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Review of the Apple iPhone X smartphone: the latest flagship with an almost frameless OLED screen. iPhone X control gestures: impressions

Specifications

  • iOS 11 at the start of sales
  • Memory capacity 64 or 256 GB
  • Display 5.8 inches, AMOLED, 2436x1125 pixels, 458 ppi, TrueTone, automatic adjustment brightness, contrast ratio 1,000,000:1, 3D Touch, maximum brightness in manual mode up to 625 nits
  • A11 Bionic 64-bit processor, built-in M11 motion coprocessor
  • 3 GB random access memory
  • IP67 water and dust protection
  • Stainless steel housing
  • Li-Ion battery 2716 mAh, fast charging (requires a separate adapter), Qi wireless charging, Internet browsing time – up to 13 hours, video playback – up to 14 hours
  • nanoSIM
  • Front camera 7 megapixels, 1080p video recording, f/2.2, BSI, burst shooting, HDR, screen backlight instead of flash
  • Dual main camera, 12 megapixels, wide-angle (f/1.8) and telephoto lens (f/2.4), “Portrait” mode, stage lighting (beta version), optical zoom x2, flash with tone correction, optical stabilization for two lenses, HDR , continuous shooting, JPEG and HEIF image format
  • 4K 60fps video recording, 240fps slow motion video for FullHD
  • H.264 and HEVC video format
  • FaceID – facial recognition
  • Sensors – Barometer, 3-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
  • Stereo speakers - second conversational speaker
  • Apple Pay
  • NFC (Apple Pay only)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/n/g/ac, dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Digital compass
  • GPS/GLONASS
  • Dimensions – 143.6x70.9x7.7 mm, weight – 174 grams

Contents of delivery

  • Smartphone
  • Wired EarPods
  • Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Out Adapter
  • Lightning cable
  • Charger 5 W
  • SIM tray eject tool
  • Brief instructions


Positioning

Since the iPhone 6, Apple has not been able to create a new chassis for the iPhone; as a result, the design of the devices has remained the same and it is almost impossible to distinguish the iPhone 6 from the iPhone 6s/7 or 8 by looking at the front panel.

For each manufacturer, a proven chassis, namely the body and the arrangement of elements in it, means the least number of problems in the new device. All weak points have already been identified and corrected, which means that the defect rate cannot be high; it decreases over time. Apple's loyal audience is accustomed to the company maintaining the iPhone design for two generations: a model with a digital designation is released, then an improved version with the S prefix, and the design changes for the next generation. This approach worked under Steve Jobs, but stopped working under Tim Cook. In fact, we can say that the company has been using the same design for four years. Boring. This is exactly the word that many people said when they looked at the iPhone 7, since there was nothing in it that would greatly distinguish the device from previous devices. Exactly the same can be said about the iPhone 8 compared to the “seven”; there are so few changes that the fingers of one hand are enough. And outwardly they are almost twin brothers, at least when you look at the front panel.

It’s interesting that the market didn’t wait for Apple to wake up and went far ahead, the tone was set here Samsung company. First, EDGE models appeared, curved screens removed display frames, then the fashion for frameless screens became ubiquitous, and each company offered its own vision of this issue. The eighth generation of Galaxy made another leap, the usable screen area has increased, and the margins at the top and bottom have become minimal. At the moment when the first design leaks of the Galaxy S8/S8 Plus appeared, Apple decided to postpone the launch of the iPhone X from 2018 to the end of 2017. It is difficult to judge how coincidental this is, but we have the words of Apple Senior Vice President Dan Riccio. Riccio), said in an interview with Mashable. He claims that the launch of the iPhone X was planned for 2018, but the company's top management decided to move the deadline and they had no room for error when designing this device. There was also no time for any changes. Before you get everything necessary components, the design of the device was created, this happened in November, according to Dan. All material can be found on Mashable.

Developing a device in a short time means that when using a new chassis, the company does not have time for lengthy tests; in fact, the model enters the market with all childhood problems, which will begin to be eliminated as they are identified. But Apple decided to do this, since the company was never able to reach the sales level of 2015, which was its maximum. Moreover, the company's new flagships are selling worse year after year than previous models, and sales volume is maintained by entering the lower price segments; today the price of a new iPhone without operator subsidies starts at $200. To maintain sales, the company needed a flagship for maximum money, something more expensive than the iPhone Plus, and the iPhone X model claims to be such a flagship. The Roman ten in the name hints at the anniversary, exactly ten years have passed since the appearance of the first iPhone. But most people call the device “iPhone X.”

