Apple has always had a vision to “create an iPhone that is entirely screen”. Giving the user a fully emersive device, that you actually get lost in the experience. Their vision has also been to create a device so intelligent that it can respond to your voice, the tap of your finger and even your face. And Apple has finally done that. Apple officially announced the Apple X today. Many people have been speculating about what will be included with the iPhone 8, and even the Apple Watch 3, but now we know what else Apple has been working on. My OCD brain doesn’t like the fact that they skipped “9” altogether, but X definitely sounds cooler than 9. And for those of you who don’t know, X, is pronounced as 10.
What can you expect with the iPhone X? Well, to start, it’s all screen. Literally all screen. The display uses new techniques and technology to precisely follow the curves of the design, all the way to the elegantly rounded corners. It is also the first OLED screen that rises to the standards of an iPhone, with accurate and stunning colours. It also demonstrates true blacks, high brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. In addition, the new glass design allows for wireless charging. It is slightly smaller than the previous Plus phones, but it actually has a bigger display. And it’s also easier to hold than the iPhone Plus.
For you nerds out there, it has a rich-looking 5.8″ edge to edge OLED screen. Apple is debuting the “Super Retina Display” with the iPhone X, and it has Quad HD+ display with a 2436 x 1125 resolution. This is Apple’s first edge-to-edge display, which means it lacks the bezel at the top and the usual home button at the bottom. They are replaced with the larger screen. It also goes well beyond the 1080p screen ceiling that Apple has provided us in previous phones.
With the iPhone 8, you will get a TrueDepth Camera. Apple is calling this the most sophisticated technology that they’ve ever developed and includes the camera and sensors that enable Face ID. Face ID is Apple’s new and secure way to unlock your phone and it will even work with Apple Pay. They say that there is a one in a million chance that someone would have similar enough facial features in order to lock your phone. It’s that unique. To put this into perspective, Apple says that there is a one in 50,000 chance for someone to have a similar fingerpint. Which makes this more secure. In theory. I’m not sure that I buy this just yet. But we will see.
How exactly does Face ID work though? It is enabled by the TrueDepth camera and it is extremely simple to set up. According to Apple it projects and analyzes more than 30,000 invisible dots to create a precise depth map of your face. Which does sound pretty enticing. Especially as this is a way to use Apple Pay. simply look at your phone and it will scan your face to authenticate.
We have talked a lot at Saintel Daily about how the iPhone camera is so powerful that some photographers are using it as their main way of taking photos. Well, now you have an even better camera to snap shots on. The camera has a larger and faster 12MP sensor. It comes with a new colour filter, deeper pixels and a new telephoto camera with OIS. Both rear cameras have optical image stabilization and fast lenses for outstanding photos and videos even in low light.
But what might be the coolest feature of the iPhone X is the A11 bionic neural engine AI chip. According to Apple it is the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone, with a neural engine that’s capable of up to 600 billion operations per second. Which means, it’s going to operate a lot faster than any of the previous versions. This was developed and included, presumably in order to help with how we experience augmented reality within games and apps. Apple does set the bar for a lot of technology, in terms of how apps are developed. So it only makes sense that Apple would raise the bar in this instance.
Lastly, one of my favourite features is the ability to charge your iPhone X without a a cable. Well, not exactly. It comes with a charging mat, which obviously requires a cord, but you don’t have to connect that directly to your device. In addition to being able to charge the iPhone X, you will also be able to charge your Apple Watch and AirPods with this mat. This is my favourite feature because I’m tired of carrying different cables around to charge my phone and my Watch. The battery does last longer on the iPhone X, so maybe this wouldn’t be such a big issue for me any more.
The iPhone X definitely stole the show today as far as announcements go. If you’re interested in comparing the specifications between the iPhone X and the iPhone 8, head over to Apple’s website for more information. What we don’t know is how much this will cost. Some are speculating that it will start around $999, but could go north of $1000. You can pre-order your phone on October 27th, and shipping will begin November 2nd. I wonder how easy it will be to get an iPhone X? It definitely is the fancier version of the two phones, but I wonder if people will opt for the iPhone 8 due to price, and maybe availability. Let us know – will you be buying a new iPhone this fall? And if so, which one? I am scheduled for an upgrade just before Christmas so I definitely have some things to consider over the next few months.