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iPhone X early reviews vindicate my decision not to buy it

iScone

iScone

macrumors 6502
Original poster
It's pretty clear that the X is an awesome phone, and I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for getting it, but it's becoming clear that there's a substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech. Face ID doesn't work unless it's a specific distance away from your face and in certain lighting conditions just doesn't work at all. Most apps are some way off integrating with the X properly. Just two examples.

I was looking forward to buying the X but Apple's app store let me down and I decided to get the equivalent next year. Now I'm glad I did.
 
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iScone said:
It's pretty clear that the X is an awesome phone, and I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for getting it
Click to expand...

Oh bless you for that. I've been walking around in circles in monstrous anxiety since I ordered not knowing if you'd approve of my purchase.

Seriously, fantastic you found lines in reviews that justify you not buying the phone. Why advertise it? And why is everyone all nuts about Face ID? I mean it's a way into your phone. BFD. I don't think Apple would have released it if it wasn't at least as accurate as Touch ID. People seem to forget Apple's entire fortunes lie in the success of the X. I'm hardly a TC fan but he's no dummy.
 
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I love threads like these.

Substantial work to do ? Well I’ve read a few reviews & watched many vids , & apart from a couple they all seem positive.

Now I’m no cynic , but of course this has nothing to do with the OP still being angry that the App Store “ Let him down “

Now of course had the OP ordered at 08:02 & there was a shiny new phone winging its way to them , I wonder if they’d of cancelled the order having decided that Apple still had a “ substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech “

Nope , didn’t think so.
 
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iScone said:
it's becoming clear that there's a substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech. Face ID doesn't work unless it's a specific distance away from your face and in certain lighting conditions just doesn't work at all. Most apps are some way off integrating with the X properly. Just two examples.
Click to expand...
Thankfully there are early-adopters willing to put up with stuff like that, otherwise it’d never get better.

No judgement for folks that don’t want to help with that, but like you imply, it’s something that comes with the first few generations of most new tech.
 
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iScone said:
It's pretty clear that the X is an awesome phone, and I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for getting it, but it's becoming clear that there's a substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech. Face ID doesn't work unless it's a specific distance away from your face and in certain lighting conditions just doesn't work at all. Most apps are some way off integrating with the X properly. Just two examples.

I was looking forward to buying the X but Apple's app store let me down and I decided to get the equivalent next year. Now I'm glad I did.
Click to expand...

But you were all ready to buy it until the app store failed ? 😀
 
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iScone said:
I was looking forward to buying the X but Apple's app store let me down and I decided to get the equivalent next year. Now I'm glad I did.
Click to expand...

You've not so much vindicated your "decision" as you have accepted circumstance. Semantics, and I get where you are coming from.

The practicality of FaceID remains to be seen. I'd say the majority of the reviews I've read said it works fairly well. Heck, if I think about my TouchID, and how it doesn't work if I recently held a coke can with condensation, creamed my hands, am wearing gloves etc etc etc... I would be as worried.

At the end of the day, this is all the risk/thrill of early adoption. I agree that for the Risk averse, the iPhone 8, or even a used 7Plus is the better option. You won't be missing much, and all apps are already pre-optimized. For me personally, I enjoy playing with the latest and greatest, and take some of the issues you've mentioned in-stride. If it gets too annoying for me, I'll sell the phone (like I have other gadgets in the past).
 
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iScone said:
It's pretty clear that the X is an awesome phone, and I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for getting it, but it's becoming clear that there's a substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech. Face ID doesn't work unless it's a specific distance away from your face and in certain lighting conditions just doesn't work at all. Most apps are some way off integrating with the X properly. Just two examples.

I was looking forward to buying the X but Apple's app store let me down and I decided to get the equivalent next year. Now I'm glad I did.
Click to expand...

Everything you mentioned can & will be improved via software updates. FaceID works as intended & obviously bright light on your face could lead to authentication issues, just like TouchID not being able to read your print due to wet hands or whatever.

Sounds like you are looking for a trivial reason to justify not buying the phone.
 
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lordhamster said:
You've not so much vindicated your "decision" as you have accepted circumstance. Semantics, and I get where you are coming from.