The cost of iPhone X in all markets is maximum, in the USA it starts from $1,000 plus taxes, in Russia – from 79,990 rubles (approximately $1,300). Not a single flagship on the market is sold at a comparable price, here Apple for the first time enters a market segment that was small and contained only top-end iPhone models with maximum memory level, basic versions never sold for that kind of money. From this we can conclude that the iPhone X has the maximum image component; it is a phone for wealthy people who want to highlight the opportunity to spend more on such a smartphone than anyone else. And from this aspect follows the need to make the device as different as possible from the company’s previous devices, which was fully achieved. They didn’t try to make it interesting in terms of ergonomics or use cases; the main goal was to make it different from all previous generations of iPhone, because that’s what the loyal audience wanted. And that's exactly what she got.

The positioning of the iPhone X can be reduced to a simple statement - this is a smartphone for those who are used to buying an iPhone without regard to cost and at the moment when it is just coming out. Based on the price of this solution, we can say that the annual market volume in Russia will be about 200-220 thousand devices, of which only 120-130 thousand are those who will purchase it at full price, the rest of the sales will be in installments. With a smartphone market volume of 28 million units per year, you can easily calculate what percentage will be taken up iPhone sales X. As usual when launching a key product, Apple created artificial excitement, queues and a feeling of scarcity. But a couple of weeks after the start of sales, we can say that there is no shortage, and gray traders were surprised to discover that there is no noticeable demand for the model, and are now competing to see who can discount more of the original price for this device. In my opinion, the iPhone X is the most controversial iPhone in recent years, and in this review we will talk about why this is so.

Design, dimensions, control elements

The model is available in two colors – silver and dark gray (silver, space gray). In the first version, the back is white and the sides are chrome-plated; in the second, black is used in both.


I like the black device that you see in the review. But to be fair, they both look good. Now let's talk a little about the design, since it is not as straightforward in ergonomics as we would like.

I'll start with the protruding camera module on the back surface. Unlike the iPhone 8 Plus, the camera module here has sharp edges and is positioned vertically. This creates inconvenience when you take the device out of your jeans pocket, it can get caught on the fabric, the module sticks out too much. Dropping the iPhone X is contraindicated, but more on that below.



Another point is when the device is lying on the table, on your back. In fact, it always lies on the camera module; if you press the body, you will see how it begins to walk on a flat surface (we show this in the video). This is a clear miscalculation of engineers that cannot be explained by anything.



The dimensions of the device are such that it is wide and quite noticeably cuts into the hand (it is narrower than the iPhone 8 Plus). So, iPhone sizes X - 143.6x70.9x7.7 mm, weight - 174 grams, and for the iPhone 8 Plus it is 158.4x78.1x7.5 mm, weight - 202 grams. Despite the smaller width, the lack of curves plays a role here; my hand is accustomed to the ergonomics of smartphones, where the front and back panels have bevels, making them very comfortable to hold. There is nothing like that here, the ergonomics are comparable to devices from five years ago, no one really worked on it.




Compared to Pixel 2

Many people think in absentia that since the iPhone X has a 5.8-inch screen, the device is as big as the iPhone 8 Plus, but this is not so.



Compared to iPhone 8 Plus



Compared to iPhone 7

And here are photos of this device with Samsung Galaxy Note 8.



Compared to Galaxy Note 8

The back panel is made of tempered glass, as well as the front panel covering the screen. Both have an oleophobic coating, but don’t expect that hand marks won’t be visible, they are clearly visible. The glass panel on the back is needed so that you can use wireless charging. But, just like in the “eights”, a strange solution was used here, namely, they saved on the film under the glass, which keeps it from crumbling upon impact. For example, when you broke an iPhone 4, which also had glass body, even though it was constructed differently, it cracked, but the pieces of glass held on and did not fall out, here everything is exactly the opposite. Look at the photos of how the iPhone X breaks and what the glass is like. You can find many such photographs on the Internet, as well as various home-grown drop tests, where comparable results are achieved.

