Reviewing the Apple IPhone X - A Layman’s View

I will start with this admission, I am an Apple guy. I use a MAC, Ipad, and Iphone. I have tried androids in the past but had a bad experience by buying one that was trendy at the time but overheated all the time and did not communicate seamlessly with with my other technology. I also like simplicity (so attack me on this point non Apple people) and the Android technology is really good but has added complexity (sophistication?) that I simply don’t need. I get total functionality for work and personal use on my Apple technology. So, my opening salvo: Apple haters c’mon and attack. I understand your preference, but this review is for those thinking seriously about the X.

I loved my old IPhone 7. It worked great, and I was concerned about some of the posted remarks about the X Face ID and a lack of a home button, so when I unwrapped my X a week ago, I was concerned that I had made a mistake. I also generally try to buy the latest tech stuff, but usually am slow on first generation because I want to make sure the bugs are out before I jump in. Nevertheless, I went ahead and after a week, here is my review:

Pluses: The bigger screen coverage is awesome. I can put more apps on my main screen which limits the shuffling search for the app I want. The graphics are also way improved. The ICloud download was pretty good although my X came with IOS 11 and my backup was in 11.2 so I could only download the backup from about three weeks earlier in 11.1. Make sure you have a backup in IOS 11 and no later. If you are on the Beta program, go back and dumb the unit down and back up again. Aside from that the download from ICloud was seamless and took about 12 hours to fully complete. Just set the phone down for a night and let it complete a full cloud download - a lesson learned from past impatience. I bought the apple leather case, the lightest weight possible. I never have broken an Iphone and have not dropped one, but wanted to protect against bending. You may prefer to get one of the more protective cases. The camera is amazing. Man, what to do with my Canon? Photos are absolutely beautiful with the new camera. The phone is heavier, not much but heavier. I don’t find it an issue, but you should check for yourself. Its lighter than some of the androids still. Face recognition works amazingly well for me. And if it does not see your face, or you have the phone down low for privacy, you can key in your code (I use a four key code for ease). I did the face scanning in darker light so that it would learn my face under tougher conditions. You may want to do the same as opposed to bright light. The lack of a home button is no loss. I actually prefer the sweep movement better than the home button. On the old phones sometimes getting a good fingerprint read was tough in really cold weather or on super hot days if thumb was sweaty. Battery life for me is much better as well. In summary, I think the X is a total game changer and far superior to the previous generation models in functionality and design. While time could change my view, I seriously doubt it. All these posts about getting used to the lack of home button or face recognition are absurd in my view; these are improvements from my perspective.

Negatives: Cost. I spent about $1200 all in. Its hard to justify, but seriously we use our phones all day long for so many things, but will go out and drop a hundred bucks at a bar and not think twice. Just consider it a few dinners worth of expense for something you spend more time with than your spouse (oops, did I say that?). The weight is heavier. Just check that out and see if it will be a problem; it was not for me. Someone wrote a blog stating that they cannot operate the phone with just one hand...I do not get that. I can do more with one hand on this phone than I could with my 7. I guess if you have small hands...or something. Honestly, that is about all I find wrong. The things I have read about fragility, breakage risk, face recognition, losing the home button....so far I think those are concerns that are actually positives for me or I have yet to experience.

As I began this I admitted I am an Apple user, I seriously considered the Pixel and honestly I hear awesome things about that phone. I looked at it, and liked it too. My decision was based on the integration of all my personal technology and comfort with the apps and usability of the Apple products, but you may want to look at the Google products to compare if you are not wedded to Apple.

All in, I give the Apple X a huge thumbs up.