My background: I have owned every generation of the iPhone from the very first release to the 8 Plus *except* the 5S, because I was annoyed that Apple didn't release a larger screen model and bought the Samsung Note instead, which I promptly sold once I could get my hands on the 6 Plus. So yes, I love Apple products, but not blindly. (That being said, I didn't miss Android for a second, except for the multi-tap glide feature in Swype).
Lots of people are griping about the loss of the home button, the notch, Face ID, the small size compared to the Plus, etc. Here are my impressions.
The notch: no big deal, I'm already used to it. I kind of like having the two upper corners separated actually.
The missing home button: good riddance! Seriously! Swiping up from the bottom is so natural, I can't believe it took Apple this long to implement it. I was used to it within minutes of using the phone. And the new application switcher is not only easier to access (I really hated the double home button click for some reason), but it's so much easier to tap on the minus button to quit an app than to swipe up.
Face ID: I get that some people are having issues, so maybe I'm just lucky, but it just plain WORKS for me. With Touch ID, I could never get in the habit of checking my notifications before pressing the home button and thereby unlocking the device. I'd pick up the phone, press on the home button, and just as I was realizing I wanted to read the notifications, the home screen appeared. Now, I raise to wake, and as I'm checking the notifications the phone unlocks via Face ID and expands my notifications but stays on the lock screen. A quick swipe up once I'm done and I get to the home screen. When there have been no notifications and I need to swipe immediately, Face ID always unlocks before I swipe. It's crazy fast. I love it.
The size: I went to the Plus the minute the 6 Plus came out and then owned the 7 Plus and (briefly) the 8 Plus. I'm all about screen real estate. But the actual devices always felt just slightly too large for my hands and I have to admit I dropped them not infrequently (hello, AppleCare). The X hits the sweet spot in terms of screen real estate and physical size/shape. It fits perfectly in my average-size hand. Needless to say, it fits in pockets much better too. I thought I would use the Plus devices in landscape a lot more than I ever did, and in fact it seems that everyone else has pretty much adopted portrait as the default smartphone mode. I basically only rotate my phone to see a landscape photo larger, or to watch a video. Therefore I absolutely do not mind the fact that the X has a narrower screen vertically.
Overall: interactions with the phone are super smooth, fast, and extremely pleasant. The supreme ergonomics of no longer needing to switch between tapping/swiping and physically pressing a button cannot be overstated. The screen looks amazing. The flashlight and camera buttons on the lock screen are awesome.
I always get excited about a new iPhone release only to feel slightly let down when the device turns out to be not that life-changing. This is different. The X is so amazing to touch, hold, and use. It's gorgeous.
It's a masterpiece.
Lots of people are griping about the loss of the home button, the notch, Face ID, the small size compared to the Plus, etc. Here are my impressions.
The notch: no big deal, I'm already used to it. I kind of like having the two upper corners separated actually.
The missing home button: good riddance! Seriously! Swiping up from the bottom is so natural, I can't believe it took Apple this long to implement it. I was used to it within minutes of using the phone. And the new application switcher is not only easier to access (I really hated the double home button click for some reason), but it's so much easier to tap on the minus button to quit an app than to swipe up.
Face ID: I get that some people are having issues, so maybe I'm just lucky, but it just plain WORKS for me. With Touch ID, I could never get in the habit of checking my notifications before pressing the home button and thereby unlocking the device. I'd pick up the phone, press on the home button, and just as I was realizing I wanted to read the notifications, the home screen appeared. Now, I raise to wake, and as I'm checking the notifications the phone unlocks via Face ID and expands my notifications but stays on the lock screen. A quick swipe up once I'm done and I get to the home screen. When there have been no notifications and I need to swipe immediately, Face ID always unlocks before I swipe. It's crazy fast. I love it.
The size: I went to the Plus the minute the 6 Plus came out and then owned the 7 Plus and (briefly) the 8 Plus. I'm all about screen real estate. But the actual devices always felt just slightly too large for my hands and I have to admit I dropped them not infrequently (hello, AppleCare). The X hits the sweet spot in terms of screen real estate and physical size/shape. It fits perfectly in my average-size hand. Needless to say, it fits in pockets much better too. I thought I would use the Plus devices in landscape a lot more than I ever did, and in fact it seems that everyone else has pretty much adopted portrait as the default smartphone mode. I basically only rotate my phone to see a landscape photo larger, or to watch a video. Therefore I absolutely do not mind the fact that the X has a narrower screen vertically.
Overall: interactions with the phone are super smooth, fast, and extremely pleasant. The supreme ergonomics of no longer needing to switch between tapping/swiping and physically pressing a button cannot be overstated. The screen looks amazing. The flashlight and camera buttons on the lock screen are awesome.
I always get excited about a new iPhone release only to feel slightly let down when the device turns out to be not that life-changing. This is different. The X is so amazing to touch, hold, and use. It's gorgeous.
It's a masterpiece.