Apple Debuts iPhone X Flagship With 5.8-inch OLED Display, A11 Bionic Processor And Face ID
For starters, the new iPhone X features a 5.8-inch OLED display called Super Retina Display, with a resolution of 2136x1125 (458ppi), which is a nice upgrade from the LCD panels used on all iPhones to date. This dwarfs the 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 7 and is slightly larger than the 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 7 Plus. Because of the minimal display bezels all around, the iPhone X is only slightly larger in footprint than the iPhone 7. The only real concession is in the top-center of the display, where you're find a sensor pod that houses an array of sensors and cameras. Since the display now takes up nearly the entire front of the iPhone X, the traditional physical Home button has been retired. In its place is a software facsimile, which can be summoned on command.
Powering the new iPhone X is an all-new A11 Bionic processor, which is reportedly built on a 10nm FinFET process (putting it on firm footing against the Samsung-manufactured Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor). The A11 is a hexa-core design, with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. It's expected that the low-power cores will be employed for most everyday tasks, which should help keep battery consumption in check (the battery last 2 hours longer than then iPhone 7). Apple has also included its first homegrown GPU, which has a three-core design and is roughly 30 percent faster than the GPU in the A10.
On the camera front, the iPhone X features two rear-mounted cameras. These cameras are arranged vertically instead of horizontally like on the iPhone 7 Plus. Both are 12MP units and both feature optical image stabilization (OIS). Video can be captured with the main comes at up to 1080p resolution at 240fps or 4K at 60 fps. The front-facing camera has been upgraded to a 7MP unit, capable of capturing 1080p video at 30fps.
While those cameras will no doubt take excellent pictures -- something that the iPhone has long been known for -- perhaps the most important being the True Depth Camera system. There’s an infrared (IR) camera and a dot emitter that is mounted in the front-facing sensor pod. These are capable of scanning your face, using what Apple calls Face ID. Face ID is in effect a replacement for the previous fingerprint-based biometric authentication system called Touch ID. Face ID is not only capable of unlocking your device, but it can also be used to authenticate passwords for apps/website and even Apple Pay.
All of this is powered by the A11 Bionic Neural Engine, which is capable of processing all of your facial data instantaneously, with the cameras even able to recognize your face in complete darkness. There’s also a secure enclave which keeps your facial data locked away from prying eyes.
But where the IR camera really starts breaking new ground is with what Apple calls Animojis. Using the IR camera, the iPhone X can map your face, and detect what facial expressions you’re making – be it happy, sad, surprised, shocked or any number of other emotions. The iPhone X will then choose the appropriate facial representation to apply to an animated emoji, which can be sent via iMessages.
Moving on to the battery, Apple was able to eke out ... When it comes to charging, you can either go with the Lightning port (which has been in service since 2012), or go the inductive "wireless" charging route. The iPhone X supports the open Qi wireless charging, which explains why this is the first time that an iPhone has included a glass back panel since 2011's iPhone 4s. Apple has even created an Air Power charger, which can charge your iPhone X, Apple Watch and Air Pods all at once.
Now to the tricky aspect of pricing. As expected, the iPhone X doesn’t come cheap. It has a base price of $999 for the 64GB model, which is unprecedented for an iPhone. Pricing for the 256GB model is a heart-stopping $1,149. Preorders will take place on October 27th, and it will ship on November 3rd.
