The iPhone X

Since its first iPhone release a mere 10 years ago, one of Apple’s biggest technological innovation was launched this September. From the brand new water/dust resistant screen and display, glass back, Face ID, and wireless charging, this iPhone is drawing the attention of many. All these new features seem very tempting, but there is one big drawback: the price. The iPhone X will start at $999 when it goes on sale November 3. While this phone is new and exciting, is it worth the price?
All images from apple.com

Screen
In this new model, Apple has minimized the borders around the phone, and enlarged the size of the screen. The new screen is not only big, but also fascinating to the eyes. The screen quality is known to rival any other smartphone. It also has the highest resolution an iPhone has ever had.

Water/ Dust Resistant
The phone is water resistant for up to 30 minutes under 5 feet of water. However, one flaw of this feature is the Apple does not cover any water or dust damages to the device.

Glass Back
As another obvious change in design, the glass back might look more appealing to the eye, but it increases the chances of shattering not only one but two surfaces; the screen and the back. In addition, the glass back will more susceptible to scratches.

Wireless Charging
Apple has added a wireless charging feature using. It uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy to the phone more quickly that a wire charger would. The wireless charging feature does not come with any device and you have to purchase it separately.

Face ID
Apple’s replacement of Touch ID with the Face ID has brought excitement, but also skepticism. With Touch ID, all you had to do was press your home button. You could even do as you took out your phone. On the other hand, for Face ID, it requires taking your phone out, waking up the device, and looking at screen. This new feature also brings some safety concerns. We will have to just wait it all depends on well this feature works.

So, is the new iPhone X worth $999? This Apple phone has many new interesting features like wireless charging, facial recognition, and it is water resistant. The iPhone is a popular device because it is innovative and efficient. Is the iPhone X worth the price? That is for you, the consumer, to decide.

 

iOS 11 is Apple’s 11th generation phone operating system. Released to the public on September 19, there were a plethora of new features available to iPhone and iPad owners. This September release coincides with the releases of the iPhone 8, the iPhone X, and the Apple Watch Series 3. Many features are intended for the new iPhones, including support for Apple’s ARKit, and Face ID. However, the iPad received its fair share of new features, including a dock, and a new drag and drop interface. Also introduced was WatchOS 4, which brought workout tracking, improved music control, an improved virtual assistant, and an improved heart rate app. iOS 11 will be preloaded on all new iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. WatchOS 4 will be preloaded on all new Apple Watches.

 

One of the most significant additions to iOS 11 is support for Apple’s ARKit, a developer oriented feature which enables app creators for iOS to make augmented reality applications. Many apps that take advantage of ARKit are already available on the App Store, via their phone’s screen. This website showcases some of the many apps available that are compatible with ARKit. Unfortunately for owners of older devices, ARKit will only be available to devices with the A9, A10, and A11 processors (iPhone 6 and newer). According to Apple, this is because their new processors “deliver breakthrough performance that enables fast scene understanding and lets you build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes.” By using a combination of the camera and motion sensors, users are able to interact with their real-life environment using only their cell phone. For example, this will allow users to measure the length of their bedroom to determine if furniture will fit. It could also help a user determine if they would like that furniture in their bedroom by superimposing it on the real life image.

 

One of the non-major features in iOS 11 is support for Apple’s FaceID, a new technology that allows users to unlock their phone with the iPhone X’s front-facing camera. Other minor features include support for Apple Pay inside iMessage, additional filters in the camera app, a redesigned App Store, improved Siri, an improved Control Center, upgrades to the keyboard, upgraded notifications, and improved Live Photos.

 

Although iOS 11 brings forward many new features for Apple’s iPhone, the update is primarily focused on features for iPad users. The iOS 11 update radically alters the way iPads work. The most important change to iPads in this update is the new dock. After swiping up, users are greeted with a dock containg recently used apps or the user’s favorite apps. By using the dock, users are able to combine two apps together and use them at the same time. While multitasking, users are able to seamlessly drag content from one side of the screen to the other.

 

A few tailored features for Apple Pencil (a $99 accessory for the iPad) have been coded into iOS 11. Some features include the ability to mark up websites, an improved keyboard,  the ability to search for text in drawings, and an improved document scanner. These new features will make the iPad more productive to use.

 

Will You Upgrade?

I interviewed three Wayne Valley students and asked them if they would upgrade.Here are some of their responses:

 

Me Will you upgrade to iOS 11, and if you have already upgraded, why did you upgrade?

Them Yes, I will be updating to iOS 11, because some apps aren’t available if you don’t update. I haven’t upgraded yet, but I am planning to.

Me Will you upgrade to iOS 11, and if you have already upgraded, why did you upgrade?

Them I’m not sure … I want to research it first to see if people are having any problem with it

Me And that’s the only reason?

Them Yes

Me Are you excited for the new features?

Them I don’t really know anything about them. I’ve had issues after updating

Me Will you upgrade to iOS 11, and if you have already upgraded, why did you upgrade?

Them Yes, I have upgraded, but I don’t like the update

Me Why?

Them My phone lags wherever I use Siri or invert colors, and sometimes it will just randomly turn black while I’m using it.

Me Anyting else?

Them A personal annoyance, but, I don’t like the way they changed the multitasking. It makes it harder to close all my apps.