I spent a week with iPhone X, and the day is approaching when I will have to make a decision whether to keep it or not. Should you buy iPhone X instead of iPhone 8/8 plus or is it better to continue using iPhone 7 Plus for one more year?
I spent a lot of time with my smartphone playing with the new features and also testing them on my family and friends. I found both the pros and cons of the new flagship Apple.
Let's start with what I didn’t like about iPhone X, and then move on to what pleased me. The output will be at the very end.
Cons and frustrations
App updates
What I hated most was that many apps still haven't been updated for the amazing new display iPhone X.
When the first plus size models came out, it took some developers years to release updates to their apps. I hoped that this time it would be different, and, fortunately, many managed to release updates for the release of the new smartphone.
However, some have not yet done so. Even newer games like South Park: Phone Destroyer aren't geared up for the big screen. Large black frames remain on the sides, and this spoils all the fun of the game. Hopefully more developers will release updates soon. When that happens, the result will be incredible, as Alto's Adventure has proven.
Control point
Reaching the top-right corner with your finger to open Control Center is definitely not as easy as reaching from below. It will take some getting used to, but I would really like the gesture to be replaced with a more comfortable one.
Home gesture
The new Home gesture is more convenient than the Home button, but not in some applications. The physical button did not change its position. Even when the content was displayed horizontally, you could exit the application by pressing a button.
Now, if you accidentally or intentionally open an application with horizontal content, you will not be able to use the familiar 'Home' gesture. Instead, you will need to swipe from the side of the screen.
I have come across this several times and find this nuance very inconvenient.
Other problems
Also, iPhone X has several issues that always arise with new devices.
It is already known that the screen temporarily stops working in cold weather, as well as strange green lines on the display.
Some functions are also not perfect. For example, portrait light mode and wireless charging. The mode is still in testing and charging is very slow so far. In the future Apple will improve both of these points, and with them others.
Everything I liked
OLED – display
As soon as I turned on my smartphone, I immediately thought that the display is the best thing about it. He looks amazing. Apple has always been famous for its excellent displays, but the bezel-less design combined with the OLED panel with 1,000,000 contrast makes the smartphone really special.
I took photos with iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus. The photos on the last two look pretty much the same, but iPhone X is different here too.
The black color blends well with the small bezels that surround the screen. Other colors appear more balanced and saturated.
Watching movies and photos on the new smartphone is really cool, and even the famous notch does not interfere. On the second day, I got used to it and stopped noticing it.
Cameras
Cameras are much better. I am very happy with low light shooting. Portrait shots look better too, thanks to noise reduction and ƒ / 2.4 aperture on the telephoto lens.
The front camera is not that important to me because I rarely take selfies. I love the portrait mode, so selfie lovers will find it even more useful on the front camera.
Animoji
The front camera has other uses besides taking photos. For example, Animoji. I really like this feature. As well as my family. I think a lot of people bought iPhone X instead of iPhone 8 because of this feature.
I admit Animoji is a lot of fun. And for some reason, karaoke videos with them amuse me a lot.
Face ID
The first couple of days Face ID didn't work very well, but then the function got better.
I am often in the kitchen because I love to cook and especially bake. This made it difficult to unlock your phone.
Face ID allows you to activate the screen with one touch and unlock it with a glance. It's much faster and easier than Touch ID.
There were also times when Face ID didn't work. I have to make sure that I bend over the phone lying on the table enough so that it can fully see my face. Unlocking your phone in bed can also be difficult, as the pillow can cover part of your face. But keeping the phone a little further away makes it easier for him to recognize my face.
I'm still getting used to the new technology and I'm sure it will be much better than Touch ID.
Output
After a week with iPhone X, I'm ready to make my decision. This is the perfect phone for me. I love the features that iPhone 8 has (wireless charging, cameras, speed), but even more I love Face ID and the new display.
Thanks to them, I feel like I'm using truly new technology for the first time in several years.
iPhone 8 is a decent smartphone, but you shouldn't change the previous model to it. If I had a choice between keeping my iPhone 7 Plus and buying the 8 Plus, I would keep the 7. This could have been the first year that I didn't buy a new model.
Jony Ive (designer Apple) says that in the future iPhone X will be able to do what it cannot do now. Such statements make me very happy.