How I changed from iPhone X to iPhone XR and did not regret it. IPhone X: space gray or silver, which color to choose

We discussed at the editorial board and decided that no one was interested in reading the iPhone 8 review in the usual format. We decided to do things differently and prepare several materials on the phone’s features. Talk about its new fast charging, its advanced camera, because, in general terms, it turns out that this is still the same familiar iPhone 7. But there are so many small changes that it would be rude to forget about all this overnight and continue dreaming about iPhone X.

Sluggish start of sales

Sales of the iPhone 8 have begun, but the phone received a cold reception in Russia. You can even say differently, he is not interesting at all yet. Enterprising guys quickly purchased phones, but prices collapsed rapidly, the price of the phone fell within a day, very quickly, this has never happened before. Why are people not interested in a new device? Because Apple itself killed sales when, at the presentation of the new iPhones, 10 minutes after the announcement of the iPhone 8, they introduced the iPhone X. That’s all, everyone wants a new, original iPhone, and not a replica of the 2014 design.

If the top Apple iPhone 8 Plus 256 GB began to be sold for 180,000 rubles on the evening of September 22, then the next day it was already sold for 73 thousand rubles. It blew, and prices fell, a nightmare for those who brought devices for resale and did not have time to quickly find a buyer.

What color should I buy new?iPhone 8?

Last year, Apple rolled out the iPhone 7 in different colors. Classic “gold”, “rose gold”, silver, matte black, glossy black and even fire red version. Six colors, wow! Now the choice is more modest: silver, gold and “space gray”, not enough?!

The most masculine color is golden. In this color, the iPhone looks especially gentle and cute; only a man who is strong in spirit and strong in body will choose this color. Seriously, this milky pink iPhone will be given to unloved girls on March 8th. Because your loved ones will buy an iPhone X.

The silver-white color looks simple, somehow even a little Chinese, forgive me for saying so. But the combination of glass and matte metal on the sides leads to the fact that the new iPhone looks unexpectedly simple, because the glossy sides were left for the top-end iPhone X. It’s a pity, because the design must be expensive in order to feel that money was spent on, the iPhone 8 still looks the same to the top line of smartphones.

"Grey Space" in my opinion was not a success at all. Remember what metal iPhones were like? They were a noble dark shade, they were beautiful, but here they were some kind of pale gray color. It's as if the phone has faded after being left in the sun for several days. Yes, this can be explained by the play of light, and besides, the glass glares, but if you dreamed of a glossy black iPhone 8 Jet Black, then you won’t get it, it’s a completely different shade.

When they brought us a bunch of boxes with new phones on Friday, we quickly unpacked everything, opened it and looked at what was inside. I was disappointed with the contents; somehow the new items look very Chinese. Although, judging by experience, you often don’t like everything new, and then you get used to it. We'll see what happens after a while, but the long-awaited Space Gray color disappointed me - this was not the iPhone I was expecting. I think it’s a matter of habit, as usual, you’ll get used to it and fall in love with it, but there’s no wow effect, and you don’t feel like running to the store for a new product.

Why do they exchange one iPhone for another, buy it because of its characteristics? No, the capabilities of the phone have long ceased to excite the imagination. We’ll leave all these benchmarks, Antutu tests and other geekbenches for the Android world. No, iPhones are loved for their design and appearance, for their feel.

Apple released the iPhone 6 and 6s in the same design for two years in a row, then the glossy and beautiful iPhone 7 appeared. But the body features remained the same, nothing has changed, it’s still the same phone from 2014. Now Apple has retained the same features, but presented a new vision of the usual forms, replacing the metal back panel with glass. If you carry your iPhone without a case, then perhaps gadget lovers will notice that you have a new phone in your hands. But in the case, no one will understand that this is a New Year’s phone. And yes, the old iPhone 7 cases fit the iPhone 8, it seems like a small thing, but it’s nice.

In general, it’s a talent to take the design of the 2014 iPhone and sell, sell, sell it again, without much change. Just slightly changing the features of the phone, but not inventing anything new. It will be fun if Apple again rolls out an updated model with the same features in 2018. No problem, we’ll grumble and buy again.

I don't like cases and have been using my iPhone 7 Plus Jet Black without a case for six months now. Scratches? I don't care, I like the color and the feel of the case in my palm. In my opinion, the matte sevens turned out more slippery than this gloss. If you are in doubt whether to buy the eighth iPhone or not, fearing the glossy body, then don’t worry. Hide your phone in the case, it won’t slip. And so, the sensations are exactly the same as from “jet black” - the surface is smooth, pleasant to touch.

Is glass unreliable?

There is an opinion that if you buy a glass smartphone, you are dooming yourself to pain and suffering. They say he dropped it, which means he broke it. In fact, it's not all that scary. Apple announced that the iPhone 8 received the most durable glass possible; such reliable glass has never existed before. Sounds good, but what happens in practice? Valentin conducted detailed testing, iPhone 8 suffered a series of falls. Yes, in the end it was broken, but I doubt that any other smartphone would have withstood such a test. And in general, all these drop tests are just games of chance, either you will be lucky or not, as it turns out. But I can say one thing for sure: after what you saw, you are no longer afraid for the fate of the phone. In addition, you can always attach a case, it will soften the blow if it falls.

I want something bright

Apple didn't have many phones, and the design hasn't changed much over the past 4 years. Wide frames, large sizes, Apple still lives in the past, but they forgive it for that. For me, the most convenient iPhone was and remains the SE, an excellent little device. I really liked the Space Gray color, but to get an iPhone in this color, you need to buy the old 6s, Apple limited the choice. And as you can understand from the text, the design of the new eights did not impress me. If I were Apple, I would try to revive the colorful 5C, remember those bright colors? Blue, green, yellow... In combination with a glass case, they would stand out against the general background. For example, here is a photo from Google Pixel XL, look how beautiful it is against the background of the gray-black mass.

Further more

There are several more stories to come. I want to write about the camera of the iPhone 8 Plus in comparison with the iPhone 7 Plus. I think I’ll also tell you about the screen with True Tone; of course, I’ll also need to test how the phone works with different chargers. I myself am wondering whether it makes sense to buy an expensive power supply for 5 thousand rubles for fast charging, or whether a regular iPad unit will suffice, but it costs 3 times less.

