The high price of 1.149,00 Pounds and the “bump” from the iPhone X screen were controversial issues in recent months. But is the new iPhone also a good smartphone?
We seem to be sitting in the middle of the ‘Endless’ smartphones. Since Samsung and LG presented this spring phones with significantly thinner screen edges, almost every phone manufacturer has released a phone with a sharp reduction of the edges.
Apple’s iPhone 8 earlier this year still had thick edges, but with the iPhone X, the company finally chose a borderless design. The way Apple does this differs from the Android competition. Most Android devices have slightly thinner screen edges on the top and bottom, and the sides are completely borderless, but the iPhone has its thin edge distributed across all sides.
The edge is therefore hardly noticeable on all sides. As a result, the phone has a larger 5.8-inch screen, but it is regarding device size between the iPhone 8 (4.7 inches) and 8 Plus (5.5 inches).
There is one exception: on top of the phone is a remarkable bite from the screen, which offers space for the new self-camera and sensors. These are required for face detection, but they give the iPhone X a somewhat strange design at the same time. Due to the cove, the iPhone screen seems like a small clipboard.
Screen
Some may call the notch of the screen ugly, but so far, there are few practical objections to contradicting. Apps designed for the iPhone X show their information around it, so there’s never something missing. Unoptimized apps look a bit ugly because black bars appear at the top and bottom, but the number of custom apps still fell on us in the first week.
When playing video, the notch is also not an objection, as black bars are also available to handle a 16: 9 aspect ratio. A slight downside is that the battery rate is no longer displayed in the status bar, but it can still be seen by opening the control panel.
Apple uses an OLED screen for the first time in the iPhone X. That’s also to be seen: put the iPhone next to a previous model, and it’s clear that colors are more vibrant and black and white are darker. OLED screens sometimes tend to show shabby shapes, but the iPhone X does not matter.
We noticed in our tests that the screen sometimes reacts poorly in outdoor use. According to Apple, this is a problem that can cope with high-temperature differences, and a solution is being developed in the form of a software update. It’s a nasty bug, but only occasionally causes trouble.
The design of the phone is not much noticeable. The stainless steel side is similar to that of previous iPhones, and the case reminds of the iPhone 8 that came out in September. Like many competitors, Apple has opted for a glass back to make the new wireless charger work. And like those competitors, the glass is stained quickly.
No Home Button
The borderless design lacks the home button on the iPhone. If you want to return to the home screen, you have to sweep up from the bottom of the screen. Therefore, the Quick Setup Control Panel for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for example, can no longer be swung up but requires a swipe from the top right corner of the phone.
That’s a matter of getting used to it. For the first time in years, two important functions are served differently. Anyone who has been using iPhones for a long time will therefore accidentally open the wrong window. Also, the control panel is now in a somewhat awkward place at the top of the screen, which is more difficult to reach than it used to be.
At the bottom of the screen is a bar, which reminds that a sweep returns to the icon screen. As a result, many apps have a free space, no space for additional buttons.
Face ID
The iPhone X does not have a fingerprint scanner like previous devices but uses face recognition. Look at the phone to unlock him – verified is successful – using Face ID. The iPhone scans the face with a dot projector, infrared camera, infrared lamp and an ordinary camera. You set up Face ID by simply turning the face twice.
In most cases, Face ID is expected to work. The error margin is approximately as high as the Touch ID finger reader on previous iPhones, which in most cases also worked fine. On average, an average time a day, you still need to enter a code because the scanner does not look well.
In speed, Face ID is similar to the first fingerprint scanner of the iPhone 5S. The Touch ID reader in the newer iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 is, in our opinion, faster, but Face ID does not require an active action. You only have to look at the device, which has often been unlocked at the time you normally only want to scan your finger.
Apple also uses that face recognition in a few fun ways. The most notable are the Animoji. In iMessage, it is possible to animate an emoji, translating every move from face to the screen. It’s a clear gimmick, but one that demonstrates how well the face tracing works.
Also, little things are hidden in the iPhone software. An alarm lowers its volume when it looks at the iPhone, and the screen stays on for as long as you continue watching it. The Face Detector of the iPhone X also works in dark spaces, something that other smartphone makers have not yet managed. That’s what Apple gets by using the infrared lamp that illuminates the face so that the infrared camera makes a scan in the dark.
Cameras
The two 12 megapixel cameras on the back of the iPhone X are similar to those of the iPhone 8. With a button in the camera app, it is possible to switch between the two lenses, which makes it possible to zoom in.
Unique to the iPhone X is that both lenses use optical image stabilization, while this is only on the iPhone 8 with the zoomed wide-angle lens. A relief, because right at the zoom lens we like to have a stabilized image to prevent blurred images.
Furthermore, the image quality of the cameras is approximately equal. If you compare the iPhone X with the previous iPhone 7, then photos will look more beautiful in low light conditions. Some megapixels has remained the same, so the resolution has remained the same.
The iPhone X portrait mode has been improved at the software level. It was already possible to create a portrait photo with blurred background, but now it can also adjust the exposure of the subject. A nice idea that does not get very well done. Often the subject is broken incorrectly, which results in a strange result. This feature was already on the iPhone 8.
Face ID sensors ensure that portrait mode works for the first time with the iPhone self-camera. This makes it easier to shoot a somewhat professional self-portrait, although image quality is still a lot worse than with the cameras on the back of the phone.
Conclusion
The iPhone 8 that appeared earlier this year already had the same chip and camera as the iPhone X. But it seems that Apple has kept the big updates for the iPhone X. After using the Random Screen for a week, we find. Returning to thicker screen edges is hard.
But the most impressive thing is perhaps the Face ID scanner. This is the first iPhone that knows at any time whether you look at it. Unlocking your phone is happening without the need to do anything even in the dark. That feels like a giant step.
Is that all worth 1.149,00 pounds? Not for everyone. The iPhone X feels like a look in the future for Apple, with features that will eventually appear in phones from 990 pounds. Early adopters and big Apple fans will be willing to pay the full price, but the more price-conscious buyers may be better off for a more affordable device.