APPLE’S iPhone X is now available to pre-order with this flagship device arriving in stores across the UK from Friday. And, if you’re thinking of buying this all-new smartphone, here’s express.co.uk's first look and initial impressions.
The iPhone X marks a major milestone for Apple.
This groundbreaking piece of technology arrives 10 years after the very first iPhone was held up in front of cheering crowds by Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs.
The iPhone has transformed the way we communicate and has spawned a generation of devices that can allow consumers to watch content, surf the web, send emails and take pictures that look as good as those shot on a professional DSLR.
Now on its 10th anniversary, Apple is launching its biggest ever update to this hugely popular device.
The iPhone X is once again pushing the boundaries of design and technology with new features such as an edge-to-edge display and facial recognition.
Express.co.uk has just got the iPhone X in our hands and here’s our early impressions of Apple’s next generation smartphone.
We’ve only been been using the iPhone X for a short time but the future looks very exciting for fans of this famous creation.
The all-new iPhone is simply stunning and, with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge screen that covers almost the entire front of the device, this is the best looking smartphone Apple has ever made.
The clever design also means you get a much bigger screen in a phone that’s physically smaller in your hand.
Gone are the chunky bezels that have graced the front of the iPhone since the original device was launched 10 years ago and this radical new look is a massive improvement over all of its predecessors.
Its glass and metal construction also makes it feel reassuringly solid and the glossy chrome edges provide an added touch of bling.
And it’s not just the design that looks impressive as Apple has included an OLED Super Retina display for the first time on their iPhones and we really like what we’ve seen.
The US technology giant hasn’t followed some of its rivals with over the top and saturated colours.
Instead, this display brings a much more true-to-life experience to the screen which we definitely prefer.
Of course with this screen covering the entire front of the phone there’s nowhere to place the famous Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
This technology has instead been replaced by something Apple is calling Face ID.
Using a unique front facing TrueDepth camera, the iPhone X is able to scan your face and unlock the device when it spots a match.
And if you’re concerned about this new technology, don’t be.
So far we’ve had very few problems with Face ID with it even working in extremely low light or when things about your face change - such as removing glasses.
We’ve only be playing with this new technology for a short time and, whilst we’re not sure it’s always as fast as Touch ID, it’s still amazingly accurate and a huge improvement over what many rivals have so far managed to produce.
Another nice feature of the front-facing camera is the ability to send something called Animojis to your friends and family.
These colourful characters mimic your exact expressions and can be sent as short video clips via Messages or email.
Animojis are a huge amount of fun and if one of your friends has taken delivery of an iPhone X expect to be bombarded by this entertaining feature.
Of course it’s not all about the front-facing camera with Apple also including an updated dual-lens snapper on the rear of the phone.
The US technology giant says this camera will take even better pictures in low light - something we’ll be testing over the coming days.
Users of the iPhone X will also be treated to the clever Portrait Mode and new Portrait Lighting option which adds some stunning effects to your pictures.
Under the hood of the iPhone X you’ll find Apple’s new A11 Bionic processor which is blisteringly fast with it bringing a slick and stutter-free experience.
Like the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus the new iPhone X can also be charged wirelessly and it continues to cope with an accidental drop in bath.
We haven’t used the iPhone X for long enough to bring you a full battery test but we’ll be putting this device through its paces and will include our results when we publish our full review.
However, one thing we have had plenty of time to play with are the new gestures that help navigate around the phone.
With no Touch ID button you now have to swipe up from the bottom of the display to return to the home screen - something that actually feels more intuitive the longer you use it.
There’s plenty more gestures to get accustomed to including swipe and hold to switch apps and swiping down from the top corners to reveal the control centre and notifications panel.
Once you get the hang of these new commands they feel very natural and we doubt you’ll miss the original way of navigating around the iPhone.
Once you’ve got over the £999 starting price, there’s little to dislike about the iPhone X with our only criticism currently coming from the fact that not all apps have been optimised for this giant display.
This issue was perfectly highlighted by attempting to stream directly from the BBC iPlayer with content not filling the entire screen.
Developers will be working hard to get these issues fixed in time for the launch date but be aware that it’s likely that not all of your favourite applications will make full use of the stunning screen.
EARLY VERDICTExpress.co.uk will be bringing you a full review of the iPhone X in the coming days but our initial impressions suggest there’s very little not to like about Apple’s next generation smartphone.
The iPhone X looks stunning, is incredibly powerful and the edge-to-edge display now means you get a bigger screen in a device that’s physically smaller in your hand.
Of course, the bigger screen means no more fingerprint scanner but, so far, we haven’t noticed any issues with using the new Face ID security.
It’s early days for our time with the iPhone X but so far so good for this smartphone.
Apple appears to have created an iPhone that’s worthy of it’s 10th anniversary and it could have a very big hit on its hands.