So, this day has come: the iPhone X, the brightest, most sensational and long-awaited flagship of the year, has arrived for testing. Many criticized Apple and Tim Cook for the decision to release first the iPhone 8/8 Plus and only then the iPhone X. There was a lot of talk that Apple did not have time to produce the required number of “dozens” on time. The latter is partly true: the shortage of iPhone X will continue at least until the end of the calendar year. However, this shortage only confirms that Apple is still "on top" and can still produce sensational products. We will tell you how iPhone X deserves this status in our article.

Let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Apple iPhone X Specifications

• SoC Apple A11 Bionic (6 cores, 2 of which are high-performance and operate at 2.1 GHz, and 4 are energy-efficient)
• Apple A11 Bionic GPU
• Apple M11 motion coprocessor including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass
• RAM 3 GB
• Flash memory 64/256 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 11
• OLED touch display, 5.8″, 2436×1125 (458 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch, support for 3D Touch technologies and Taptic Engine response
• Cameras: front (7 MP, video 1080p 30 fps, 720p 240 fps) and rear with two lenses (12 MP, optical zoom 2x, video shooting 4K 60 fps)
• Cellular: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, LTE Advanced support
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Bluetooth 5.0 A2DP LE
• Face recognition with TrueDepth camera
• NFC (Apple Pay only)
• Universal Lightning Connector
• Supports Qi wireless charging
• Li-polymer battery 2716 mAh, non-removable
• GPS with A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo and QZSS
• Dimensions 144×71×7.7 mm
• Weight 174 g

Let's compare them with the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus to clearly demonstrate how the characteristics of current large-format Apple smartphones differ.

	Apple iPhone X	Apple iPhone 8 Plus	Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Screen	5.8″, OLED, 2436×1125, 458 ppi		5.5″, IPS, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
SoC (processor)		SoC Apple A11 Bionic (6 cores, 2+4)	Apple A10 Fusion (4 cores, 2+2)
Flash memory	64/256 GB	64/256 GB	32/128/256 GB
Connectors		universal Lightning connector	universal Lightning connector
Memory card support	No	No	No
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB
Cameras		main (12 MP; video 4K 60 fps) with two lenses and front (7 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video)	main (12 MP; video 4K 30 fps) with two lenses and front (7 MP; shooting and transmitting Full HD video)
User identification sensors	Face recognition with TrueDepth camera	Fingerprint's scanner	Fingerprint's scanner
Housing protection	IP67 (water and dust protection)	IP67 (water and dust protection)	IP67 (water and dust protection)
Battery capacity (mAh)	2716	2675	2900
operating system	Apple iOS 11	Apple iOS 11	Apple iOS 10 (upgrade to iOS 11 available)
Dimensions (mm)	144×71×7.7	158×78×7.5	158×78×7.3
Weight (g)	174	202	189
Average price (for version with minimum flash memory)	T-1732181846	T-1732171530	T-14206637
iPhone X (64GB) Retail Deals	L-1732181846-10
iPhone X (256GB) Retail Deals	L-1732210983-10

The main difference is, of course, the screen. Not only does the iPhone X have the largest and highest resolution, but also for the first time in an Apple smartphone it is made using OLED technology. The second key innovation is the user identification system: instead of a fingerprint scanner, there is a TrueDepth facial recognition camera. One last thing: despite the larger display, this is the lightest of Apple's large smartphones. It is almost 30 grams lighter than the iPhone 8 Plus and 15 grams lighter than the iPhone 7 Plus. At the same time, Apple retained moisture protection and other characteristics.

Well, let's get acquainted with the smartphone live.

Packaging, accessories and Folio case

The iPhone X box is made in the traditional Apple style, but with one caveat: the image of the edges of the iPhone is painted with silver paint. It's a small thing, but it looks impressive (you can't see it in the photo, of course).

However, using a case with an iPhone X is a dubious idea, because you won’t feel like you’ve upgraded to a new iPhone if you previously had an iPhone 7 Plus. Of course, the main innovation in terms of design is the glass back surface.

The package is no different from the iPhone of the previous two generations: a 5 V 1 A power supply, a Lightning cable, an adapter from Lightning to a minijack (3.5 mm), EarPods with a Lightning connector and a set of leaflets.

It would probably be logical to add something different - something that would be a pleasant bonus for owners of a premium product. But alas. Even a new Folio case will have to be purchased separately, and its cost, by the way, is rather high: 7,490 rubles. However, the case makes a really nice impression.

It is made of soft genuine leather, very pleasant to the touch, with fine thread stitching. Inside, where the case comes into contact with the body, there is a microfiber pad. Folio protects your smartphone from all sides, including the screen. However, in addition to the protection and unlocking function, the closing flap also has the function of a wallet with two compartments: you can store cards (no more than 4-5), business cards, photographs, etc. there.

In general, this solution is not for everyone, especially because of the price, but we really liked the Folio case. Moreover, even with it, the new iPhone does not become bulky, and the frame around the screen does not become too wide. But this is the topic of the next section of our article.

Design

When you pick up the iPhone X, you experience a forgotten feeling that Apple smartphones haven’t pleased us with for a long time. I want to exclaim: “This is the future!” Indeed, a screen that almost evenly covers the entire frontal plane is perceived as something unreal.

Yes, of course, Samsung flagships also have a very impressive screen, “climbing” even onto the side edges. But below and above there are still quite large areas not occupied by the screen. On the iPhone, the frame has almost the same width around the entire perimeter. From the bottom and top it is several times smaller than that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and from the side it is about twice as large. But due to the uniformity of its width, this is not noticeable.

Of course, because of this, we had to sacrifice something without which the iPhone seemed unthinkable - the round Home button, which became one of the symbols of the entire line and was patented. This decision seems even more daring, since Apple several generations ago expanded the functionality of the button with a fingerprint scanner, and then quite quickly brought this function to almost perfection.

But now Apple is offering something even more innovative and, according to the company, secure: Face ID facial recognition technology. You just need to pick up your smartphone and look at it, and the device will perform identification (we will talk in more detail about how this function works later). Haters, of course, will again remember Samsung with its iris scanner. But Apple has a big advantage: you don't have to look at the iPhone while holding it directly in front of your face.

