iPhone X Reviews
After years of spec bumps and minor aesthetic changes (and accusations of a creative rut), Apple has finally taken the next big step with the iPhone. Dubbed as "all screen," the iPhone X (that's "iPhone Ten") drops the home button and pushes the screen to the edges of the device. So is it worth the $1000+ you'll have to shell out to get your hands on one? Here's what the early reviews1 say:
Holy Moly, That Screen
The iPhone gets an OLED screen, and it was worth the wait:
You have never seen such bright, touchable colors or inky blacks on an iPhone handset, nor have you ever seen an iPhone screen hug the virtually bezel-less edge and corners of a device the way the iPhone X does. Those corners of the screen are all curves — a first in iPhone history. Do not let Apple iPhone 8 owners hold their screen next to the iPhone X's, unless you want to see grown-ups cry.
[Mashable]
The iPhone X is a big screen in a compact form factor—Cinerama in a phone booth. Though the device itself is only slightly bigger than the standard iPhone 8, its screen is roughly the same size as that of the iPhone 8 Plus. When you take into account its "Super Retina" capabilities (another Barnum-esque name concocted by Apple's marketers), that screen will persistently reassure buyers that emptying their wallets for an iPhone X wasn't folly.
[Wired]
That screen, by the way, is easily among the most impressive I've ever seen in a phone. Apple says it tuned for accuracy over sheer punchiness, and the effect is unmistakable. While the Galaxy Note 8 delivers much more vivid colors, the iPhone X is more subdued and natural. The question of which one is "better" is ultimately a subjective one. I've grown used to Samsung's lurid screens, but the iPhone X definitely punches in the same weight class, even if it seems a little dimmer.
[Engadget]
'All Screen' Oversells The Design
The bezel-free future is still in the future:
Less ignorable are the bezels around the sides and bottom of the screen, which are actually quite large. Getting rid of almost everything tends to draw attention to what remains, and what remains here is basically a thick black border all the way around the screen, with that notch set into the top.
Worries About The 'Notch' Are Overblown
Yes, it's there. No, it probably won't ruin your day-to-day experience:
After, I would say, about two days of using the phone, being indifferent or even gently annoyed by it, the notch became utterly unobtrusive. I had got used to it. To the extent that even when I was viewing a photo on screen at maximum magnification, I liked the way the image sneaks round the notch, like spilt paint gently filling in the gaps between floorboards. In other words, it emphasizes the total screen available. In short, the notch looks okay.
[Forbes]
But you'll probably notice it when you watch video:
iOS gracefully splits the top status bar in half around the notch, and many native apps also tailor their designs to it, but it's easy to feel a break in immersion when watching YouTube videos and movies on Netflix.
And there is one dumb quirk with the notch:
The notch does claim one casualty: the battery percentage you have left doesn't display by default. You have to swipe down from the top right to see it.
The Rear Camera Is Really Good, But It Doesn't Clearly Outclass Samsung And Google
The day's of Apple's outright dominance in the mobile camera game are over with Samsung's phones and the Google Pixels, but the X's camera is right up there with them:
The photos I collected with the iPhone X were just as good and in some cases better than I could achieve with the iPhone 8 Plus. When compared to images captured with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the Google Pixel, it was more of a tossup. I contend that Apple still does a better job of capturing natural colors, but some said my images were too cool and preferred the color saturation of the Note 8. To my eyes, the iPhone X produces colors that are closest to real life.
[Mashable]
All in all, the rear shooter is pretty similar to the iPhone 8, but there is a one clear upgrade:
The difference in the X is that its telephoto lens has a better f/2.4 aperture (vs. f/2.8 in the 8 Plus) to let in more light. It also has optical image stabilization, which reduces blur from hand shakiness, on its telephoto lens (the 8 Plus only has stabilization on the wide angle, and the X has it on both). All of this means that stills — especially night time photos — look bright and clear using no zoom *and* 2x zoom.
[Buzzfeed]
Animojis Are… Good?
Just about everyone (us included!) had something snarky to say about Animoji when Tim Cook announced them, but they're probably going to take over the world:
Of course, the main thing the front camera can do is take Animoji, which are Apple's animated emoji characters. It's basically built-in machinima, and probably the single best feature on the iPhone X.
After having used them a bunch over the past week I can honestly tell you that I still have zero clue whether these things will disappear or whether people will use them like crazy…. What I can tell you is that they are cute and super funny. The way that the camera is able to accurately track and map your face, the physics in the models and the fun factor of being able to "wear a mask" combine to make something that's actually a ton of fun.
Selfie Portrait Mode Is Solid, But Flawed
The TrueDepth technology in the front-facing camera (which also makes the Animoji magic happen) allows for bokeh-style selfies:
Many of the shots look amazing, but there are some where the TrueDepth system struggled with my lack of a hairline and created a halo out of the background and the crown of my bald head.
[Mashable]
I have no doubt that this technique will take over selfie posting on Instagram. It's pleasant, helps hide blemishes and emphasizes what people consider to be their best features. Until the algorithm gets better at figuring out that there are two people in frame and understanding how to keep them both sharp, though, I'd recommend keeping it in regular mode for group shots.
The Portrait Lighting mode, meanwhile, is still definitely a work in progress:
Portrait Lighting is officially in beta on both the iPhone's rear and front cameras, and my experiences with it confirmed Apple isn't finished perfecting the software that makes it work. My face ended up looking oddly cut-out and poorly lit. Unlike the rear cameras, which seemed to produce hit-or-miss Portrait Lighting shots, I haven't had luck with my own selfies.
[CNET]
Face ID: So Far, So Good
[S]o far I'd say that Face ID is very fast and pretty dependable. After registering my face using the TrueDepth camera on the front of the phone, which involved titling my head in different directions, the iPhone X typically unlocked the phone before I realized it. You'll know for sure when a small padlock icon unlocks towards the top of the screen. You do need to swipe up on the screen to unlock the iPhone X, which is technically an extra step compared to Touch ID.
In any case, Face ID properly recognized my face when I wore a funky hat, sunglasses or both simultaneously. It also worked in the dark—Apple uses infrared technology to map your face… The most impressive test came when a fully-bearded colleague set up Face ID to recognize his face. After volunteering to shave his beard off, Face ID still properly ID'd him on his next attempt to unlock the phone.
TL;DR
The iPhone X is the breath of fresh air Apple fans were waiting for
Watch The Verge's First Look Video