After falling even from a small height, the iPhone X is almost guaranteed to receive some kind of damage, for example, you can look at the CNet test or if you like the video, then see how quickly and efficiently iPhone X breaks from the guys at SquareTrade, who call it the most fragile and easily broken iPhone.

Therefore, I recommend immediately buying a case and hiding the iPhone X in it, because one careless movement and you will break the device, and replacing the back panel will cost you half the cost of the base model (in the USA it is $529!). Replacing the screen is slightly cheaper. At the moment, there are no Chinese glasses or substitutes yet, so the cost of repairs will be astronomical. Hence the conclusion that you can use this device without a case only at your own peril and risk, it is too fragile. I’ve already seen several of my comrades that they also stuck protective glass on the screen – it distorts colors, but provides additional insurance in case of a fall. There is a chance that the screen will not shatter.

The cover will also remove all questions regarding the side frame made of stainless steel; it is chrome-plated, and if handled carelessly, the paint can peel off in pieces. This is not a warranty case, but the result of careless handling. I'm sure that for the majority iPhone users X it will be impossible to achieve such a result, it is unlikely. Therefore, I personally would not pay attention to this point; anything can happen in life, and almost any thing can be broken or scratched.

The layout of the controls is typical Apple, on the left side you see a lever that turns on silent mode, below are two volume keys. On the right side is the on/off button (in fact, this is now rather unlock and calling Siri), just below is a tray for a nanoSIM card.




There is a speaker on the bottom right side, the second speaker is on the front panel above the screen. They work in pairs, and the sound volume is excellent, so iPhone parameter The X can give many flagships a run for their money, and I like it in that aspect.



There is a microphone on the bottom end, as well as on the back of the camera block. They did not place the microphone on the top end. The noise reduction system works averagely; in noisy conditions, your interlocutor hears extraneous sounds.

This is the first iPhone that does not have a fingerprint sensor; when turned off, the device looks faceless, like many others. modern smartphones, it is impossible to recognize it as an iPhone.


But when the screen is working, you see a cutout at the top, it was added to accommodate the TrueDepth sensor, which is necessary for face unlock. That's all about the appearance of the device, let's move on to its other parts.

Display

Before talking about the display on the iPhone X, you just need to do lyrical digression, since it is this component of the smartphone that causes a break in patterns, cognitive dissonance and personally demonstrates the lack of rudiments of logic in a huge number of people. Apple does not have engineers or people responsible for developing screens; they are physically absent. Apple does not have any patents related to OLED technology. Experience in this area is practically zero, and the first screen is the one that the company ordered from Samsung, which, on the contrary, spent more than ten years developing the technology and fine-tuning it. Today, 95% of all OLED screens in the world are made by Samsung, the company is a leader in this direction, and Apple simply had no alternative in where to buy such screens

In a huge number of places I come across such a phrase as “OLED screen from Apple”, which has nothing to do with reality. Moreover, the phrase that Apple has created the most high quality screen, is a marketing gimmick, since the company does not have any capabilities or technologies for this. Apple could have ordered such a screen from Samsung.

Now different important point– Samsung’s strategy has always been simple and clear: sell only outdated technologies to third parties, leaving the best for its flagships. Nothing has changed with the request from Apple; the approach remains exactly the same. Another thing is that Apple's marketing and many people who are involved in this game claim that the screen in the iPhone X is the best thing in the world. Logics? It is absent from this statement, however, let’s dive into important details.

For many years in a row, Apple fans have argued that AMOLED screens from Samsung are something extremely bad, they have incorrect colors (as a rule, they did not know what color rendering is), too high brightness (this was a shame when the advantage recorded as a minus), and they also contain Pentile. Since mid-2016, I knew that Apple was planning to purchase AMOLED screens from Samsung, and I was interested in how the tone of statements would change. It has changed to the diametrically opposite: now the iPhone X screen is a standard and a future that unexpectedly happened.

