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iPhone X first impressions: A new experience awaits

The iPhone X pictured outside the Apple Store at the Mall of thr Emirates in Dubai. Apple will start selling its new-generation flagship on Friday - ahead of even the United States.

Dubai - With Home button and Touch ID gone, and Face ID added, device will be a something quite unique

By Alvin R. Cabral

Published: Tue 31 Oct 2017, 6:26 PM

Last updated: Tue 31 Oct 2017, 9:02 PM

The most polarising smartphone in history is upon us.

And while this is technically the second time Khaleej Times has had the iPhone X in its hands - the first being at the launch event at Apple Park in Cupertino in September - this is the first time we will be able to do a more, should we say, first-impression piece.

Obviously, I don't know the exact figure or percentage, but a large chunk of us were stunned during the unveil. I think - and what most believe in as well - this is the beginning of a new chapter of iPhones. Whether it replicates the way the original iPhone back in 2007 changed the whole history of mobile devices is a mystery now; remember, it's not as if there was that much competition 10 years ago.

To start off, the iPhone X is a pretty-looking phone. With a 5.8-inch OLED screen - the first to rise up to Apple's standards - it dwarfs the 5.5-inch Pluses of previous generations.

Apple pegs the iPhone X as all-screen, but it's not technically that. The bezels on the edges still feel too thick; a little more shaving off of these bezels could've done the trick and would've even made it more gorgeous, to further reinforce its build, made of a chrome edge and an iPhone 8-esque glass back.

Going back to the screen, there's a notch above that houses the TrueDepth camera tech, which powers Face ID, the new way of unlocking the device. Obviously, it takes a tiny part of the screen, and you would even feel that more in landscape mode: start getting used to that little black space on either side.

The Home button is gone, something we've grown accustomed to, and with it, Touch ID, much beloved by users. Of course, this is now replaced by Face ID, which Apple guarantees is virtually fool-proof. It maps your face so well that it will work in, according to Apple, total darkness.

Along with that, there are also some changes in how you navigate the new iPhone: going out of an app requires you swiping from below; viewing recent apps will have you tapping and holding the same area until they show up.

Even how to power down the iPhone X is slightly different: now, you have to hold both the lock/unlock key and either of the volume buttons. To access Siri - aside from the 'Hey Siri' command - you have to hold the button on the right for a couple of seconds.

We haven't gotten into the innards of the iPhone X, because we'll be saving that for a more comprehensive review later on. But one thing is clear: for all the aesthetics of Apple's new device, you will have to make some real adjustments.

And of course, everyone is curious to see what will happen on Friday when Apple starts selling the iPhone X. Matter of factly, the UAE will even be ahead of the US this time around.

- alvin@khaleejtimes.com