What if the iPhone X isn't the best iPhone?
by Volker Weber
Three days from now you may have preordered the iPhone X. Deliveries start ten days from now. And I am really curious about it. It's the first major redesign of the original iPhone concept. It will be a huge upgrade from an iPhone but not necessarily from an iPhone Plus.
What you see above is the top of the line for iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus. They come with 256 (or 128 GB) of storage. Either way, more than you will probably fill up. And since they are in scale you can see that the 5.5" screen of the Plus is actually larger than the 5.8" screen of the X. They all have dual cameras and the X is of course much smaller. But when you are watching video, it will be letter boxed on the X. Since the screen is narrower in portrait mode, text will be smaller or lines will run shorter. The Plus models look kind of old fashioned when everybody else goes for small bezels. But I like this design.
While the X gets all the attention, as a customer you will be getting a very powerful iPhone, whether you are spending 1319 or 879 €. The real hot deal is a 128 GB iPhone 6S. No dual camera (neither on the 6S Plus). It's still a current model, it still has a 3.5 mm headphones jack, and it is another 250 € cheaper than the 7 Plus with the same storage capacity. You can get two of those for a single X with money to spend on cases.
Comments
Und das 6S ist genau das Modell, das mein Lumia abgelöst hat - für meinen Bedarf das beste Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis ...
I agree, Volker, it always depends on where you are coming from. If you like me own a 5 inch phone with large bezels, then a 5.8'' screen without much bezel is indeed a huge upgrade even if you discount the rounded corners and the (ugly) notch. Whether or not the X has more display area than the Plus doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is the form factor of a smaller phone vs. the huge Plus and a taller instead of a wider screen since that's not only easier to hold but also better to read which I do a lot on my phone. In contrast I hardly watch videos.
So that's why the X is the first iPhone that really appeals to me, provided of course that it's technically mature enough to ship (Face ID, etc.). I hope to be able to read some final reviews before taking the decision to purchase it or not.
Two ways to get an iPhone X:
- From the Apple Store app on an existing iPad/iPhone this Friday shortly before 9:00 am CEST.
- Wait for reviews and get one in a few months.
There seems to be a third way for me directly through the phone service provider, subject to availability of course. We shall see. Otherwise I am happy to wait.
When do you expect final in-depth reviews to come in? I was hoping for them to arrive this week. Would you trust Apple to always ship great and impeccable products and buy prior to the reviews coming in?
Review NDAs are always lifted AFTER the pre-orders started. But this is a safe deal. Supply will be constrained. Even if you don't want the phone, you can sell it at a profit until supply exceeds demand.
And yes, Apple ships products that work. They may need a few software updates, but those will come. I never have seen Apple launch a bad iPhone. All those antennagates, bendgates etc. were completely blown out of proportion.
If you are not in a hurry, just wait it out. But don't expect to get one anytime soon.
Great, thank you, Volker, exactly my thinking. I am going to go for it, let's see whether I'll get one in the first round. Allegedly I am high up on the list but so are many others I guess.
Not looking good for iPhone X in the first round. My phone company just told me they will only be able to confirm the number of devices they get by mid next week but it does not look like they will get many to start with. We shall see.
Woz isn't getting an X. Neither am I. I used to be an early adopter all the way with Apple, but the advantage has slipped with the business model going digital and the design going pear-shaped. UI is an abomination - just compare the mentioned iPod UI to its counterpart on an iPhone. Waste of space. Upgrading to a 256GB model of 6s plus is an option, though. Or I start liking the LG X power as a backup, which will be delivered next week to my door.
