iPhone X Review and Buying Guide

The iPhone X is a game-changer, with a stunning 5.8-inch OLED screen that's perfect for watching videos or browsing the web.

Its sleek design features a stainless steel frame and glass on both the front and back, making it a durable and premium-looking device.

The iPhone X has a dual 12MP camera setup, with a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, allowing for better zoom and portrait mode capabilities.

You'll also get a fast A11 Bionic chip and up to 512GB of storage, making it a great choice for heavy users.

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The iPhone X's design is a significant improvement over its predecessors, with a 5.8-inch screen that's easy to use with one hand. The phone's sleek stainless steel frame gives it a premium feel.

The Super Retina display is a standout feature, supporting DCI-P3 wide color gamut, sRGB, and high dynamic range, with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. It also has a touch sampling rate of 120 Hz, although it doesn't feature variable 10–120 Hz ProMotion technology like the iPad Pro.

The display's True Tone technology adjusts the white balance to the surrounding ambient light, making it easier on the eyes. The iPhone X's screen is also very bright, reaching 574 nits, and is sharper than the iPhone 8 Plus with a resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels.

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The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch OLED screen that supports DCI-P3 wide color gamut, sRGB, and high dynamic range, and has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1.

The Super Retina display features True Tone technology, which uses ambient light sensors to adapt the display's white balance to the surrounding ambient light.

The iPhone X doubles the touch sampling rate of previous models, from 60 Hz to 120 Hz.

The OLED screen technology has a known negative trend of "burn-in" effects, where particular elements consistently on the screen for long periods of time leave a faint trace even after new images appear.

Apple acknowledges that its OLED screens are not excluded from this issue, writing in a support document that "This is also expected behavior".

The iPhone X's screen is made of glass, which enables wireless charging, and the vertically oriented camera doesn't look awkward.

The iPhone X is rimmed in a gorgeous and very strong stainless steel, giving the design more polish than the aluminum iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

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The iPhone X's screen is sharper than the iPhone 8 Plus, with a resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels.

The iPhone X's display reproduced 128.6 percent of the color gamut, compared to 204.8 percent for the Note 8.

Apple strived to achieve the most realistic colors possible, and that’s borne out by the iPhone X’s Delta-E reading of 0.27.

The iPhone X's screen also gets very bright at 574 nits, which beats the Pixel 2 XL's 438 nits and Note 8's 408 nits.

The iPhone X has two color options; silver and space gray, with the sides made of surgical-grade stainless steel to improve durability.

The design is intended to be IP67 water and dust resistant, making it a durable option for everyday use.

The iPhone X's new interface is a learning curve, but it feels like the future. You'll have to reprogram your brain to swipe up to exit apps, as opposed to just pressing a button.

The swipe-up gesture adds a slight delay, but it's not noticeable once you get used to it. iOS 11 and the A11 Bionic chip are plenty powerful enough to handle gobs of apps in the background.

To close apps, you need to press and hold to make Delete buttons appear, which is an extra step. You can't just swipe up to force quit apps, but it's a safety feature to avoid accidentally force quitting an app.

Swiping down from the top-right corner reveals Control Center, where you can access shortcuts for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more.

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The iPhone X has the same powerful A11 Bionic chip as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, making it the fastest phone ever in both synthetic benchmarks and real-world tests.

This chip is a six-core processor with two cores optimized for performance, which are 25% faster than the A10 Fusion processor. The other four cores are optimized for efficiency, and are 70% faster than the previous generation.

The iPhone X can transcode a 2-minute 4K video in just 42 seconds using the Adobe Clips app, which is impressive considering the Pixel 2 took 2 minutes and 55 seconds and the Galaxy Note 8 needed 3:03.

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The iPhone X has impressive water and dust protection, with an IP67 rating that means it can withstand immersion in water up to one meter deep for 30 minutes in laboratory conditions.

You can confidently use your iPhone X in rainy or humid environments, but be aware that intentional water exposure should be avoided. Apple warns that water and dust resistance may decrease over time due to normal wear.

