reviewers, he did draw attention to the price though.
"Shall we mention the price? £999 is a lot to shell out for any phone, more than many people will ever consider paying. If that’s the case, the iPhone X isn’t for you, and it was never going to be."
"For a lot of people considering the iPhone X, the question is whether it is worth the price increase on the £699 iPhone 8, although given the screen size and dual camera, a fairer comparison might be the 8 Plus, which at £799, is £200 cheaper."
"The iPhone X won’t run any different apps, a lot of the time it won't take better pictures, and its battery won’t last any longer. But in my book, there’s no question it’s worth it."
Titcomb honed in, as Ars Technica did at the launch hands-on, on the display being the true star of the show and the main selling point of the iPhone X.
"Face ID, Animoji and Portrait selfies are all nice touches, but it is the truly excellent screen that clinches it. Apple has made us wait for the modern smartphone it needed, but the end result is its best effort in years."
So there you have it. We've had a good old look and can't find any really negative reviews of the iPhone X, at least not yet.
Overall it appears to have blown reviewers' socks off, and it mainly seems to be the display and performance that is winning people over, as well as the overall sleekness of the design. There are one or two gripes, such as the display notch, of course.
Other areas are a mixed bag, such as Face ID. While some seem to think it streamlines the experience more than ever before, others see it as a learning curve to be overcome. Regardless, all seem to agree that the overall impact on the phone is not a negative one.
We must admit, we'd expected more enthusiasm about the camera experience, but at the very worst it's compared favourably to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7. Likewise, the battery life seems fairly average here, but only one reviewer seems to have drawn any attention to it as in any way lacking.
Will you be picking up an iPhone X when you can? Let us know in the comments below.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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