These iPhone X Reviews Will Persuade You To Run To The Apple Store & Buy One
If your old iPhone 7 is already burning a hole in your pocket, and you're itching to spend some dough on something new, you're in luck. The iPhone X comes out tomorrow, Nov. 3. And in anticipation of iPhone day — better than Christmas to some people — we've put together a round-up of all the most helpful iPhone X reviews.
By all accounts, the iPhone X (pronounced "ten," not "eks") doesn't disappoint. Save, maybe, for the price tag. Coming in at a shocking $1,000 for the 64 GB model, the X is supposed to be a high-end version of an already swanky phone with state-of-the-art face scanning technology and a fantastic camera.
But does it really live up to the hype?
In short: yes. Well, kind of.
Despite the four-digit price, if you're a gadget geek or photography nut, you'll be jonesing to run down to the Apple store by the time you're done reading.
But don't take my word for it. Check out these reviews.
The Verge
According to The Verge's Nilay Patel, the X is a great phone. For the most part.
The look: Patel says that, in terms of the whole iPhone family, this is the third most beautiful — behind the original and the 4. But the notch in the top is "ugly," the back camera is too big, and the layout needs work, as it makes landscape mode look "sloppy."
The optics: While other companies — Samsung, for instance — have had problems creating an accurate OLED screen, the new iPhone, Patel says, is beautiful. He gushes,
iPhone X OLED is bright, sharp, vibrant without verging into parody, and generally a constant pleasure to look at.
But beauty aside, most app developers haven't adapted to the notch carved out of the top of the phone, making most apps look clunky on the large screen.
The function: Patel says the front camera's ability to make Animoji is "probably the single best feature on the iPhone X." Face ID also works quite well, though occasionally Patel reports delays and problems with sunlight, and it's a touch annoying to continually have to hold a phone 25-50 centimeters from your face to check your messages or something equally as simple. The software is the same — iOs 11 with some modifications — and the hardware is great. It runs quickly and smoothly.
Overall: "The iPhone X is clearly the best iPhone ever made ... But if you didn’t preorder, I suspect you might not feel that left out for a while."
The New York Times
The Times's Brian X. Chen says that the iPhone X is the "best iPhone ever made," despite being less intuitive than past models.
The optics: The screen is vibrant, and the colors are sharp. Top-of-the-line screen compared to other OLED phones.
The function: Fast, fast, fast, but lacking the intuitive maneuvering of old models, thanks to the removal of the home button. Additionally, Chen reports, when he ran into a bug, he struggled: when the Amazon app froze, it wasn't immediately apparent what to do.
I fumbled around for at least 10 minutes before I read a guide that revealed that pressing three physical buttons in a sequence would force a restart.
But the stand-out in terms of specs is the phone's camera, which Chen says is hands down the best camera in a compact phone on the market.
Overall: "Splurge on the iPhone X if you care about having a phone with the fanciest mobile camera in a compact body" or if you're a gadget geek — not if you're just in the market for a nice phone.
BuzzFeed
Nicole Nguyen spent a week with the X, and wasn't exactly overwhelmed. While the X is great, it's not anything to spend tons of money on unless you're serious about photography or early adoption.
The optics: Again, this review noted the crystal-clear display and the great colors. The camera also outperformed the Samsung Galaxy 8, arguably the closest comparable mobile phone camera on the market.
The function: Nguyen noticed more software bugs than usual. That said, she reports, "Most of the bugs were fairly minor, so I’m not too concerned." Some of the home button-related updates — using fingers to navigate, for instance — aren't perfect. Additionally, she said that the size — which is bigger than the 8 but smaller than the 8 plus — is great for those of us with smaller hands.
Overall: "The X ... is really only for people who use the *heck* out of their phones."
The takeaway? Worth it — if you have the cash.
Of all of the reviews we, heh, reviewed, the verdict is clear: If you have extra money stowed away, you should go for it. Everything from the design to the function is worth the money. But given the flaws outlined in each review, it's not worth taking out a loan or scrimping or, hell, selling your treasured vintage vinyl collection in order to get the phone now. Instead, maybe wait for the next generation for the price to go down.
But hey, if you do have cash, what are you waiting for? Get in line.