My first greetings go to the members of the Pentile witness sect, who see those same subpixels with the naked eye (when a dot on the screen consists of individual dots and they can see them without a microscope, which is impossible even theoretically, but they know how to do it). The iPhone X uses the Diamond Pixel screen structure, which is fully consistent with what is used in screens from Samsung, for example, in the same Note 8.


At a resolution of 2436x1125 pixels, it’s not just impossible to see any subpixels, it’s from the realm of fantasy. Unfortunately, Apple was unable to buy the latest generation of screens from Samsung, since their cost was prohibitively high; Samsung retained such matrices for its devices. As a result, Apple was content with generation 5, that is, this is the level of the Galaxy S6 matrix (for comparison, the Note 8 has an 8th generation screen, and in six months the S9 will have a 9th generation screen). To the average person, all these generations look like a kind of gobbledygook that doesn't mean anything. But let's try to understand the details and what Apple saved on for the iPhone X screen, because they did not want to overpay for the latest developments.

So, the first ideological decision is to limit the screen brightness; by default it is set to 625 nits (manual adjustment), that is, this is exactly the same level as the iPhone 7/8 and other models. This is a comfortable level for indoors, but in bright sun it is not so good (sorry, but it’s raining in Moscow, and it’s still difficult to show this in photographs). For comparison, in automatic mode The iPhone X produces up to 805 nits, under the same conditions and also with automatic adjustment, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ produces 1000 nits, and the Note 8 produces 1240 nits. That is, the current flagship from Samsung produces almost twice the brightness, which makes the picture in bright light much more realistic, you don’t see fading and, when taking photographs, you can achieve realistic results, for example, when adjusting the exposure, rather than doing it at random.


All measurements were carried out in DisplayMate, you can see the corresponding signs:

And this is what the numbers look like for the Galaxy S6, just compare them and think about which smartphone they are closer to.

The same measurement technique, the same people. And these are the results that speak for themselves. Let's look further to understand what Apple played on and how they “improved” the screen in the iPhone X.

The disadvantage of OLED technology (AMOLED is just a commercial name for the same technology from Samsung) is that screens burn out if a static picture is shown for a long time and at maximum brightness. On the first generations of flagships up to and including the Galaxy S3, this was possible in practice; subsequently, the possibility of artifacts appearing was minimized, despite the increase in the maximum brightness of the screens. Most of the pictures with burnt-out screens are samples from store windows, since in Retail Mode, the limitation on the maximum brightness of smartphones is removed and at the same time they often work 24/7 (in theory they should be turned off at night, in practice this often does not happen , and therefore the screens burn out). Retail Mode's marketing goal is to attract people with a colorful screen, but in manual mode it is impossible to achieve the same brightness.

Samsung has long ago limited the maximum brightness of AMOLED screens in manual mode; today this parameter is 525 nits at maximum, and without filling in the red adjustment bar - 450-470 nits. Why? The answer is obvious - if you give the user the opportunity to turn the brightness to maximum, then with a high degree of probability this will lead to screen burnout. Therefore, only automatic adjustment provides maximum brightness.

Apple, on the contrary, considered that the user can turn the brightness up to 625-635 nits independently (550 nits is the watershed after which problems begin for OLED). And this increases the chances that the screen may burn out. Apple explains this by the features of the technology, and this is a non-warranty case. After the release of the iPhone X, there was even a separate article from Apple that explained that high brightness leads to screen burn-in.


It remains a mystery to me why deliberately create a screen that can burn out during operation, since the brightness in manual mode is raised above the safe level. The answer is probably that this is the only opportunity to show that the screen is better than on Samsung flagships in such conditions. Although in life they look more or less the same. And the same DisplayMate, which for some reason forgot to mention these features, puzzles me.

One more point - in Samsung phones A separate DSP for analyzing images on the screen has long been implemented; it came from televisions, and the technology was constantly becoming more complex. The same adaptive mode is implemented using this chip. Among other things, the last two generations of devices have added a program that analyzes the possibility of screen burn-in and forcibly changes the settings if it sees that this is likely (including during manual settings). Plus changes the display unnoticed by the user system elements, so that there is no burnout even in theory (this is the same as the virtual “Home” button is implemented, it is redrawn, but you don’t notice it, and it seems to you that it is always in the same place and the same). There's nothing like that in the iPhone X, it's just a screen without any additional hardware that could do something like that.

