The new iPhone X: is it a real revolution?
Size comparison
The iPhone X is to be had for a hefty £999 (64GB) or £1,149 (256GB). It has a 5.8” screen - which is larger than the iPhone 8 Plus, although the iPhone X is the same height but slightly wider than the iPhone 8. This means that you can use the device with one hand, while the iPhone X fits better into your pocket than the large iPhone 8 Plus. The reason is that the iPhone X is smaller and longer and has an edge-to-edge screen, so there’s no loss at the edges. At the top, there’s a black cut-out which houses the camera and sensors.
The first iPhone with an OLED screen
The iPhone X is the first iPhone with an OLED screen. The main advantage is that black is really deep black, so you will benefit mainly when watching photos or videos. The contrast is better too. Apple calls this a Super Retina HD display, and with 2,436 x 1,125 pixels the resolution is even higher than that of the iPhone 8 Plus equipped with an LCD screen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). During our tests, the display proved to be very good indeed, but the difference between an excellent LCD screen and a good OLED screen is not always easy to see on such a small display. The display of the iPhone X is affected by shifting colours when you look at it sideways.
Tip 1. The Samsung Galaxy S8 (£689) also has a 5.8” OLED screen with an even higher resolution (2,960 x 1,440 pixels). The S8+ (£779) even has a 6.2” OLED screen. Tip 2. All apps run on the iPhone X, but only updated apps use the full screen surface.
Face ID instead of Touch ID
Apple has replaced the Touch ID fingerprint sensor by Face ID on the iPhone X. This is logical, as the fingerprint sensor is located at the front on the other devices, and this would make it impossible to use the entire front side of the device as display on the iPhone X. Face ID face recognition works with a camera and multiple sensors integrated into the front of the device. During our tests, identification worked well and it was equally fast as Touch ID - even when wearing sunglasses or a hat, we were recognised by Touch ID! Touch ID works to unlock the device and to log in with secure apps such as Dropbox or online banking apps.
Tip. You can configure your iPhone X so that notifications appear on the screen without showing the content. This means that you will only see a notification referring to the app (e.g. Mail or WhatsApp), but without the subject of the e-mail or the content of the message being shown. Simply look at the iPhone and the notifications will be “unfolded” and you will be able to see the content.
New chip and wireless charging
In addition to the new and faster A11 chip, which is also integrated into the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, you can charge the iPhone X wirelessly in accordance with the Qi standard. You only need to place the phone (with or without sleeve) on the wireless charging pad. Note. Wireless charging is much slower than via the cable.
Tip. Apple is expected to market a wireless Qi charger at the beginning of 2018, it will be faster and can charge multiple devices simultaneously.
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