Apple iPhone X Review

Apple iPhone X has been a phone the world has been waiting for over a month to get their hands on. Apple seems to have played its cards well by unveiling what was clearly its most innovative phone in recent times and building up the crescendo to the actual launch of the phone. So it was not surprising that the phone ran out of stock across the world, thus helping create enough buzz to sustain high volume sales for a longer period of time.

But is iPhone X the flagship that was expected, coming exactly a decade after the first iPhone changed the way the world used phones? We have lived with the phone for over a week and here is our review:

Apple iPhone X price in India: Rs 89,000+

Apple iPhone X: What is good?

This is the most unique looking Apple phone in recent times. That is because Apple has gotten rid of the iconic Home button and given the front solely for its bezel-less screen. By bezel-less Apple doesn’t mean a display that bends into the edges. In fact, it is the other way around with the edges bending into the screen.

Apple iPhone X Review: The Best Apple Phone You Can Buy, But Be Careful

There is a thin frame around the display, but it does not take away the awesomeness of this OLED screen which is the most vibrant ever in an iPhone. Also, the lack of a bezel makes this large phone one that can be gripped even by the tiniest of hands. In fact, Apple might be able to woo a lot of iPhone 5 and iPhone SE users to move here.

The lack of a bezel in Apple iPhone X makes this large phone one that can be gripped even by the tiniest of hands. (Express Photo)

With the Home button gone, Apple has killed the fingerprint scanner and given life to FaceID, in my books the most natural and fastest way to unlock a phone. Thanks to the TrueDepth camera system up front, the phone can detect your face even when you are in the bed with the lights switched off. In the past week, I have hardly had to use the passcode to enter the phone. It also helps that the FaceID is used seamlessly to autofill passwords Apple already knows. I think this in itself is a feature that gives the iPhone X a significant edge over the competition.

With the Home button gone, Apple has killed the fingerprint scanner and given life to FaceID, in my books the most natural and fastest way to unlock a phone.

This is very powerful though I am not convinced it is more powerful than the iPhone 8. However, it does use the TrueDepth camera to plot your face and recreate your facial movements in an Animoji, certainly not the sort of high-end processing phones of the past would have volunteered for. Also, overall it has become much more faster to use the dual camera modes and that means this phone has more power under the hood. I liked the fact that this phone manages to stay very cool despite the high resolution screen and uses the battery better than the iPhone 8 Plus.

The iPhone X has a better camera than the iPhone 8 Plus because of the lower ‘f’ number on the wide-angle lens. It also does a better job of image stabilisation thanks to the dual OIS, which is not there in iPhone 8 Plus. Thus iPhone X comes up with better videos and timelapses. However, where this phone stands out is with the front camera which uses the TrueDepth system of the FaceID to give more character to selfies. In fact, Apple has gone a step ahead and brought Portrait mode to its selfie camera with this phone. I think this camera has the potential to make face shots with contour lighting the norm instead of beautified selfies.

Apple iPhone X: What is not that good?

While this phone is stylish, it will also be a hard phone to maintain. Since there is glass on both sides, you have double the chance of wrecking this device. Even though it has the ‘strongest glass ever on a phone’, we know that has never come in the way of an expensive phone ending up with a cheap crack on the front. Also, a good indicator of this fact is the first-ever Apple Folio cover, which is not that practical.

Long time Apple users might struggle a bit, at least initially because they no longer have the power button they are so used to. However, the gestures Apple has launched with this device seem much more natural that using a button. So much so that you will struggle going back to a button based UI. Still there are some new things users will need to learn to understand this phone better.

While the iPhone X has a stellar display, it has a quirk too. The front camera rig or the notch sort of eats into the display. So if you are trying to watch a movie or video on full screen, the content wrapping around the camera notch might irritate you a bit. Thankfully, there is the option of playing the video within the regular screen area, though that is not what you are paying a premium for.

Apple iPhone X: Should you buy

Yes, if you are upgrading from an iPhone version that is more than 18 months old, don’t really need a large phone in your hand and can actually afford the price tag. This is clearly the best Apple iPhone available at the moment. It is also the most innovative Apple has been in a while and I would buy the phone just for the convenience of the FaceID. However, this is a phone you will have to care for every second of the day, and don’t want to drop due to carelessness.