Some Quick-Thoughts on the iPhone X
The iPhone X came out a week or so ago to a lot of fanfare. Apparently it is selling well and orders out still 3–4 weeks backordered. No doubt Apple will be caught up to demand sometime around Christmas, but I do not think I will be buying one myself simply because I am moving in January closer to the University and moving is an expensive proposition because of Auburn’s dumpster-fire of a real estate market. Luckily I had a good friend get one on day one and have gotten to play with it several times since launch day. Overall, I like the phone, but it is not without compromise. It feels wonderful in the hand, it is something to behold to have a phone with almost no bezel. It feels like you are holding pixels in your hand. This is something Samsung Galaxy S8 owners have experienced for a while, but it is truly appreciated on the iPhone regardless. The phone feels very premium, like you just did pay $1,000 for a pocket computer with a heavier glass body and stainless steel band reminiscent of the iPhone 4, which happens to be my favorite iPhone design to date. Its great having the iPhone Plus-cameras in a regular-sized iPhone. As somebody who has an iPhone 7 I really wish I had opted for the bigger phone because of the portrait camera and telephoto lens. I look forward to upgrading next year to get my hands on it. Still no headphone jack, that is long gone, but after almost a year with my AirPods I never want to go back to wired headphones again. Headphone jack aside, the phone is waterproof, very fast, and does not feel like you are holding a pop-tart in your hand like the iPhone Plus models do. The iPhone X is very much the future of the iPhone 7/8 line and not the Plus models though, you do lose a lot of landscape features you get in the Plus so keep that in mind. I imagine next year we will be treated to an iPhone XL so if you have an iPhone 7 Plus or iPhone 8 Plus you may want to wait and see. The notch is…noticeable, but not the end of the world. I understand why they leaned into the design because it allows the iPhone X to come off as truly edge to edge, unlike the Google Pixel XL 2 or the Galaxy S8 line fo phones that have chins at the top and bottom. Its a really shunning effect when you combined with the new AMOLED screen that Apple FINALLY adopted and has been a point of jealousy when I look over the fence to my Android-wielding brethren.
Overall, it looks like a wonderful phone and if you’re willing to shell out that cash for the future of the iPhone I say there is nothing to be ashamed about; you will get a lot of enjoyment out of this phone and getting to play with the future of the iPhone today. For other who are happy with their current phones or don’t want to pay that much for a smartphone I say just wait or buy an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus if you have an upgrade and want something new. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are basically the Platonic versions of the iPhone as we know it that has a TouchID and a familiar design. The 8-line of phones has an excellent camera, screen, processor, wireless charging, and more…you really can’t go wrong with either (Unless of course your guardian angel leads you toward Android). That being said, I look forward to getting an iPhone X the moment I can afford one. It looks like a truly fantastic mobile computer and as somebody who uses their smartphone as more than any other computer in my life it looks like its going to be a great upgrade.