The iPhone X's water and dust resistance is not a permanent condition, and it's essential to use caution when exposing it to liquids. Apple's warranty does not cover water damage to iOS devices, so it's best to be mindful of your phone's exposure to water and dust.

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The iPhone X is powered by Apple's A11 Bionic chip, a six-core processor that's 25% faster than the A10 Fusion processor.

This chip is also used in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and it features two cores optimized for performance and four cores optimized for efficiency.

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The A11 Bionic chip is so powerful that it can run circles around Android phones in both synthetic benchmarks and real-world tests.

The iPhone X's performance is comparable to the iPhone 8 Plus, with both phones scoring around 10,000 on Geekbench 4.

In fact, the iPhone X notched a very high score of 10,357, while the iPhone 8 Plus scored 10,472 and the iPhone 8 scored 10,170.

The A11 Bionic chip also features a Neural Engine, which powers an artificial intelligence accelerator and is used for tasks like Face ID.

This Neural Engine is capable of processing more than 600 billion operations per second.

The iPhone X's battery life is pretty impressive, lasting 10 hours and 49 minutes on the Tom's Guide Battery Test.

This is over an hour longer than the category average and beats the iPhone 8's 9:54 and Galaxy S8's 10:39.

However, the iPhone 8 Plus lasted even longer, at 11:16, and some Android devices like the Pixel 2 XL and Galaxy Note 8 have even better endurance.

The iPhone X's battery is a two-cell battery with a capacity of 2,716 mAh, slightly larger than the 2,675 mAh battery in the iPhone 8 Plus.

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Apple has also implemented a new performance management system that's designed to be less noticeable than older iPhones.

This means that the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus may not need the same processor-throttling performance management features as older iPhones.

The iPhone X and other iPhones also use a mix of Qualcomm and Intel modem chips, with Qualcomm's chips outperforming Intel's in LTE download speeds.

In fact, Qualcomm's chips are up to 67% faster in very weak signal conditions, making them a good choice for users who need reliable connectivity.

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The iPhone X has an OLED display, which is a great upgrade from previous models. One of the features that still works on this new display is 3D Touch, which allows you to display additional information with a single force press gesture.

3D Touch is available throughout the iOS 11 operating system, making it a handy feature to have at your fingertips.

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Face ID replaces the traditional Touch ID authentication system, using a facial recognition sensor to confirm a match with the phone owner's face.

This system consists of two parts: a dot project module that projects over 30,000 infrared dots onto the user's face, and an infrared camera module that reads the pattern.

The pattern is sent to the Secure Enclave in the A11 Bionic chip to confirm a match, making it a highly secure system.

By default, Face ID will not work with eyes closed, to prevent unauthorized access, but this requirement can be disabled in settings.

However, Face ID has raised concerns regarding its security and privacy, with the possibility of law enforcement accessing an individual's phone by pointing the device at their face.

United States Senator Al Franken asked Apple to provide more information on the security and privacy of Face ID, highlighting the need for greater transparency.

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Inconsistent results have been shown when testing Face ID on identical twins, with some tests showing the system managing to separate the two, while other tests have failed.

Despite Apple's promise of increased security with Face ID, there have been multiple media reports indicating otherwise, with courts in the United States granting different Fifth Amendment rights to biometric unlocking systems compared to keycodes.

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The iPhone X has some convenient charging options. It supports Qi-standard wireless charging, which means you can charge your phone without a cable, just by placing it on a charging mat.

For wireless charging, you'll need a Qi-certified inductive charging device. The iPhone X can charge at a maximum of 7.5 watts, which is faster than the 5-watt charging speed of some other wireless chargers.

If you prefer to charge your phone with a cable, the iPhone X is also fast-charge capable, but you'll need to buy an Apple 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapter, which costs at least $74. This will get your phone to 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes.

The iPhone X also supports Bluetooth 5.0, which offers longer range, faster speeds, and better interoperability with other wireless technologies. This is a big improvement over Bluetooth 4.2, which is four times faster and has twice the range.