Face ID is powered by two cameras: infrared and TrueDepth. The first determines that there is a living person in front of the camera, and the second projects 30 thousand invisible dots onto your face, after which this information is processed by the processor. It is to accommodate two additional cameras, in addition to the traditional front camera for taking selfies and video chats, that a black notch is made at the top of the screen. But it cannot be said that this notch greatly spoils the impression. On the contrary: the cutout in the screen looks impressive. We understand that it is very difficult to implement this technologically, and this enhances the “techno-charm” of the model.

The round smooth edges of the device are made of a special steel alloy developed by order of Apple. Not only is it very durable (although we, of course, didn’t dare test it), it’s also really beautiful. We tested the Silver model, and here the frame looks just like polished metal, but in the Space Gray variant it has a deep dark shade that perfectly matches the color of the case (we got the opportunity to check it out with our own eyes).

However, it cannot be said that the Silver version looks less interesting. The most important thing here is the very noble pearlescent shade of the back surface. He's truly amazing. The photographs, of course, do not convey this impression, but they also show that it is not just white.

As for the arrangement of buttons and connectors, it is the same, with one exception: the side button, which was previously responsible mainly for turning on/off, has now become longer - apparently this is due to the fact that after the abandonment of the Home button, it has more functions, and therefore it is now especially important that the user can quickly find it.

Another difference from previous generations of iPhone (including the G8) is the vertical arrangement of the module with rear cameras. Many joke that this is necessary so that it can be immediately seen which iPhone a person has. Seriously, the explanation is purely technical: the saturation of components in the upper central part of the body (all the cameras for Face ID are there) forced the remaining elements to be moved closer to the edges. But it is obvious that this does not spoil the appearance.

The last thing I would like to mention regarding the design, but far from least important, is the size and convenience of the device. Despite the largest display area of ​​any Apple smartphone, the iPhone X is much smaller than the iPhone 8/7/6s/6 Plus, and only slightly larger than the iPhone 8/7/6s/6. Below is an iPhone X next to an iPhone 6s.

It lies very comfortably in the hand, although the edges and glass are slippery, and the device itself is a bit heavy (especially for its size). But some users may even like the latter: you immediately understand that it’s a thing! :)

Screen

As has been noted many times, the main feature of the new iPhone is its screen. Made using OLED technology, it has a 5.8″ diagonal and a resolution of 2436×1125, which gives the highest pixel density in the history of the line, but not a record for competitors, 458 ppi. We have before us the largest update in the entire history of the iPhone, comparable only to the advent of Retina displays in the iPhone 4. A detailed test of the new display was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections. Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Apple iPhone X, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Apple iPhone X is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 109 versus 115 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Apple iPhone X screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the matrix). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 620 cd/m², the minimum was 1.9 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located somewhere in the front in the upper part), which is turned on by default. In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - the user uses it to set the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If you don’t change anything, then in complete darkness the brightness drops to 1.9 cd/m² (very dark), in an artificially lit office (about 550 lux) the screen brightness is set to 120 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) rises to 620 cd/m² (to the maximum, as needed). We were not entirely satisfied with the result, so first in the dark, and then in the office, we slightly moved the brightness slider to the right, and for the three conditions indicated above we got 20, 180-270 and 620 cd/m² (ideal). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately, and it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to suit the user's requirements. At any brightness level there is modulation with a frequency of approximately 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness the modulation amplitude is not very large; as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, with a strong decrease in brightness, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude; its presence can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can familiarize yourself with those used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. It is worth noting that the artifacts characteristic of such matrices are not visible at the contrast boundaries, and the manufacturer indicates that a subpixel smoothing algorithm is used.

The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, white color, when deviated even at small angles, acquires a slight bluish tint, but black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Apple iPhone X and the second comparison participant, while the brightness of the screens is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K.

White field:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

Color balance varies slightly, color saturation is normal. Let us remind you that the photograph cannot serve as a reliable source of information about the quality of color rendering and is provided only for conditional visual illustration. In this case, apparently due to the peculiarities of the emission spectrum of the screen, the color balance and brightness of colors in photographs of the Apple iPhone X screen are somewhat different from what is visible to the eye and determined by a spectrophotometer.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen. White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of the Apple iPhone X the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Apple iPhone X screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle.

And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Apple iPhone X smartphone at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.22, which is almost equal to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates very little from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut is sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

Such spectra are typical for OLED matrices - the components are well separated, which allows for a wide color gamut. However, in this case, the color gamut is carefully adjusted to the sRGB boundaries. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

This applies to those images that have an sRGB profile or no profile at all. However, today's top-end Apple devices are native to the Display P3 color space, with slightly richer greens and reds. The Display P3 space is based on SMPTE DCI-P3, but has a D65 white point and a gamma curve of approximately 2.2. In addition, the manufacturer states that starting with iOS 9.3, color management is supported at the system level, which makes it easier for iOS applications to correctly display images with a specified color profile. Indeed, by supplementing the test images (JPG and PNG files) with the Display P3 profile, we obtained a color gamut wider than sRGB (output in Safari):

Note that the coordinates of the primary colors coincide almost exactly with those specified for the DCI-P3 standard. Let's look at the spectra in the case of test images with the Display P3 profile:

It can be seen that in this case there is a slight cross-mixing of components in the red area, that is, the native color space for the Apple iPhone X screen is slightly wider than Display P3.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature changes little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This Apple device has a feature Night Shift, which makes the picture warmer at night (the user specifies how much warmer). A description of why such a correction can be useful is given in the article about iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a tablet or smartphone at night, it is better to reduce the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and only then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow with the Night Shift setting.

There is a function True Tone, which, when turned on, adjusts the color balance to environmental conditions. For example, we activated it and placed the tablet under LED lights with cool white light, resulting in values ​​of 3.3 for ΔE and 6500 K for color temperature. Under a halogen incandescent lamp (warm light) - 0.3 and 5200 K, respectively, that is, the color temperature has become lower, and the balance has become closer to the black body radiation spectrum. The function works as expected. Note that the current standard is to calibrate display devices to a white point of 6500 K, but in principle, correction to the color temperature of external light can be useful if you want to achieve a better match between the image on the screen and what is visible on paper (or any other media). , on which colors are formed due to the reflection of incident light) under current conditions.

Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen also include an effective oleophobic coating, support for the sRGB color gamut (with the participation of the OS) and good color balance. At the same time, let us recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), a noticeably smaller drop in image brightness than LCDs when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include screen brightness modulation that appears at low brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Control and use of the screen

Due to the fact that the Home button has disappeared, many familiar commands are now performed differently. The first few minutes it’s unusual, but then you realize that it’s also quite intuitive. For example, to close an application and return to the home screen, simply swipe it up from the bottom. To bring up application thumbnails, you need to move from bottom to top and hold your finger in the middle of the screen.

Another interesting gesture is moving your finger along the bottom edge of the screen: this way you can switch from one open application to another. By the way, at the bottom while applications are running, a long white stripe glows, showing where to swipe your finger (in horizontal orientation, it is naturally located along the long edge that is at the bottom).

In general, all commands are simply redistributed among the remaining buttons and gestures. The most frequently used things are made as simple and intuitive as possible, while some more specific ones will have to be searched on the Internet. For example, to restart or completely turn off your smartphone, you need to press and hold the power and volume up buttons at the same time. And to take a screenshot, you need to press the same buttons quickly.

An interesting question that comes up with the new screen is how do older apps use it? The answer turned out to be simple: they simply do not use parts of the screen from the bottom and top, that is, you see black bars. But since these stripes turn out to be a continuation of the edges, this does not annoy you, it just turns out to be a slightly smaller screen. However, auxiliary elements of the OS itself, such as time and battery charge, end up right there unless they are disabled in the application itself.

If the application is optimized (and these are many popular applications, including Russian ones - for example, Yandex.Maps), then it uses the entire area, and in such a way that useful information does not fall into the notch. However, physically the picture is rendered, of course, without a notch.

Face ID and the use of new cameras

As already mentioned, one of the main innovations is the appearance of new cameras: infrared and TrueDepth. Their main function is to identify the Face ID user’s face. And, it should be noted, it works great. Often, you don’t even think about the fact that the smartphone must perform some operations in order to recognize you - you just pick it up, glance at it, and you’re done. Everything happens by itself almost instantly.

Since we only used the smartphone for one day, we cannot say how recognition will work in difficult conditions and with daily changes in appearance (for example, women with and without makeup, men with different lengths of stubble). However, what we were able to test was unlocking in complete darkness. Indeed, it works.

There is one interesting nuance: in the settings you can disable the need to look to unlock. That is, even if your eyes are closed or your gaze is directed somewhere to the side, the smartphone will recognize you. In practice, this is rather a hindrance, since, hypothetically, random triggering is possible. And of course, this reduces security. But this is a matter of taste.

Performance

The SoC and RAM characteristics of the iPhone X are identical to those of the iPhone 8 Plus. The smartphone runs on the new Apple A11 Bionic platform. This is a 64-bit SoC that includes 6 cores, of which two are high-performance and the other four are energy-efficient. Moreover, at maximum load, all six cores can work simultaneously.

The amount of RAM, like the iPhone 8 Plus, is 3 GB. Therefore, the difference with it in tests may be due, first of all, to a different screen resolution.

Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and . The Safari browser was used. Especially for a more clear comparison, we conducted new performance tests on the iPhone 7 Plus, updating the smartphone OS to the latest version.

We see that the difference in the results of the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X does not exceed the error. As for the iPhone 7 Plus, compared to it, both new products, of course, show much better results.

Now let's see how the iPhone X performs in the AnTuTu and Geekbench 4 comprehensive benchmarks.

A win in AnTuTu and a slight loss in Geekbench 4 can hardly indicate anything, but at least we see that there is no abnormal spread in the results.

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBenchmark Metal, as well as Basemark Metal Pro, which is designed specifically for Metal-enabled devices.

Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests mean displaying a picture in the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, the “off-screen” tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and the remaining tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.

	Apple iPhone X (Apple A11)	Apple iPhone 8 Plus (Apple A11)	Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Apple A10)
GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.3.1 (1440р)	26.2 fps	28.5 fps	24.2 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1	35.4 fps	45.1 fps	43.0 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan 3.1, off screen	39.7 fps	44.5 fps	41.0 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan	51.0 fps	64.7 fps	57.6 fps
GFXBenchmark 1080p Manhattan, off screen	58.9 fps	67.2 fps	58.3 fps

Judging by GFXBenchmark, the iPhone X is inferior to the iPhone 8 Plus, and if in Onscreen modes this is quite understandable (the higher the resolution, the fewer frames the SoC can output), then in Offscreen mode the results should have been identical. But no. It turns out that the new product is slightly inferior even to the iPhone 7 Plus.

	Apple iPhone X (Apple A11)	Apple iPhone 8 Plus (Apple A11)	Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Apple A10)
3DMark (Ice Storm Unlimited mode)	64252	64382	37093
3DMark (Sling Shot mode)	3665	4155	2536
3DMark (Sling Shot Extreme mode)	2640	2394	2311
3DMark (API Overhead mode - OpenGL ES 3.0 / Metal)	338431 / 2283611	314323 / 2210261	—

Here we see that, in general, the two new iPhones are again at parity. And, most importantly, they are seriously superior to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Finally - Basemark Metal Pro.

The strangest result in our testing. Perhaps the test needs some optimization for the iPhone X.

One way or another, based on the results of all performance tests, we can conclude that there is no significant deterioration in performance due to an increase in screen resolution, and in general this is approximately the same level as that of the iPhone 8 Plus. Well, the superiority over the iPhone 7 Plus is almost everywhere undeniable. On the other hand, gaming applications should still be optimized for the iPhone X in order to get the most out of its hardware.

Cameras

The main camera of the iPhone X has only two differences from the camera of the iPhone 8 Plus: firstly, stabilization has been implemented for the telephoto lens, and secondly, the aperture of the telephoto lens is now larger. However, it was more interesting for us to see what both cameras are capable of in difficult conditions, and also to compare them in practice with the iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. This section of the article was prepared by Anton Soloviev.

Apparently, the dual module here is the same as in the iPhone 8 Plus - moreover, it can also be found in other famous manufacturers. However, the “plus” camera seems to deliberately work worse, not allowing the module to fully open. Here the detailing is at a very high level, and software processing is practically invisible. But the main achievement is that now the shooting quality of both modules is practically the same.

28 mm	56 mm

Software processing in the photographs of the “portrait” module is still striking, especially when shooting indoors. But in daylight, despite cloudy weather and rain and snow, both modules behave very well. Perhaps we can safely say that such cameras will give compact cameras a head start and even compete with more serious ones. But only in good lighting!