Let's move on. The screen contrast is 1,000,000:1, for comparison, in the iPhone 8/8 Plus it is 1300:1 and 1400:1, the screens differ in perception like heaven and earth, the display in the iPhone X is much better than in other iPhones. But it will lose in comparison with the Galaxy Note 8, these are matrices different generations, the display from the iPhone should rather be compared with the Galaxy S6. But for the iPhone audience, in any case, this is a strong step forward, since they have not seen anything comparable, they simply do not have experience using high-quality AMOLED screens.



Just like in the “eights”, the iPhone X has True Tone technology, using an RGB sensor on the front panel, it evaluates lighting conditions and shifts the white balance point, the colors are more natural. In my opinion, this is a good technology that makes the picture more naturalistic, regardless of where you look at it, in bed under the covers, in the office or on the street. The sensor tries to bring the picture to a certain common denominator. Samsung's generation 8 and 9 screens use more advanced RGB sensors, with more accurate light estimation, plus two of them - on the front and back surfaces. High brightness allows you to adjust the white balance over a wide range, which makes the picture the same in almost all conditions. This is not the case with the iPhone X; there are not enough capabilities built into the display. Almost everyone I know has turned off TrueTone on X because... White color It turns yellow, which is not very pleasant. Few people like this effect; on the iPhone 8 Plus, this technology on an IPS matrix works better.

Now we need to talk about the cutout on the screen. Apple said the screen is 5.8 inches diagonal, but in practice this is not the case due to the cutout at the top for the speaker and other sensors. In most programs, this space on the sides of the speaker is not used in any way, and cannot be used. Even Apple didn’t come up with anything better than simply displaying the network signal, Wi-Fi designation, and battery there.


It’s a pity, but there’s simply no room for the percentage of battery charge; for some reason Apple thought it didn’t matter. I really hope that the company will come to their senses and return the charge percentage so that we can see this parameter from any menu.

Now for some fun math. Remember when phone manufacturers started installing massive cameras, but indicated the thickness of the body without taking this blotch into account, so that the dimensions did not seem excessive? With the iPhone X we have the opposite situation, where the manufacturer is trying to make it clear that the screen is larger than it actually is. The reason is banal, it needed parity with the Galaxy S8, which has a 5.8-inch screen. And this parity was achieved due to an interesting trick: the screen diagonal is measured taking into account the notch. But if you remove the notch and parts of the screen above it (and this will be the case in most programs), it turns out that the screen is 5.5 inches, and not 5.8 inches, as we are told. Please also note that the screen rounded edges, both above and below.

The stated aspect ratio is 19.5:9, but remove the notch and we get 18.5:9, that is, a ratio completely similar to Samsung flagships. Why is this so? The answer lies in the fact that for applications such as video, for example YouTube, this aspect ratio is more or less acceptable. Compared to the iPhone 8, you will get about 10% more images on the iPhone X screen when watching videos, but in programs (lists) this will be a greater gain.







It remains incomprehensible to me how at Apple, where Jobs once upon a time paid attention to detail, they could shoot with a camera in such a way that the final result does not stretch across the entire screen. This is just one feature that makes the user happy, as he sees the picture in full screen. In the same Samsung, you can simply choose the photo geometry that is close to you. Here? But here on the iPhone X you have huge black stripes on the sides. And after that, you want to say that at Apple someone thinks about the little things?

Do you want to be surprised again? For example, you know for sure that 5.8 inches is larger than 5.5 inches, right? In fact, the screen in the iPhone 8 Plus is about 5% larger in area. God knows what the difference is, but it is noticeable - the Plus is wider, but lower in height, while the iPhone X is taller. This is how interesting mathematics turns out.



The notch in the iPhone X screen is an attempt in the absence of technology and even a semblance of control over the supplier (Samsung in in this case Well done, they just achieved their goal and received super profits from Apple for old developments) to do something unique. I’m sure Samsung was pointing a finger at its head when Apple decided to stand out in this way. No curved screens, because they are much more difficult to manufacture, no real advantages, just a cutout. It is also called eyebrows or beard.

