Five reasons you should get an iPhone X

The iPhone X preorders launch on October 27 and will be on store shelves (ha... yeah right) November 3. A lot of my friends have been asking me if I think they should upgrade to the iPhone X. Short answer: Yes. Why? Here are my five top reasons why I think it's worth the extra cash right now.
1. It's got the best screen of any iPhone
The iPhone X's display screen is 5.8-inches diagonally and sports a 2436x1125 pixel resolution at 458 pixels-per-inch. It's called "Super Retina" because it's so darn clear, it's practically unreal. It supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision, too. It teeters on the verge of a 2K screen (which is 2560 x 1440) and also adds the clarity and boost of HDR and Dolby. My television set doesn't even have that good of a display.
By comparison, the iPhone 8 line sports a fantastic screen resolution at 1920x1080 for the Plus and 1334x750 for the 8. Not to knock those specs, but the iPhone X is almost one-and-a-half times more pixel-y.
2. The OIS is on both cameras
The iPhone Plus line received an upgrade to the camera system with two separate lenses, one wide-angle and one telephoto. The iPhone X gets those same lenses, but has the added bonus of optical image stabilization on both of them. That means clearer pictures, better low-light imaging, and a plethora of abilities that no other iPhone can do.
The True Tone flash also has one minor but major addition: Slow Sync. Slow Sync on a traditional DLSR camera (also known as "Rear Curtain sync") creates amazing movement impressions in images by combining a slow shutter with a burst of flash. I'm not exactly sure how Slow Sync will work on the iPhone X, but if it makes it easier for me to take awesome action shots of bands in dimly lit clubs, it's going to be the best thing that's ever happened to me.
3. Face ID is only part of the fun
The TrueDepth camera system, which projects 30,000 dots across your face to identify every detail of your features, makes positive identification about 20 times more accurate than Touch ID.
The Face ID system is made up of eight different parts, including a handful of sensors that create a depth map of your face. That dot projector and the multi-camera system on the front of the iPhone X has a lot of potential for creating amazing digital enhancements. Animoji and SnapChat filters are just the beginning, but they are both examples of what's possible with the technology stuffed inside the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X.
I can't possibly begin to imagine all of the amazing things that the TrueDepth camera could be used for, but some ideas include a facial structure app that plastic surgeons could use, a fun hair design app that could truly show you what you would look like with that new haircut, virtual reality games where your avatar is an identical likeness to you. You get the idea.
4. Gestures instead of the Home button
Without the Home button, Apple focused on standardizing gestures on the iPhone X to replace functions we've grown accustomed to. The thing about these gestures, thanks to Apple developers' incredible ability to understand what makes sense to our brains, is that they're intuitive and actually seem more pleasant than simply pressing a button. I'm sure there will be a learning curve at first, but our brains are more comfortable with gestures, and I have a feeling that the intuitive actions Apple has replaced the Home button with will become such second nature that pressing the Home button will feel archaic in comparison.
5. The largest screen in a small(ish) phone
I've long been a proponent of the 4-inch form factor on iPhone. I still am. I still believe that most people don't need a phone larger than the iPhone SE model. In a perfect world, the iPhone X would actually be the same physical dimensions as the iPhone SE, but it's not. It's bigger.
Here's the thing, though: it's got a display screen that's larger than the iPhone 8 Plus, but the body of the device is just centimeters larger than the iPhone 8. It's still not as small as I'd like it to be, but its close.
The iPhone X is smaller in dimensions without compromising features. Until this model, if you wanted every awesome thing that an iPhone could possible have, you'd have had to get a Plus model iPhone. I've got an iPhone 7 Plus and it's just too big for me.
This compromise in size (it's not as small as I'd like, but smaller than the biggest iPhone) is the closest to getting exactly what I want from an iPhone as I'll probably ever get. I doubt Apple will ever start making 4-inch iPhones with TrueDepth cameras or 3D Touch. So the iPhone X is my baby bear (It's just right ... almost).
Bonus reason: The horns!
It's divisive, I know. Some people hate it. I, however, embrace the horns (also known as the notch). I blaze metal on the daily and love the idea that my iPhone supports my shredding sensibilities. It's special, it's recognizable, and it makes my phone unique, just like my taste in music. I'm just sayin' ... Apple shreds, and now it shows!
What's your opinion?
Are you getting the iPhone X? What are the reasons you think it's worth getting? Let's discuss!