We tried to avoid comparison with he-who-must-not-be-named, but comparison is inevitable, especially since the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 almost certainly has the same dual module as the new Apple smartphones. In good lighting, the mentioned cameras work almost perfectly; there is no point in looking for differences in their images. But we couldn’t help but push their heads together, so we threw the subjects into one of the most difficult conditions - office premises after sunset. This is where all their weaknesses should appear.

Below are fragments of photographs with high magnification. From left to right are the iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and Galaxy Note 8.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus	Apple iPhone X	Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Wide-angle module
Telemodule

Notice how surprisingly inconsistent the cameras are: the Note 8 is better at handling noise and creating soft shadows, but it does overuse sharpening in places, sometimes losing detail. The iPhone X performs better overall than the iPhone 8 Plus, but it's not directly comparable to the Note 8: it performs clearly better in some cases, and clearly worse in others. The Note 8's flash is more powerful (last photo), but without it, in completely wild conditions (when shooting a server), it greatly blurs the noise. In this case, the iPhone X turns noise into a huge grain - and this is a matter of taste.

However, both the “portrait” and “landscape” modules of both flagships work equally well, so here we have to admit that friendship won.

Separately, we can say about the iPhone X camera that it will cope perfectly with many scenarios, especially in good lighting. But you shouldn’t demand the supernatural from her, otherwise you might be disappointed.

We also offer you videos shot on iPhone X cameras. The first two videos are 4K videos shot with the main camera at a wide angle, with the main lens.

Another video is a Full HD video shot using a telephoto lens.

And lastly: selfies can now be taken in portrait mode - with bokeh and other effects.

Autonomous operation and heating

We haven't had a chance to use the iPhone X in real life yet (that's yet to come), so we can't say how long it will last in everyday scenarios. But judging by the gaming test, its result is no worse than that of the “pluses”. It is clear that we are talking about the maximum load, and in other situations the situation may be different. But these numbers are very encouraging.

	3D Gaming Mode (GFX Benchmark Metal, Manhattan 3.1 Battery Test)
Apple iPhone X	2 hours 59 minutes
Apple iPhone 8 Plus	2 hours 24 minutes
Apple iPhone 7 Plus	2 hours 13 minutes

But let’s add a fly in the ointment: the new product gets hotter. This is especially noticeable in games. Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after three runs in a row (about 10 minutes of work) of the Basemark Metal 3D test:

The heating is highly localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 44 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees). The Apple iPhone 7 Plus heats up less in this test.

conclusions

How long have we waited for this! Apple has finally released not just a very good product, but something more. Indeed, in the entire history of the iPhone line, this is perhaps the most striking update. Perhaps something similar in terms of innovation happened in the case of the iPhone 4 - if you remember, it was then that the Retina display first appeared (and competitors could not repeat it for a long time), at the same time the iPhone first had a glass back surface. In 2017, Apple returned to glass as the main material, but made another revolution: it abandoned the Home button and placed the screen on the entire front surface.

Another thing is that this step can hardly be considered innovative if we take the entire industry. The same Samsung Galaxy Note 8 also has no buttons on the front side and also has a huge display, and, of course, we cannot forget about Xiaomi Mi Mix. However, Apple does not seek to formally be the first in something, but to present technologies and engineering achievements in a special way, “building” a new user experience around it. And in the iPhone X we see exactly this.

The new gestures are comfortable and intuitive, and the design of the pre-installed apps takes into account the notch at the top of the front surface so gracefully that we're more likely to admire it than to be annoyed by it. Finally, Face ID will likely become a de facto standard for the industry, just as Apple previously made the fingerprint scanner a de facto standard.

Of course, we need to use the smartphone longer to understand how convenient it is with all this in real life (and we will definitely do this), but so far there is a feeling that everything is done at the highest level. At least, we did not find any significant shortcomings that could be considered a price for innovation and that could deter us from purchasing.

True, there are a number of temporary problems. For example, without optimization, third-party applications cannot use the entire screen area and leave black bars at the top and bottom (in landscape orientation, on the left and right). In addition, various payment applications that use Touch ID cannot yet use Face ID. However, we understand that this is a matter of time. Chances are, by the time you can buy an iPhone X, everyone will already be optimizing their apps.

Yes, yes, ordering an iPhone X is no longer so easy - the next deliveries will only be in December, and only if you’re lucky. On the day sales start - November 3 - only a few lucky ones will be able to buy “ten” from extremely limited quantities in offline stores. This means that the golden (for Apple and resellers :)) times are returning: queues, excitement and other delights of scarcity. And this despite the really high prices! But we can only be glad that Apple has released a product that people (and not just individual fans, but millions) are ready to buy no matter what.

Available in two color options - space gray and silver. There were rumors about the possibility of a rose gold model, but this did not happen for some reason.

Below is a comparative review of iPhone X models in two colors that will help you make your choice!

Most previous iPhone releases, especially in recent years, were characterized by the consistency of 3 color options offered to customers when choosing a device. Even the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which went on sale shortly before the iPhone X, were available in three colors - space gray, silver and gold.

By purchasing an iPhone X, regardless of its color, you are getting a device that is wonderful in every way and will certainly not be disappointed with the purchase. When choosing a color, pay attention to one important detail - phones with cases of different colors look the same from the front. We haven't seen this on an Apple phone since the iPhone 3Gs and 5C. Usually, when you buy a silver or gold iPhone, you are sure that the front panel of your device will also be silver or gold, respectively.

This is the reason that stops many people from buying silver, white or gold phones - the screen actually appears larger if the front of the device is black. The good news is that no matter what color iPhone X you choose, the front of the phone will still be black, which makes the screen appear larger.

Although both colors are identical from the front, there is a noticeable difference between the two from the rear. The silver iPhone X has a grayish-white glass back and a silver stainless steel frame that flanks the sides of the device. The space gray phone has a dark gray glass back and a dark metallic stainless steel frame.

Pros and cons of two color options

When you buy a new smartphone for at least $999, your biggest fear is scratching it. As you know, scratches can often appear on the surface of stainless steel. If you have an Apple Watch with such a metal case, then you should be familiar with such problems. If you want to avoid scratches on the frame, you will have to purchase a phone case.

One interesting feature regarding scratches is that they are more clearly visible on the metal frame of the silver iPhone X, while on the space gray iPhone X model, scratches on the dark metallic frame are less noticeable.

