After hearing about the release of the iPhone X, I was ecstatic to get my hands on Apple's latest phone. The hype over how the fundamental aspects of the phone were going to change and how the design aesthetic would change dramatically as compared to other Apple phone models was perhaps overrated, but nonetheless I had to pre-order this new gadget since I am a fan. After using this phone daily, I had to get used to it and there are pros and cons to this product. Nonetheless, if you plan on purchasing this phone for yourself or someone else, there are some things you need to know:
1. Google and YouTube Are Your Friends.
I definitely had a lot of detective work to do in the beginning. There was a lot of Googling and YouTube tutorials. I didn't even know how to turn the phone off. With time and patience, you will learn.
2. You May Miss The Home Button.
Switching apps on the iPhone X took a lot of getting used to. (P.S. I'm still not used to it yet and I secretly miss the home button!) Keep practicing.
3. Easier Access To Siri.
Siri is your best assistant. To access Siri, you just need to press the lock button or just say "Hey Siri" to access her.
4. Notifications Are Hidden Until You Unlock The Phone.
I love that I get a little more privacy especially when I get notifications. It is definitely a security issue when someone sitting next to me on the train, for example, can read the exact text messages or notification messages as they come up on my phone screen. Face ID makes notifications visible only when you are looking at the screen and hides them when you aren't looking at your screen.
5. Face ID Works Well, But It May Be Less Secure?
Most apps that interfaced with Touch ID should now interface with Face ID. For example, you can finalize purchases with Apple Pay just by pointing your phone screen at your face, which is great! I also like that you have to confirm your purchase afterwards by double pressing the lock button. However, while Face ID makes life easier, Face ID could be less secure when compared to Touch ID since anyone can now point your phone to your face to finalize a purchase. The likelihood of that happening may be slim, but you never know....
6. Extra: New Default Ringtone Only For iPhone X.
This is something that wasn't even on my radar and I barely noticed it until I read an iPhone X review.... Do you hear that? That's the ring of an expensive phone.
7. The Bad: The Price.
This phone is definitely expensive and costs about $1,000. This shouldn't be surprising though since nowadays all smart phones on the market are expensive and are a luxury to have. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 smart phone, a competitor to the iPhone X, can cost around $950, and a Huawei Mate 9 smart phone, another competitor to the iPhone X, can cost about $2,000!
8. You Need Protection.
Search on YouTube for the "iPhone X drop test"....It's not great. One would think that with the high cost that the phone would be made up of high quality and durable materials, but maybe it isn't! You will definitely need to protect your phone, especially the front camera for Face ID.
9. Wireless Charging & Battery Life.
Finally, Apple got onto the wireless charging train. I am happy to see more mobile energy solutions in the market today so this was a bonus. Additionally, I have seen that the battery life is better as compared to my previous iPhone.
10. Graphical Display, Camera, Photo Quality, Animoji....
With the new OLED screen and Apple's True Tone system, images and graphics on the iPhone X are crisp and clean. Also, the new Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting are excellent features too, but that is up to your speculation. And who can forget Animoji? Who doesn't want to be a robot or dog emoji?