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Fast Charging is a convenient feature that can get you to 50 percent battery life in just 30 minutes. You'll need to plug your iPhone X into Apple's 29W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapters, which are sold separately.

These adapters come with a price tag - you'll need to spend at least $74 to get the necessary accessories, including a USB-C to Lightning cable. There are cheaper alternatives available, but they might not perform quite as well.

You can also opt for wireless charging, which is a great option if you're looking for a hassle-free experience. The iPhone X supports Qi wireless charging, and there are some chargers that even offer fast wireless charging capabilities.

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The iPhone X supports Bluetooth 5.0, which offers longer range and faster speeds compared to Bluetooth 4.2. Bluetooth 5.0 has four times the range and two times the speed of its predecessor.

With Bluetooth 5.0, you can expect better interoperability with other wireless technologies. This means you can connect your iPhone X to a wider range of devices, from headphones to speakers.

The iPhone X also supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, which can reach theoretical maximum connection speeds of 866Mb/s.

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The iPhone X has some impressive GPS and NFC features. The phone supports Galileo, Europe's Global Satellite Navigation System, and QZSS, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used in Japan. This allows for more precise positioning, especially when navigating through cities worldwide.

The iPhone X's NFC chip has a reader mode that lets you read NFC tags in places like retail stores, museums, and more. I've personally used this feature to quickly access information on products and exhibits.

Face ID replaces Touch ID for authenticating Apple Pay purchases. A glance at the iPhone X is all you need to authenticate a payment, and a double click on the side button confirms it.

The iPhone X's NFC chip was initially problematic, but Apple released a revision that vastly improved it in April 2018. This solved the issue of NFC reader errors in most cases, reducing failures from around 1 out of 3 attempts to almost none.

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The iPhone X supports Qi-standard wireless charging, which means you can use any Qi-certified inductive charging device to charge your phone wirelessly.

You can place your iPhone X on a charging mat to charge it wirelessly, and it will charge at a maximum of 7.5 watts.

Not all wireless chargers support 7.5W, so be sure to check the wattage before making a purchase.

7.5W wireless charging is faster than 5W wireless charging in some cases, but there are many factors that influence the speed of wireless charging.

Wireless charging is convenient and best suited to overnight charging or situations where you don't need an immediate infusion of power.

You can even find Qi-based wireless charging accessories in restaurants, coffee shops, and other locations, and they'll charge your iPhone X too.

Most iPhone cases, including Apple's own cases, work with inductive charging, so you won't need to remove your case to charge your phone.

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The camera quality on the iPhone X is top-notch.

One of the standout features is the wider aperture on the telephoto lens, which allows for more detail in photos, especially in low-light conditions.

The 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front of the phone takes great selfies, and the addition of Portrait Mode makes the subject "pop" out of the background.

The rear camera features a dual-lens arrangement with a standard f/1.8 aperture 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a f/2.4 aperture 12-megapixel telephoto lens.

The image signal processor in the iPhone X is able to detect elements in a scene, including people, motion, and lighting, to optimize photos before they're captured.

The telephoto camera in the iPhone X supports optical image stabilization, which improves photo quality and low-light performance.

The quad-LED True Tone Flash with a Slow Sync feature combines a slow shutter speed with a strobe pulse for a brighter foreground subject and properly exposed background in low lighting conditions.

The iPhone X can capture 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, and 1080p slo-mo video at up to 240 frames per second, with advanced video stabilization techniques to reduce motion blur and shakiness.

The iPhone X's cameras are capable of producing natural-looking portraits, with a more natural bokeh effect compared to other phones.

In low-light conditions, the Pixel 2 produced better image quality than the iPhone X, but the iPhone X's cameras still performed well.

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The iPhone X is a game-changer, but it's not without its flaws. It's a huge gamble from Apple that really paid off, and it's the closest to smartphone perfection they've ever achieved.