The practicality of FaceID remains to be seen. I'd say the majority of the reviews I've read said it works fairly well. Heck, if I think about my TouchID, and how it doesn't work if I recently held a coke can with condensation, creamed my hands, am wearing gloves etc etc etc... I would be as worried.

At the end of the day, this is all the risk/thrill of early adoption. I agree that for the Risk averse, the iPhone 8, or even a used 7Plus is the better option. You won't be missing much, and all apps are already pre-optimized. For me personally, I enjoy playing with the latest and greatest, and take some of the issues you've mentioned in-stride. If it gets too annoying for me, I'll sell the phone (like I have other gadgets in the past).
Click to expand...

Agree. The crazy thing is, I may miss the home button for a little while, but I will not miss Touch ID. I get clammy hands quite often, and its very hit or miss when it works for me. I will never have to worry about that again with Face ID.

It’s also a god send for winter situations. I know longer have to worry about gloves and cold weather.

I still will not forgive the “notch” but I am looking forward to Friday for sure.
 
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iScone said:
Now I'm glad I did.
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I'm thinking the same thing can be said for those people who read/watched the reviews and ordered, i.e., those reviews justified their purchase decisions.

I think overall, regardless of what others wrote or said, you need to determine if the phone fits your needs and budget. For some it does, for others it doesn't.
 
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All of the videos I saw say Face ID works great. The only one was the Verge that had trouble in sunlight, but I have seen other reviewers point out that they had no issue in sunlight. It's a non issue, but okay, whatever makes you feel better.
 
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Good for you. Most of the reviews by reviewers that matter say it is the best iPhone yet and it will only get better. It is amazing to me how many in this world waste there time on these forums posting personal opinions on stuff like this. Who cares if you feel vindicated.

iScone said:
It's pretty clear that the X is an awesome phone, and I'm certainly not going to criticise anyone for getting it, but it's becoming clear that there's a substantial amount of work to do in developing first generation tech. Face ID doesn't work unless it's a specific distance away from your face and in certain lighting conditions just doesn't work at all. Most apps are some way off integrating with the X properly. Just two examples.

I was looking forward to buying the X but Apple's app store let me down and I decided to get the equivalent next year. Now I'm glad I did.
Click to expand...
 
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Everyone makes their own decision whether to buy or not and that's cool ..... but it does amuse me so often on these threads when just because something doesn't work out quite right with the purchase people then move on to running down Apple or the product to make themselves feel better.

I find macrumors a source of eternal entertainment leading up to an iPhone release, grown men and women (usually men) morph into spoilt brats because they cant get their own way 🙂
 
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I do find the consternation over the Verge’s issues with Face ID in bright sunlight to be interesting given all the scenarios where Touch ID still doesn’t work (wet hands, gloves, etc) despite being a pretty mature, and by most accounts, excellent technology.

No technology is perfect, and having experienced 1st gen Touch ID with the 5S, I’m pretty amazed at how well Face ID works already. It will only get better with time (see Touch ID).
 
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DNichter said:
All of the videos I saw say Face ID works great. The only one was the Verge that had trouble in sunlight, but I have seen other reviewers point out that they had no issue in sunlight. It's a non issue, but okay, whatever makes you feel better.
Click to expand...
You see that is the danger of early internet reviews. I see this EVERY iPhone cycle.

Some reviewer or commenter points out an "issue", then EVERYONE points back to that one comment. Pretty soon everyone repeats it as if it is an epidemic and gospel.

The Verge made a supposition that their few issues were due to some sort of IR scattering due to bright light. However it could just as easily have been due to schmutz on the lens, sun-screen, just plain "holding it wrong" or a host of other issues. I'm eager to see what the average joe experiences day-to-day.

All that said... when my mother asked me if she should get it... I'm hesitant. I know that for her, too much may have changed all at once for her to be happy. The "would I give it to my mom" litmus test for Tech is still pending.
 
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ukms said:
Fact or Fiction ??
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I'm just going on what early reviewers are saying. Check out the Verge commentary on the phone so far. Face ID is very hit and miss for him.

ukms said:
But you were all ready to buy it until the app store failed ? 😀
Click to expand...

Sure was. I'm not claiming I was 'right all along', just that I didn't get it when I wanted to, and made a decision not to queue up or wait 2-3 weeks for delivery. That decision appears to have inadvertently been a good one, based on the issues some early reviewers are pointing to.
 
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