This is an objectively stupid decision, since most developers will have to adapt their programs to the rounded screens of the iPhone X, as well as the notch that this device has. Sooner or later they will do it, but it’s just wasted work, since this cutout has no meaning. This is a game with numbers to get a larger diagonal for less money and show that we have big screen, no less than that of a direct competitor.

Just for comparison, Samsung's flagships have 3K screens with a resolution of 2960x1440 pixels, while the iPhone X has a 2K screen with a resolution of 2436x1125 pixels. It is clear that one can close one’s eyes to this and consider the difference to be insignificant. As well as considering all other screen parameters not as important as they could be.

It is with great pleasure that I read how the screen in the iPhone X is praised, as this confirms the words I wrote a couple of years ago that the screens in the Galaxy S6 (all models of that brood) are excellent and ahead of their time. The fact that their old version was installed in the iPhone X is good. Same as what was added HDR support for video (only for certain services for the USA, in Russia it is almost useless, although iTunes has such pictures).

And Apple regretted the extra $5 for adding AlwaysOn Display to its flagship, leaving room, so to speak, for “improvements” in the future. Likewise, there are no additional power saving modes (switching the screen to black and white), which is also very expensive for Apple.

You do, however, have the opportunity to set the screen to gray shades through color correction, then the device will work longer on a single charge (this mode was once on Samsung, then it was abandoned because it was not used - people choose extreme energy saving) .

The feature that DisplayMate described is the adjustment of each iPhone X screen separately, that is, they do not have a single calibration, each is manually configured. This gives a certain variation in the picture and white color when comparing different devices. When compared with the devices of my friends, in half the cases this difference was clearly visible. Not cosmic, but it is still present.

The short conclusion is that this is the best screen among all iPhones, but it does not stand up to comparison with the current technological flagships of the market; it is several years behind. The cost of repairing the screen if you break it is $279 in the USA (in Russia - 35 thousand rubles), additional AppleCare+ insurance will cost you $199, then the screen will be replaced for $29 one time. There is no need to beat this device, it is too expensive.


Apple's marketing, as always, is excellent, and people claim that Samsung made the best screen not for itself, but for Apple. Although the power of persuasion can be such that one can believe in this too.

They were in such a hurry with the iPhone X that they didn’t even check how it works in the cold. Therefore, the sensitivity of the screen did not increase when you left a warm room outside; it stopped responding to touches within 10-20 seconds. This was corrected in the latest iOS update, but this is just a demonstration of the raw form in which the device entered the market.

Just a few words about PWM, or more precisely, the flickering that is present at the minimum screen brightness. It's like on Samsung smartphones, and on the iPhone X. I don’t see this as a problem, since I practically never use low screen brightness. But perhaps some people will find it important.

22. Face ID can really be fooled

Apple promises that there is a 1 in a million chance that a random person will be able to unlock your iPhone X, but stipulates that the chance of error is higher for relatives and children. We tested Face ID with two twins. Their parents are not sure that their daughters are identical twins. The girls are very similar, but it is not so difficult to distinguish them. We scanned the face of one of the sisters with a smartphone and passed it on to the second - the device was unlocked. The reverse experiment also gave a positive result.

About cameras

34. The main camera is one of the best

DXOMark - one of the most authoritative sites about cameras in any form - put the iPhone X in second place after the Google Pixel 2, assigning 97 points out of 100. And its camera is even better than that of the iPhone 8 Plus: also 12 megapixels, also optical and digital stabilization, also 2x optical and 10x digital zoom, also 4K video recording at 60 frames per second, But the “Ten” has an aperture of f/2.4 versus f/2.8 for the “Eight”.

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 room iOS system 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, support LTE Advanced
  • 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
Retail iPhone offers X (64 GB) 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 style Apple style, but with one caveat: the image of the iPhone’s edges 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 equipment 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 headphones with 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 take in iPhone hands X - you experience a forgotten feeling that Apple smartphones have not 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 that “climbs” even onto side faces. 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 big advantage: You don't have to look at your 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, there is a black notch 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 already been noted many times, main feature new iPhone - 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 are facing the biggest update ever iPhone history, comparable only to the appearance 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 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 screens of the Apple iPhone X and the second comparison participant display identical images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K.

