Apple’s new iPhone X (pronounced “ten”) is a completely redesigned smartphone that features a brand-new OLED screen that goes all the way to the edges. This means there is no longer a Home button at the bottom — creating a bit of a learning curve for users who have become accustomed to the home button. The iPhone X instead has users swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to the home screen, and swipe up and pause to enter the app switcher. Key features such as the Control Center are harder to reach and use. It’ll take time for most apps to be optimized for notched screen. The phone’s all-glass design means a case, screen protector and insurance is an absolute must.
Since the screen goes all the way to the edges of the phone’s frame, there is a “notch” at the top of the display which houses the TrueDepth camera. It uses this camera for Face ID, which is how you unlock the phone and authenticate yourself for Apple Pay and other apps. This TrueDepth camera also introduces a new feature called “animoji,” where users can choose from twelve different emoji characters. The iPhone X sensors will track your face to record a video of yourself as an emoji.
The rear-facing camera is also improved, and has a larger and faster 12MP sensor. It has a new color filter and deeper pixels. Like the Plus sized phones, it has dual cameras and it now features optical image stabilization on both of them. The dual cameras also make it possible for Portrait Mode and the new Portrait Lighting effect that debuted on the iPhone 8 Plus.
iPhone X, similar to iPhone 8, has an all-glass design which makes it possible for Qi wireless charging. It has the new A11 Bionic processor with a neural engine. It has a second-generation performance controller and custom battery design that Apple claims gives it 2 more hours of battery life than iPhone 7.
iPhone X starts at $999 for the 64GB model, and $1,149 for the 256GB model. It’s available in Space Grey and Silver.