Main specifications
- Review price: £999
- Display: 5.8-inch HDR OLED
- CPU: A11 Bionic
- Memory: 64GB or 256GB
- Face ID
- Camera: dual 12 megapixels with OIS
- IP67
- Animoji
Detailed review of the latest iPhone X
iPhone X is no longer officially sold by Apple, was first replaced by iPhone XS, then iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and now iPhone 12.
If you pick up the iPhone X now, you'll still get a great deal. It's just been updated to iOS 14 so you'll be able to access new features like Dark Mode, a much better Apple Maps app, and more.
The iPhone X remains a strong buy in other regions. It looks a lot like the latest iPhone 11 Pro, has a great display (HDR support in iTunes and Netflix) and a camera that still stands out there with better ones you can buy. If you want a device that's a bit bigger, maybe even cheaper than the iPhone X, then you should probably check out the iPhone XR that just received a sizable sale.
If you want to know more about the iPhone X, you can read our original review below.
iPhone X review: Beautiful design
Apple hasn't changed much with the design it introduced for the iPhone 6 for too long, but it's all changed with the iPhone X – in a big way. You don't need me to tell you that the iPhone X is a big difference from the old iPhone design – just look at the pictures. However, it doesn't just look good; Apple has done a great job at actually making it feel really good.
This phone is simply gorgeous. It's slightly taller than the iPhone 8 (and 7 and 6) but narrower and much smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus. It strikes the perfect balance, especially since you're getting a 5.8-inch screen here.
The aluminum sides have been swapped out for stainless steel – as seen on the Apple Watch – and the front and back of the device are glass. I received the Silver variant for review – and unfortunately, it wasn't long before it was fingerprinted, those shiny sides were a specific magnet. This is a phone that looks great right out of the box; not more than a few hours after it's in your greasy palm.
Also of interest is how the iPhone X will cost over time. No matter how unscientific they may be, drop tests show that the finish here doesn't wear out well. After all, the stainless steel Apple Watch I'm using is a scratchy mess. As a result, my iPhone X spent most of its time inside the Apple case, but this definitely loses its mark on flashiness.
However, the magic happens around the front of the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 has a wide bezel running around the screen, but the iPhone X does not. The lack of thick bezels means there's no room for the Home button, a feature present on every iPhone model until now. Therefore, there is no Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Instead, the iPhone X saw Apple introduce facial recognition – a bold move.
All the components for Face ID (infrared camera, illuminator, dot projector) are housed in what's affectionately known as the 'notch'. You'll find the notch at the top of the screen, where it somewhat breaks the full-screen look. There has been a lot of controversy regarding the notch regarding how it completely ruins the immersive experience. However, when you start using the phone, I find that it simply blends into the background.
Sure, you notice it when the screen is on, plus it shows up in videos if you're playing something full screen. But in all other cases it fades into the background. Certain apps — Apple Music for one — use software tricks to empty the notch, and some apps clearly need to be updated to make sure important buttons aren't hidden by it.
In the space either side of the notch, you'll find the battery and time indicator. Annoyingly, you no longer see the percentage of battery remaining or whether you've connected a pair of headphones without opening the Control Center. The bigger annoyance is that the battery and signal indicators don't match the bottom of the notch, so they're slightly recessed underneath and look rather odd.
I really feel that the notch gives the iPhone X a bit of character and a different look, something that has been lost due to the removal of the Home button. I'm sure Apple would get rid of it immediately if they could cram this technology inside the bezel; but it feels like the company wants to use it as a distinguishing feature when it's here.
iPhone X Review: Face ID Functions
I've used Samsung's iris scanner and face unlock for a bit, and have never been particularly impressed by their speed or accuracy. So it's important that Apple's Face ID works at all times.
It works correctly in both light and dark; it cannot be fooled by pictures or masks; and it works if you also wear glasses. There have been reports that the twins have fooled it and Apple has told me some IR-blocking sunnies won't work, but these are limited situations. Note that you need to be 'positively aware' for it to work – you can't just throw it in someone's face and expect it to unlock.
However, Face ID isn't perfect, but neither is Touch ID; Fingerprint scanner is poor if your finger is a bit greasy or wet. This is not an issue now. However, I've found that Face ID gets stuck if my eyes get irritated, usually in the morning, and if the phone isn't close enough to my face. If you're the type of person who tries to peek at their notifications with your pocket-sized phone, you're out of luck.
Apps that previously used Touch ID as the means of unlocking will automatically be replaced with Face ID without an update, and you can of course also use it for Apple Pay payments.
iPhone X Review: Screen
The iPhone X first saw Apple switch from conventional LCD display technology to OLED displays. Samsung, Google, and many other Android phone makers have been using this technology for a while, and it's nice to see Apple finally joining the fray with a non-Apple Watch product. It's also the highest-resolution display ever on an iPhone, with a slightly odd 2436 x 1125 pixels, plus support for the DCI P3 and Dolby Vision HDR color gamut.
Apple's OLED display comes from Samsung, and although there's a slight shift to blue if you tilt the device off-axis, it's much less noticeable than on the Pixel 2 XL. Apple says it's made some sensible tweaks to this panel, and the company's optimization is definitely different from Samsung's approach to its own Galaxy S9 and Note 8 panels. Colors on the iPhone X are more natural and the saturation is not too strong.
The iPhone X's display also benefits from True Tone, which changes the screen temperature depending on the environment you're in. 3D Touch is also back, allowing you to perform alternate actions when different levels of pressure are applied to the screen.
Whether you're a fan of the iPhone X's display or not, it's up to you to consider which features you appreciate the most on the display. To me, this is the best display on any handset I've ever seen. I've downloaded a few HDR-enabled movies from iTunes — something you can't do on Android — and they're great. Normally, I wouldn't watch the whole movie on the extra 6-inch screen, but on the iPhone XI I did – and I wasn't distracted by the notch at all.
With the detailed iPhone X reviews above, you will get a little more information about this phone.