• Note to applephile: the best Lightning headphones for iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X

You know that the iPhone X has a completely glass panel on the front and back, and if you want the device to look like new longer, you will have to use a soft cloth to remove fingerprints from the surface quite often. Fingerprints are visible on phones of both colors, but they are still more noticeable on the space gray panel.

Another subtle difference between the iPhone X and other models is that the labels and logos that were previously printed on the back of the device will now appear in the software. Now all you can see on the back is the Apple logo and the word iPhone.

Verdict

And the last thing you need to know about is a special version in honor of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. This means that the Apple team took inspiration from the original iPhone, which featured a black front and silver/aluminum back and frame.

• The best cases for iPhone X: protecting your flagship smartphone in Apple style

You won't be disappointed with the iPhone X, no matter which color you choose - both models look stunning! To summarize, we can say that in general, scratches are less likely to appear on the space gray iPhone X, and fingerprints are less visible on the silver iPhone X.

I wonder what phone you decided to choose?

Click to enlarge

It's undeniably impressive, and even after a couple of days of using the iPhone, you'll wonder if it's worth going back to your old iPhone 7 Plus. But at the same time, this ultra-premium smartphone from Apple raises a lot of questions. Is this device an attempt to catch up with competitors on the Andoid platform, or is it really a real step forward? Has Face ID facial recognition technology become a full replacement for Touch ID? And, most importantly, is it worth it? iPhone X those $999 (in Russia - even more, from 79,990 rubles) that are being asked for it?

Review and test of the Apple iPhone X smartphone | Design: has it gotten better?

In short, yes. Putting iPhone X next to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, you will immediately understand why this is a true Apple flagship.

Click to enlarge

You get a fairly large 5.8-inch screen in the device, which is easy to operate with one hand. You can reach anywhere on the screen with your thumb, and what's more, the device fits better in your front jeans pocket than the iPhone 8 Plus.

Thanks to very narrow bezels below and above the display, iPhone X significantly shorter and narrower than the iPhone 8 Plus, it's also an ounce (about 28 g) lighter. At the same time, it feels more densely built and heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S8, which also has a 5.8-inch screen.

Click to enlarge

We don't mind the weight too much, especially since iPhone X enclosed in a chic and very durable stainless steel frame. It gives the device much more shine than the aluminum frames of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, hinting at its higher class.

Back panel iPhone X Made of glass and provides wireless charging. The camera block protrudes slightly when oriented vertically, but it doesn’t look awkward. Unfortunately, Apple insists on abandoning the headphone output, even though the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 have such outputs, and they are waterproof.

Separately, we note the enlarged power button on the right side of the smartphone, which is easier to find and press by touch.

Review and test of the Apple iPhone X smartphone | Can Face ID replace Touch ID?

Judging by our experience with iPhone X, the Face ID facial recognition system works quite reliably, but it could be faster. After registering a face with the TrueDepth front camera, for which you have to move your head to the sides, the system, as a rule, unlocks the phone without error. Unfortunately, this does not happen instantly.

Unlocking is indicated by a small unlocked lock at the top of the screen, after which you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to finally unlock the device. Using a stopwatch we installed that Face ID is slightly slower than Touch ID: 1.8 seconds versus 0.91 seconds for the iPhone 7 Plus. To speed up the process a little, you can start swiping across the screen simultaneously with face recognition, then you can do it in 1.5 seconds.

To unlock iPhone X, you don’t have to pick it up; Face ID worked without problems when the device was lying on the table. But you need to make sure that the camera can see you. The optimal distance is 25-50 cm to the face.

Click to enlarge

Technically for unlocking iPhone X An additional action is required compared to Touch ID - a vertical swipe. On iPhone 7 Plus, you simply press and hold the Home button to unlock your smartphone and start using it. It would be nice if the unlock gesture worked anywhere on the screen, but instead Apple forces you to start swiping from the bottom of the display.

The Face ID system worked without problems in the dimness of a bar and even at night in the complete darkness of a bedroom. However, for some reason it malfunctioned in the elevator, and we were even required to enter the password to activate Face ID, although we did not deactivate it. In bright sunlight there were no difficulties.

Review and test of the Apple iPhone X smartphone | Is it easy to do without a Home button?

New interface iPhone X feels like an alien from the future, but you'll have to get used to it. On our first day of use, we had to really rewire our brains to close apps by swiping up instead of the usual way of pressing the Home button. To see all open apps, you now need to swipe up and hold your finger on the screen, rather than simply double-pressing the Home button as in earlier iPhones. Because of the need to relearn, a hitch arises that was not there before.

Click to enlarge

To close an application in this menu, you need to press and hold it, then the delete buttons will appear. It would be more convenient if you could force close applications by simply swiping up. Obviously, Apple added this extra step to prevent you from accidentally closing the app you want. Luckily, iOS 11 and the A11 Bionic chip have enough power to handle a ton of apps running in the background.

Unlike any other devices running iOS 11, call the control center on iPhone X Swiping up won't work. Instead, to view shortcuts for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, adjust brightness, etc. You need to swipe down from the top right corner. To see notifications, you need to swipe down from the middle or top left corner.

The process of using Apple Pay on iPhone X: To do this, you just need to double-tap the side button and identify yourself using Face ID.

CONTENT

There was a time when Apple released an iPhone with a new look every two years. When the iPhone 6 came out, the company decided to slow down a little. The iPhone 6s came out, a year later the iPhone 7 appeared, this year. They all have the same appearance with minor variations. As a result, the iPhone line began to look too conservative compared to its competitors. Sophisticated and premium, but still conservative.

This year, buyers will get what they asked for - a bold new iPhone design, albeit extremely expensive with prices starting at RUB 79,990. Apple says the iPhone X is more than just a new look for an old device. She wants to start a new chapter in the history of the iPhone, so changes should not only be in appearance, but also in the basic interaction with the device. A new appearance, noticeable changes when working with iOS - all this sounds intriguing, but there are many other aspects that may surprise or even upset.

You are reading a translation of a review from the portal phoneArena.com, the original material was published on November 8, 2017.

Risk and novelty often go hand in hand. As mentioned above, the iPhone had become conservative and it was time to end it. Not everything worked out perfectly, as will be discussed below.