White field:

We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone 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 characteristics of the screen’s emission spectrum, the color balance and brightness of colors in the photographs Apple screen iPhone X is 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 on Apple smartphone The iPhone X is noticeably higher at an angle. 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 adding test images ( JPG files and PNG) with the Display P3 profile, we got a wider color gamut than sRGB (output in Safari):

Note that the coordinates of the primary colors coincide almost exactly with those specified for the DCI-P3 standard. We look at the spectra in the case test images with 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 for consumer device is considered an acceptable indicator. 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.)

In that Apple device there is a function 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, if turned on, adjusts the color balance to the conditions environment. 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 for color temperature Ambient light can be useful if you want to better match the image on the screen with what is visible on paper (or any medium on which colors are formed by 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 special problems Can be used outdoors 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 the application and return to home screen, just swipe it from bottom to top. 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, when 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 mean displaying a 1080p image on the screen, regardless of real resolution screen. 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 (than higher 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.

Most strange 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 side, gaming applications It’s still worth optimizing 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 some 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 the opportunity to use the iPhone X yet. real life(we have yet to do this), so we cannot say how long it will work 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 more than just a very a good product, but something more. Indeed, throughout history iPhone lines 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 year 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 (with landscape orientation- 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.

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Undoubtedly, all this is impressive, and even after a couple of days using iPhone you'll be wondering if you should go 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.

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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.

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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 aluminum iPhone frames 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 person front camera TrueDepth, for which you have to turn your head from side to side, 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. Optimal distance- 25-50 cm to the face.

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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 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 view all open applications, now you need to swipe up and hold your finger on the screen, and not just double-click the Home button, as in earlier iPhones. Because of the need to relearn, a hitch arises that was not there before.

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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 under iOS control 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 right top 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

Ahaha, Epol, what are you doing, stop it.
Some kind of set of whistles and tricks (s) purely for the sake of it.
No, the frameless display looks great. True, Apple is not the first, but still.
But I have never seen so many dubious decisions...

Damn, every year “the old iPhone turns yellow.”

It's insanity. Icons for connecting to the network and Wi-Fi take up a lot of space. In my opinion, it has long been more interesting to find out the battery charge than the exact number of sticks connected to mobile network. They could have made the option in the settings, but this is Epol...


Ahahaha, I always said that the most convenient way to unlock is the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone. But Apple fans told me that this is inconvenient, because I can’t unlock the phone with my finger when it’s lying on the table - I have to pick it up. Well, now you have neither one nor the other. Neither quickly unlock the phone with your finger (even from your pocket), nor unlock it while lying on the table. But you can show him your face))) It’s especially convenient at night, if you suddenly need it.


It’s amazing how intuitively clear it is that the gesture means exactly this and not something else. Having a zoo at home/work different devices, it will be hard to remember what to press where and where to pull. Previously, Apple made intuitive interfaces, saying that everything should be simple and obvious to anyone who did not hold a smartphone in their hands. And now there’s nowhere to shove these interfaces and “innovations”, so let’s shove them where they’re shoved.
Swiping from the bottom up to call up the panel is logical, as soon as you get used to the idea that “there’s a panel hiding below,” and you pull it out with your finger. Where the hell is the logic that you have to swipe up from bottom to close an application? Even on Android, I hated all sorts of custom launchers, where there were a dozen gestures for control that made no sense from a logical point of view, you just had to remember them. And if I swipe from bottom to top in an application, for example, flipping through pages, what is the probability of accidentally closing it? I called the panel sometimes.

It’s inconvenient to do with one hand, unlike double tapping on Home.

Inconvenient to do with one hand.
Woodpeckers, damn it, these are exactly the functions that should have been crammed into gestures from the bottom of the screen. As smartphone screen sizes have grown, the average user can no longer reach the top of the screen without moving the smartphone. It means that? This means that interface elements should be placed at the bottom as much as possible. And now, in the absence of a frame at the bottom, and the ability to place controls below - God himself ordered it. But no, Epol stubbornly leaves the controls at the top and middle of the screen. Apple Store is basically a circus. In order to close the screenshot of the program, you need to click “close” in the top left. But in order to close the video program, you need to click “close” in the top right (or vice versa). On the same Android, in most cases, doing all this is much more convenient.