An actual, genuine iPhone X review

[_Refurbished_]

120hz displays are superb. Their primary purpose is nothing to do with the soap opera frame insertion nonsense (which you can turn off, by the way). But... I can’t really be bothered to go there.

I know, I have one. Watching it as I type this. First thing I disabled when I bought it.

I was pointing out that people will buy a TV, and it’s defaulted to display the “soap opera” effect. That’s bad software design.

The notch is also something that could be rectified with via software, but Apple chose to embellish it. Again, poor design. All media on planet earth has four corners. Our phone? Six corners.

 

[bambooshots]

I know, I have one. Watching it as I type this. First thing I disabled when I bought it.

I was pointing out that people will buy a TV, and it’s defaulted to display the “soap opera” effect. That’s bad design.

The notch is also something that could be rectified with modified software, but Apple chose to embellish it. Poor design.

They did look into digital bezels. Glad they decided not to go that route.

Done people just like to live in the past I guess.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I know, I have one. Watching it as I type this. First thing I disabled when I bought it.

I was pointing out that people will buy a TV, and it’s defaulted to display the “soap opera” effect. That’s bad software design.

The notch is also something that could be rectified with via software, but Apple chose to embellish it. Again, poor design. All media on planet earth has four corners. Our phone? Six corners.

Apple chose to embrace it, is another way of looking at it...

 

[_Refurbished_]

Apple chose to embrace it, is another way of looking at it...

Yea and that was the wrong choice. That’s the point. Cue and Craig are a dynamic duo, that’s for sure.

 

[Hoosier317]

I know, I have one. Watching it as I type this. First thing I disabled when I bought it.

I was pointing out that people will buy a TV, and it’s defaulted to display the “soap opera” effect. That’s bad software design.

A native 120hz TV is entirely different from “motion enhancement” settings that you have apparently (and should) disabled. The fact that your TV has a 120hz panel is not something you can disable. You haven’t disabled that. You can’t. You’ve just disabled the extra processing options, which is good.

Of there are two things that should be outright banned from television production, in my opinion: 1. Those “motion enhancement” settings that apply artificial smoothing that results in the soap-opera effect. 2. Any vivid or dynamic picture setting.
[doublepost=1509506731][/doublepost]

Yea and that was the wrong choice.

In your opinion. Thus far, you would appear to be in the extreme minority.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Yea and that was the wrong choice. That’s the point. Cue and Craig are a dynamic duo, that’s for sure.

So you would prefer a digital bezel. I think I prefer the honest approach. We both have a right to our opinions, but I prefer this approach to the digital bezel renders and the renders that had the earpiece hole cut out of the screen. Sometimes you really can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs...

 

[_Refurbished_]

They did look into digital bezels. Glad they decided not to go that route.

Done people just like to live in the past I guess.

Live in the past? There are plenty of bezelless phones out in the wild without the notch.

There were many ways to address the issue.

 

[gabo864]

Apologies if already posted, but this is the only iPhone X piece truly worth reading right now. Full of detail and actually qualifying as a 'review'…

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/31/review-the-iphone-x-goes-to-disneyland/

Thanks for sharing, I loved this review.

 

[_Refurbished_]

A native 120hz TV is entirely different from “motion enhancement” settings that you have apparently (and should) disabled. The fact that your TV has a 120hz panel is not something you can disable. You haven’t disabled that. You can’t. You’ve just disabled the extra processing options, which is good.

Of there are two things that should be outright banned from television production, in my opinion: 1. Those “motion enhancement” settings that apply artificial smoothing that results in the soap-opera effect. 2. Any vivid or dynamic picture setting.
[doublepost=1509506731][/doublepost]
In your opinion. Thus far, you would appear to be in the extreme minority.

Outside of the Macrumors forums, I have yet to meet someone that likes the notch and thinks it’s a good design choice. App developers I know think it’s ridiculous, as well. Plenty of opinions out there that agree with mine, if anything you’re in the minority.

I’m clearly in the minority in this thread, but that’s not a good sample as the Apple bias is pretty overwheming.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Live in the past? There are plenty of bezelless phones out in the wild without the notch.

There were many ways to address the issue.

There is no advantage to the design on the right. You understand that, I hope. It doesn’t allow more information to be presented, and does nothing about landscape mode. Also, it looks generic and apologetic.

 

[bambooshots]

Outside of the Macrumors forums, I have yet to meet someone that likes the notch and thinks it’s a good design choice. App developers I know think it’s ridiculous, as well. Plenty of opinions out there that agree with mine, if anything you’re in the minority.

I’m clearly in the minority in this thread, but that’s not a good sample as the Apple bias is pretty overwheming.

It's because the general public hasn't used the phone yet.

We'll see if anyone gives a rusty f word about the notch anymore a few weeks after release.
[doublepost=1509507358][/doublepost]

Live in the past? There are plenty of bezelless phones out in the wild without the notch.

There were many ways to address the issue.

The one one the right looks like a generic Samsung/LG/HTC phone.

Pass.

