New York - The first reviews of Apple Inc's
eagerly awaited iPhone X unanimously judged it the best iPhone
yet, although some reviewers pointed out potential glitches in
FaceID, the company's new face recognition system.
The run-up to the November 3 release of the redesigned glass and
stainless steel device has been dominated by concerns over the
supply and accuracy of the new system, which aims to improve on
Samsung's face unlock feature.
At $999 (about R14 000), the iPhone X is the most expensive phone the
company has ever launched, but demand is already far
outstripping supply, according to analysts.
"It's thin, it's powerful, it has ambitious ideas about what
cameras on phones can be used for, and it pushes the design
language of phones into a strange new place," Verge reviewer
Nilay Patel said.
Apple shares rose as much as 1.4 percent to a record high of
$169.09 on Tuesday.
There is no home button on the iPhone X, a key feature in
previous phones.
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The fingerprint sensor is gone as well, replaced by FaceID,
which unlocks the phone by recognising a face with the help of a
front-facing "TrueDepth" infrared camera.
So does the FaceID work? Reviewers had reservations.
While the feature works even if the user changes their
appearance, wearing sunglasses for instance, it may not work as
well if some key facial features are obscured.
"I tried the phone with at least five of my coworkers. None
of their faces unlocked it - although none of them look remotely
like me," CNET reviewer Scott Stein said.
Reviewers said Apple had given guidance that the system
works best at a distance of 25 to 50 centimeters away from your
face.
Apple touted the iPhone X as a completely reimagined device.
It has a display that covers the entire screen but for a notch
at the top that houses sensors, lenses, microphones and
speakers.
But many reviewers agreed that while some customers may be
willing to pay the steep premium, as they usually do for new
Apple devices, others may find the price unnecessary.
"For a lot of people, it'll be worth it. For a lot of
people, it'll seem ridiculous," Verge's Patel said.
"But fundamentally, it's a new iPhone, and that means you
probably already know if you want to spend a thousand dollars on
one."
The iPhone X has three cameras, one in front and two at the
back, which reviewers said were "top notch" and the best so far
in an iPhone.
The device's battery seemed to last up to a day, even after
running heavy-duty apps, reviewers said.
This is the first time Apple has used an OLED display, which
CNBC's Todd Haselton said was the best display he had ever seen
on a smartphone.