Apple IPhone X Review

The 3-Minute Apple iPhone X Review

A new era of iPhone

By Zach Riley | November 17, 2017

The Specifics:

Features & Design: 4.5/5 ● Performance: 5/5 ● Value: 4/5

The Best:

The iPhone X is the Apple phone that many of us have been waiting years to see. It's beautifully designed and features a screen that covers the entire front of the phone. On top of that, it's extremely fast and has face recognition technology, wireless charging, and an excellent camera.

The Bugs:

Despite all the hype, the iPhone X isn’t flawless. First, it’s very fragile. That's a pain since it’s one of the most expensive phones you can buy. The lack of headphone jack or fingerprint scanner isn't the end of the world but the iPhone X strays away from what most of us are used to having in a phone.

Is it for you?

The iPhone X is probably the most premium smartphone on the market. A full-screen design and top-notch hardware combine to make this the most impressive phone of 2017. If you’re looking for the best of the best in terms of performance, functionality, and style (or if you’re an Apple fan), this is the phone to buy.

“While the last few generations of iPhones have felt uninspired, the iPhone X marks the company’s return to the forefront of smartphone innovation.”

Meet the Apple iPhone X

For the past decade, each new Apple iPhone was pretty much guaranteed to succeed. That said, the last few versions of the iPhone haven’t really offered much of a change from Apple’s tried and true formula. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus looked very similar to the 6s while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also weren't revolutionary upgrades over the previous generation. Apple has a great track record of making stunning, easy-to-use phones for its loyal customer base. However, it was time for a change.

The iPhone X is truly innovative and a (some would say, long overdue) step into the future. Featuring technology and a design that will shape the next generations of the smartphones, Apple has a point when they dubbed it “the future of smartphones.”

What we like

The biggest change on the iPhone X is its design. It’s stunning. The display takes up almost the entire front of the screen (with the exception of the front-facing camera notch). The edge-to-edge bezel-less display is a feature that, while not unique to the iPhone X, is the future of smartphones. The display itself is vibrant, beautiful, and looks fantastic in many different lighting conditions

The massive screen also means that there's no Touch ID fingerprint scanner. That’s where the brand-new Face ID technology comes in. Since Apple got rid of the home button and fingerprint scanner, you now unlock your phone with your face using an intelligent infrared face scanner. You simply look at your phone and it will unlock itself. Past versions of this kind of technology have had some security issues but, so far, the iPhone X seems to have the tech more or less perfected.

The iPhone X is also extremely fast. Apple’s custom processors are some of the quickest in the world. That means that the iPhone X will give you some seriously impressive performance. The camera, while not the very best on the market, takes incredibly beautiful photos if you can get the settings right. Its video quality has fallen a bit behind in terms of quality but it's still very good. The inclusion of wireless charging technology (finally) is convenient. While the phone’s battery life isn’t exceptional, you can wirelessly top up the battery in around 2 hours (which is pretty good).

What we don’t like

Apple took some risks with the iPhone X. While most of them paid off, some of them missed the mark. The lack of a fingerprint scanner can make certain things a bit inconvenient sometimes. For example, if you want to check your notifications on the go, you now have to hold the phone up to your face rather than just touch the fingerprint scanner.

While the phone is gorgeous, it’s also extremely fragile. Considering that the iPhone X is currently the most expensive phone in the world (another downside), it’s unfortunate that it’s so easy to shatter. As you may have expected, the headphone jack is (again) nowhere to be found. The lack of a headphone jack is still a drawback, no matter how smartphone manufacturers try to spin it.

Should you buy it?

If you can stomach the high price, the Apple iPhone X is worth it. While there are drawbacks (like its fragility and lack of fingerprint scanner), it is an innovative, stunning, and powerful smartphone that stands out in a market where more and more smartphones look the same. With a beautiful display, blazing fast hardware, a great camera, and innovative technology, the iPhone X is the perfect phone for Apple fans looking to upgrade. It's also a great choice for anyone who's in the market for a top high-end flagship smartphone.

Apple has always been a trailblazer. While the last few generations of iPhones have felt uninspired, the iPhone X marks the company’s return to the forefront of smartphone innovation.

Check out the product video:

About the Author / Zach Riley

Zach Riley is a tech author who's combined a love of gadgets with a love of writing.