iPhone X

What is the iPhone X?

The iPhone X – or iPhone 10 – is an important device for Apple. Not only does its release coincide with the 10th anniversary of arguably the most important tech product of the past decade, but it’s the first iPhone in four years to undergo a major redesign.

But it comes at a cost. A hefty one.

The iPhone X is the huge leap forward that Apple's handsets needed after ten years, and it's even better in 2018 thanks to a more stable iOS 11.3 update. Aside from the original iPhone in 2007, this new iPhone is having the biggest impact on Apple’s smartphone direction ever.

Apple itself is calling it the future of the smartphone, the embodiment of what it’s been trying to achieve for a decade. But while the iPhone X is all about premium parts and an all-new experience, it’s a huge gamble for the Cupertino brand too, as it tries to reclaim some leadership in smartphone innovation.

Losing known, reliable elements like the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, the home button; introducing new methods of navigating and unlocking the phone – and charging a lot more for the privilege – seems risky for a company that was already treading new ground by doing away with the traditional headphone jack last year.

But the iPhone X is the handset we’ve been demanding from Apple for years – a world away from the increasingly-tired designs that those who just want a new iPhone have had to make do with.

Watch our review the of the iPhone X's design below.

The fervor around this phone tells that story – everyone wants to know if the new iPhone X is worth having, partly because it actually represents a newiPhone, and that fervor is such that they don’t seem to care about the cost.

So… is the iPhone X worth having? Will it change the direction of an industry where many of the specs Apple has put in – fast charging, wireless charging, bezel-less displays and face recognition – are already on the market?

We've had the iPhone X in our grasp for a more than six months now, and it's easily one of the best smartphones around - but there are still a few things that might throw even long-time Apple fans.

IPHONE X SPECS

Weight: 174g
Dimensions: 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm
OS: iOS 11
Screen size: 5.8-inch
Screen Resolution: 1125x2436
CPU: A11 Bionic
RAM: 3GB*
Storage: 64GB / 256GB
Battery: 2,716mAh*
Rear camera: 12MP+12MP (both OIS)
Front camera: 7MP

*According to Chinese filings

iPhone X price and release date

Now available; released on November 3 worldwide
The most expensive flagship phone on the market
Comes in 64GB and 256GB storage sizes

It’s almost pointless to discuss the iPhone X price – it’s the most expensive flagship phone on the market, but iPhone users are more willing than most to look past cost.

But, while the focus here is going to be on the technology, we still need to at least mention the price and release date. It's out now, having launched worldwide on November 3. The price is harder to swallow.

The iPhone X costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,579 for the basic, 64GB model. If you want the larger 256GB model it’s going to cost you $1,149 / £1,149 / AU$1,829 for the privilege.

Word is that Apple said to be launching a cheaper LCD iPhone variant for 2018, what we're calling the iPhone 9 for now, as Apple looks to bring the bezel-less form factor to a lower-cost, non-OLED variant... but that's strictly rumor for now.

The initial issues with stock are now over, and you can grab the handset in a a number of ways - with the iPhone X colors pretty limited this year, and the option of two storage sizes your main choices.

iPhone X – Screen

The iPhone X sees Apple switch out its usual LCD screen tech for an OLED panel for the first time. Samsung, Google and many other Android phone makers have been using this technology for some time now, and it’s nice to see Apple finally joining the fray with a product other than the Apple Watch. This is also the highest-resolution screen ever on an iPhone, with a slightly odd 2436 x 1125 pixels, plus there’s support for the DCI P3 colour gamut and Dolby Vision HDR.

OLEDs offer better contrast, true blacks and a more colourful picture, but they’re not always perfect. The LG panels used by Google in the Pixel 2 XL have come in for plenty of criticism for poor viewing angles and an odd blue tinge. Even the excellent screens on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are prone to suffering poor viewing angles.

Apple’s OLEDs come from Samsung, and while there’s a small shift to blue if you tilt the device off-axis, it’s far less noticeable than on the Pixel 2 XL. Apple says it’s made a fair few tweaks to this panel, and the company’s optimisation of it is certainly different to Samsung’s approach for its own Galaxy S9 and Note 8 panels. Colours on the iPhone X are more natural and the saturation isn’t quite so intense.

The iPhone X’s screen also benefits from True Tone, which alters the screen temperature depending on the environment you’re in. 3D Touch makes a return, too, allowing you to perform alternative actions on applying different levels of pressure on the screen.