Apple will present the new iPhone this Tuesday and, as usual, most of the details have already been leaked.
What seems guaranteed is that we’ll see 3 models being introduced: the iPhone 7s, 7s Plus and a special edition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone. That special edition has been known until now as iPhone 8, iPhone Edition, or iPhone Pro, but the official name iPhone X has been confirmed (among other details) thanks to the final version of iOS 11 leaking.
These are the top 3 reasons why I’m excited about the iPhone X.
1. Face ID
Who would imagine Touch ID would go away so fast? The 4 year old fingerprint reader is nowhere to be found in the latest leaks, which suggests that it was impossible to integrate the reader underneath the new OLED screen.
Using face detection as authentication method is not new (read my experience with this technology and Windows Hello) but Apple will make it mainstream, like it did with touch screens or fingerprint readers. There are many unanswered questions about this technology though: will Apple Pay still be as comfortable and safe to use as it is today? will unlocking the phone be as fast as Touch ID?
My only concern is being able to easily unlock the phone in situations where placing it in front of my face might not be ideal.
2. Edge to edge screen
Samsung and their Galaxy S8 showed how sexy edge to edge screens can be. No buttons, no big frames, just screen: it’s the closest to those glass devices often seen in science fiction movies. With Apple following Samsung on this, soon phones with framed screens will look like ancient technology.
The iPhone X will have a screen with no frames; only the upper sensors and camera will take away from the beautiful screen.
3. Augmented Reality (AR)
The new cameras will include depth sensors that will enable a myriad of scenarios where the phone becomes the window into an amazing new world. Playing to look for zombies in the dark of your house, placing furniture in your bedroom before you buy it, trying new clothes before going to the store, exploring Rome’s Coliseum right after construction was finished… the possibilities are limitless.
In a few years, we will look back at this very moment as the start of the AR wars: Google, Apple (and many others) will fight to own the de facto AR developer platform.
Bonus! Wireless charging
One of the features I miss the most from my old Windows Phone is wireless charging and Apple has been playing with the technology for a while now.
Getting rid of the need to plug your phone every night would make the iPhone X feel even more modern, especially when Android phones have had this feature for a long time now.
The iPhone X is rumored to cost around $1000, so Apple is expected to deliver a phone that showcases the latest advances in mobile technology and what features will become the norm in the next few years. With such a high price, Apple will test again its audience: are regular users ready to pay for a phone the same they’d pay for a laptop? Time will tell, but if history is any indication, the answer should be: you bet!
Image via YouTube/MKBHD
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