In the first ever event held at Steve Jobs theatre, Cupertino, Apple announced their latest software and hardware marvels. The list includes Apple watch series 3, Apple TV 4K, iPhone 8, iPhone X, iOS 11 and Watch OS 4. Among them, the iPhone X is meant to be the next generation device, which will pave way for the next decade of smartphones. Here are the key factors that make iPhone X (10), ‘the one more thing’ Apple ever intended to create.
Design
The iPhone 8 might be the new generation of iPhone but, iPhone X is the future of smartphone. Exactly after a decade of releasing the first iPhone, they have created this new device that is all display, a physical object that disappears into the experience. The major noticeable change is the absence of a home button and hence the lack of Touch ID feature. But iPhone X offer better alternatives.
iPhone X is so incredible and is all screen. The display fits edge to edge, top to bottom goes into each corner with the tight curved design. It has glass in front and back, and the sides are made from surgical grade stainless steel with a beautiful finish. The glass and stainless steel fit forming a continuous surface from front to back. It is engineered to be water and dust resistant at a microscopic level. Colorwise, iPhone X has no Gold variant, you’ve to stick with space grey or silver.
Display
The iPhone X has all new display called the super retina display, with improved quality, more responsive touch system. It measures 5.8-inch diagonally with a resolution of 2436 by 1125, and a higher 458 ppi pixel density. This display uses, OLED technology which overcomes several deficiencies of traditional displays. It supports the HDR display, Dolby vision and HDR10, one million to one contrast ratio, greater colour accuracy, 3D touch, True tone display. This enables an entirely new user experience, you can now just tap on the screen to wake up. Several such gestures allow a user to switch, and navigate. With no home button, Siri can be invoked by either saying Hey Siri or by pressing the side button. Unlocking the iPhone 10 will be a new experience to its users, you just need to look at it to unlock.
- Arsenic-free display glass, Mercury-free display
- BFR-free, PVC-free, Beryllium-free.
- It is made with the low-carbon process and is highly recyclable.
Camera
Talking about the amazing cameras in iPhone 10. It has dual 12 MP rear camera, large, faster and wider sensors, with colour filter just like in iPhone 8. These include a faster wide angle camera with f 1.8 and a faster f 2.4 telephoto camera. Both cameras have dual optical image stabilization which can compensate for a handshake and better photos in low light. It also has quad led true tone flash provides twice better uniform of light on the subjects. These cameras detect elements in a scene even before the photo is taken. The photos taken with the rear camera had great dynamic range, details, low noise. It has zero shutter lag which helps to freeze motions.
The iPhone 10 is fantastic with portrait mode. It supports the brand new portrait lighting, comparable to stage lighting effects. iPhone 10 is great for photos and amazing for 4k videos. Like iPhone 8, iPhone X is tuned for AR applications, combined with gyroscope, accelerometer, the AR kit is amazing. The front camera with TrueDepth system supports portrait mode selfies and also provides portrait lighting effects.
True Depth Camera & Face ID
The true depth camera system is built on to the top front of the device and is mind blowing. This acts as the backbone for the Face ID system, where in a tiny area, it has flood illuminator, front camera, infrared camera, dot projector, ambient light sensor, speaker, proximity sensor, & microphones. The system projects dots onto your face and creates a mathematical model in real time and compares it with the pre-recorded model. This works even in dark with the help of an infrared camera. All this is possible by the A11 bionic chip with the inbuilt neural engine. This system has machine learning algorithms which adapt as your appearance change over time. So it doesn’t matter even if you redo your hairstyle, wear a hat etc.
Once the Face ID is set up, your device is secured so that only one in million chance of a matching facial or spoof unlock is possible, for Touch ID this can be 1 in 50000. According to Apple, the Face ID can never be spoofed with a mask or photograph of the owner. Every recorded data of the face is processed locally and stored in a secure enclave. The Face ID also works with Apple Pay, you can just tap the button on the side and look on the phone to pay. It also works with 3rd party apps, which currently supports Touch ID.
- Face authentication, Uses TrueDepth camera, Easy enrollment
- Specialized neural networks.
- Natural and secure, user privacy.
- Attention awareness, Adapts over time
- Works with Apple Pay and apps
Animoji
Another application of the TrueDepth camera system is the Animoji. These are animated emojis, which can be used to share emotions in Apple messages. These emojis track more than 50 facial muscle movements to show amazing expressiveness. You can pick from a dozen of animated emojis and express what you want to express to your family and friends. So iPhone X(10) comes packed with innovative technologies that enable new user experiences.
Battery & AirPower
Battery life is of utmost importance considering the innovative features. According to Apple, it will last 2 hours more than iPhone 7. The iPhone X is wireless certified with Qi charging and AirPower compatibility. With AirPower charging pad you can simultaneously charge earpods, Apple watch and iPhone, where in all communicate and interface each other to charge efficiently. However, the AirPower charging pad won’t be out until 2018.
Key Specifications
- 5.8″ Super Retina Display, Glass and Stainless steel design.
- Face ID, 12MP dual cameras with dual OIS, True Depth Camera, A11 Bionic.
- Quad-LED, True Tone flash, Slow Sync flash
- Portrait mode (front and back), Portrait Lighting, Animoji.
- LTE Advanced, Bluetooth 5.0, Stereo speakers
- Water and dust resistant, Wireless charging, Fast-charge capable.
The eXperience
Craig Federighi, Senior VP, demonstrated the iPhone X experience, however his first attempt to unlock the phone failed. According to him, every app can take advantage of the edge to edge display. The photos and videos looked gorgeous and unbelievable. For closing apps, you just need to swipe up and right. As for multitasking, ‘swipe up and stop for a split second’ gives you the list of running apps. You can also switch between apps by swiping along the bottom. From the top, you can swipe down to access the control centre. From anywhere you can just swipe up to reach or open the home screen.
Moving on, Federighi showed again how fast the Face ID system was. You need to just raise the phone and take a glance at it to unlock and swipe up to start using it. Face ID works only with your attention. Apple Pay authentication with Face ID was a breeze. The true depth camera also allows apps like snapchat to render face masks and filters perfectly.
Federighi then demonstrated the Animoji where, you can be expressive as an emoji, even as a poop with expressions. You can also record messages with animoji, which will play a looping video in Apple messages.
Highlights of iPhone X
- 2 Performance 4 high efficient cores.
- 2nd gen Apple performance controller.
- Apple designed GPU, ISP, and video encoder.
- Secure enclave for facial data.
Pricing & Release Date
iPhone X comes in two configurations, 64GB and 256GB, priced from $999. You can order it starting October 27, 2017, and shipments commence on November 3rd, 2017. Apple now has a great line up for your holidays, starting with iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 8 and the next gen iPhone X(10). So are you willing to shed the extra $300 for an iPhone X and embrace the next gen technology from Apple Inc. Hope you enjoyed the write-up, Peace!