iPhone X: Reviews, Issues
The iPhone X featured the first new iPhone design Apple has introduced since the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched in 2014 with new screen sizes. With the iPhone X, Apple introduced a display that stretches from edge to edge and top to bottom with minimal bezels for an all-screen design.
Aside from a slim bezel that wraps around the edges of the device and a front notch that houses the front-facing camera, speaker, and sensors, display is all you see when looking at the iPhone X. There is no bottom bezel, no Home button, and no Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
With the elimination of the bezels, Apple has been able to pack a 5.8-inch display into a body that’s not much bigger than the iPhone 8. The iPhone X measures in at 143.6mm tall by 70.9mm wide, and it is 7.7mm thick.
Comparatively, the iPhone 8 measures in at 138.4mm tall, 67.3mm wide, and 7.3mm thick, while the iPhone 8 Plus is 158.4mm tall, 78.1mm wide, and 7.5mm thick. As you can see, the iPhone X is larger than the iPhone 8, but smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus. It is, however, thicker than both devices, but is able to be comfortably held and used with one hand.
The gently rounded edges of the iPhone X’s display meld right into a surgical-grade highly-polished stainless steel frame, which in turn flows into a glass body for a continuous surface from front to back.
Glass is more fragile than the aluminum that’s been used for the last several iPhone models, but Apple says the front and back glass in the iPhone X is the most durable it’s ever made. The iPhone X has, however, been proven to be prone to shattering in drop tests and has been named Apple’s “most breakable iPhone ever” by warranty site SquareTrade.
The iPhone X comes in Silver and Space Gray, with both colors offering an almost pearlescent finish thanks to a seven-layer ink process that has allowed Apple to introduce precise hues and opacity.
A reflective optical layer is added to the glass to enhance the color, and an oleophobic coating means smudges and fingerprints can be easily wiped away. The steel frame, designed to reinforce the iPhone X, is made from a special Apple-designed alloy that is more pure for better durability and on each device, the frame matches the body color. Nearly invisible antenna bands cut through the steel frame at the top and bottom of the device to ensure adequate signal.
The left side of the device houses the standard mute switch and volume buttons, while the right side features an elongated side button that has expanded functionality to compensate for the removal of the Home button.
At the back of the iPhone X, there’s a dual-lens rear camera arranged in a vertical orientation. The camera continues to protrude slightly from the body of the device, and between the two lenses, there’s a quad-LED flash and a microphone.
The bottom of the device features a traditional Lightning port for charging purposes along with six speaker holes located on either side of it.
Water and Dust Resistance
The iPhone X is IP67 water and dust resistant. That means it is impervious to dust and can withstand immersion in water up to one meter (3.3 feet) deep for 30 minutes in laboratory conditions.
Though the iPhone X stands up to splashes, rain, and brief accidental water exposure, intentional water exposure should be avoided. Apple warns that water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and could decrease as a result of normal wear. Apple’s warranty also does not cover any kind of water damage to iOS device, so it’s best to use caution when exposing the iPhone X to liquids.
iOS 11 Interface Changes
With no Home button, Apple rethought the user interface on the iPhone X, and made improvements that it believes ultimately result in a more intuitive usage experience.
Unlocking the iPhone X is done with a Face ID facial recognition system, and to get to the Home screen, you simply swipe up from the bottom of the device. A swipe upwards to go back to the Home screen works from within any app, and Reachability can be enabled in Settings and accessed by swiping downwards on the bar at the bottom of the display.
Because of the Face ID feature, all text previews are hidden by default on the iPhone X until the device is picked up and unlocked with a facial ID scan, so your text messages remain private.
To get to the App Switcher, swipe upwards and then pause for a second. With the App Switcher, you can switch between apps. You can also swipe on the left and the right of the display to flip between open apps for quick back and forth actions.
At the top of the display, the status bar that displays time, cellular signal, and battery life is split and displayed on either side of the device notch. Swiping downwards from either side of the status bar opens up Control Center.
The notch at the top of the display is the most jarring change to the interface, as it is always visible needs to be accounted for in app designs. Apple is not allowing app developers to conceal the notch with black bars, and developers must design around a safe area on the display to avoid content clipping and interfering with navigation gestures.
In landscape mode, the display notch is visible on the left side of the device and is likely to be a distraction until users adjust to the updated design. No content is obscured, with Apple using bars in situations like watching videos or viewing webpages in Safari. Photos, videos, and games can all be viewed full screen, though, with the notch cutting into some content in those situations.
Without a Home button, the side button on the iPhone X does a lot more. Holding down on the button activates Siri, while pressing the side button and the volume up button takes a screenshot. Apple Pay purchases are now confirmed with a double click on the side button.
To activate the display, you can use the side button, the Raise to Wake feature, or a “Tap to Wake” feature that turns on the iPhone’s screen when you tap it with a finger.
The iPhone X has its own “Reflection” default ringtone for incoming calls and notifications, which has a soft, mellow twinkling sound that’s unique to the device.