 

[Hoosier317]

Outside of the Macrumors forums, I have yet to meet someone that likes the notch and thinks it’s a good design choice. App developers I know think it’s ridiculous, as well. Plenty of opinions out there that agree with mine, if anything you’re in the minority.

I’m clearly in the minority in this thread, but that’s not a good sample as the Apple bias is pretty overwheming.

You are in the minority based on pre-order activity on Friday, virtually all of the previews from the YouTube event, the vast majority of reviews that were published on Tuesday and commentary here and elsewhere. Believe what you want to believe however. If facts don’t matter, that’s your own issue to tackle.

 

[Statusnone88]

THAT'S how you do a review.

Also, anyone catch this?

"The faster 120hz refresh rate of the touch array means that every action is buttery smooth and reacts immediately to your touch."

Very interesting!

So wait... does the X have a screen like the 10.5 iPad Pro? I thought the X had the same refresh rate as all other phones.

 

[upandown]

Omg. Please confirm it's a 120hz screen! No where else has it been mentioned or advertised but I also don't see how that could be a typo. If true it's some serious icing.

 

[Hoosier317]

Omg. Please confirm it's a 120hz screen! No where else has it been mentioned or advertised but I also don't see how that could be a typo. If true it's some serious icing.

It’s not. That’s the refresh rate of the touch array, not the screen.

 

[upandown]

It’s not. That’s the refresh rate of the touch array, not the screen.

Good catch. Thanks but bummer

 

[_Refurbished_]

There is no advantage to the design on the right. You understand that, I hope. It doesn’t allow more information to be presented, and does nothing about landscape mode. Also, it looks generic and apologetic.

Of course it’s beneficial in landscape mode, why wouldn’t it be? The only thing apologetic, are the apologists defending it.
[doublepost=1509509033][/doublepost]

You are in the minority based on pre-order activity on Friday, virtually all of the previews from the YouTube event, the vast majority of reviews that were published on Tuesday and commentary here and elsewhere. Believe what you want to believe however. If facts don’t matter, that’s your own issue to tackle.

Pre-order activity? What numbers do you have?

Commentary outside these forums usually suggests the notch was a compromise or “they got used to it”. No where do I see people saying “I love the notch, it was a great choice.”

The irony here is that if Samsung released the notch and Apple went with a Pixel XL or Mi Mix Plus approach, everyone on these forums would be absolutely blasting Apple.

Also my X comes on launch day.

 

[WilliamG]

It’s not. That’s the refresh rate of the touch array, not the screen.

Right. Still interesting though. The screen should be quite a bit more responsive feeling over the previous iPhones.

 

[xxray]

“If your phone notices that you’re not looking at it, it will dim the screen faster than normal in order to save battery. If an alert comes in and you look at your phone, it will tone down the alert sound because it “knows” it got your attention.”

Wow, that’s really cool. Love the efficiency.

 

[Zune55]

Apologies if already posted, but this is the only iPhone X piece truly worth reading right now. Full of detail and actually qualifying as a 'review'…

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/31/review-the-iphone-x-goes-to-disneyland/

Yes it’s good review thanks for sharing.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Regarding the mouse, Lightning cable was not designed to have that tension at the connector, so they put it on the bottom to prevent it being used as a wired mouse. They could have come out with a reinforced cable and connector and included it with the mouse, but they are moving away from wires. It was an intentional choice, not a mistake.

Also, you're holding it wrong.

 

[Vundu]

Great review, except when he got to the notch. I was so irked by Apple’s reasoning to include a notch, that I stopped reading the article. Jobs would have turned red in the face and stormed out of the room with the bullcrap defense they gave.

Did you know Steve Jobs personally? You have no idea how he would of reacted to anything. For all we know we could of had a bigger notch under SJ.

 

[Ntombi]

Did the reviewer use reachabilty at the 30 sec mark? I thought I heard that it had been removed due to no home button?

It’s still there. He talked about it in the written review.

“I am so glad that reachability still exists. It is incredibly useful here. It’s also tied to a much more intuitive activation process. You can pull the whole top of the screen down with a slight “tug down” of the home bar. Then, Control Center is easily reachable with your right hand and at least not impossible with your left. Reachability is now tucked away in Accessibility, if you’re reading this and looking for it.”

 

[donster28]

“The chrome-like stainless steel ring around the phone is picking up some fine abrasions but they look normal, and I tend to run without a case and scratch the junk out of my phones, so it’s not an alarm bell issue.”

Hope the ‘grey’ one doesn’t disappoint me. I like my gadgets as prestine as possible...not like the reviewer. Cases are here to stay for me.
[doublepost=1509516722][/doublepost]

Live in the past? There are plenty of bezelless phones out in the wild without the notch.

There were many ways to address the issue.

You know, I kind of understand why they went with the notch now after all the hoopla have settled. I like it better than what’s depicted on the right.

 

[TheAppleGeek]

This isn't a genuine review.. he's trying to be on the good-side of Apple by praising Face-ID and dissing Touch-ID which felt totally forced and contradictory.

You must be fun at parties.