Everything we Xpected, and more…
iPhone X is the most advanced, and best iPhone Apple has ever made. The biggest iPhone shake-up to date is packed with fresh features. Not least the new Apple FaceID, which lets you use your face to unlock your phone. But what do the experts think of iPhone X? Let’s find out…
Here’s what the critics had to say about some of the most important iPhone X features, and some of the things you’ll want to think about when buying a new phone…
Design
One of the most striking features of the new iPhone is the near bezel-less display. Apple has ditched the home button, so you’ve got more screen to look at. And the critics dig it. “This phone is simply gorgeous”, Trusted Reviews says. “Not only does it look good … Apple has done a fantastic job at making it feel rather good in the hand”.
The new OLED display
Over the years, Apple has used its Retina Display technology in its phones. iPhone X is the first iPhone to use an OLED display. Good move, Apple. UK news site TechRadar called it “the best thing Apple has ever crammed into an iPhone”.
The online publication praised its sharpness and colour production as a cut above any other iPhone to date: “OLED technology means you’re getting deeper blacks and more blinding whites, so everything from websites to the photos you take will look a little better”.
FaceID
The FaceID system is a new way to unlock your phone just by looking at it. The technology behind it scans and maps your face to make it happen. “It just works”, Pocket-lint’s Stuart Miles says in his iPhone X review. “The Face ID tech works in all environments we tried: outside in the sun, in a pitch-black room, on the train, in a bar”.
It’s “blisteringly fast, too”, the review adds. So you won’t have to stand there ages staring at your phone to unlock it. Don’t worry if you’re initially having trouble with FaceID. You’ll have your own PIN code too, just in case you need a backup.
Camera and Portrait Mode
The dual 12MP rear camera takes great landscape and portrait photos thanks to Apple’s TrueDepth technology. The new Portrait Mode lets you take studio-quality portrait shots. Pocket-lint particularly fancied the Studio Light mode.
“It adds a lovely brightness to the picture without adjusting the overall exposure and contrast. Some of the pictures we’ve taken are almost DSLR like in quality. It’s that good.”
Not a selfie fan? The iPhone X captures great zoom photos and can record video in crystal clear 4K quality.
Nilay Patel from The Verge praised the f/2.8 telephoto lens, saying “these are probably the best zoom photos I’ve ever taken on a phone, and it’s amazing to shoot 6x zoom video in 4K and have it be sharp and usable.”
Animoji
Say hello to animated emoji, Animoji. iPhone X’s camera maps your facial movements onto Apple’s emoji so you can send customised messages, including smirking poo emojis to your buddy, Geoff.
Animoji won’t be the reason you’ll buy iPhone X, but they’re still charming. “It’s purely for fun, and all but guaranteed to annoy your on-iPhone X equipped mates, but undeniably cute at the same time”, Stuff observes.
Battery life
How much battery life you get out of any phone will depend on what you use it for, and how long. However, Apple promises all-day battery life in general use. According to Pocket-lint’s review, iPhone X delivers. “We’ve easily been able to achieve a full-days of testing with the camera and all our daily apps, and still have power to get us home in the early morning. That’s all-day battery life to us.”
Still finding your way around iPhone X? Learn about the top 5 gestures and a new way to use your iPhone.