Oh, and if you're thinking about skipping the iPhone X, Mike T has some advice for you.
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Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. She also fancies herself a bit of a rock star in her town and spends too much time reading comic books. If she's not typing away at her keyboard, you can probably find her at Disneyland or watching Star Wars (or both).
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You make it sound like the X screen is as big or bigger than the Plus screen in a smaller body and it’s not.
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I agree. The iPhone X is a slightly larger higher res iPhone 8 screen.
It is not a slightly narrower iPhone 8 Plus screen.
iPhone 8 and X are both 375 points wide. iPhone 8 Plus is 414 points wide.
So x will not do iPhone pkus landscape features (the few that support it like mail.) -
https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/907714509141364738/photo/1
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It’s only 7.1 mm different on width which is thickness much longer landscape actually looks good try it I did .
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The fifth point is slightly misleading. The iPhone 10 doesn’t have a bigger display than the iPhone 8 plus. This is due to the aspect ratios.
For example the 10.5 inch iPad Pro has a bigger display than two 5.5 inch iPhone 8 plus. Once again because of the aspect ratio -
My reasons:
A Plus-sized screen in a smaller body.
A Plus camera in a smaller body. With the Portrait setting.
The OLED scream (based on the presumption that it will be as good as the Watch screen which I love).
When purchased, it will be a milestone birthday gift from me to me.
YMMV, of course. -
It’s not actually a plus sized screen for what it’s worth, they realllly should have clarified that in this video. It’s aspect ratio and the fact that screens are measured diagonally makes the screen size on paper seem artificially inflated but in reality it’s an iPhone 6/7/8 screen with the edges stretched to the edge of the bezels not a iPhone 6/7/8 Plus screen without the bezels. May seem like a petty difference but its tangible, also the aspect ratio means any traditional 16:9 content will either have black bars and not take up the whole screen or will have to be strethched to fit the screen, distorting the image. It’s cool and I’ll be getting one but I’m not excited about having another off-standard Aspect ratio
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From the images, it looks (obviously) longer than the regular screen but ever so slightly narrower. For me, though, I think it's big enough that I can pop text size up a notch. Then again, things may be easier to read on the OLED screen than even a Retina display. But, even if the screen is larger than a Plus' it's not big in the way the Plus' screen is.
And FWIW, I forgot one of the attractions of the X: Lasting longer on a charge. -
I am sorely tempted, but one reservation is holding me back. I went from an iPhone 6 to an SE because I love the smaller form factor. If I buy the X and Apple release a cosmetically updated SE this time next year with an edge to edge OLED and a large portion of the X’s features, I’d bite their hand off. The X SE [or SE X] :o) is likely never going to happen, but the possibility makes me want to hold off on a size that annoyed me last time around...
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I feel you. I want an iPhone X SE, too. But, I'll eat my hat if they do something like that next year. ;) 🍽 🎩
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Nope.... I am a person with large hands and I couldnt believe how fast I got used to the Plus version. I did upgrade to the 8 plus and will keep my fingers crossed for an "X plus" or whatever its called next year.
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I'm on the other end. I did get used to the iPhone 7 Plus but not completely and every time I pick up my daughter's 6S I miss the smaller form factor and lighter weight. I mainly got the Plus for the cameras and to try to see if I could like the Plus size. I don't miss the smaller screen in the smaller phones, though otherwise I'd just get the 8. Having the iPhone X be the smaller size and less-bezel screen is just right.
I kind of wish I liked the plus as I'd save money and keep the 7 Plus or get an 8 Plus. I don't really care about OLED enough though I will appreciate it.
It sounds like you should hold out for the rumored iPhone X Plus (or iPhone XS Plus, or iPhone 11 Plus...whatever they call it) next year. That should be a Plus size body with full screen display. That'll be pretty dang sweet for people like you who prefer larger phones. -
Battery life is supposed to increase by two hours over any other iPhone.
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More than iPhine 8.
Less than iPhone 8 Plus.
https://www.imore.com/e?link=https2F2Fc2F4... -
You should try the x when you get a chance I did and I have a plus the screen is bigger only slight different in width . Works better with big hands
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You said,”the body of the device is just centimeters larger than the iPhone 8.”. I’m pretty sure you meant millimeters.
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For everyone who says it’s not as big . The plus is only 7.1 mm wider which is the thickness of the phone. It is much taller there fore it is slightly bigger with different dimensions. I have tried one and I did the long way on emails . It’s longer just a little shirt actually looks good try before you judge