The iPhone X's design is a radical departure from previous models, and it's a bold move that's been worth it. Apple has created a premium design with an all-screen front that's truly stunning.

One of the biggest drawbacks is the price - it's the most expensive flagship phone on the market. However, iPhone users are more willing than most to look past cost.

Here are the key pros and cons of the iPhone X:

If you're an early adopter, you'll love the iPhone X. It's not perfect, but it's a step into a new decade of full-screen, augmented reality living.

Early adopters of the iPhone X experienced activation issues on certain carriers, most notably AT&T, in November 2017. This problem was quickly resolved by AT&T.

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Users in Japan and China encountered NFC problems while trying to access public transit smart card readers. Apple released a revision to the iPhone X in April 2018, which included a vastly improved NFC chip, solving the issue in most cases.

The new iPhone X has not been without its issues, and some users have reported problems with the phone. Apple has not yet commented on this specific issue.

The iPhone X has its fair share of drawbacks. The most expensive flagship phone around is a significant con, especially considering its hefty price tag of $999.00 at Verizon.

One of the design flaws is the metal rim, which can scuff easily without a case. This might be a concern for those who want to keep their phone looking pristine.

The iPhone X's battery life is not the longest, with a capacity of 2,716mAh. This might not be a deal-breaker for some, but it's worth considering for heavy users.

Here are some of the key cons of the iPhone X in a nutshell:

The iPhone X's camera system is impressive, but it's not without its limitations. The rear camera has two 12MP sensors with optical image stabilization, which is a great feature, but it might not be enough to justify the phone's high price.

Early activation issues were a problem for some users of the new phone in November 2017. AT&T customers were particularly affected, with many reporting difficulties in activating their devices.

The issue was quickly identified and resolved by AT&T, with the carrier announcing within hours that the problem had been fixed on their end.

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The iPhone X had its fair share of issues. Early adopters experienced activation issues on certain cellular carriers, most notably AT&T, in November 2017.

Some users also reported problems with the phone's NFC, particularly in Japan and China, where they were trying to access public transit smart card readers. In April 2018, Apple released a revision to the iPhone X with a vastly improved NFC chip.

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A limited number of iPhone X owners experienced an issue that Apple had not yet commented on. The exact nature of this issue is not specified.

The iPhone X was criticized for being very expensive, with a price tag of $999.00 at Verizon. It was also noted that some apps were not ready for the phone's new display, and the modem was not the fastest.

Here's a summary of the issues:

The iPhone X was launched worldwide on November 3, 2017.

At launch, the basic 64GB model cost $999 / £999 / AU$1,579, while the larger 256GB model cost $1,149 / £1,149 / AU$1,829.

You can still find the iPhone X at third-party retailers, but usually only refurbished models, and the prices have dropped to a lower mid-range level.

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The iPhone X was released worldwide on November 3, 2017.

At launch, the iPhone X cost a whopping $999 / £999 / AU$1,579 for the basic 64GB model. If you wanted the larger 256GB model, it cost $1,149 / £1,149 / AU$1,829.

The prices have dropped significantly since then, with refurbished models now available at lower mid-range prices.

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Considering the iPhone X's capabilities, it's more iPhone than you probably need. The device is genuinely exciting, showing that Apple is still innovating.

The iPhone X is a great size, but if you're looking for an alternative, you might consider iPads or Android tablets. They offer a larger screen experience.

For now, the iPhone X is the right choice for those who want the latest and greatest from Apple. Its capabilities will grow as software developers update their apps.

If you're in the market for a new device, it's worth considering the iPhone X's price and availability.

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Face ID works with hats, beards, glasses, sunglasses, scarves, makeup, and all other accessories that might partially obscure a face.

It needs to see your eyes, nose, and mouth to work, which means things like surgical masks prevent Face ID from working.

Most sunglasses are compatible with Face ID, except for some that have a coating that blocks infrared light.

Face ID's facial recognition capabilities are powered by a two-core neural engine built into the A11 Bionic chip, which uses machine learning to detect your face and recognize changes in your appearance.

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