Design and Cutout

The obvious innovation is the 5.8-inch edge-to-edge screen. It covers the entire front of the device, with only thin bezels surrounding it. However, that's not all. Other surprises await us.

Looking at the screen, the eye reaches the top part where there is a cutout. He bit off part of the display, so he is both a curse and a blessing. Since the screen took up the entire front, there was no room left for the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the Home button. How to unlock iPhone and ensure security? Inside the cutout are a camera and sensors for 3D. It was because of them that the coherent, seamless appearance of the device was spoiled.

Thanks to this notch, the iPhone X will not be confused with anything, unlike some other current and future bezel-less smartphones, which can be similar to each other. This, along with the Face ID facial scanner, is the only good thing that can be said about the notch. It doesn't look very nice, spoiling the impression of a futuristic-looking smartphone. If not for the notch, the appearance of the iPhone X could be called the apotheosis of smartphone design.

But it exists and cannot be forgotten when interacting with the device every day. The negative effect on the appearance of the product is significant, but even worse is its effect on interaction with the device.

In terms of materials and finishes, the iPhone X resembles the Galaxy S8. Glass is used on both the front and back, which is combined with a polished metal frame. Samsung uses aluminum, while Apple opted for high-quality stainless steel. The Apple smartphone feels great in the hand, but it lacks color options. The Galaxy S8 is available in six colors, while the iPhone only comes in dark gray and light gray. The latter is a more interesting solution.

iPhone X and Galaxy S8

The iPhone X is beautiful, but the notch doesn't allow it to be called a work of art. It features a utilitarian design in a modern, premium package. Despite the fact that the Galaxy S8 came out six months ago, the iPhone X is perceived as a device released out of necessity to close the gap with its competitor.

Screen

This is the first iPhone with an OLED screen, the diagonal is 5.8 inches. Apple calls it Super Retina Display. OLED technology works differently than traditional LCD displays and has its pros and cons.

pros

• Contrast and color saturation
• Angled viewing maintains high brightness
• Reduced response time eliminates motion blur

Minuses

• Viewing at an angle reduces color accuracy
• There is a burnout effect

A couple of controversies surround the first OLED screen on the iPhone: burn-in and a blue tint. We won't discuss burn-in here because hopefully Apple has taken care to ensure that the screen remains in good condition throughout the life of the device.

In terms of blue tint, the screen is well balanced and produces realistic colors. Like all OLED displays, it suffers from color shift; when you look at it from an angle, a blue tint appears. OLED screens on Samsung Galaxy devices have always behaved the same way, but here we use a screen made by Samsung, so there is nothing to be surprised about. While the iPhone X's screen is more similar to last year's Galaxy S, the Galaxy S8 is less susceptible to this color shift. The problem is not so big as to spoil the impression of working with the device.

The screen has a resolution of 1125 x 2436. It is longer than the iPhone 8 screen, but only slightly wider. Because of this, the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio still has the largest footprint of any iPhone model.

iPhone 8, iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus

The iPhone X is good because the screen is large, but the device itself is not very good, but there is a catch here too. It's still the same cutout. You can’t ignore it; it distracts you from watching. An even bigger problem is that most third-party apps aren't optimized to take full screen real estate. This should change in the future, but for now the viewing experience is frustrating as most often there are black bars around the edges of the image, be it videos or games. Apps without optimization in landscape mode look the worst, as there are bars not only on the left and right, but also at the bottom for a useless horizontal line that reminds you of the availability of the gesture to return to the home screen.

Most popular apps like Facebook, Instagram or games like Super Mario Run have been updated to fit this screen. Other content shows black bars, including common apps like Gmail, Google Maps, etc. Another problem is interacting with your favorite applications and games after they have been optimized. For example, YouTube. By default, videos start with a lot of wasted space, which defeats the purpose of an elongated, big screen. You can use your fingers to expand the video to the maximum, after which the cutout and rounded corners come into view. The video viewing format is very strange.

It looks like YouTube app developers haven't yet found a way to deal with the iPhone X's eccentric screen. Will others be able to find a way? Or let Apple figure out how to get rid of this notch in future versions of the iPhone.

So the new screen is beautiful and the pros of OLED technology outweigh the cons. 5.8 inches is a great size, but the notch often means you can't take full advantage of the screen real estate in videos, games, and apps.

Facial recognition

After many unexpected disappointments, we can finally talk about what we did right. This is the new Face ID biometric authorization system. It replaces the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which worked almost perfectly, which is why everyone loved it. For this reason, expectations are high for Face ID, both in terms of reliability and convenience. In addition, the quality of the recognition system should justify the presence of an unpleasant notch.

Using Face ID is extremely simple; setup occurs during the initial setup of the smartphone itself. Using sophisticated technology, the iPhone scans your face, creating a detailed 3D map of your face, which it then stores securely inside a chip on your smartphone without even Apple itself having access to this information. The device can recognize the user even from an angle; it is not necessary to look straight up into the camera to successfully log in to the system.

This is not the first time that facial recognition has been used, as Samsung has previously used iris scanning in its flagships. It can be said that Samsung's scanning and facial recognition did not meet the highest standards of reliability and usability. The systems either worked poorly or did not work at all. Face ID works differently, becoming the main authorization method for everyday smartphone use and almost never disappointing.

Face ID still has flaws, but not too big. You have to pick up your smartphone and it will automatically activate, you can also tap on the screen to do this. Then recognition occurs and you need to perform a gesture to open the home screen. Theoretically, this should happen in less than a second and almost imperceptibly, and this usually happens.

Face ID allows you to pick up your smartphone, swipe up on the screen, and get to the home screen without even looking at the device. This works without any problems, in most cases. Touch ID is still the more reliable method, but facial recognition comes very close.

Sometimes authorization does not occur if you look at the camera from the wrong angle or distance. When recognition does not work, the smartphone does not offer to try again at the same moment. You have to enter your PIN code or go back and try again. Sometimes it takes an extra half a second to recognize, which can be annoying, especially if you're in a hurry. However, once you get used to the system, such cases will occur less and less often. Face ID is a great first-generation product and can be counted on to improve in the future.

In summary, let’s say that Apple was able to create the first reliable and convenient facial recognition system for smartphones. It works almost flawlessly in any lighting. This can happen even in a dark room, the camera will recognize you and let you into the device. We can't say that facial recognition is superior to Touch ID just yet.

iOS 11 and new gestures

How to navigate the operating system without the Home button? Quite simple. Instead of pressing the Home button, you need to make a gesture from bottom to top of the screen. This will open the home screen. This gesture on other iPhones opens the control center, so you'll have to relearn it.

