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Is the iPhone X worth buying?

By Preslav Kateliev

Updated: Sep 15, 2017, 8:56 AM

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The iPhone X is the long-awaited “all-screen” iPhone. It has been imagined numerous times over the years by various concept artists. And when rumors and leaks confirmed it to be a thing in 2017, the tech world braced for the coveted announcement. That announcement has now come and past and every iPhone user out there is probably wondering “Should I upgrade to the iPhone X or stick to one of the cheaper models?”. Well, here's what the iPhone X has over any other handset in Apple's lineup:

Design

Hands down, it's the most futuristic-looking iPhone ever. A 5.8-inch display surrounded by a thin, easy-to-handle frame looks good and is surely going to be comfortable to hold. The metal on the side is actually stainless steel, instead of aluminum, and the back is covered by highly-durable glass.
In the design department, it certainly looks like the most desirable iPhone. But it's not all about design, is it?

Software

For the first time ever, we get an iPhone that controls quite different than any other handset that Apple is currently selling. Since the iPhone X has no home button, it makes use of a swipe-up gesture to close apps. Experienced iOS users will wonder “well, how do you call up the Control Center to adjust brightness, then?”. The Control Center is now pulled out from the top-right portion of the screen... Yup, that tall 5.8-ich screen, you need to reach all the way to the top.
If you want to enter the recent apps carousel, you perform the swipe-up gesture, but hold it for a second. There's also a really nifty new way to switch between recently used apps — just swipe left or right across the bottom of the display.

Hardware

On the inside, the iPhone X is powered by the same A11 Bionic chip as the iPhone 8 duo. There is a subtle difference in its telephoto camera – it's assisted by an optical image stabilization module and has an aperture of F2.4. That's wider than the iPhone 7 Plus' and the 8 Plus' aperture of F2.8 and the latter two lack an OIS module around their secondary cameras.

The big difference is in the Face ID module on the front. It packs all the sensors needed for the accurate 3D-scanning tech to work. But Apple also makes use of said sensors via other software features. For example, iPhone X has a Portrait Mode (the background-blurring DSLR simulator) for the selfie camera, too, thanks to its advanced face and background detection. It also has the Animoji app, where you can express yourself through moving emoji, if that's your thing.

It's also worth noting that the iPhone X is the only iPhone with an AMOLED panel — the technology that Samsung's phones are known for. It will have deep blacks for some extremely high contrast and is as color-accurate as we'd expect from an iPhone, Apple says. It also has a super-high resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels, making for 459 pixels per inch — the sharpest phone screen Apple has made thus far.

So, what's the final verdict?

If you consider yourself a casual iPhone fan, we can't help but think that you'd do fine with a regular iPhone 8 / Plus. In fact, if you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you're good to keep it for at least a year more, without bothering much about upgrading to the latest-and-greatest. The iPhone X is, for the most part, an all-screen design and a really, really advanced selfie camera. The “regular” iPhone models still feel and operate as before, with the home button, Touch ID, and the Control Center “where they should be”, and they still pack powerful, powerful hardware in their core, so, really, you are not missing out on much.

Of course, if you are an “early adopter” or just need to have the biggest and baddest phone Apple has to offer, you will be hard-pressed not to go for the iPhone X. You get a unique design that will turn heads for sure, you will be able to brag over iMessage with your fancy Animoji, and you will enjoy the deep blacks and extremely high resolution of the new OLED panel. The question is, do you want to drop $1k on these “advantages”?

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Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.