The wait is over, the next generation of the iPhone - iPhone X - is finally here.
Following what has been a bumpy week for Apple (the major intel leak just before the launch didn’t help) and inevitable criticism about the £999 price point, we’re all preparing to swallow our words as it has totally won us over.
With a new design, face-scanning technology, wireless charging and the ability to animate emojis (yes, really), we are inclined to agree with CEO Tim Cook, that the iPhone X marks the “biggest leap forward” since Steve Job’s smartphone was first launched in 2007.
But what exactly do you get for your money?
1. OLED Super Retina Display
The most notable feature on the iPhone X (apart from the fact the whole thing is made of glass and makes us super nervous) is the stunning 5.8-inch OLED edge-to-edge display that covers the entire front of the phone.
The ‘Super Retina display’, as Apple have catchily named it, has a drastically increased 2K resolution, supports HDR video content (Netflix on the commute just got better), but obviously has lost the Home Button.
Well you win some, you lose some.
2. Wireless Charging
We asked for it, and Apple delivered.
Wireless charging that avoids untangling endless cables, not being able to reach your phone in bed, and the dreaded wires fraying of the end of the cable (please hold on in there charger) has arrived as the iPhone X supports QI-standard wireless charging.
3. Face ID
Just as we’ve all come to terms with the fact Apple wants to take our fingerprints to get into our phone, they’ve decided to ditch Touch ID and replace it with a face-scanning technology as your password, and to activate Apple Pay.
Reservations about your phone struggling to recognise you without makeup aside, the technology allows your phone to create a unique 3D map of your face and then use that to log you in is pretty cool. And it supposedly it works in the dark, at angles, with or without makeup and even if you grow a beard too.
4. iOS 11
As with every new piece of hardware, we obviously get the software updates that make it all worthwhile, and Apple say iOS 11 is going to make the iPhone “more capable than ever”, which is a claim we can get on board with.
Siri got smarter, using advanced machine learning and AI, she is more expressive and will learn from you to make predictions and suggestions before you even ask for them. She also got a new “more natural” voice.
You’re also able to customise your Control Centre so you can change the settings for the things you do most.
5. Animoji
If you’re anything like us and use emojis to express 99% of your emotions then Animoji is the feature for you. Using the TrueDepth camera on the front, the iPhone X can produce custom-made emojis (look at that panda) that can move with your facial expressions and laugh.
So we’ve basically become Avatar.
6. Super Snazzy Design
Admittedly the idea of glass on both the front and the back of the phone just seems like a one-way-ticket to spending your whole life getting your screen fixed, but Apple is quick to assure anyone that this is the strongest glass found on any smartphone in the world.
Not only that, but you have to admit that medical-grade polished aluminium looks pretty good.
7. Dual-Camera
Not only is the iPhone X looking better itself, it is also trying to make you look better too. With Apple’s most advanced camera system yet, the dual-camera set up boasts not one, but two 12MP sensors. Both the telephoto and wide-angle lenses have optical image stabilisation which means those awful shaky gig videos just got considerably less awful.
8. Augmented Reality
With the upgrade to iOS 11, Apple says that the iPhone X has now essentially become the “world’s largest augmented reality platform” with games and apps now offering immersive experiences that go “far beyond” the screen.
By taking advantage of the latest in augmented reality technology, you can digitally redecorate your home, explore a city you’ve never visited, or even try out a new tattoo before you agree to the real thing.
9. Portrait Mode Lighting
Now, what we’ve all been waiting for, the feature that is going to allow us to take the best selfies yet.
Whilst in Portrait Mode your iPhone now uses machine-learning to actually recreate professional lighting effects on your face. It measures your face in real-time and gives you a whole range of different lighting effects. Combine that with the iPhone’s already excellent Portrait Mode and we’re sold.
Instagram won’t know what has hit it.
10. Water Resistant
We already had this on the iPhone 7, but it’s good to know that even with the whole glass surround and the edge-to-edge screen updates, we can keep the bowl of rice in the cupboard.
As much as we might try otherwise, we could safely say this is probably the feature we will be testing sooner rather than later...