The iPhone X doesn't work quite like other models. Here, the control center opens after swiping down from the top right corner of the screen. Swiping down from the center or top-left corner opens the notification panel. There are two additional 3D Touch-enabled shortcuts on the lock screen for the flashlight and camera. Swiping to the left on the lock screen also opens the camera, just like on other iPhones. Why assign two options to one action and why there is no flashlight shortcut on the iPhone 7 or 8, which also has 3D Touch support, is unknown.

Without the Home button, access to multitasking browsing mode has also changed. You need to make an upward gesture from below again, but this time keep your finger in the middle of the center of the screen. You can quickly switch between apps by swiping left and right at the bottom edge of the screen. There is also a new Reachability gesture: you need to swipe your finger across the bottom section of the screen. Imagine the app list here, the bottom row of icons on the home screen. You need to make the gesture about halfway up the app dock if you're going to use this feature.

The rest of the iOS 11 system is familiar, with a number of new rather mediocre wallpapers and an absurd locking sound. Despite these features, iOS 11 continues to be a premium mobile operating system with unmatched performance, visual fidelity, and functionality. This includes a revamped, curated App Store that helps you find apps and games better than usual. There is support for advanced technologies such as augmented reality, including Apple Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Photos, iMovie, GarageBand applications.

A unique feature of the iPhone X is Animoji, which works in the iMessage app. Uses a TrueDepth camera to capture your facial expression and select 3D characters based on it. You can use this to record short videos and send them to other users.

The iPhone X UI takes some getting used to due to the new gestures. When this happens, working with your smartphone will become simple and straightforward.

Cameras

iPhone X has a dual rear camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels, where the second camera is used for 2x zoom. There's nothing unusual here when taking photos; the camera is still the same as on other iPhones, plus portrait mode and studio lighting effects. One new shooting mode is the Bokeh effect on the front camera. Unfortunately, the results are far from ideal.

The quality of iPhone X photos is consistently excellent. There are occasional issues when lighting is difficult, but most of the time the image is excellent.

The photos come out clear, saturated and sometimes even too clear, but the most interesting things happen when shooting portraits. Here this mode is quite reliable, you can rarely find flaws in the pictures.

If you take pictures in the evening, the results will also be of high quality. We can say that this is one of the best cameras among all modern smartphones. However, when it comes to low light, the Galaxy Note 8 and S8 continue to lead the way with better sharpness and clarity.

Photos from the front camera also come out great, offering a balance between subject and background. It is better to take normal photographs, since portrait photography is not quite ready yet. Compared to portrait mode, the front camera on the rear camera exhibits artifacts and takes a couple of seconds to process and save. The front camera seems to be unable to produce perfect bokeh photos.

iPhone X became the first smartphone to record 4K video at 60 fps. In this mode, the picture quality is excellent and it displays smoothly, but there is a reason to use the 1080p format. This is Cinematic video stabilization, which works at this resolution and at 720p. The image here is extremely smooth, with no shaking at all. When shooting at 4K, the files are too large. A minute and a half of 4K 60fps file weighs 1.2 GB, while a minute and a half of 1080p 30fps takes 200 MB.

Bottom line, the camera is excellent and can take great photos and videos in a variety of conditions. The auxiliary zoom is also useful; portrait photography makes photos even more beautiful. The latter does not apply to the front camera, where portrait photography is not yet up to Apple's high standards.

Performance

There's not much you can say about the speed of the iPhone X. Like the iPhone 8, it is the fastest modern smartphone. Everything works without a hitch, quickly and smoothly.

This happens thanks to the Apple A11 Bionic processor, as in the two iPhone 8 devices. In addition to the central processor, a powerful graphics chip is used. This makes the iPhone X one of the best smartphones for gaming, although the new device may rival that.

The smartphone is available with two amounts of flash memory, 64 GB and 256 GB.

Autonomous operation

In terms of size, the iPhone X is not much larger than the iPhone 8. However, it has a much larger screen. What good could this mean for longevity? It uses an innovative L-shaped battery instead of the standard rectangular one. This allowed for increased capacity compared to the iPhone 8.

The iPhone X lasts noticeably longer compared to the iPhone 7. The duration of work with the screen on in tests was 8 hours 41 minutes versus 7 hours 46 minutes. The iPhone 8 lasts 8 hours 37 minutes, but has a smaller screen. The iPhone X competes on equal terms with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and is also slightly superior to the Galaxy S8 and S8+. iPhone 8 Plus continues to lead the way.

Wireless charging is supported via the Qi standard. There is no support for fast wireless charging, but it is promised in the future.

Using a standard USB adapter, the device charges from zero to 100% in 3 hours 9 minutes. This is much slower than the competition. Samsung Galaxy S8 charges in 1 hour 40 minutes using a standard adapter. Despite the high price, the fast adapter and cable need to be purchased additionally.

Conclusion

Everyone is already accustomed to traditional iPhone devices that work and are updated from time to time, offering slightly higher performance, camera, screen, and minor changes in appearance. The iPhone X doesn't fit into this picture. Here we are faced with an unexpected plot twist and we have to look at the device in a new way. The transition from the classic version of the iPhone to the modern one cannot be called smooth.

The gesture-based interface is easy to understand, and operating the device is quite simple and natural. Even the Face ID recognition system works surprisingly smoothly, making you forget about the absence of Touch ID.

Two problems are the lack of application optimization and the cutout. Most games and apps can only be fully enjoyed on the new screen when they are updated for this aspect ratio. Until then, you'll have to admire the black bars and lines to open the home screen.

As for the notch, it covers the image on the screen, even in those applications that have received optimization. Whatever one may say, this black cutout will always be present. Over time, you will have to learn to ignore it.

The iPhone X may not be the best iPhone out there, but it's certainly the most controversial. It shows the future of these devices, opening a new chapter in the history of the iPhone. Perhaps this is a prototype of next year's smartphone. Is it worth buying a prototype at a price of 80-90 thousand rubles? It’s up to you to decide.

pros

• New form factor
• Performance
• Speakers
• Face ID authorization system
• Camera

Minuses

• Cutout
• Lack of optimization of games and applications for the new screen
• High price