We examine the new features of the Apple iPhone X.
It's the biggest redesign in Apple's smartphone history and it achieves, according to Apple hardware engineering senior vice-president Dan Riccio, what the company set out to do when it first envisioned the iPhone.
"We've had a dream since day one that we would get it all display, edge-to-edge," he toldNews Corp. "We've worked really hard."
The result is Apple's first smartphone with a 5.8-inch Super Retina screen. The iPhone X is a phone with minuscule borders, that scans your face to verify your identity, that features no Home button, and uses a series of new gestures as a result.
It's also the most expensive smartphone in history, launching yesterday with a top price of $1829.
So is Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone worth your dollars, or should you wait until its second generation launches? We've compiled lists for and against its purchase.
1. That screen: There's no "forehead and chin" to get in the way of its stunning Super Retina display. The borders on this phone are tiny, the screen is brighter than ever thanks to OLED backing, advanced True Tone technology ensures it suits ambient lighting, and it reaches into the curved corners of the phone.
2. Fluid software: Losing the Home button forced a software redesign but, mercifully, it's much more natural than before. You tap to wake it, slide a finger up the screen to unlock it, and the best change is for multi-tasking. Sliding a finger over the bottom of the screen instantly flicks from one open app to the next. You'll be comfortable within 30 minutes and won't look back after a day with it.
3. Face security: Its most controversial addition is one of its best. Face ID is simple to set up, surprisingly accurate, and doesn't mean you have to hold the phone up in a dramatic gesture. As long as it can see your open eyes, nose, and mouth, Face ID can verify your identity. Amusingly, it might not work in the morning or late at night when you're groggy and squinting from tiredness (I'm in denial).
4. Better photos: The cameras are significantly better inside the iPhone X. Users can take selfies in Portrait Mode for the first time in this phone, while the dual cameras on its back add dual optical image stabilisation for less blur, which is particularly noticeable in videos.
5. Animoji: Animoji shows Apple's quirky side. This addition, in iMessage, uses its True Depth camera to track 50 facial muscles and mirror movements in 12 moving emoji. You can send Animoji in messages and save them as videos to share elsewhere.
The new iPhone X is displayed at the Apple Steve Jobs Theater. Photo / AP
Reason to avoid the Apple iPhone X
1. Price: The iPhone X is the most expensive smartphone you can buy. While that might make it a status symbol, it also makes it a lot to pay off even over two years. At $1829, it's $330 more than a Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and $280 more than Google's top Pixel 2 XL. Vodafone notes its three-year contracts are becoming popular with this phone.
2. The 'Notch': The iPhone X screen stretches from one edge to the other with the exception of an area that's been dubbed the "notch". It's the black bar at the top of the phone that houses the cameras and sensors necessary for Face ID. It has to be there but it does get in the way of an uninterrupted canvas.
3. Slim screen: The 5.8-inch screen on the iPhone X is certainly longer than that of the iPhone 8 Plus, but it's also narrower. Those committed to big screens may not appreciate the small loss, which is particularly noticeable when apps fail to scale up and cover the whole screen.
4. No Home: Adapting to life without a Home button might be trying at first, particularly for dedicated iPhone users.
5. Glass house: If you're clumsy, buying a smartphone with glass on the front and the back might seem counterintuitive. Apple says it's the "most durable ever" glass in a phone, though tests show it will shatter if dropped from head height on to concrete.
